Bose Soundlink II around ear wireless: Microphone not working

[Jake Wilmot-Sitwell]

Brand new headphones, straight out the box.

When taking calls or using the microphone on iPhone X, the sound quality from the microphone is extremely muffled.

Is this normal? How can I fix it? I need the microphone as I take a lot of calls using my headphones.

[Tony_G]

Hi Jake,

Thanks for posting. I am sorry to hear about that. Could I ask if it would be possible for you to try the headphones on another mobile device for troubleshooting? It would help to see if the issue you are describing is consistent over multiple devices.

Regards,

Tony G - Community Support

[JonnyHovo]

I just got a brand new pair of SoundLink AE 2s for Christmas. Everything on it works good except for the microphone. When I receive a call or call someone else, they are unable to hear me. They can hear me very very faintly but not well. I’ve had other friends connect the headphones to their phone and it works just fine. I have an iPhone X on the latest software. I’ve unpaired my headset and reseted my phone several times. How do I fix this issue?

[joelirwin]

I don't work for Bose but Bose is going to tell you to disconnect the QC35ii from both ends and re-pair.  They will then tell you to turn the iPhone up to max on both the iphone (make sure you don't just up the volume of the ringer) and hit the + on the QC35ii a gaziilion times.  Then also make sure you have the latest ios.  It has updated twice this week - both of them are called 12.1.2 (last tue and this past Sun) - don't ask 🙂   I have complained to Apple about that.  If you are not upgrading your phone, at least turn it off and back on.

If people still complain of low volume or your fading in and out, then check something else on your iphone (Bose or non-Bose).  My carrier is AT&T (I have a 7+) and people constantly complain I fade away.  Not sure if that is Apple's issue or AT&T issue (probably the later I'm guessing since my daughter is on Verizon and never mentioned the problem for her ip8).

It could be your Qc35ii if none of the above but Bose may have a suggestion I missed.

[lancealittle33@yahoo.com]

Following hoping for a solution...

Im having the same issue. Just got these yesterday for Christmas. They pair just fine and music works. When i make a call, i can hear the ringing and i can hear the other end but they cant hear me. I've tried rebooting the headphones, rebooting the phone, unpairing and pairing, tuning up the volume, making sure my IOS is updated. I think i've covered all my basics. Hopefully Bose will chime in and tell us something we havent tried.  

[Todd27]

I'm using an AE2 SoundLink (firmware 2.5.3) with an iPhone SE. When adjusting the volume (either with the controls on the headphones or with the controls on the phone), it adjusts the mic volume as well. At any volume much less than 100%, the mic output becomes inaudible to the caller (though I still hear the sidetone quite clearly): useless for phone conversations, even while the caller's voice is still too loud for my ears.

How do I lock the mic volume at full while adjusting the output volume as needed?

Thanks.

[Jake Wilmot-Sitwell]

Hi Tony,

Thanks for replying. Yes I’ve tried with two separate iPhones (X and 7) and the same problem happens.

Jake

[Todd27]

I just tested this on my son's Android phone as well. Exact same behavior. With him wearing the headphones, if the volume is at a reasonable level, I can't hear anything from him. When he turns the volume up to full, I can hear him fine but he (with his finally attuned Fortnight & Youtube ears!) finds it painfully loud!

So it's not an iPhone problem. It's a significant software defect.

I'll have to return the headphones if there's no fix.

[Greg_B]

Hello Jake,

Sorry to hear about the continued troubles. If i might ask, have you updated the firmware? It may not help in this case, but it's always a good first step to ensure that you are running the latest version.

You might also try rebooting the headphones with the following steps:

1. Turn the headset off and wait for 30 seconds.
2. Plug the headset into a USB power supply via USB cord and wait 5 seconds. (Power supply needs to be plugged into the wall with power on).
3. Unplug the USB cord from the headset and wait 1 minute.
4. Turn on the headset and test if the headset works properly.

If these steps don't resolve the microphone issue then you should contact Customer Support here. Just select your region, and kindly scroll down to where you see "Contact Us".

Please let us know how it goes! 

Best Regards,

Greg - Community Support

[Todd27]

My son's $20 MPOW BT earphones don't have this issue: they work fine.

I ensured I had the most recent firmware, tried re-pairing, and tried resetting per the instructions above. No joy.

I called Bose customer support. The person wanted to be helpful, but was not able to troubleshoot beyond basic questions: Have you tried them on another device? Do you have the volume adjusted on your phone?

In the end she sent me a UPS label to return the headphones so they can send another pair. It sure feel like a software issue, but I'll give them the benefit of the doubt. I enjoy listening to these headphones and would find them useful at work if they were good for talking on the phone.