Q: iPhone 6s Distorted Sound

Update - Brand new iPhone 6s delivered this morning and set up as a 'New Phone' to avoid any issues with previous back ups. Went to iTunes Store to play the track (Agnes Obel - Chord Left ... with the piano content) and the unit distorts the sound at 75-100% volume.

Tried other piano type music via You Tube and exactly the same fault as before.

I have left a message with the Senior Advisor dealing with my Case to contact me.

Looks like all units affect (if not all) are affected.

If yours is okay, then you are very lucky.

Seriously considering an alternative model rather than a faulty £620 iPhone 6s

Hello GUE Diver (and all of you)

Since I have my replaced iPhone 6S, the distortion is gone. I'm convinced it's hardware related because with my previous 6S all described here was there.

What I did was to call Apple Care and I explained the issue. Maybe they tested the unit before sending it, I don't know, it took more time than expected (10 days compared to the 24/48 hours announced).

Now everything works just fine, even my home button, it was a little loose before, now it's fine

I really hope you'll get your problems solved!

My iPhone 6s have the same problem, i´ve played the sound Agnes Obel - Chord Left, and is distorted, and compared with my iPad, its totally different !

I sent the Iphone to an apple repair center, and i am waiting for a conclusion of them, i don't know if they will replace with a new iPhone or repair mine. Additional to that,  the technic that sent the iPhone to apple discovered that the vibrator engine have a problem too, wich he believed that can be related to the distorted speaker sound.

I also downloaded this song and played it on my 6S.  The distortion is absolutely present.  My 6s also exhibits the distortion on the sent message sound as well as opening, and slow rise ringtones.  The interesting thing is that I also listened to the chord left by agnes obel on my 5s which does not exhibit the distortion on any ringtone and has been perfect in my mind.  And the conclusion is that the chord left track also creates distortion on my 5s!!  So I am a bit lost as to why these tones continue create distortion on the iPhone's.  Neither ringtones nor any iTunes track will create distortion on my iPad air.  So where does that leave us.  I think still hardware.  I have a genius appt today and we will see if I swap for my third 6s.

The latest in this 'on-going saga' is that Apple Engineers have now requested a video sample from me to be uploaded - showing the iTunes version of the track playing and clearly demonstrating the issues between 75-100% volume. I have done so and I am awaiting their response etc.

I am very, very interested in the fact that Apple Care managed to source a 'perfect' working 6S for you loïcfernandezcastrillon and I would be grateful if you would kindly let me know your Apple Case number - so that I can refer this to my Apple Senior Case Advisor.

Unfortunately, at the moment it appears that Apple representatives are not 'joined up' in their approach to dealing with this issue.

In my post above i mentioned that my Iphone 6s distort the track of Agnes Obel, and tracks with for example piano sound, but i forgot to mention that also distorts the sound in the original messaging notification and reception as well as the original ringtone. Sorry for my bad English, i am from Portugal.

Here, in Portugal, i know more people with this problem, and many people, unfortunately don't know what is going on, and certainly they have the distortion too.

After latest update (9.1) on my 6+,  terrible distortion on all music devices and apps. I hope there is a fix SOON.

It's a shame, a company like Apple launching products with these defects, expensive products supposedly premium. There are also people who already go in the 4th iPhone 6s because of the issues. People at APPLE may consider those issues, and admit the mistakes. The marketing Team at APPLE are very good, and they have a good team communication behind that can handle well the information that circulates about their products. They never admitted the defect that the aluminum of iphone 6 had, but in fact the S series is out with an aluminum with a higher resistance .. this is just one example of many. We can not afford to be paying so much money for products that are generally fantastic in design but then have these defects in its hardware, I know equipment of other brands that cost half the price of the iPhone, which have three times the sound quality.

I'm on my 5th iphone 6s... other manufacturing defects not helping matters. You say "good design" but this is misplaced as good design avoids the issues being experienced. What you mean is pretty design and high desirability. You know you wont buy the cheaper, better sounding phone and so do Apple. We will all end up with our own workarounds in whatever form that takes and wait for the next upgrade. The iphone 5s was the high point in the iphone history in my view. It just worked....end of.

So I went to the Apple Store today, and swapped out my phone, still have the same problem, but not as bad, and the phone no longer make a rattle sound when you sake it like somethign is loose down around the home button and speaker area. I did try all the phones on display in the area of the store i was in while waiting, and guess what, every phone on display makes the crackling sound on the opening ringtone. I think this is still slightly software related as the volume is louded when compared side by side with the iphone 5. So, i guess i'll just have to break the habbit of turing the volume up all the way, or wait and see if there will be a mass fix/recall.

I have also noticed that sometimes the audio is quieter, and other times it's louder, and i did not adjust the volume.... just a strange and annoying situation. and the same thing happed to me the other night as i was watching a youtube video, about halfway through the video, the audio took a nose dive in loudness.

I had this too! When re-playing bits that send the speaker off on a crazy splutter, I would accidentally go back a track, then forward again to start the track that distorts and it was quieter - but the volume slide didn't move.

I say there's a connection between the taptic engine and the speaker - too much space or something rubbing or catching.... remember the G5 iMac 1st Gen? The fans buzzed due to a poorly fitted gasket and a cheap fan.

I have seen somebody suggesting that charging to 100% the battery the problem dissapears and I can confirm that which is very odd. I am on 9.0.2 because 9.1 was choppy and even more buggy. My question to you guys is can somebody tell me if this is fixed on 9.1 ??

Afraid iOS 9.1 does not make any difference whatsoever - this is clearly a hardware fault or a bug which has not been addressed in any version of iOS 9 ...... which I find difficult to comprehend, which is why I suspect poor quality components.

Did you test if yours gets fixed once your battery is between 95-100% ?

edit: on 74% atm and I do not hear the crackle in full volume on "opening" sound. Running iOS 9.0.2

Everyone, please do check yours, report your version, and if this works for you, we need to send feedback and complaints to Apple