iPAQ 211 External Speaker Died

FrinkTL · 04-25-08, 10:48 AM

I just thought I'd submit this thread to let folks know that my iPAQ 211's external speaker just failed mid-sentence while using the GPS. I know it's the external speaker, because the sound still comes out of the headphone jack just fine. Apparently, even an anemic speaker can die.

Knowing that the Business division of HP is the side of the house from which all Technical Support is handled and that their Repair Center is still out of stock (or has been in the past) and that it has been taking 2-3 days just for a replacement to ship - even if you have a Next Business Day "Care Pack" Service Agreement with HP - I decided to take a different approach. I was just outside of the 21 day "free look" period so I couldn't just do the usual RMA the old while HP ships me a replacement, so I did the following:

I called Tech Support and had them create a case number. I advised them to NOT process the replacement for me, but to leave the case open.
I called Customer Care (regular number) and spoke with a supervisor, providing him with the support case number. I advised them of the issues: slow response from Business division, the fact that I have a Next Business Day service contract, and that the device has a defective external speaker.
HP processed the RMA, gave me the RMA number, and emailed a URL to print a FedEx label to return the old device.
HP used my HP Shopping card to order a new device. I'm getting a NEW device as a replacement (vs. a refurbished one).
Here's where HP distinguished themselves in the quality of their service: The supervisor submitted the new order for the replacement device with Next Business Morning shipping (the absolute fastest available) at an initial cost to me of $53
HP's Supervisor - while I was still on the phone with them - processed a credit to my account for the $53 in shipping charges!!

Understand that I called them at around 4:30 Eastern Time (AFTER 2PM their time yesterday and the device still shipped the SAME DAY and is currently out for delivery THIS MORNING!! Imagine that!! That is AWESOME service.

It is phenominally amazing to me the difference between the two divisions of HP: Home Office and Small Business. The difference is more than the difference between night and day! Wow.

Anyway, I just thought I'd share the problem and post how at least one division of HP responded with the best customer service possible.

04-25-08, 03:27 PM

Glad to hear you were able to get a quick exchange! By the way, are you sure it wasn't just the headphone jack thinking that headphones were still plugged in? A few weeks ago, I also thought that the speaker on my HP 210 had died, but then when I plugged in headphones and unplugged them, sound magically came back :).

FrinkTL · 04-25-08, 10:32 PM

Originally Posted by alantdc

Glad to hear you were able to get a quick exchange! By the way, are you sure it wasn't just the headphone jack thinking that headphones were still plugged in? A few weeks ago, I also thought that the speaker on my HP 210 had died, but then when I plugged in headphones and unplugged them, sound magically came back :).

Thanks for asking, but yes, I'm sure. I would get very rare half second blips of sound, though the sound from the headphones was fine. Of course, I plugged and unplugged the headphones several times as well. But the dead give-away that it was the speaker was that the sound stopped mid-word while using the GPS (without headphones).

x1x2jblack · 04-29-08, 03:21 PM

My external speaker on my 210 is acting funny too. A couple of days ago I was watching a video using TCMP and the sound died. I pulled out the battery, reset the unit and no sound. I plugged in some headphones and got sound out of one side only. Did the same procedure, no sound. I went and sync'd the unit with my notebook and audio came back externally and with headphones (both sides). I turned off the unit and let it cool off and turned it back on, no sound. I touched the mini usb port with metal part of mini usb cable and I got sound again.

As the unit warms up, I have no trouble with the audio. If I giggle mini usb cable in mini usb socket audio comes out intermittently. After unit cools down (shut off), audio disappears. It seems the audio is shorting in and out. Bad quality control and bad design for the price.

x1x2jblack · 05-15-08, 09:25 AM

I contacted HP about the speaker problem on my Ipaq 210. Pretty good service so far. It's on it way to HP under warranty to be looked at.

Theemed · 05-16-08, 03:34 AM

Let us know if they send you the same repaired device or another one (...if you remember the S/N of the one you sent in)

x1x2jblack · 05-16-08, 08:40 PM

I received a replacement unit for my ipaq 210. Fast turn around from when they received my unit and ship its replacement. I don't know if it is a refurbished unit, but it looks unused (no scratches).The speaker works on this one, for now. I'm thinking of purchasing a HP Care package to cover the unit for a couple, three more years. Any suggestions?

x1x2jblack · 05-16-08, 08:41 PM

And it has a different S/N.

x1x2jblack · 05-16-08, 08:44 PM

I shipped my defective unit with the battery, the battery cover, and stylus. Guess what was missing when I received the replacement unit. A quick call to HP rectified the situation within 2-3 hours the same day (my head is still spinning).

Theemed · 05-19-08, 02:51 PM

...everything BUT the battery cover? :P

Theemed · 10-21-08, 11:33 AM

I be damned, I've had the same problem today, while watching ep 24 of Friends season 1. The speaker stopped working out of the blue, then worked again for a sec, then died. The worked faintly on pocketsnes, and very faintly in tcpmp again, then no more. Headphones were fine all along.
Now I just synched the device, it's working again, a while after stopped, I fiddled with the 24 pin connector and it worked, then just now it stopped once again and won't work even if playing with the connectors (either of the two). Oh god.
I think I will definitely have to turn it back this time, now I have the screen alignment problem AND the dead speaker. Crap.

Theemed · 10-23-08, 09:57 AM

Replacement unit arrived the day after I issued a support call with HP onsite chat, and I have the sticker for the package to return the defective device to flextronics.
Audio is fine now, maybe it's because I'm excited over the brand new toy but it's like it is louder than before. I fear it will die again the day after the warranty ends :(

Theemed · 01-23-09, 03:08 PM

Incredible but true, yet another device, the newest one, with the serial 8390 something, stopped playing audio from the speaker, same exact manner, was watching friends on tcpmp, and it hiccupped a little with the audio before dieing. I turned it off and on, restarted tcpmp, had some spurts of audio coming out for less than one second, then dead again, period, even after soft reset. I will play the hard reset card in a while, but I am obviously without any hope.
Naturally, audio comes out clear from headphones plugged in the jack inlet.
Looks like the speaker on these things has a very short MTBF; I admit I watch friends a lot without headphones, and since the speaker is feeble, and especially, placed on the back on the unit, I have the preamp in tcpmp set to 50; so I do stress it a little...but just a little, as it never plays so loud that the audio is distorted, I just have it play the sound at a hearable volume in open spaces.
Anyway, I am at less than a month before the warranty ends, so I am getting the unit exchanged... and maybe in the future will try and bring headphones always with me.
Dam the 214.

Theemed · 02-26-09, 09:21 AM

THIRD TIME the external speaker died on me, and for the third time it happened while watching Friends on TCPMP... (that's actually the activity that mostly uses the speaker on this device, so it's quite normal).
I think either this speaker is supposed to have a very very short operational lifespan, or TCPMP kills speakers... still, 3 times in a row is big news I think......

FrinkTL · 03-12-09, 11:54 AM

Originally Posted by Theemed

THIRD TIME the external speaker died on me, and for the third time it happened while watching Friends on TCPMP... (that's actually the activity that mostly uses the speaker on this device, so it's quite normal).
I think either this speaker is supposed to have a very very short operational lifespan, or TCPMP kills speakers... still, 3 times in a row is big news I think......

Wow. That's incredibly awful. Even if the issue is "only" a quality control issue and manufacturing not precisely meeting specification, that's still abhorrent.

Moral of the Story: Don't buy an iPAQ211 without getting the longest extended warranty available in your state/country. That recommendation by itself is an implicit statement about the build quality.