Terrible standard sound systems

[mike9009]

GiveItSomeWellie said:

R56 standard BOOST was absolutely dreadful, and the early option of the Hi-Fi speaker upgrade wasn't much better. I have a 2 speaker system in my Discovery using a pair of 26 year old Range Rover speakers, even they sound better than the BOOST in the MINI, horrid.

We never even got the even more basic WAVE option in the UK, I dread to think what that sounded like.

The R56 sound system was horrific. The bass frequencies going to the rear speakers were clipped so as to give a worse sound (to make people upgrade!)

I tried improving it - by swapping the front and rear channels and adding a parrot kit to play my ipod. It improved things a little but having a compromised built in stereo is really tragic.

Mike

[cb31]

My wife's Mk6 Golf is horrific. Presumably the bottom of the range head unit coupled with only front speakers, no DAB, terrible AM reception, no connectivity. It hurts my ears it is that bad.

I find it surprising that many people have commented that VAG do decent base systems, not in a Mk6 Golf they don't.

[toon10]

I'm on my 2nd BMW and the standard sound system is pretty poor. Trouble is, my mate has a 3 series with HK and that doesn't sound much better. As a £600 option, you get more volume and a bit more bass but it still sounds bad. Maybe if he plays with the bass/treble settings it would sound OK but I'm not convinced.

[Todd Bonzalez]

M3 HK is absolutely godawful and I hate it.

[Mike335i]

toon10 said:

I'm on my 2nd BMW and the standard sound system is pretty poor. Trouble is, my mate has a 3 series with HK and that doesn't sound much better. As a £600 option, you get more volume and a bit more bass but it still sounds bad. Maybe if he plays with the bass/treble settings it would sound OK but I'm not convinced.

I've got the logic 7 system and it is miles better than the standard system, certainly a step up form the professional system in the M4 for instance. Much up the equaliser and it does sound crap though.

[FerdiZ28]

Dreadful:

E93 62 plate 320d (non HK) - constantly changing settings on the fly with each new track, had a volume button that just went round and round too, in almost defiance.

Megane 14 plate - horrid sound, total POS to change settings and woeful USB reading capabilities

CLK 350 cab (HK) - again, nasty. Current car and have changed all speakers for focals. What on earth was the thinking behind all the speakers (bar the sub) being in the door? The rearmost ones fire into the seat...

SLK (r107) - Horrid sound as standard and again, nasty HU.

Peugeot 508 SW - apparently upgraded system, nasty tinny sound and again terrible interface with USB.

Good (just good or good for price/type of car):

Honda Jazz - really impressive for a small car with four speakers.

Cadillac STS - very good sound (BOSE)

Audi A8 D2 (BOSE) - again, very good.

Fords generally - been impressed with wife's 53 plate Focus Ghia (incidentally in every way at 133k and treated badly), Cougar V6 and a 1.6 tdci titanium I had for a while.

Previous gen Passat - boggo Bluemotion but very impressive, really good sound across all genres.

1998 Camaro Z28 - Ancient system but BOSE/Monsoon. Very good and would shame many today.

Good topic Simon.

[RobM77]

FerdiZ28 said:

Dreadful:

E93 62 plate 320d (non HK) - constantly changing settings on the fly with each new track, had a volume button that just went round and round too, in almost defiance.

That's because there's also a volume on the steering wheel and speed sensitive volume, so unless you motorised the volume knob, it could never have an absolute min and max on it. All cars with steering wheel controls that I'm aware of have this. I think what you meant was that the gain on the direct volume knob no the dash is pretty low (in other words, it's not very sensitive) - that's done deliberately as an alternative from the more coarse button based steering wheel control.

[p1esk]

Paracetamol said:

On the opposite end of the spectrum, I had use of a Lexus LS460 in the USA this summer. OMG the Mark Levinson system sounded stunning.

Even when these cars are too old/uneconomic to drive I can see me having one as a sound chamber. Super comfy seats too

Ah, I'm glad somebody has mentioned Lexus.

I now have a 2003 Lexus GS300 and I find the sound system very pleasing indeed; but I'm not an expert judge of these systems so I wonder how the Hi-Fi enthusiasts would rate it. Anbody have a view on that?

One thing that did surprise me was that the only form of volume control was an old style knob on the central console. There is nothing on the steering wheel to adjust the volume, and I'd have thought a car of that age and class would have had something along those lines.

[SteBrown91]

cb31 said:

My wife's Mk6 Golf is horrific. Presumably the bottom of the range head unit coupled with only front speakers, no DAB, terrible AM reception, no connectivity. It hurts my ears it is that bad.

I find it surprising that many people have commented that VAG do decent base systems, not in a Mk6 Golf they don't.

Because most people don’t truly have the base base. Unless you have the poverty golf you get 8 speakers (6 if 3 door) and a proper headunit (rcd310 or better). The base spec golf gets the rcd210 which is basically a single DIN headunit from the Up and various vans in a frame to fit the double din hole of the Golf.

The 8 speaker system is not too bad really just lacks a little base and the tweeters are a tad tinny but overall is good for a standard system

[jakesmith]

Mr2Mike said:

The standard system in the Suzuki Swift (2010-2017 shape) is horrendous. It has some horrible equalisation that reduces bass as you increase the volume, presumably to stave of distortion from it's underpowered outputs, but the result is like a Chinese AM pocket radio from pound stretcher. I'm far from an audio snob, and I don't like the appearance of aftermarket stuff in modern cars that have integrated head units, but I have to change it.

OTOH my 2003 Smart ForTwo with the factory upgrade speaker system sounds incredible, I was most impressed after fitting it.

Edited by Mr2Mike on Tuesday 17th October 07:30

I have a Smart Roadster with upgraded sound tweeters in dash. It is surprisingly good! And tht is form someone who always rips out the stock system and replaces it with aftermarket gubbins. However it hasn't stopped me ripping it out & replacing....

[mholt1995]

Sat in a corsa E sri this evening, 6 speaker system with the Intellilink interface. Absolutely no power going to the speakers - seems that's the best you can get OEM too which is disheartening. Especially as my old Astra H's stock speakers were great!

[Shrimpvende]

Standard F type sound system is poor. Small cabin and boomy exhaust so a difficult job to start with, but on such an expensive car it should be better, especially as it has to compete with the exhaust and road noise.

Mine has the 'middle' Meridian 380w system which I still think is pretty naff, decent clarity but no depth and just about anything seems to overwhelm the subs behind the seats.

In contrast my dad has the full Meridian surround system on his FFRR and it's absolutely something else, by far and away the best system I've ever heard in a car.