Loose headphone jack?

[Ghoelix]

My Droid seems a little too big, to me, to use as a music player but I've been using it as such for a couple days now. It actually has pretty good sound, clear and loud and the software player is enough for me right now. I do wish the volume button change volume at smaller increments but it's good enough.

Anyway, had it in my back pocket while listening to music, crouched down and the sound died. Straightened back out and it came back. Pulled it out of my pocket and pressed the headphone plug, gently, and the sound went out again and it also felt kind of wiggly, like a loose tooth. I pulled the plug out and found I could even wiggle the jack a little with a fingernail. Has anyone else noticed this?

Ooh, just noticed this at androidforums.com : Loose headphone jack - Android Forums

Ghoelix.

 

[gg7aph]

I just returned my Droid for the same reason - i couldn't have it in my pocket without the audio cutting out or loosing one channel while I walked around. To be fair to Verizon they did it in 5 mins with no questions asked. And, before hand I shared the opinion of many on this forum that the Droid audio settings lack bass - I still agree with this and add my voice to the calls for an EQ app - but feel that this replacement, with a solid headphone jack, has better quality sound.

 

[Ghoelix]

Interesting, I'm glad the replacement unit worked better for you. I held off on returning mine. I was walking around with it one day with headphones plugged in but no sound turned on and I started noticing crackling. I found that when I moved the headphone plug around in a certain way it would crackle more. I stopped by the Verizon store and showed them. Sometimes it would crackle for them, sometimes not. It also crackled on one of the two Droid demo units they had which I assume don't have headphones plugged into them much. So I think the build quality at the headphone jack is just not very good.

They suggested I wait until the update comes out Dec. 11. I told them I was pretty sure that wouldn't fix it but there were like 3 reps with me at that point who all said they would be happy to replace it if the update didn't fix it so I decided to wait.

Ghoelix.

 

[Zippster]

The software update is going to fix the hardware issue? lol, first for me.

The jack has had me worried too, I dont use it for headphones but to plug into my trucks stereo for pandora and more, problem is, need to unplug it to use the phone during the day, so trip there, unplug, trip home, unplug x5 + days a week and it doesnt feel all that sturdy to begin with. :icon_evil:

 

[CDB]

My headphone receptacle feels sturdy, but it's the actual headphone plug that seems to make ALL the difference between crackling sound with cord movement and not. I have an iPod that I bought a Belkin car kit for some time ago. The included cable that plugs into the iPod, well, now Droid, snaps in with a clean snap. Since my wife is now using the iPod in her car, I needed another audio cable.

I tried 3 models from BestBuy: RocketFish, Dynex and...another Belkin. None of the 3 had the snap that my old Belkin cable had and to top it off, the RocketFish and Dynex cables caused crackling with cable movement. All 3 have been returned. Off to RadioShack I go only to find that their cable and one of the right-angle adapters both suffer the same results. Then I spy another right-angle cable that has a built-in volume adjustment - and this fits like a champ. Get back to the car, plug everything up, move the cable around, move the connector around - no crackling.

So, there's my experience.

 

[synctek]

My 2gb ipod battery died 30 seconds into my gym workout. I ran out to the car to get the droid. Noticed while I was doing cardio that my head phones cut in and out a few times. I removed and replugged but still had some static and cutting out. Pissed off....I went out to the car after my workout and spent 10 minutes swapping the headphones and the audio cable that pluggs into the aux jack in the car. No matter how much I wiggle the car cable, it won't cut out but the headphones will every time. The jack on the Droid is loose, and has been since day one. Rather than returning it, I may break down and get the bluetooth headphones (motorola), already have a Jabra earpiece so may just avoid the jack all together unless I am in the car.

 

[ny00n]

Here's the problem with mine, the little shell inside of the jack moves back and forth when my headphones are plugged in, the sound is fine so far but I want to know if anyone else is having to deal with it. It makes me feel like the plug-in jack is so cheap

 

[CorvetteAustin24]

If it's loose, take it back in and get a replacement. I had to do this with mine, and they can't refuse you a new phone because it's a hardware defect. There's nothing anyone can do here to fix a loose headphone jack, so just go back, tell them the issue, and get it replaced.

 

[ny00n]

If it's loose, take it back in and get a replacement. I had to do this with mine, and they can't refuse you a new phone because it's a hardware defect. There's nothing anyone can do here to fix a loose headphone jack, so just go back, tell them the issue, and get it replaced.

Thanks you so much for the reply. Here's the problem with me going to exchange the phone, I'm only a teenager and I don't think they will take me seriously, and do I need a receipt or anything of the sort? Or can I just walk in, say I need a replacement and why, and then will hand me a new one? Thanks

 

[CorvetteAustin24]

If it's loose, take it back in and get a replacement. I had to do this with mine, and they can't refuse you a new phone because it's a hardware defect. There's nothing anyone can do here to fix a loose headphone jack, so just go back, tell them the issue, and get it replaced.

Thanks you so much for the reply. Here's the problem with me going to exchange the phone, I'm only a teenager and I don't think they will take me seriously, and do I need a receipt or anything of the sort? Or can I just walk in, say I need a replacement and why, and then will hand me a new one? Thanks

Yes, take your receipt and your mail in rebate form if you haven't sent yours in (they may print you a new one). Sign in to the machine, act professional, and stand firm by your decision. Tell them "my jack is loose, this is going to cause issues in the long run, and I would like to get a replacement." If they say they don't see anything wrong, ask to speak with a manager. Stay calm and collect, and stand by your word. What some employees there do is not want to have to deal with customer's issues so they'll try to get you out of the store with a set of blackberry headphones (crappy might I add) without having to deal with you. Hardware defects aren't acceptable on a new device and they are required to give you a new one.

 

[ny00n]

If it's loose, take it back in and get a replacement. I had to do this with mine, and they can't refuse you a new phone because it's a hardware defect. There's nothing anyone can do here to fix a loose headphone jack, so just go back, tell them the issue, and get it replaced.

Thanks you so much for the reply. Here's the problem with me going to exchange the phone, I'm only a teenager and I don't think they will take me seriously, and do I need a receipt or anything of the sort? Or can I just walk in, say I need a replacement and why, and then will hand me a new one? Thanks

Yes, take your receipt and your mail in rebate form if you haven't sent yours in (they may print you a new one). Sign in to the machine, act professional, and stand firm by your decision. Tell them "my jack is loose, this is going to cause issues in the long run, and I would like to get a replacement." If they say they don't see anything wrong, ask to speak with a manager. Stay calm and collect, and stand by your word. What some employees there do is not want to have to deal with customer's issues so they'll try to get you out of the store with a set of blackberry headphones (crappy might I add) without having to deal with you. Hardware defects aren't acceptable on a new device and they are required to give you a new one.

I appreciate everything, you basically gave me an instruction manual on how to exchange my phone. Ill be exchanging mkne tomorrow, thanks again

 

[NaterGator]

If it's loose, take it back in and get a replacement. I had to do this with mine, and they can't refuse you a new phone because it's a hardware defect. There's nothing anyone can do here to fix a loose headphone jack, so just go back, tell them the issue, and get it replaced.

I know I'm bumping an old thread on this but I gotta know...

Is a little wiggle room not normal? I've got about 10 days left before my 30 days are up and I've noticed my headphone jack wiggles a bit but TBH I just figured it was normal and nothing to worry about. I haven't had channel problems but I also hadn't started using it until a few days ago.

So what's the verdict, do all droid headphone jacks wobble a little bit or do they actually come totally wobble free? I don't want to have to deal with an exchange but I'm going to be furious if this thing craps out on day 31.

 

[CorvetteAustin24]

I suppose mine wiggles a little bit, but I just noticed and had to reallllly look at it to notice. Anything noticeable without having to really pay attention is something that would worry me.

 

[NaterGator]

I guess what I'm getting at is the whole plastic jack assembly that is sleeved by the metal shell of the phone wiggles in the sleeve insomuch as it has a small gap that it wiggles in. I will admit I'm using a fairly robust set of headphones (Sennheiser HD-650s) and the pigtail sticks out of the jack further than your average IEMs or iPod style headphones, but I don't know how much that is affecting how I notice this.

I'm not sure if these people were referring to the metal male headphone connector wiggling or the actual jack itself. I could see it being either, but if the plastic jack wears out the solder joints I'm going to hate my life.

 

[SwordOfWar]

Im out of my 30 day period and called about this issue. I explained it was not due to the headphone adapter size. I also told them that you could pinch the top of the phone where the jack was and the issue would not happen as long as you firmly pinched it.

Also being forwarded to technical support, the lady told me she could have a replacement sent to me, but after talking to one of her co-workers said that the jack could be considered damage abuse by the user from plugging and unplugging something in the jack. She then said that if they believe I was at faught for the damage of the jack they would bill me the full retail price of the phone. For that reason, she recommended I go to a store instead, so they could verify the issue and tell me if I could get a replacement or not.

So basically, don't let them send you a replacement via mail, as they will charge you the full retail price of the phone if they consider the problem/damage of the replaced phone to be caused by something you did.

This is horrible. I don't know what luck I will have if I go to the store. My 30 day worry-free exchange period has passed. I know Motorola will honor their 1 year warrenty, but if you go through them you have to mail your phone to them for repairs (without getting a replacement sent to you during that time). That basically means you would be Droid-less for at least a week.

It's certainly a tough situation. My biggest concern is that this will happen with any new/refurbished phone. I think it is a design/manufacturing flaw. I also think many people won't notice it immediately. I'm guessing it works good when its brand-new, but wears out and becomes loose very quickly if it is used often.

So, I suggest everyone to call Verizon and complain about the issue. If enough people do this, they might consider it a "known problem". You can use the example about pinching the top of the phone around the phone's jack to prove that its a component of the phone, not an improperly sized headphone adapter.

Its the space between the phone's jack and the phone's case that wiggles, not the hole itself where the plug is inserted.

Dial *611 from a Verizon phone and let them know I'm not the only one.