Sound system lost it's "punch" after latest update

[Rootbeard7]

If this is a software issue perhaps we can narrow it down to sources? For example Slacker and HD radio sound much better than Bluetooth for me. Is this the case for everyone else or has the sound system worsened across the board?

 

[Joshan]

all I have used is slacker and its very very bad in the back after the update.

 

[oldpueblo]

If this is a software issue perhaps we can narrow it down to sources? For example Slacker and HD radio sound much better than Bluetooth for me. Is this the case for everyone else or has the sound system worsened across the board?

There are also different bluetooth audio profiles, be sure to make note of that when comparing. Aptx, etc.

 

[mark273]

back sounds terrible for me with the bass

 

[bbell]

To add a data point to this thread I hard rebooted the car today (two thumb + brake) for an unrelated reason and I noticed afterwards the sound improved significantly. Volume was definitely higher and it was overall better sounding.

There were more low frequencies (the mirror would shake with the bass), but I don't think I can attribute the entire improvement just to the subwoofer.... It seems like there was something else going on as well.

I have a snowstorm coming tomorrow so I will be putting he car away in a shelter, but I think next week I might spend some time doing more fooling around with it.

 

[Taliesin]

I've been on 2018.50 for a few weeks. Through yesterday, the sound was great. Then this morning, there's barely any sound coming from the back of the car. Just adding another data point...

 

[TEG]

Have all of you tried running with the rear seat backs down? I found mine to have much better sub-bass that way now.

I tend to be listening to music from USB flash, and switched to hand picked tracks with a lot of low end to see how it sounds when I try tweaking things.

Here is a random theory / thought :

Let's say they have really good control on the audio DSPs and they can tune it so that the rear/sub and front speakers can time delay to have the lows meet right around your head. So the sound pressure adds together. But then people decided that rear window break ins to lower the back seat were a problem, so they re-turned the sound to be optimized for rear seats being down? Just a wild-ass guess / theory. Anyways, I have found it sounds a lot better with the rear seat backs down now.

 

[bedoig]

For those that have seen it flip back and forth, can we think of a verifiable test? If it's as dramatic as people are thinking we should be able to measure this, right?

 

[Knightshade]

For those that have seen it flip back and forth, can we think of a verifiable test? If it's as dramatic as people are thinking we should be able to measure this, right?

15 posts back someone did a measurement now compared to a year ago.

They found no measurable difference.

 

[TEG]

15 posts back someone did a measurement now compared to a year ago.

They found no measurable difference.

They measured right at the speaker(s). It might have been more useful / relevant if they measured right where the driver's head is positioned.

 

[scott jones]

If this is a software issue perhaps we can narrow it down to sources? For example Slacker and HD radio sound much better than Bluetooth for me. Is this the case for everyone else or has the sound system worsened across the board?

I listen pretty much only on Slacker and it sounds like crap

 

[scott jones]

Have all of you tried running with the rear seat backs down? I found mine to have much better sub-bass that way now.

I tend to be listening to music from USB flash, and switched to hand picked tracks with a lot of low end to see how it sounds when I try tweaking things.

Here is a random theory / thought :

Let's say they have really good control on the audio DSPs and they can tune it so that the rear/sub and front speakers can time delay to have the lows meet right around your head. So the sound pressure adds together. But then people decided that rear window break ins to lower the back seat were a problem, so they re-turned the sound to be optimized for rear seats being down? Just a wild-ass guess / theory. Anyways, I have found it sounds a lot better with the rear seat backs down now.

The point is our cars sounded good as is, then sounded like crap all of a sudden with seats not changing

 

[PoitNarf]

The point is our cars sounded good as is, then sounded like crap all of a sudden with seats not changing

Yeah, keeping the seats down regularly is not an option for me.

 

[Knightshade]

I listen pretty much only on Slacker and it sounds like crap

Slacker on the 3 is 64kb/s, it's always sounded like crap

They measured right at the speaker(s). It might have been more useful / relevant if they measured right where the driver's head is positioned.

...why?

If the output from the actual speaker is the same in both tests- and the driver's head is in the same place- and they didn't change the interior of the car... why would you expect results at the drivers head to be any different between the two tests? What possible cause would there be for that?

 

[PoitNarf]

Same mobile tech is back at my house again, this time replacing my tail lights that have condensation in them. Mentioned to him that I submitted a bug report a few days ago when I thought I experienced the bass bug again. But sometimes it’s kind of hard to tell if it’s really the bug popping up again or or if it’s just the particular song I’m listening too. He’s gonna pass along the info from the bug report up the chain. He said there are still others reporting this problem as well.

 

[TEG]

...why?

If the output from the actual speaker is the same in both tests- and the driver's head is in the same place- and they didn't change the interior of the car... why would you expect results at the drivers head to be any different between the two tests? What possible cause would there be for that?

Some (totally uncomfirmed) theories of why some of the sound coming out of the subwoofer might not be heard as well:

#1: There is some kind of air pressure equalization vent in the body work under the subwoofer. If those flaps somehow got stuck open it might let some of the sound pressure escape.

#2: The various speakers can add/subtract from the sound you hear based on phasing and time delays in the signals sent to the various speakers.
Perhaps something changed with the DSP code in the audio system so that it isn't doing the timing/phasing exactly as before?
That could explain why output measured right at the speaker was similar, but what you hear sounds less.
What is "Phase Cancellation"? | Sweetwater

#3: Maybe the equalization was changed so that different frequencies are being directed to different speakers?

( Just brainstorming on things that might explain this 'phenomenon'. )

 

[diamond.g]

Slacker on the 3 is 64kb/s, it's always sounded like crap




...why?

If the output from the actual speaker is the same in both tests- and the driver's head is in the same place- and they didn't change the interior of the car... why would you expect results at the drivers head to be any different between the two tests? What possible cause would there be for that?

Yeah as @TEG mentioned, time alignment of the speakers could be off causing you to lose frequencies.

 

[TEG]

Another random theory : what if the code is now optimized for Model Y prototypes? Or for newer Model 3s with some different new speakers? Or the upcoming base model 3 with less speakers?

I am assuming that they need to have different settings for the various vehicles that firmware goes into, and I could imagine some bug where the signals are sent meant for a different vehicle configuration. I bet something like that should be caught in QA, so seems unlikely, but just brainstorming some more. I think it is probably true that there is a variety of car hardware delivered over time, and the software may not have "special case" code to compensate for every possible variation.

Maybe they are busy optimizing for gen 3 computer hardware now, and so us model 3s with 2.5 computers aren't getting as much attention anymore?

 

[Knightshade]

Another random theory : what if the code is now optimized for Model Y prototypes? Or for newer Model 3s with some different new speakers? Or the upcoming base model 3 with less speakers?

I am assuming that they need to have different settings for the various vehicles that firmware goes into, and I could imagine some bug where the signals are sent meant for a different vehicle configuration.

I can't really imagine a bug where cars that don't even exist yet have their code rolled out to entirely different cars.

Maybe they are busy optimizing for gen 3 computer hardware now, and so us model 3s with 2.5 computers aren't getting as much attention anymore?

The HW2.5/3 computer has literally nothing to do with the stereo- that's a different computer.

 

[IM_1406]

I received the following from Tesla as a result of the ongoing sound quality issue. I don't think there is anything new here that I haven't done, or others as well. Posting as an FYI.....although I'm not sure what the enabling/disabling of mobile app is referring to in this sequence. My only USB in use is for the dash cam......I have not performed reboots with taking the USB out, yet)

Thank you for writing in about the sound quality. With the reboot you've done, we do have another that may also assist with this issue.

1. Unplug any USB Devices from the center console.
2. Place your foot on the brake pedal, and hold it down for the duration of the reboot.
3. Press and hold both the left and right scrolling wheel buttons on the steering wheel until the touchscreen goes off, and continue to hold until the touchscreen illuminates and displays the Tesla logo in the center.
4. This can take up to 30 seconds
5. Then you can release the brake.

Another reboot is a power cycle: Controls -> E-Brake/Power Off -> Power Off (this takes 2 minutes to complete)

Confirm that mobile app access is disabled on the touchscreen by going to, Controls>Settings>Safety and Security>Confirm that mobile app access is Off

If yes, turn on the mobile app access on the touchscreen.
Controls>Safety & Security> Mobile App Access> ON

If that doesn't resolve the issue please call our Vehicle Support Team at 877 798 3752 option 2 then option 1 for assistance.