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Model x 2018

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hey all,

I just ordered my model x with all the features I wanted. Except, being someone who likes good quality music, I couldn’t justify the 7,900$ for the premium package.

I am in Toronto btw.

Just want people’s opinion about the standard speaker system. How’s the bass? sound quality?

Does anyone have specs on wattage?

All help is appreciated!
 
Standard speaker sounds good in S not so much in X ...search forums for Reuss ..they do a really good upgrade for half the cost ..for the upgrade from Tesla its not so much the loss of premium stereo but other items u are giving up in the PUP
 
Not aware of upgrades to stereo voiding warranty ..reuss has done a bunch of Tesla upgrades over last few years and I have never seen a thread about voiding warranty
 
The standard audio in the X is okay, at best. I mean if you're not an audio snob it's not that bad, on par with most normal sounds systems in cars. If you listen in a non-premium and premium back-to-back, the sound is night and day. That's what I did with a variety of songs, and it's ridiculous how different it is. I think it also depends on what music you listen to. I don't listen to rap/R&B/bass-heavy music though, as I don't think the premium system is that great w/ heavy bass songs (just imo). I prefer acoustic and songs with more clarity. The results were pretty nuts. I bought the PUP mainly for the sound system, but self-presenting doors won me over too. Ridiculous how much I LOVE that feature. HEPA filtration and a heated steering wheel (I know I live in Texas, but I'm a Hawaii boy and I get cold all the time here). I splurged on the PUP and I don't think I'm going to regret it.

That being said, if you need to penny pinch, skipping on PUP is the easiest way to save cash.

I've read some reports of people doing aftermarket sound systems, so I assume it's possible. Good luck!
 
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Frankly, I think the base system sounds pretty terrible compared to most premium system from high end auto companies. The B&O in my Audi was MUCH better.

I'm in the process of upgrading my base audio system. Been doing a bunch of research to make sure I get it done right. If you click the link in my sig, you'll see what I've posted so far. Hoping to pull the trigger in the couple weeks. You could do it for $3000, so be prepared to spend some money.
 
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Anyone else have an issue with rain water leaking into cabin? Seems the glass must not have been sealed properly on my 100D which is just a few weeks old. :-(
 

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Standard speaker sounds good in S not so much in X ...search forums for Reuss ..they do a really good upgrade for half the cost ..for the upgrade from Tesla its not so much the loss of premium stereo but other items u are giving up in the PUP
Weird. I’ve always read that the standard sound in X sounds much better than standard sound in model S. This finding is consistent with my experience on some loaner S I’ve had.

Back in 2016 I tested an X with premium audio when it was a standalone option and decided to pass. Granted I am no audiophile and most of the time we listen to kids songs and stories in the car.
 
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I have spent a lot on home and portable audio and think I have pretty good hearing. Yes, the MX standard audio is average for a premium car. However, while driving you are surrounded by 60-70 dB of ambient noise. You really need to crank up your stereo in order to compensate. That's fine if you drive alone, but not so great for long term hearing health. Basically, any car is a horrible listening environment when traveling at highway speeds. How many folks commenting "PUP upgraded stereo is so much better" actually compared the sound while driving? It is a very common "trick" for unscrupulous audio sales people to just use a higher volume level on their "premium" products to make it perceptually sound better versus the lower volume "budget" system.

Next, there are no upgrade in audio source for Teslas. You can spend thousands on upgrading the speakers yet your source remains the same factory. If your primary listening is radio or the lossy streaming service like Slacker, your speakers can only amplify the source, not improve on it.

IMHO, it's not worth investing in audio upgrade for the MX for the reasons above. You want more "boom"? Just lower the high frequencies on the EQ by about -4 dB so you can crank up your volume more. Boosting the lower frequencies can cause distortion and clipping. Of course this is just from the point of practicality. If you must have the best and have the means to do it, then all you can do for now is get custom upgrades on speakers and amps. As far as I know, you cannot replace OEM source at this time.
 
I have spent a lot on home and portable audio and think I have pretty good hearing. Yes, the MX standard audio is average for a premium car. However, while driving you are surrounded by 60-70 dB of ambient noise. You really need to crank up your stereo in order to compensate. That's fine if you drive alone, but not so great for long term hearing health. Basically, any car is a horrible listening environment when traveling at highway speeds. How many folks commenting "PUP upgraded stereo is so much better" actually compared the sound while driving? It is a very common "trick" for unscrupulous audio sales people to just use a higher volume level on their "premium" products to make it perceptually sound better versus the lower volume "budget" system.

Next, there are no upgrade in audio source for Teslas. You can spend thousands on upgrading the speakers yet your source remains the same factory. If your primary listening is radio or the lossy streaming service like Slacker, your speakers can only amplify the source, not improve on it.

IMHO, it's not worth investing in audio upgrade for the MX for the reasons above. You want more "boom"? Just lower the high frequencies on the EQ by about -4 dB so you can crank up your volume more. Boosting the lower frequencies can cause distortion and clipping. Of course this is just from the point of practicality. If you must have the best and have the means to do it, then all you can do for now is get custom upgrades on speakers and amps. As far as I know, you cannot replace OEM source at this time.
It depends on how fast you're driving. In a lot of cases, I have to drive in traffic at 25 - 40 mph and I could notice a difference between the premium sounds, depending on the songs.

If you're driving at highway speeds all the time, then I can buy what you're saying. Then again, it's all up to the individual. There's more to the PUP than the audio, but the audio was definitely one of the deciding factors.
 
I have spent a lot on home and portable audio and think I have pretty good hearing. Yes, the MX standard audio is average for a premium car. However, while driving you are surrounded by 60-70 dB of ambient noise. You really need to crank up your stereo in order to compensate. That's fine if you drive alone, but not so great for long term hearing health. Basically, any car is a horrible listening environment when traveling at highway speeds. How many folks commenting "PUP upgraded stereo is so much better" actually compared the sound while driving? It is a very common "trick" for unscrupulous audio sales people to just use a higher volume level on their "premium" products to make it perceptually sound better versus the lower volume "budget" system.

Next, there are no upgrade in audio source for Teslas. You can spend thousands on upgrading the speakers yet your source remains the same factory. If your primary listening is radio or the lossy streaming service like Slacker, your speakers can only amplify the source, not improve on it.

IMHO, it's not worth investing in audio upgrade for the MX for the reasons above. You want more "boom"? Just lower the high frequencies on the EQ by about -4 dB so you can crank up your volume more. Boosting the lower frequencies can cause distortion and clipping. Of course this is just from the point of practicality. If you must have the best and have the means to do it, then all you can do for now is get custom upgrades on speakers and amps. As far as I know, you cannot replace OEM source at this time.

Do we have any idea of the bit depth or sampling rate of the DAC in the Tesla Model X premium audio system? To me the sound is no better than a CD (16/44). I would like to upgrade to at least 24/192.
 
Continuing to try to find ways to improve the premium audio in my Model X. In the latest upgrade from Tesla, there are instructions for improving bit rate by purchasing a Slacker plus or premium account. I followed the instructions in the updated Tesla owners manual and got quite an improvement in audio quality. The Slacker plus account cost $4/month. The account settings give you the choice of selecting higher bit rates. The music feed is streaming so not sure yet about audio quality on a road trip. We'll be testing the system during an upcoming road trip.
 
I thought that "Slacker Plus" was a Tesla specific configuration and included by default in our cars. Slacker Premium could be added if you want. I may have misunderstood, or carried over from my older car.

Model X comes with a 4 year streaming radio account with Tunein. The free Tunein account does not offer a higher bit rate. At the bottom of the streaming page, you can log into a Slacker Plus or Slacker Premium account; you will need one of these to have the option for the higher bit rate (see page 139 in the most recent update of the owners manual).
 
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The most recent software update to my 2018 Model X (the update that improved Sirius XM radio) has dramatically improved the sound quality of music from Slacker Plus. I have only my ears to measure the improvement, but they are telling me that the sound quality has markedly improved. Now if we can just find a way to reduce road noise.