Headset mic feedback / ambient noise during call

Apparently I didn't understand the original post, sorry. Excessive sidetone is not a good thing. With a normal volume of sidetone, you really shouldn't even notice it.

When I think about it maybe cell phones don't need sidetone, as their physical design doesn't allow for the speaker to seal the ear like a normal telephone handset would. Therefore, you're able to hear your own voice when talking.

I just found this on another forum:

Sidetone is usually eliminated from digital cell phones because unfortunately, digital encoding introduces a delay in transmission (usually lasting between 1/4 and 1/2 a second). If the sidetone wasn't filtered out, you'd instead hear a delayed echo of yourself talking through the earpiece, which makes people VERY uncomfortable when they talk.

Hmmm, maybe I didn't test it enough. I can hear the feedback immediately with the HF3's. If I'm on the iPhone 4S as soon as the cell call starts (before you even hear the line ringing), I can hear noise, unlike with the Apple supplied headset, which is completely silent. That was the test I did on my friend's iPhone 4, I had a completely different result (completely silent with the hf3's on the iPhone 4).

I have just discovered this thread after a fair bit of searching around.

Does anyone know if there is any way to adjust sidetone in the iphone?

If this is not supported by Apple, surely there is a tech type person that knows how to get into it?

As I understand it there is no way to adjust sidetone on the iPhone. But then again, there's no way to adjust sidetone on landline telephones either.

Thats a bugger. Maybe theres a way of getting into it and creating some adjustment? Maybe an app can be written?

Landline phones not having sidetone adjustment is quite irrelevant in this context. (Although this can easily be achieved by adding a 4 wire box to the line. This is quite common in professional applications)

iphones are very fast becoming a device for many, many applications. If I can find a way of using quality noise isolating headsets and also having sidetone adjustment, this would make the iphone a convenient device in a lot of circumstances.

I never had ambient noise issue on my iphone 4 before or after iOS 5. I checked another iPhone 4 in my household and it doesn't have any issues either.

It would be great if the sidetone was adjustable. I'm sure this would be possible with a device as sophisticated as the iphone, its just a matter whether its possible in its current form or if its something Apple needs to look at.

Anyone know how to really get inside these things?

I have definitely the same problem. have the in-ear apple earphones with mic and also used iphone 3gs and 4 with it. this worked very fine. now it's ****. most of the time there's constant noise on the line, even before the call receiver has picked up the phone.

Apple, please to something to stop that. I use this phone for business, so i can't have permanent noise on my conf-calls.

when i mute the mic the noise stops and when i put on finger over the 2nd mic for noise cancellation, it normally gets better.

So glad to read I'm not alone. (Etymotic headset with new 4S)

So unglad to read there's no solution.

All the same points as mentioned in thread:

Noise starts as soon as I press Call.

The noise is the sounds of the street around me. Or sound of TV when I'm home.

Terrible distraction.

I don't know if the people I am speaking to can hear it. (Should ask.)

Never had it with first gen iPhone or 3G.

I don't think I am hearing the sidetone in the Apple-supplied headset. But that may be because they don't sit as far into the ear canal.

I love the camera but soooooo discouraged about the headset noise thing. Just upgraded from a 3GS 3 weeks ago. Have have several conversations with Apple and Rogers, and got my phone and simm card replaced last week. The issue continues. My Klipsch headset which was awesome with my 3GS is a nightmare on the 4S. So much ambient noise in my head it drives me nuts! Tried my headset on a co-worker's 4 today and it has the same issue.

Got a nice reply from a Klipsch emplyoee when I asked in their forum: http://community.klipsch.com/forums/p/139895/1749489.aspx#1749489

My S4i work great in 3GS but not in the 4S.

Yep same sidetone problem here on an iPhone 4S. I wanted to use an external sound source in place of the internal microphone and I couldn't understand why I was hearing an attenuated version of that source on the headphones output too. Now I know!

If it helps anyone, the sidetone issue happens as soon as you switch to the phone application (before even placing a call).

I tried Skype and there is no sidetone at all...