Model 3 audio

[Rootbeard7]

I got a chance to play with the Model 3 over the weekend and I had a couple questions about the sound system. I tested it using a playlist of various songs over an assortment of different genres. On the same road at the same speed, I would listen to several different tracks and the sound level between songs would be totally different. This is through Bluetooth using Apple Music with High Quality Streaming turned on. I also had EQ, Volume Limit, and Sound Check turned off on my iPhone. I turned the audio volume on my iPhone all the way up so the only adjustments I’d make were on the Model 3 itself.

I know audio mastering varies by song, but I’ve never noticed this with any other car or any other headphones (including Bluetooth). Usually I can set the volume at the same level when listening to music and not have to worry about changing the volume with each song - maybe a notch up or down every once in a while, but not having to change it a significant degree with almost every song.

I set all EQ levels on the car to 0, left Balance in the center, and messed around with the immersive sound setting but kept noticing this issue. Has anyone else noticed distinct fluctuations in loudness between songs when streaming over Bluetooth?

In addition, I noticed the bass would vary tremendously between songs. Sometimes it would be incredibly punchy while other times it would be almost nonexistent. Again, I know audio mastering is different with each song, but I've never noticed a difference to this degree. At times I would have to lower the volume because the bass was so high, and other times I would have to raise the volume because I could barely hear any bass. Anyone else notice this as well?

 

[Kichwas]

My only possible theory would be the ABR adjusting. Adaptive Bitrate is a technology in streaming to prevent buffering delays by dynamicly adjusting the quality of the download based on network conditions. The download is split into a huge number of tiny fragments and as they dowbload the network gets the best ones it can at any moment and plays them back for you.

This aims to prevent that spinner icoon of a stuck download (buffering), but means quality can go up and down.

In video, where my expertise lies; we prioritize audio to the point where if we have to we will give you a horrid mess of pixels just to keep soond intact if your network is really bad... but in audio they don’t have a fallback and so, if tour network is really spotty it’s going to be something you can hear before it just “gives up” and puts you on that frozen spinner...

This is a possible answer, but I’d need to sit in that stretch of road with some tools to check it’s network conditions to be able to really claim this as a reason.

 

[Glamisduner]

I got a chance to play with the Model 3 over the weekend and I had a couple questions about the sound system. I tested it using a playlist of various songs over an assortment of different genres. On the same road at the same speed, I would listen to several different tracks and the sound level between songs would be totally different. This is through Bluetooth using Apple Music with High Quality Streaming turned on. I also had EQ, Volume Limit, and Sound Check turned off on my iPhone. I turned the audio volume on my iPhone all the way up so the only adjustments I’d make were on the Model 3 itself.

I know audio mastering varies by song, but I’ve never noticed this with any other car or any other headphones (including Bluetooth). Usually I can set the volume at the same level when listening to music and not have to worry about changing the volume with each song - maybe a notch up or down every once in a while, but not having to change it a significant degree with almost every song.

I set all EQ levels on the car to 0, left Balance in the center, and messed around with the immersive sound setting but kept noticing this issue. Has anyone else noticed distinct fluctuations in loudness between songs when streaming over Bluetooth?

In addition, I noticed the bass would vary tremendously between songs. Sometimes it would be incredibly punchy while other times it would be almost nonexistent. Again, I know audio mastering is different with each song, but I've never noticed a difference to this degree. At times I would have to lower the volume because the bass was so high, and other times I would have to raise the volume because I could barely hear any bass. Anyone else notice this as well?

Subwoofer is in an ported enclosure too, which will make it hit hard at it's tuned frequency but sound muddled at others. I do not know what it's tuned frequency is, but factory subs tend to be tuned too high.

Someone posted that bluetooth streaming is only 64 bit on the car side. I hope they can change this in the future as that is terrible if true.

 

[ewoodrick]

I know audio mastering varies by song, but I’ve never noticed this with any other car or any other headphones (including Bluetooth). Usually I can set the volume at the same level when listening to music and not have to worry about changing the volume with each song - maybe a notch up or down every once in a while, but not having to change it a significant degree with almost every song.

You might have noticed it, but I hear it all the time. That very fact is why FM broadcast stations use aggressive companders to get the volume levels the same. The compress and expand the audio as needed to keep as constant volume. It's also why songs sound so different when you listen to them on the radio.