Muffled left channel recorded audio

[pgoelz]

I just discovered why the audio in my video recordings sounds muffled and unbalanced.

If you remove the back cover, you will see that there are two microphones on the back. Both align with tiny holes in the rear cover. Each microphone seals to the rear cover with a thin black paper washer that incorporates a membrane of some sort (dust/moisture protection?). In my case, the upper mic washer (closest to the camera) had slipped downwards and was no longer aligned with the hole. I carefully peeled it off the phone and re-applied it properly centered. The result was that my recorded audio (like when I shoot a video) is well balanced and sounds fine.

The real issue is that the washer creeps relative the membrane, so in my case the membrane is no longer centered on the washer. But centering the washer in the recess on the back of the phone body (leaving the membrane offcenter) seems an adequate fix. The membrane still fully covers the mic opening.

I have not tried it without the washer, but I would expect that the lack of a good seal to the hole in the back cover would affect the sound.

Paul

 

[monedetoune]

yep has been discussed here before

http://forums.windowscentral.com/mi...950-failing-microphones-you-wont-believe.html

 

[pgoelz]

OOPS, missed that. After reading that thread I am amazed that people actually got warranty replacements over this issue. I would much prefer keeping my phone and simply re-positioning the washer. If it moves again I may try making a foam or rubber washer and attaching it to the back instead of the inside frame. I wonder if a repair center could be talked into sending a couple in an envelope for a simple DIY fix (with a spare for future use).

Paul