Sound EQ settings changed. Worst sound?

[Peteski]

I can't take any of you guys using +12 dB EQ settings seriously or even +8 dB for that matter. Very high end audiophile home kit typically has no EQ adjustment at all. It's one thing adjusting individual frequency bands up and down relatively by 1 or 2 dB, but 12 dB is extreme and remember it's only relative, it isn't increasing the overall system power. If you put the whole thing up to +12 dB you just get less volume control. Also if you have too much offset between neighbouring frequency bands like say +12, +4, 0, +4, +12 then you will get all sorts of distortion at the cross-over frequencies.

Personally I didn't notice any difference at all with the latest software updates, but then I'm using a flat EQ setting anyway. I had noticed the maximum is now +8 dB, but that's more than enough offset for my taste. I find many modern track mixes are seriously bass and treble heavy anyway to make them sound more dynamic.

If you simply want massive bass and treble out of all proportion to the mid-range and without any regard to distortion, then I guess this is a downgrade, lol.

 

[Destiny1701]

I can't take any of you guys using +12 dB EQ settings seriously or even +8 dB for that matter. Very high end audiophile home kit typically has no EQ adjustment at all. It's one thing adjusting individual frequency bands up and down relatively by 1 or 2 dB, but 12 dB is extreme and remember it's only relative, it isn't increasing the overall system power. If you put the whole thing up to +12 dB you just get less volume control. Also if you have too much offset between neighbouring frequency bands like say +12, +4, 0, +4, +12 then you will get all sorts of distortion at the cross-over frequencies.

Personally I didn't notice any difference at all with the latest software updates, but then I'm using a flat EQ setting anyway. I had noticed the maximum is now +8 dB, but that's more than enough offset for my taste. I find many modern track mixes are seriously bass and treble heavy anyway to make them sound more dynamic.

If you simply want massive bass and treble out of all proportion to the mid-range and without any regard to distortion, then I guess this is a downgrade, lol.

Even at 0 EQ, volume has been reduced and bass response is virtually non existent vs .6 update and earlier.

I think that point many have made is once a product is purchased based on the specs and performance noted, to have a reduction or a downgrade post purchase is frankly pathetic on behalf of the vendor.

Myself and others have paid good $ for an ‘upgraded sound package’ which now sounds quite close to the base system. If that.

Individual listening opinions aside...it’s wrong and not I’m good taste.

 

[Peteski]

Even at 0 EQ, volume has been reduced and bass response is virtually non existent vs .6 update and earlier.

I think that point many have made is once a product is purchased based on the specs and performance noted, to have a reduction or a downgrade post purchase is frankly pathetic on behalf of the vendor.

Myself and others have paid good $ for an ‘upgraded sound package’ which now sounds quite close to the base system. If that.

Individual listening opinions aside...it’s wrong and not I’m good taste.

If this change has resulted in other sound system issues for you, then that's fair enough and there is obviously a problem that needs fixing. But all this talk of paying for +12 dB EQ and now only getting +8 dB is a red herring and sounds daft if you have even the most basic knowledge of how EQ works. You still have a total offset of 16 dB to play with across the frequency range, which is huge and will change the track mix massively from its default setting. So the EQ range itself should be a total non-issue and to be honest when I first saw the EQ setting page I realised it wasn't going to be a true audiophile system. Although for a factory fit car system I think it's pretty decent and certainly better than most. Now obviously I haven't experienced this problem (I know UK cars are different, using Spotify etc) but it has nothing to do with how many dBs you can offset on the EQ. Mine now has the 8 dB maximum and nothing else has changed. Bass response is excellent, volume is exactly the same. If I put the bass end up to +8 dB it's all there, just totally overblown at higher volume levels as you would fully expect. With a more balanced EQ it sounds great and has all the volume you would expect - and I do like big volume listening and plenty of bass. Basically it sounds like your system has been crippled during the change, but it hasn't affected UK spec cars (well not mine anyway).

 

[Destiny1701]

If this change has resulted in other sound system issues for you, then that's fair enough and there is obviously a problem that needs fixing. But all this talk of paying for +12 dB EQ and now only getting +8 dB is a red herring and sounds daft if you have even the most basic knowledge of how EQ works. You still have a total offset of 16 dB to play with across the frequency range, which is huge and will change the track mix massively from its default setting. So the EQ range itself should be a total non-issue and to be honest when I first saw the EQ setting page I realised it wasn't going to be a true audiophile system. Although for a factory fit car system I think it's pretty decent and certainly better than most. Now obviously I haven't experienced this problem (I know UK cars are different, using Spotify etc) but it has nothing to do with how many dBs you can offset on the EQ. Mine now has the 8 dB maximum and nothing else has changed. Bass response is excellent, volume is exactly the same. If I put the bass end up to +8 dB it's all there, just totally overblown at higher volume levels as you would fully expect. With a more balanced EQ it sounds great and has all the volume you would expect - and I do like big volume listening and plenty of bass. Basically it sounds like your system has been crippled during the change, but it hasn't affected UK spec cars (well not mine anyway).

Correct. It was stated that the update affected specific regions only. Not everyone received updates settings and reduced sound/power.

I agree the eq to 8 theoretically has nothing to do with the max frequency range..it’s an arbitrary number. My issue is with the sound quality and power which has been reduced at the same time.

 

[Peteski]

Correct. It was stated that the update affected specific regions only. Not everyone received updates settings and reduced sound/power.

I agree the eq to 8 theoretically has nothing to do with the max frequency range..it’s an arbitrary number. My issue is with the sound quality and power which has been reduced at the same time.

That's totally reasonable and hope they sort it out soon as they should. But some of the comments your problem sparked off regarding EQ range itself are ridiculous and that's all I was trying to point out. If people really were using +12 dB offsets, then they could perhaps get better sound by learning a little about how EQ works and using it less crudely.

 

[Destiny1701]

That's totally reasonable and hope they sort it out soon as they should. But some of the comments your problem sparked off regarding EQ range itself are ridiculous and that's all I was trying to point out. If people really were using +12 dB offsets, then they could perhaps get better sound by learning a little about how EQ works and using it less crudely.

Agreed. I was quite upset when I first wrote it. I do understand eq dynamics. Initially the throught was the new max 8 setting was like 8 of 12 ...so 2/3 where my max used to be and co-incidentally 2/3 the sound reproduction and power. After considering the separate nature of eq and sound dynamics, realized it’s probably a firmware error which came alongside the new eq max settings ... not the settings themselves.

 

[Peteski]

Agreed. I was quite upset when I first wrote it. I do understand eq dynamics. Initially the throught was the new max 8 setting was like 8 of 12 ...so 2/3 where my max used to be and co-incidentally 2/3 the sound reproduction and power. After considering the separate nature of eq and sound dynamics, realized it’s probably a firmware error which came alongside the new eq max settings ... not the settings themselves.

Well the EQ is supposed to be calibrated in dBs, so you will have less maximum dB offset. But really +/-8 dB is a huge offset range anyway. I suspect they reduced it from +/-12 to +/-8 because.... well +12 is a silly maximum to have had in the first place and maybe they have attempted to implement a more "sophisticated" EQ mixer. Obviously it doesn't seem to have worked in your case by messing up the whole sound system. It works on my UK system, so there must be some differences across markets/models that they didn't fully test properly. It should be relatively easy to resolve as your system was performing as expected on the older release. It would be interesting to hear the back-story of why they implemented this change in the first place.

 

[Destiny1701]

Well the EQ is supposed to be calibrated in dBs, so you will have less maximum dB offset. But really +/-8 dB is a huge offset range anyway. I suspect they reduced it from +/-12 to +/-8 because.... well +12 is a silly maximum to have had in the first place and maybe they have attempted to implement a more "sophisticated" EQ mixer. Obviously it doesn't seem to have worked in your case by messing up the whole sound system. It works on my UK system, so there must be some differences across markets/models that they didn't fully test properly. It should be relatively easy to resolve as your system was performing as expected on the older release. It would be interesting to hear the back-story of why they implemented this change in the first place.

I suspect perhaps warranty concerns on owners overdoing it on their speakers. Why not recalibrate and reduce some power output at the same time? Nice and clean way without attracting too much attention.

I suspect the new settings are more for MCU2 vehicles and some new ‘immersive sound’ setting that they receive. As a byproduct, certain regions of MCU1 cars were erroneously affected.

Who knows..

 

[caltrader]

Anyone else notice the latest update seems to have altered the eq settings for sound?

I used to have 12 as a max setting and now 8 seems to be it. I’m a bit of an audiophile and I can already hear less bass response as well as high end treble.

What the?! They better not have messed up my sound or I’m going to demand my $ spent for hi-def audio.

Argh Tesla..

I agree 100% with your observations! Perhaps you should create a survey to bring more attention to the degraded sound issue?

 

[eager0]

Glad I found this thread. Just a few weeks back I noticed the bass just not being as present when listening at any level. I’ve got the base audio system and usually keep the volume around 7..8 or so. Just seems like it lost its punch. I’d wondered if the rear speakers had come loose it was so noticeable. Guess I’ll wait for the software fix.

 

[Mattzilla]

1, If you want a good sound system, it's pretty well known that the best option is to get the Tesla stock sound and then go aftermarket. The upgrade audio package is a joke compared to the quality and value of aftermarket. Even with Tesla "degrading" their onboard EQ after the fact via software "update," a good aftermarket system will have its own controls that will help you mitigate any nonsense that Tesla may try to pull later.

2, Yes, EQ should ideally not have to be altered much after an audio engineer has finished a track (in a perfect world), but keep in mind that EQ is not always tweaked to the extreme because the listener is uneducated or because they want to "distort" the sound. A lot of times the EQ is altered after the fact to make up for deficiencies in speakers. Good audio engineers master music using numerous systems for testing purposes, but their finished product may end up sounding like absolute crap, unintentionally, due to poor quality or already exaggerated/tweaked speakers, and they have no control over that. This is one example of why one may need to do a pretty extreme EQ job after the fact, even going way up to 8 or 12db, simply to make up for poor speakers (though generally it's better to go with a subtractive EQ approach to eliminate the trouble frequencies rather than just boost the hell out of the ones you like to "cover up" the bad ones). Not always, but just one example.

 

[Jays200]

Just installed 2018.20 and now have 12 steps back in EQ

 

[Peteski]

1, If you want a good sound system, it's pretty well known that the best option is to get the Tesla stock sound and then go aftermarket. The upgrade audio package is a joke compared to the quality and value of aftermarket. Even with Tesla "degrading" their onboard EQ after the fact via software "update," a good aftermarket system will have its own controls that will help you mitigate any nonsense that Tesla may try to pull later.

2, Yes, EQ should ideally not have to be altered much after an audio engineer has finished a track (in a perfect world), but keep in mind that EQ is not always tweaked to the extreme because the listener is uneducated or because they want to "distort" the sound. A lot of times the EQ is altered after the fact to make up for deficiencies in speakers. Good audio engineers master music using numerous systems for testing purposes, but their finished product may end up sounding like absolute crap, unintentionally, due to poor quality or already exaggerated/tweaked speakers, and they have no control over that. This is one example of why one may need to do a pretty extreme EQ job after the fact, even going way up to 8 or 12db, simply to make up for poor speakers (though generally it's better to go with a subtractive EQ approach to eliminate the trouble frequencies rather than just boost the hell out of the ones you like to "cover up" the bad ones). Not always, but just one example.

I get what you say here and it makes perfect sense. But I'm simply not hearing crap speakers or feeling any need to use extreme EQ settings in my Model X with premium audio. But it's clear that some of you guys over the pond are having real issues. So I was wondering how much of this is down to the UK having Spotify streaming available. When I listen to tracks using built-in Spotify premium, the sound quality is very good to my ears. As good or better than anything I've heard in a factory fitted car system, including Porsche Bose (which I was disappointed with) and Volvo's premium B&W upgrade (which is on a similar level to the Model X premium). If I switch to DAB radio, the quality drops off significantly (as you would expect), but when I stream lossless files from my iPhone that doesn't sound too great either (which I would not expect). Basically the system seems to come alive using its native Spotify premium, so I wonder if that's why you hear so many mixed reviews of Tesla audio? But the potential of the system (at least in the Model X) is definitely there and my reference system at home is a top end Naim Audio setup, so I'm no stranger to quality sound.

FWIW my current EQ settings are almost flat - just a little subtraction of the mids to promote low and high end, but I'm not even sure I'll keep those. Volume level typically 5-7 on Spotify or DAB, but much higher on iPhone streaming (even with the iPhone output volume turned right up). So I now almost exclusively use Spotify for best quality and I'm loving the vast music library too!

 

[Jayrod]

I get what you say here and it makes perfect sense. But I'm simply not hearing crap speakers or feeling any need to use extreme EQ settings in my Model X with premium audio. But it's clear that some of you guys over the pond are having real issues. So I was wondering how much of this is down to the UK having Spotify streaming available. When I listen to tracks using built-in Spotify premium, the sound quality is very good to my ears. As good or better than anything I've heard in a factory fitted car system, including Porsche Bose (which I was disappointed with) and Volvo's premium B&W upgrade (which is on a similar level to the Model X premium). If I switch to DAB radio, the quality drops off significantly (as you would expect), but when I stream lossless files from my iPhone that doesn't sound too great either (which I would not expect). Basically the system seems to come alive using its native Spotify premium, so I wonder if that's why you hear so many mixed reviews of Tesla audio? But the potential of the system (at least in the Model X) is definitely there and my reference system at home is a top end Naim Audio setup, so I'm no stranger to quality sound.

FWIW my current EQ settings are almost flat - just a little subtraction of the mids to promote low and high end, but I'm not even sure I'll keep those. Volume level typically 5-7 on Spotify or DAB, but much higher on iPhone streaming (even with the iPhone output volume turned right up). So I now almost exclusively use Spotify for best quality and I'm loving the vast music library too!

I think what he is getting at is this:

PUP is currently a 6k upgrade.

Let's say the audio is 3k of that because the heated seats and that stuff is not over 1k, nor is the filter for bio mode etc.

If you take that 3 k and put it into Rues Systems you will about cover it and have a truly outstanding stereo.

 

[Destiny1701]

Sound update on version .20. :


EQ settings are back to +-12.
More importantly, sound has improved considerably. Power seems to be restored to allow for a good dB level of listening even at vol 5.
Overall bass and highs have also been restored to where they were prior to .12 release, which started the whole audio sound issue.

Kids notice the most difference in the rear for bass, mid and highs. they are my ‘test’ lol.

 

[jolo]

I am by no means an audiophile, but when I took a MX on a test drive, I thought the audio system sounded pretty damn good. The guy even let me bluetooth my iPhone to listen my music.

There was one part of a particular song that I didn’t know existed after having listened to it through the premium audio system. I was thoroughly impressed!

 

[MelaniainLA]

Can people post pics of their audio equalizer settings for Model S or X without premium sound under the “newer” 18.2 or 20 firmware? Eager to know what others use. Thanks!

 

[Peteski]

I think what he is getting at is this:

PUP is currently a 6k upgrade.

Let's say the audio is 3k of that because the heated seats and that stuff is not over 1k, nor is the filter for bio mode etc.

If you take that 3 k and put it into Rues Systems you will about cover it and have a truly outstanding stereo.

I haven't honestly heard the stock non-PUP Tesla audio in the Model X. All I know is that the premium audio in my X sounds great without any extreme EQ settings. My point was only that the speakers in the car are actually pretty good, so any major sound issue is likely to be software or source related - not crap speakers or amps etc.

Going for an aftermarket upgrade may appeal to some and give great results, but my car is on a 4 year PCP so modifying it was not really an option I wanted to explore. But I am very happy with the factory premium sound, although very expensive bundled with PUP.

 

[Jayrod]

I haven't honestly heard the stock non-PUP Tesla audio in the Model X. All I know is that the premium audio in my X sounds great without any extreme EQ settings. My point was only that the speakers in the car are actually pretty good, so any major sound issue is likely to be software or source related - not crap speakers or amps etc.

Going for an aftermarket upgrade may appeal to some and give great results, but my car is on a 4 year PCP so modifying it was not really an option I wanted to explore. But I am very happy with the factory premium sound, although very expensive bundled with PUP.

That was the only reason I didn't get the PUP all I wanted is the Audio upgrade. No choice for me really.

 

[Fellsteruk]

I didn’t get PUP £6k in the UK for a filter, heated seats that will be used once a year if I’m lucky, a self present door which I suspect I’d disable and perm sound... just didn’t see value for money.