Wish I had gotten the premium sound

[bugZPDX]

We had our MX in for its annual service and were given a loaner X with premium sound. What a difference!

Before purchasing our X we read as much as we could and it seemed most people felt there wasn't enough or any difference to warrant the additional cost so we decided to pass on it. I'm sorry now! I've been looking for aftermarket solutions but it doesn't seem very common for the X.

If anyone is wavering, I'd say get it.

 

[ChadS]

Although the sound likely varies by car, we had premium sound in both of our Model S, and just got an X with standard sound. I agree there is a large difference; the premium sound is quite a bit better. I am definitely missing the bass, if nothing else. (There is probably more missing, but my ear is not very good)

Note that my wife thinks the standard sound is perfectly fine (although she admits the premium is better). But she doesn't like loud music; and in fact a lot of the time she doesn't like music at all.

I think most people complaining about the premium sound are saying that the cost difference is large for what you get; so if you REALLY want good sound, it is better to go with the base system and spend the money on upgrading it with a third-party system. That seems a very reasonable move for audiophiles, though I suspect most people would prefer not to mess with it and would be quite happy with the premium sound system. I have only gotten positive comments (though no audiophile raves) after more than 5 years with the premium sound. I did hear a Reus (?) system once, and even I could tell it was better than the premium sound, although I wouldn't be willing to pay for it.

I do like to feel some bass, and I do not feel it with the standard system. I personally would likely be happy just adding one of those aftermarket $1k subwoofers (although it's my wife car and she doesn't care, so we probably won't). But I am no audiophile, so those that really care about sound would likely want more.

 

[Uncle Paul]

Don't forget the standard system has lots of adjustability. You can make it sound more to your liking with just a few clicks.

However, for those desiring the best sound, the factory upgrade is pretty appealing.

Most people find the standard system to be fine for them.

 

[bugZPDX]

I've adjusted it quite a bit but there is no comparison to the Dolby Surround. Toggling that on and off in the loaner was like night and day.

 

[jlund]

I’d be super interested in aftermarket systems for X, if even just a sub. Last I looked into it, most options were for the S.

I’m also in Canada which limits options even more

 

[BlueBird]

I also made the mistake of selecting the standard system based on my Montreal sales person recommendation. Unfortunately, other than the very good high frequencies coming from the dash, the door speakers are adding very little presence through muffed mediums and almost absent lows. For those like me who rarely listens to high volume pop music requiring powerful bass, we still need to feel surrounded be a rich and full spectrum sound. This should be expected from a car of this price. Based on my reading, it appears that Tesla is placing inferior quality speakers in the doors and are not interested in offering any possible after sales upgraded.

I have been in contact with Brody from BAdesignworks and following LightHarmonic site to see what would be available with the hope they will offer viable aftermarket upgrades.

Would anybody in the Ottawa or Montreal region have the name of a trusted installer with experience with Tesla's cars. I read that it is not too difficult to remove the door panels of an X but would prefer giving the task to a professional. Also, does anybody know if Model X with a standard system has a subwoofer cable already running to the back. I know it does not have the additional amp but it would help me decide between a 4 or 5 speakers upgrade.

I welcome any advices from members who got the standard system upgraded.

 

[Tslacg]

I've adjusted it quite a bit but there is no comparison to the Dolby Surround. Toggling that on and off in the loaner was like night and day.

Having come from an S without premium sound to the X with premium, there is def. a huge difference. That being said, based on the music I toggle the Dolby surround on and off. Some music types sound much better with it off.

Even with the customization of the base system, there's a huge difference. I always fiddled with the standard settings, and was never happy with the quality.

I've read the light harmonic sub woofer has the biggest impact for the base sound system. I'd start there before a full aftermarket system.

 

[BigD0g]

Tesla sound system sucks on both std. and premium, much better to get standard and use the money saved on an after market system.

 

[TaoJones]

We had our MX in for its annual service and were given a loaner X with premium sound. What a difference!

Before purchasing our X we read as much as we could and it seemed most people felt there wasn't enough or any difference to warrant the additional cost so we decided to pass on it. I'm sorry now! I've been looking for aftermarket solutions but it doesn't seem very common for the X.

If anyone is wavering, I'd say get it.

Happily for you, there is Reus Audio.

Website: Reus Systems

Yelp: Reus Systems - Orange, CA

Couple ways you could do this. Perfect opportunity to visit Disneyland, as the Reus shop is quite nearby. By the way, it's 75F and sunny on the coast today. Rumor has it that it's mid-January somewhere.

Or Cliff will come to you - typically, for example, regional/local Tesla Owners Clubs will have 3 or 4 or 5 people interested, and that works well since travel costs get split 3, 4 or 5 ways.

I've had 2 cars done so far - one had the base audio, and the second has the premium audio. What's particularly nice is that when you buy a Reus system, that's the last audio upgrade you'll buy - they'll transfer the hardware from Model S/X to Model S/X for the cost of labor.

There are 3 or 4 levels/packages available. After you contact Cliff, he can email you a current spec sheet.

And, not that you asked, but the post-installation service and support has been nothing short of excellent.

Good luck.

 

[chillaban]

Honestly the premium sound has improved a lot in software since two years ago when I got it. Dolby mode used to be tinny but now it’s both rich and wide.

Premium sound is still nowhere near the best sound on the market but the standard sound lacks bass and sounds like a modern Honda Accord....

 

[BlueBird]

Happily for you, there is Reus Audio.

Website: Reus Systems

Yelp: Reus Systems - Orange, CA

Couple ways you could do this. Perfect opportunity to visit Disneyland, as the Reus shop is quite nearby. By the way, it's 75F and sunny on the coast today. Rumor has it that it's mid-January somewhere.

Or Cliff will come to you - typically, for example, regional/local Tesla Owners Clubs will have 3 or 4 or 5 people interested, and that works well since travel costs get split 3, 4 or 5 ways.

I've had 2 cars done so far - one had the base audio, and the second has the premium audio. What's particularly nice is that when you buy a Reus system, that's the last audio upgrade you'll buy - they'll transfer the hardware from Model S/X to Model S/X for the cost of labor.

There are 3 or 4 levels/packages available. After you contact Cliff, he can email you a current spec sheet.

And, not that you asked, but the post-installation service and support has been nothing short of excellent.

Good luck.

Thank you for the info, I will contact Cliff and see what would be my options. Based on abetterrouteplanner it would be 4,540km (60 hours) with 21 supercharges. Lucky, I have the unlimited supercharge as this would be a very expensive upgrade but potentially a very pleasant Autopilot vacation.

 

[AnxietyRanger]

FYI for all Model S commenters: it is generally agreed that Model X premium is much better than Model S premium sound.

It is therefore not very accurate to compare Model S base vs. premium, when talking Model X...

 

[TaoJones]

Thank you for the info, I will contact Cliff and see what would be my options. Based on abetterrouteplanner it would be 4,540km (60 hours) with 21 supercharges. Lucky, I have the unlimited supercharge as this would be a very expensive upgrade but potentially a very pleasant Autopilot vacation.

You're most welcome, and good luck! I've done a similar route a few times (LA to Vermont/Maine, and vice versa). You can knock out 750 miles a day with ease (e.g., Quebec to Maumee, OH to Lincoln, NE to Grand Junction, CO, to Las Vegas for dinner and then an easy run into LA the next morning).

Tangentially, if you elect to wait a few months until mid-May, you could always make a stop on the way back from the Reus install for a great 3-day rally with ties to Elon and Crazy Horse. Highly recommended as a pilgrimage that every Tesla owner should do at least once. The 5th Annual Sound of Silence Black Hills Tesla Rally in Custer, South Dakota it would be.

Getting there from LA is easy - one loooong day to Grand Junction, Colorado and one short day from there through Cheyenne and Lusk, Wyoming to Custer, South Dakota. Although in fairness, some do take a 3rd day and it's nice to have a buffer in case of weather.

So you'd get audiophile-quality sound in the car, and the sound of silence in the same trip!

See what I did there... Try the veal - I'm here all week .

 

[bugZPDX]

Happily for you, there is Reus Audio.

Website: Reus Systems

Yelp: Reus Systems - Orange, CA

Couple ways you could do this. Perfect opportunity to visit Disneyland, as the Reus shop is quite nearby. By the way, it's 75F and sunny on the coast today. Rumor has it that it's mid-January somewhere.

Or Cliff will come to you - typically, for example, regional/local Tesla Owners Clubs will have 3 or 4 or 5 people interested, and that works well since travel costs get split 3, 4 or 5 ways.

I've had 2 cars done so far - one had the base audio, and the second has the premium audio. What's particularly nice is that when you buy a Reus system, that's the last audio upgrade you'll buy - they'll transfer the hardware from Model S/X to Model S/X for the cost of labor.

There are 3 or 4 levels/packages available. After you contact Cliff, he can email you a current spec sheet.

And, not that you asked, but the post-installation service and support has been nothing short of excellent.

Good luck.

I just spoke with someone at Reus and was pretty happy with what they had to say. They are going to try and find someone in the Portland area with a Tesla they have upgraded so we can listen but it sounds like they have put a lot of thought into systems for the X. Thank you for pointing me in the right direction.

 

[TaoJones]

I just spoke with someone at Reus and was pretty happy with what they had to say. They are going to try and find someone in the Portland area with a Tesla they have upgraded so we can listen but it sounds like they have put a lot of thought into systems for the X. Thank you for pointing me in the right direction.

You're welcome! That's a good idea to be able to listen locally. Maybe could listen side by side at a monthly Owners Club gathering (base audio, premium audio, and then 1 or more Reus systems. If you bring a USB stick with your own FLAC or similarly uncompressed audio files, that could help as well - as you'd know the music.

Portland to LA, eh? Perfect timing now that Mt. Shasta has expanded. One of my favorite 1000-mile, 20-hour trips. The Oregon coast is just gorgeous.

Good luck.

 

[outie]

Had a loaner X with premium audio. Glad we didn’t spend extra for that option.

 

[BlueBird]

You're most welcome, and good luck! I've done a similar route a few times (LA to Vermont/Maine, and vice versa). You can knock out 750 miles a day with ease (e.g., Quebec to Maumee, OH to Lincoln, NE to Grand Junction, CO, to Las Vegas for dinner and then an easy run into LA the next morning).

Tangentially, if you elect to wait a few months until mid-May, you could always make a stop on the way back from the Reus install for a great 3-day rally with ties to Elon and Crazy Horse. Highly recommended as a pilgrimage that every Tesla owner should do at least once. The 5th Annual Sound of Silence Black Hills Tesla Rally in Custer, South Dakota it would be.

Getting there from LA is easy - one loooong day to Grand Junction, Colorado and one short day from there through Cheyenne and Lusk, Wyoming to Custer, South Dakota. Although in fairness, some do take a 3rd day and it's nice to have a buffer in case of weather.

So you'd get audiophile-quality sound in the car, and the sound of silence in the same trip!

See what I did there... Try the veal - I'm here all week .

I was looking at the Rally event and it is very tempting. It would be around the perfect time after our winter and before the extreme heat. I would probably have to drive alone to LA and pick up my wife at the airport as she would never agree to spend 10 days in a car. I will be lucky to negotiate for 5 days with this Rally event as a bonus. I got the car in December and only drove around town (Remember I live in a world of -35F ).

 

[TaoJones]

FYI for all Model S commenters: it is generally agreed that Model X premium is much better than Model S premium sound.

It is therefore not very accurate to compare Model S base vs. premium, when talking Model X...

What a relief.

Now at their next Owners Club meet-up, X owners can focus upon base audio versus premium audio versus base + Reus versus premium + Reus, without cluttering up their day evaluating vehicles that they don’t own.

 

[AnxietyRanger]

What a relief.

Now at their next Owners Club meet-up, X owners can focus upon base audio versus premium audio versus base + Reus versus premium + Reus, without cluttering up their day evaluating vehicles that they don’t own.

I don't know if your post is sarcastic, but to be clear I meant no disrespect or discouragement to comments on relating to Model S. I just felt it wasn't really mentioned in the thread that Model X premium sound is in my experience generally considered a significant step up from that in the Model S on TMC. This is only logical too, as it is a later attempt at Tesla in making premium sound, and it has more speakers too - not that these are any guarantee of quality, but it does make it at least a bit more likely...

Just something the qualify any Model S/Model X comments with. IMO don't make a decision on Model S or X premium sound by listening to the one in the other car model, they are IMO not the same sound systems, even though they have the same name and the car platforms otherwise are very similar and related. In this case they are two different sound systems, the Model S and X premium sound systems. I don't know how comparable the base systems are, perhaps they are closer?

On that note, I have personally owned a Model S base and Model X premium sounds, and of course the difference is significant - though as some noted software has changed over time too. I would definitely choose premium sound again, but this of course is a false comparison, as the real comparison would be Model X base which I have no significant experience of.

 

[boonedocks]

If you listen to USB or your own device an aftermarket system is the way to go. We had a Reus system installed in our standard S85D and it was amazing. Tesla later turned off high-bit-rate on standard audio and it sounded like mud even with. ~$4,000 Reus system.

When we ordered our S100D and X75D we made sure to have Premium Sound to have Hi-Bit-Rate Slacker. It makes a LOT of difference and is the only way to get great sound IF Slacker is your primary source.