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Sound system lost it's "punch" after latest update
- Thread starter skrtskrt
- Start date
Kicker 44CWCD84
I ripped apart an 8" sub box, and cut the end plate to fit the Model 3 cut-out.
I had to get handy peeling back glued on carpet, had fun with a jig saw, and then did some re-attach/glue/staple of carpet.
I attached squishy stick on foam tape all along the edge so it would close off any gaps between the board and the deck.
I cut the rear-deck hole a bit with tin-snips so there was an 8" opening.
The mounting board is attached to the rear deck with about 20 drywall type screws. It needed a lot of screws to be tight enough to not vibrate.
The dual 4-ohm voice coils on this sub are directly wired over to the plug that went into the stock subwoofer. I soldered them in parallel, so I can unplug this sub and plug back in the stock.
In theory I could plug in both in parallel but I don't want to see what happens to the stock amp if I tried that.
[ Note, I am not a professional car audio installer, but I play one on TV... ]
After all this is done, someone let me know that vent isn't there waiting for a subwoofer... It is there to let HVAC air from the front of the car exit through the trunk to vents in the rear (under stock subwoofer & charge port)
So, I have "sealed off" my cabin from the trunk better, which helps make my bass sound better, but messes up my airflow (particularly to any rear seat passengers.)
Options I am considering:
#1: Slightly open rear windows to allow air exit when HVAC is not on recirc.
#2: Lower one of the rear seatbacks when I need airflow (but then the bass isn't as punchy/loud)
#3: Find some other place to cut a small air-vent between trunk and back seats.
#4: Find some other place to put small exhaust vents in the cabin instead of using the ones in the trunk.
Note, the trunk vents are some sort of "one way" meant to let extra pressure escape, but not suck in air from outside.
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Note, after driving around with the new sub for 2 days, I continue to be happy with the slight improvement (IMHO) I get in sound quality.
I am not sure that everyone would appreciate the difference. It is a fairly drastic mod for a small amount of benefit.
Also, some of this was a reaction to the (so far) unexplained drop in sound quality from the stock sub. This project may have been wasted effort if Tesla puts out firmware that makes the stock sub work better.
Partly I did this as a fun experiment / hobby because I was bored and wanted a small weekend project.
I am not sure that everyone would appreciate the difference. It is a fairly drastic mod for a small amount of benefit.
Also, some of this was a reaction to the (so far) unexplained drop in sound quality from the stock sub. This project may have been wasted effort if Tesla puts out firmware that makes the stock sub work better.
Partly I did this as a fun experiment / hobby because I was bored and wanted a small weekend project.
I can say with 100% certainty that at least the overall volume was increased by quite a lot since the last update. I'd say around twice as loud at max volume.
For the life of me I could ot figure out why I was incapable of listening at max volume the other day. Now I know.
Subwoofer is still *sugar* though.
For the life of me I could ot figure out why I was incapable of listening at max volume the other day. Now I know.
Subwoofer is still *sugar* though.
I received a call from my local service center about this issue and they said that the problem should be resolved in 2018.50.6 and wanted to see if I’m still having problems with the bass levels. I confirmed with them that the audio quality with my 3 has definitely improved and as far as I can tell it’s back to normal. Updated around 5 days ago and I think I can safely say that the issue is now fixed, for my car anyways.
Good news for you. It still doesn't sound very good on 50.6 on my car. Maybe it's been so long that I've forgotten, though
mtndrew1
Active Member
I still have some problems with 2018.50.6 installed since last week. I did a full reset and 2 minutes shutdown thingy to make sure it's not just that.
Sometimes while playing a song I'll get a hiccup sound - like plugging/unplugging a mic - and then the sound will lose all bass. And then later when I'll use the car again everything might be back to normal. Sometimes it's full bass, sometimes none.
I must otherwise agree that the problem doesn't happen as often as previous versions. Anyone else?
P.S.
I've also found that getting into the car when it's frigging cold (less than -15 C) without preheating will result in bad sound overall. But that might just be physics at work - need to get the speakers to working temps.
Sometimes while playing a song I'll get a hiccup sound - like plugging/unplugging a mic - and then the sound will lose all bass. And then later when I'll use the car again everything might be back to normal. Sometimes it's full bass, sometimes none.
I must otherwise agree that the problem doesn't happen as often as previous versions. Anyone else?
P.S.
I've also found that getting into the car when it's frigging cold (less than -15 C) without preheating will result in bad sound overall. But that might just be physics at work - need to get the speakers to working temps.
flashflooder
Member
I think it’s the rear amplifier cutting off/on. Powers front door woofers and subwoofer, so that explains total loss of bass.
KFORE
Member
I swear we sound crazy but I noticed the same yesterday and today as well. My armrests and zippers on my jacket were vibrating during the afternoon but by night time it was all gone. Multiple reboots and the boom won't come back. Temperatures are also freezing here, 8F today so maybe something cold related?
voip-ninja
Give me some sugar baby
Try rebooting?
Unfortunately it's hard for Tesla to act on this stuff with just anecdotal evidence. Descriptions about zippers vibrating in the morning and then not doing it at night will do absolutely nothing for them in trying to understand what's going on.
What would prove the issue is for someone to take a spectrum analyzer and run some test tones at a given volume through the system showing the difference in a before and after the problem happens fashion. That would definitively prove that it is broken.
Suggestion: do that at the location where your ears would be in the car. (Driver's seat headrest)
When you take measurements at the speakers, I don't think it tells the whole story.
I think the various speakers work together (or in some cases against each other) to add or subtract sound pressure that reaches you.
I think the DSP features in the system could mess with phasing & timing delays that would impact what the audio sounds like to you, without changing the output volume levels from the individual speakers.
Now that I am experimenting with an aftermarket sub in a non-standard location, I wish the UI had a "subwoofer distance/delay" option for custom tuning...
Subwoofer Distance Setting
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flashflooder
Member
Given that this seems to be happening to a select group, and not at all to others... I'm still going to vote for this being a hardware issue. Either wiring or a batch of faulty amplifiers, but all the symptoms point to the rear amplifier cutting out and back on (some people have described noticing the tell-tale "pop" when the sound comes back).
Just my .02 (I haven't had the issue)
Just my .02 (I haven't had the issue)
My vote is this may be a software issue. I firmly believe the bass from HD radio sounds worlds better than Bluetooth, when it seems this should be the opposite.
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