Audio quality question.

[Stefanovich]

also make sure your speed volume is disabled. apparently that has a big effect on the sound. i turned it off as soon as I got the car, maybe that's why I think the radio sounds great

I turned that off and yes it makes a difference.

 

[Wackit]

For a stock system it is quite good. Here are some tips

(1) Cut the treble, and boost the bass, each by just a few points.
(2) Speed sensitive off. Even sitting still it jacks up the bass.
(3) Use lossless streaming, I prefer Qobuz. I hear clear differences between streaming services, avoid Apple/Spotify.
(4) Put music (FLAC) on a USB and use a USB filter on the port.
https://www.silentpower.tech/products/isilencer

Carplay/Android auto are not equivalent to CDs of the past, they both jack up the music and set the bar low. Music on USB skips the phone operating system all together, the Z has a nice and fast system for reading off of USB. Adding in the iFi filter the bass is night and day, sounds like a subwoofer upgrade. Not like you put a 12 in the trunk, just significantly better, clearer, punchier. USB gives both clearer/punchier sound but also sounds better at high volume. At volume 30, Carplay is getting muddy and a bit iffy, with USB it sounds good.

Hi guys, I’ve noticed if I’m sitting in the car with the engine off the audio quality sounds fantastic but with engine on or driving it sounds terrible, lack of base and clarity. Would the ANC ( Active Noise Cancelling) have anything to do with this? If so I’m getting it turned off. Any feedback appreciate.

Hi guys, I’ve noticed if I’m sitting in the car with the engine off the audio quality sounds fantastic but with engine on or driving it sounds terrible, lack of base and clarity. Would the ANC ( Active Noise Cancelling) have anything to do with this? If so I’m getting it turned off. Any feedback appreciate.

Wow I thought I was the only one who noticed this. I posted on this site how disappointed I was on the sound system, it just sounds terrible. Then the other day I had the radio on, engine off and it sounded better, not great but better. I don’t want to go through all the mods people do for the Stereo. I’m disappointed that Nissan has a committee that worked with BOSE, researched and developed this and they weren’t the least bit embarrassed by the Sound quality. BOSE used to mean something special.

 

[cxp]

@Wackit
Admittedly SQ is very subjective. The Z has the best factory system I’ve heard… it’s possible it matches my tuning preferences. The mids are very open, especially when dropping the treble down. It won’t suit someone who likes super crispy highs, I don’t believe there are tweeters (I prefer it that way).

What streaming are you using? Spotify/Apple definitely don’t sound as good as Tidal/Qobuz.
Crazy thought, there is a mono setting in iPhone that can get clicked… that would impact your stereo as well. There must be one in Android as well.

 

[Stefanovich]

@Wackit
Admittedly SQ is very subjective. The Z has the best factory system I’ve heard… it’s possible it matches my tuning preferences. The mids are very open, especially when dropping the treble down. It won’t suit someone who likes super crispy highs, I don’t believe there are tweeters (I prefer it that way).

What streaming are you using? Spotify/Apple definitely don’t sound as good as Tidal/Qobuz.
Crazy thought, there is a mono setting in iPhone that can get clicked… that would impact your stereo as well. There must be one in Android as well.

Interesting! Where do l find this setting on my iPhone?

 

[cxp]

Accessibility -> Audio and Visual
Mono button

Also heads up, no EQ or sound check on phone audio app. These reduce dynamics and space.

 

[Stefanovich]

Accessibility -> Audio and Visual
Mono button

Also heads up, no EQ or sound check on phone audio app. These reduce dynamics and space.

Thanks, my mono is off.

 

[HWill]

I could not say the Z has a good stereo at all, definitely on the bottom of all the stock systems I had.

You can have the engine off and radio on and it sounds ok with a heavy bass song, turn the car on to drive and no more bass. Don't think I ever heard a Stock Bose stereo I liked. I will probably redo the stereo system one day. For now it just stays off.

 

[Stefanovich]

I could not say the Z has a good stereo at all, definitely on the bottom of all the stock systems I had.

You can have the engine off and radio on and it sounds ok with a heavy bass song, turn the car on to drive and no more bass. Don't think I ever heard a Stock Bose stereo I liked. I will probably redo the stereo system one day. For now it just stays off.

Try as previously mentioned turning off speed volume, it worked for me.

 

[HWill]

Try as previously mentioned turning off speed volume, it worked for me.

That is the first thing I do on every car. Never liked that feature even on my other vehicles that sound good.

 

[KrackaC8]

I played with the speed-based volume adjustment this morning and just really didn't notice much of a difference vs. turning the volume knob up and down while on the tollway doing 70-80 this morning... I suck

 

[cxp]

@KrackaC8 MP3 or CD/HiRes?

 

[KrackaC8]

@KrackaC8 MP3 or CD/HiRes?

SiriusXM

 

[cxp]

Dude that’s the most compressed garbage! Bit rate levels from Napster days. Please get Qobuz trial and try CarPlay

 

[KrackaC8]

Dude that’s the most compressed garbage! Bit rate levels from Napster days. Please get Qobuz trial and try CarPlay

LOL probably worse!

I have YouTube Music Premium so I can try that; I have it set to max quality which is 256 and should be quite a bit better than satellite.

 

[cxp]

LOL probably worse!

I have YouTube Music Premium so I can try that; I have it set to max quality which is 256 and should be quite a bit better than satellite.

I toggle mp3 (320kbps) to CD on Qobuz and there is a clear drop out in bass quality with mp3. Just get a lossless service to compare SQ. Qobuz has a month free, just try it and turn on CD quality and see what you think.

I'm not surprised that mp3/AAC sounds bad. There is a lot of DSP going on in the system. Time alignment and EQ on every channel. This is how the vocals are centered in front of you and the stage is balanced and not a homogeneous blob. Ideally you want a lossless file going into DSP since all the samples are going to be manipulated in time and frequency domains.