XM is quieter than FM/CD/Music box
05-03-2012, 06:09 PM
#1
XM is quieter than FM/CD/Music box
The sound level when I switch to XM is a good 2-3 bars quieter than the FM/CD/Music box inputs. I don't understand why the volume is so different, it's been like this since I bought it. 2012 g37s sedan. Any tips to tell the dealer or any idea what it is? I don't want them blindly ripping apart my car looking for an issue. Anyone else have this issue?
05-03-2012, 06:39 PM
#2
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Have the same thing in my 2010 G37xS sedan. Don't think there is anything that can be done about it. I have driven several cars with XM and they all seem to have the same issue. I also do a lot of aftermarket radio installs and even those have it. My friends Lexus is the only car I have been in that didn't seem to have the same problem. I have never really gotten a good answer for what causes XM to be quieter, but it never really bothered me enough to spend a lot of time on it. I would be curious to find out tho. But, I doubt there is anything actually wrong with your car.
05-03-2012, 09:30 PM
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The signal from XM is really compressed so it negatively impacts sound quality and volume. One of the bad parts of the Sirius-XM merger....especially if you were a legacy Sirius subscriber because they didn't compress their signal as much so the sound quality was much better. Think of it like the difference between a low bit rate MP3 (which is more compressed) vs one with a higher bit rate (closer to cd quality and less compressed).
05-07-2012, 05:33 PM
#5
it's odd because my g/f's 2006 accord with the stock xm radio sounds great on XM, sounds really similar to a CD.
On my 07 Tundra with the JBL system the FM radio was quieter than all other inputs and the bass was almost non-existant, switch it to a CD or ipod and it'd be great, didn't have XM on the truck though.
I was concerned it might be the tint the dealer put on the car, mine was a "showroom floor model" so they put tint on it to show off the option to people. I like the tint so I wouldn't get rid of it as the issue isn't that annoying, just seemed odd to me when my g/f's XM sounds so much better on the "base model" radio.
Guess I'm glad to know I don't have a one off dud, but its disappointing to hear in general the quality isn't good. I'll probably drop the service after my "6 month for $25" promotion expires.
On my 07 Tundra with the JBL system the FM radio was quieter than all other inputs and the bass was almost non-existant, switch it to a CD or ipod and it'd be great, didn't have XM on the truck though.
I was concerned it might be the tint the dealer put on the car, mine was a "showroom floor model" so they put tint on it to show off the option to people. I like the tint so I wouldn't get rid of it as the issue isn't that annoying, just seemed odd to me when my g/f's XM sounds so much better on the "base model" radio.
Guess I'm glad to know I don't have a one off dud, but its disappointing to hear in general the quality isn't good. I'll probably drop the service after my "6 month for $25" promotion expires.
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