iPhone 15 bad sound quality

Hi, I have the same audio quality issues on headphones.

I have recently bought Iphone 15 Plus and there is a marked difference in audio quality between this phone and my previous phones, and even when compared to an old ipad Air 2. The audio on this iphone sounds dull and lacks richness even though it is loud, similar to when you hear it through cheap headphones .

I have tried Settings  > Sounds & Haptics > Headphone Safety and increased it to all the way to one less than max. This does not seem to make much of a difference.

Such a disappointment on getting the latest iphone with this issue. Hope this is just the software and apple fixes it through updates.

This didn't fix the issue for me. I think there is something more complex involved that Apple needs to address.

We shouldn't have to do all these aftermarket tweaks on our apps and phones to get the sound to be half way decent. As $1000 premium devices these phones should sound perfect out the box. This is the first time I've ever had an audio issue with an iPhone since 2009. Apple - please fix this ASAP.

This is unacceptable.

The sound using Apple wired EarPods for phone/FaceTime is tinny, hissy, irritating (or sometimes there's no sound at all when answering with EarPods). The EarPod phone sound with my previous iPhone XR was clear as a bell. (I have Sound Check turned off; music through EarPods sounds fine, as does Apple Car Play.) This phone also often fails to ring for incoming calls or chime for text messages. And it NEVER auto-updates the iOS. My wife has the same phone, same problems. These expensive new 15 Pros are substandard. Unless these issues are fixed, they're our last iPhones.

iiTs_Dee Said:

"iPhone 15 bad sound quality: I had a iPhone XS for four years and plugged it into my car via an AUX cable and the sound was great. Recently I upgraded to an iPhone 15 Pro and now all of a sudden my sound is significantly softer and worse quality through the same AUX cable.[...]"

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To the OP and ALL Participants:

This seems to be catch on, so report this to Apple.

Reporting this to Apple:

Do your Part: Provide Apple with feedback on this, letting them know about this issue.  Apple may not get back to you directly, but the more feedback they receive on this, the more they will know what is occurring, and what bug fixes to include in updates to come. Apple will know nothing of this, if you don't report it to them.

1. Go Here: Feedback - iPhone - Apple
2. Select: "Bug Report" for the "Feedback Type"
3. Comment: that this needs to be fixed. Include the URL of this thread
4. Proceed from there as necessary

I tried the OEM Apple USB-C adapter for my new iPhone 15 Pro with my amazing Bose Headphones and the same issue is there that you're having. The audio quality is also poor with Apple CarPlay and from the phone speaker itself. I think their audio drivers or audio settings need to be changed via a Software update. I don't think there's anything we can do as a customer at this point. I have tried tweaking every variable possible and the issue persists on all 4 brand new iPhone 15 Pros in my household. Apple - please fix this issue ASAP otherwise I will be returning all 4 new phones and going back to my iPhone 13 which works perfectly.

I have the same problem my sound quality in CarPlay is woeful and yet my Pixel phone using Apple Music is unbelievable better. Only since I got iPhone 15 pro

I figured it out for CarPlay. Here is a step by step.

1. Settings
2. Music
3. Audio
4. Make sure Sound Check is OFF

My CarPlay got significantly louder and much more clear. Let me know if this helps!

Can we fix this please it is really annoying seeing as I work in my car and music is my life

Still bad tho, basically sounds lik it has no bass and missing the lower tones. Previous iphones sounds better. This Iphone 15 pro when connected to airpod sounds bad, and sounds worse when connected to car speaker.

iPhone 14 was the same. Brighter, thinner, harsher sound. I’ve returned multiple iPhones. Always have to return to my iPhone X which sounds so great on AirPods and my car. More bass, more richer and warmer sound. And whoever says all iPhones should sound the same over Bluetooth is just wrong. I can easily tell a difference between these newer phones and my X through my AirPods and in the car. It’s super frustrating cause music is paramount for me and this X is getting a bit old. Still the best iPhone though.

Hello iiTs_Dee,

Did you have the chance to check the headphone settings? You're able to now adjust the volume that goes through to attached headsets to prevent ear damage, and that can also impact other wired connections. It's described at Adjust the volume on iPhone - Apple Support

1. Go to Settings  > Sounds & Haptics > Headphone Safety.

2. Turn on Reduce Loud Sounds, then drag the slider to specify the maximum volume.

Thanks for using Apple Support Communities!

Hi there. I had the same problem as you had. All you have to do is go to settings>Music and disable sound check. And voila!! Problem solved

Hi iiTs_Dee,

Thanks for following up. Testing with a different adapter would definitely be a great step in narrowing this down further. Let us know what you find if you're able to test.

You can also reach out to Apple directly with this link: Get Support

Take care.

iiTs_Dee Said:

"iPhone 15 bad sound quality: I figured it out for CarPlay. Here is a step by step. 1. Settings 2. Music 3. Audio 4. Make sure Sound Check is OFF My CarPlay got significantly louder and much more clear"

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What is the source of this solution you have?