Is your Samsung Galaxy S23 sounding worse lately? This update may be to blame

Tech fans usually look forward to the next update for their device in anticipation of what improvements or new features it might bring. We’d be less excited if updates risked downgrading our experience, but that appears to be the situation some Samsung Galaxy S23 owners are facing. It seems that the One UI 6.1.1 update has caused a noticeable degradation in sound quality on those devices, and Samsung has now acknowledged the issue.

Samsung initially dismissed the reports but was forced to investigate further as the audio issue continued to concern users. In a statement to the community, the company said that the change appears linked to the Dolby Atmos Library, which was upgraded from version 3.10 to 3.12 in the update. The statement in full is below.

We have heard back from our experts! The Dolby Atmos Library has been updated from version 3.10 to 3.12. This update aimed to enhance 360 Audio capabilities. However, this change has altered the sound quality in some audio modes, which might lead some users who are accustomed to the previous version to perceive the sound quality as inferior compared to earlier versions. The issue has been communicated to Dolby, which is planning to release an updated library to address these concerns. Users are reassured that improvements are being considered for future updates. If we can help with anything else in the meantime, let us know.

In the statement, the support team acknowledged that the new Dolby update was intended to enhance 360 Audio capabilities but has inadvertently affected audio quality in other modes. Slightly minimizing the issue, the statement said the change “might lead some users who are accustomed to the previous version to perceive the sound quality as inferior compared to earlier versions.”

Samsung confirmed that it had informed Dolby about the issue and that the audio giant is planning to release an updated library to address these concerns. While users had hoped for a quick fix with the November 2024 security patch, it was not forthcoming.