bpeckham
Well-Known Member
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I recently disabled the Active Noise Cancellation (ANC) and Active Sound Enhancement (ASE) features on my Z.
I get that a lot of sports car owners want a car that makes some noise. I too loved the exhaust note on my G35. However now, 20 years after my G35 was new, I have some hearing deficits. (Pro tip to all you teenagers: do not shoot large caliber firearms without ear protection. Your future self will thank you.) At this stage of my life, I don't need fake noise. After all, it's a car, not a video game.
Okay, so the Z has ANC and ASE. What's it like to turn them off?
ASE: I've complained on this forum a few times about ASE. For me, I really noticed it under spirited acceleration (around my 4k rpm self-imposed break-in rev limit with the 6MT). The car sounds a little growly, a bit more than expected at that engine speed, and not exactly the right sound.
I also noticed ASE on SynchroRev Match (SRM) downshifts. Here, it made me think I was over revving the engine. It seemed overdone for the situation.
I don't know if ASE kicks in any other times.
When I had ASE turned off, I noticed an immediate change. The fake growly sound is gone, and the noise…sorry…sound I hear is appropriate for what I'm doing. IMO, this is the way to go. I want to hear the car itself, not some overdone fake version of it.
The SRM downshifts still make some noise, but it's real. It now sounds appropriate for the situation, not exaggerated. The engine blips up to match road speed, but it's not overly loud, and feels right for the shift.
As for ANC, I'm not sure I can tell a difference. Supposedly it's off too, but the car sounds similar. Maybe ASE drowned out ANC before, so ANC wasn't noticable. I dunno. The road/tire/wind/gear noise seems the same. Maybe the gear noise is a bit louder.
If you're interested in giving it a try, head over to your Nissan dealer and ask them to turn it off. Note: I wish Nissan had made this a user- selectable option. I'd love to try all four combos to see which settings I like best. I am not driving to the dealer just to experiment.
If you like a louder exhaust, you might also consider turning it off. If you spend a few bucks to make your car a bit louder with a custom exhaust, don't you want to hear that rather than some fake noise piped though the stereo?
I get that a lot of sports car owners want a car that makes some noise. I too loved the exhaust note on my G35. However now, 20 years after my G35 was new, I have some hearing deficits. (Pro tip to all you teenagers: do not shoot large caliber firearms without ear protection. Your future self will thank you.) At this stage of my life, I don't need fake noise. After all, it's a car, not a video game.
Okay, so the Z has ANC and ASE. What's it like to turn them off?
ASE: I've complained on this forum a few times about ASE. For me, I really noticed it under spirited acceleration (around my 4k rpm self-imposed break-in rev limit with the 6MT). The car sounds a little growly, a bit more than expected at that engine speed, and not exactly the right sound.
I also noticed ASE on SynchroRev Match (SRM) downshifts. Here, it made me think I was over revving the engine. It seemed overdone for the situation.
I don't know if ASE kicks in any other times.
When I had ASE turned off, I noticed an immediate change. The fake growly sound is gone, and the noise…sorry…sound I hear is appropriate for what I'm doing. IMO, this is the way to go. I want to hear the car itself, not some overdone fake version of it.
The SRM downshifts still make some noise, but it's real. It now sounds appropriate for the situation, not exaggerated. The engine blips up to match road speed, but it's not overly loud, and feels right for the shift.
As for ANC, I'm not sure I can tell a difference. Supposedly it's off too, but the car sounds similar. Maybe ASE drowned out ANC before, so ANC wasn't noticable. I dunno. The road/tire/wind/gear noise seems the same. Maybe the gear noise is a bit louder.
If you're interested in giving it a try, head over to your Nissan dealer and ask them to turn it off. Note: I wish Nissan had made this a user- selectable option. I'd love to try all four combos to see which settings I like best. I am not driving to the dealer just to experiment.
If you like a louder exhaust, you might also consider turning it off. If you spend a few bucks to make your car a bit louder with a custom exhaust, don't you want to hear that rather than some fake noise piped though the stereo?