iCom sound quality - like a bad speakerphone?

[joesc]

Hi All,

I'm not a usual user of bluetooth devices and don't talk to many people who use bluetooth headsets. But when I use my iCom to talk to people, they always say it sounds like I'm on a bad speakerphone. When I talk to people using the headset, they say it sounds the best, and when I use the phone's speakerphone function, it's still pretty good according to the people I talk to. But when using the iCom, they say it much worse than the speakerphone, and sometimes seems to give an echo. Is this the usual experience with the iCom or regular bluetooth headsets?

When I have talked to people who used bluetooth headsets, they usually sounded staticy and voice quality wasn't that good. I'm just trying to figure out if this is the usual thing with bluetooth or not?

[Alias]

There are a number of variables with bluetooth. You would expect that since bt is a standard that all communication would sound the same. As you have noticed, it does not. Some phones handle bt better than others and that affects sound quality.

If you can, try another bt phone and see if there is a difference in sound quality. If that doesn't help, see if you can try another iCom unit, as the one you have may be defective.

FWIW, people tell me that I sound "hollow" to them, which I take to mean that it sounds a bit like being on a speaker phone. This seems to be normal for the iCom.

[adgraham]

Alias is right. I've had an experience with a cell phone that made me think something was wrong with my Icom. Then I got a new cell phone (blackberry) and all is better now.

Talking into the icom will never sound like you are talking into the phone due to the bluetooth scenario. The icom also places the microphone further from your mouth than a normal phone. Do as I do, tell your friends to put up with it as it makes you hear way better, and they can still hear you better then you could hear them before the icom!

However, you still may have a faulty icom though so you may want to investigate this fully to make sure your friends will still call you!

[joesc]

The only problem would be getting a new cell phone to test this out. :(

[adgraham]

The only problem would be getting a new cell phone to test this out. :(

Do you have any friends or family with a cell phone that has bluetooth that would be willing to let you test it out on theirs?

[len403]

Can anyone tell me if the iCom works with the Naida V hearing aid or does it work with just the Exelia

[adgraham]

I have Naidas and use the ICOM. It works great.

[dfmorse]

Hi All,

I'm not a usual user of bluetooth devices and don't talk to many people who use bluetooth headsets. But when I use my iCom to talk to people, they always say it sounds like I'm on a bad speakerphone. When I talk to people using the headset, they say it sounds the best, and when I use the phone's speakerphone function, it's still pretty good according to the people I talk to. But when using the iCom, they say it much worse than the speakerphone, and sometimes seems to give an echo. Is this the usual experience with the iCom or regular bluetooth headsets?

When I have talked to people who used bluetooth headsets, they usually sounded staticy and voice quality wasn't that good. I'm just trying to figure out if this is the usual thing with bluetooth or not?


**************

I'll talk to my audi on Monday and see if there is an iCOM tuning or adjustment that can be made to improve transmission quality..

I just got my iCOM to work with the Vtech LS5145 BT fone; really great. Transmission quality was slightly speaker-phone/narrow bandish sounding, but not really bad over all. I was impressed!

...

[turtledove]

Alias is right. I've had an experience with a cell phone that made me think something was wrong with my Icom. Then I got a new cell phone (blackberry) and all is better now.

Talking into the icom will never sound like you are talking into the phone due to the bluetooth scenario. The icom also places the microphone further from your mouth than a normal phone. Do as I do, tell your friends to put up with it as it makes you hear way better, and they can still hear you better then you could hear them before the icom!

However, you still may have a faulty icom though so you may want to investigate this fully to make sure your friends will still call you!

Hi Adgraham! You are right. Once I switched to the Blackberry, everyone says my Icom sounds wonderful. I am having a very strange problem with my iCom shorting out...this just started yesterday. It's almost as if the Coil is not connecting on the left side (looking down at it while it's around my neck) - the side you are not supposed to touch. I physically have to hold the cord still between my thumb and forefinger for the connection to stay solid. Any ideas?

[adgraham]

Hi Adgraham! You are right. Once I switched to the Blackberry, everyone says my Icom sounds wonderful. I am having a very strange problem with my iCom shorting out...this just started yesterday. It's almost as if the Coil is not connecting on the left side (looking down at it while it's around my neck) - the side you are not supposed to touch. I physically have to hold the cord still between my thumb and forefinger for the connection to stay solid. Any ideas?

Great.... I'm glad the new blackberry is working out for you.

As far as the cord goes, I'm sure you'll have to take it in for repair. Did the cord get yanked at any time?

[joesc]

Unfortunately I'm still getting people complaining about the background noise when using my iCom. Like the supposedly directional mic on the iCom isn't really directional, but picking up everything. I think I'm going to see if I can exchange this one for another and see if it gets better.