23-PU1024-6CH-AUD (Refined Audio) sucks

[AKgrampy]

I got an alert in the car that it was ready to install. And I do check regularly. Waiting for the damn 7.0 to drop.

Didn’t it drop 4/29?

Sponsored

 

[ack154]

Was your center channel always audible? Like others have said, it usually wouldn't be if you have Stereo selected. I would maybe just toggle that setting for Stereo/Surround and see if it makes a difference.

I thought Surround sounded awful with regular music. Much fuller sound out of the Stereo option.

 

[JohnFoxeSheets]

When I got it, it pushed all my EQs to max!

Isn't that essentially the same as raising the volume? (Serious question)

 

[phil]

Isn't that essentially the same as raising the volume? (Serious question)

Not if the frequencies were set to various different levels previously.

 

[Mantastic]

I’m not aware of songs recorded in surround sound, especially the 60-70s music I listen to.
I found that the surround setting try’s to fake it. I’m not a big fan, I like the intended change in left/right channel variations in the song.

So that actually makes me wonder, can the car parse music mixed in surround on the (rare) streaming platforms that support 5.1 mixes?

 

[Neil4Real]

Isn't that essentially the same as raising the volume? (Serious question)

Psh, I have no clue! Lol

 

[AliRafiee]

Was your center channel always audible? Like others have said, it usually wouldn't be if you have Stereo selected. I would maybe just toggle that setting for Stereo/Surround and see if it makes a difference.

I thought Surround sounded awful with regular music. Much fuller sound out of the Stereo option.

Yes. It was always audible. And sounded great.

 

[stealthytolkien]

So that actually makes me wonder, can the car parse music mixed in surround on the (rare) streaming platforms that support 5.1 mixes?

I am almost certain that this vehicle does not have a 5-channel audio output. Put a 5 channel test audio file on your USB and try to play it and see if you hear the test tones from different speakers. I’d be amazed if I am proven wrong.

I am quite sure it has two channel audio output to reproduce stereophonic sound. The Surround Mode, as they call it, is likely just a software based processing of the audio signal that pans and modulates certain audio frequencies through various speakers available in the car. It’s still a stereo (L and R) information.

 

[stealthytolkien]

Just got this update myself and the audio sounds perfectly fine. It’s hard to perceive any difference but my center channel is most definitely playing and I can certainly still hear stereo separation. I didn’t have to change anything. I have the GTPE premium audio.

 

[MABachE131]

Center channel too loud now.
Even my 12 year old daughter got in the car and disproved of the sound. Her quote "what is wrong with the sound of the music, it's all coming from the middle."

 

[AliRafiee]

I am almost certain that this vehicle does not have a 5-channel audio output. Put a 5 channel test audio file on your USB and try to play it and see if you hear the test tones from different speakers. I’d be amazed if I am proven wrong.

I am quite sure it has two channel audio output to reproduce stereophonic sound. The Surround Mode, as they call it, is likely just a software based processing of the audio signal that pans and modulates certain audio frequencies through various speakers available in the car. It’s still a stereo (L and R) information.

I used the files from here and played it from my phone through CarPlay. Not sure if it would be a valid test. It just played left/right/center separately. Rear and front played out of the same speaker in both stereo and surround.

 

[JDP That's Me in My MachE]

I love your posts Ali. You are awesome. But I don’t think I can admire you from afar anymore because of your music settings. You’re losing me.

 

[JDP That's Me in My MachE]

I love your posts Ali. You are awesome. But I don’t think I can admire you from afar anymore because of your music settings. You’re losing me.

Though I admit, all sound now sounds like it is coming through the center speaker. Please Ford, stop fixing what ain’t broke. Like Ali said. And start working on giving us Blue Cruise Lane Change!

 

[bp99]

Was your center channel always audible? Like others have said, it usually wouldn't be if you have Stereo selected. I would maybe just toggle that setting for Stereo/Surround and see if it makes a difference.

I thought Surround sounded awful with regular music. Much fuller sound out of the Stereo option.

Mine has always played out of the center channel when in stereo mode. It's different than the virtual surround dsp mode, but still sucks. It tries to blend the left and right channels and things that should be coming from only the left often come louder from the center. Imaging with the B&O sucks.

My sound update is installing tonight. If it makes the center even louder, I'll probably finally take the time to unplug it.

 

[ChasingCoral]

Didn’t it drop 4/29?

OTAs drop at different times for different vehicles.

Sponsored