Folks, is it just me or is the audio system on the current Model S Long Range in UK just not very good? The DAB / FM radio on my outgoing car, a 2013 BMW 520, seems to be way better...
Specifically my issue is the radio, which just seems to be poor - not easy to use (but I'll get over that) but when you DO use it, not very high performing. I can give three examples:
- I tried to tune in BBC Radio 4 on FM or DAB. When I searched (using the magnifier) it did come up with a list of radio channels and some TuneIn stations that matched, BUT for reasons I cannot explain BBC R4 was not there; BBC R3 was, BBC R4 Extra was, but R4 was not. However a) parked in the same physical location and therefore dealing with the same radio signals, my BMW found it instantly and tuned in with a strong signal, b) I was able to tune in manually by dialling in the frequency but, surely, shouldn't have to?!
- My son likes to listen to Heart FM on the way to school. This time the search WAS able to find Heart on FM (several instances in fact) but the quality is really poor, again compared to the BMW in the same locations; the radio crackles and hisses from time to time, like radios did in the olden days and/or when you would tune manually but weren't quite tuned in correctly. Surely by now those days should be behind us?
- Related to the above Heart topic, there are multiple Heart instances (e.g. Heart London, Heart Berkshire), as I was having issues with signal on Heart London, I tried tapping Heart Berkshire and ended up tuned to BBC Radio 3! This was not a glitch or finger trouble, it happens every time.
Even more strange, I cannot figure out easily how to tell the radio I want DAB, not FM, but even if the search looks at both DAB and FM it also doesn't work... I have checked with DAB coverage and confirmed I should have high signal strength for both Heart and BBC R4 on DAB, and again my seven year old BMW picks both of them up beautifully on DAB. But the Tesla, when I finally get R4 and Heart to come on, plays them via FM not via DAB.
All of which doesn't feel how a 2020 car costing more than £90,000 should work.
If anyone has any insights on this (how to fix it, what I'm doing wrong) or had similar experiences, please do let me know. Thanks!
Alastair
Specifically my issue is the radio, which just seems to be poor - not easy to use (but I'll get over that) but when you DO use it, not very high performing. I can give three examples:
- I tried to tune in BBC Radio 4 on FM or DAB. When I searched (using the magnifier) it did come up with a list of radio channels and some TuneIn stations that matched, BUT for reasons I cannot explain BBC R4 was not there; BBC R3 was, BBC R4 Extra was, but R4 was not. However a) parked in the same physical location and therefore dealing with the same radio signals, my BMW found it instantly and tuned in with a strong signal, b) I was able to tune in manually by dialling in the frequency but, surely, shouldn't have to?!
- My son likes to listen to Heart FM on the way to school. This time the search WAS able to find Heart on FM (several instances in fact) but the quality is really poor, again compared to the BMW in the same locations; the radio crackles and hisses from time to time, like radios did in the olden days and/or when you would tune manually but weren't quite tuned in correctly. Surely by now those days should be behind us?
- Related to the above Heart topic, there are multiple Heart instances (e.g. Heart London, Heart Berkshire), as I was having issues with signal on Heart London, I tried tapping Heart Berkshire and ended up tuned to BBC Radio 3! This was not a glitch or finger trouble, it happens every time.
Even more strange, I cannot figure out easily how to tell the radio I want DAB, not FM, but even if the search looks at both DAB and FM it also doesn't work... I have checked with DAB coverage and confirmed I should have high signal strength for both Heart and BBC R4 on DAB, and again my seven year old BMW picks both of them up beautifully on DAB. But the Tesla, when I finally get R4 and Heart to come on, plays them via FM not via DAB.
All of which doesn't feel how a 2020 car costing more than £90,000 should work.
If anyone has any insights on this (how to fix it, what I'm doing wrong) or had similar experiences, please do let me know. Thanks!
Alastair