Surround Sound?

[Frank of America]

Not sure what this is exactly.

I’m a surround sound enthusiast since the 2010s starting with a 5.1 home system and upgraded to Atmos a couple years ago. Is the MME version just a faux surround up mixing solution? Can one play real surround from a USB drive? Probably not, but I thought I’d check in with you all.

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[AtomicInternet]

Looks like you have a 2025 Mach E, so you already have the Beosonic surround equalizer active in your MachE.

Here's a thread where I was able to confirm at least ONE audio format (Dolby Surround) was able to produce SOME surround (F/C/R/Surround), but I think Beosonic mostly does the "faux surround up mixing" you mentioned since most radio sources are only stereo.

This was only for the native audio app in the car, I have no idea if Sirius or HD radio could potentially also produce surround.

https://www.macheforum.com/site/threads/beosonic.37398/page-3#post-851433

 

[Frank of America]

Looks like you have a 2025 Mach E, so you already have the Beosonic surround equalizer active in your MachE.

Here's a thread where I was able to confirm at least ONE audio format (Dolby Surround) was able to produce SOME surround (F/C/R/Surround), but I think Beosonic mostly does the "faux surround up mixing" you mentioned since most radio sources are only stereo.

This was only for the native audio app in the car, I have no idea if Sirius or HD radio could potentially also produce surround.

https://www.macheforum.com/site/threads/beosonic.37398/page-3#post-851433

Correct. 2025 acquired on September 10th. Will check the thread, thanks a bunch!

 

[stoopid]

Not sure what this is exactly.

I’m a surround sound enthusiast since the 2010s starting with a 5.1 home system and upgraded to Atmos a couple years ago. Is the MME version just a faux surround up mixing solution? Can one play real surround from a USB drive? Probably not, but I thought I’d check in with you all.

Hi Frank, I'm also a home surround enthusiast (you a member on QuadrophicQuad by chance?). There's very few true surround OE systems and they're mostly in higher trim makes/models that offer true discrete surround playback. As far as I know, the sound system(s) offered with the MME are phantom (fake) surround. If they can actually playback dolby discretely, that's a huge bonus.

Expounding a bit, it would be tough with one or more passenger to have a good listening experience since the sweet spot in a small car interior would be basically one seat, the other seats would be compromised. Or 'center' in the middle of the cabin would mean all occupants have a compromised experience. But for driver only commute, it could certainly be passable.

 

[Frank of America]

Hi Frank, I'm also a home surround enthusiast (you a member on QuadrophicQuad by chance?). There's very few true surround OE systems and they're mostly in higher trim makes/models that offer true discrete surround playback. As far as I know, the sound system(s) offered with the MME are phantom (fake) surround. If they can actually playback dolby discretely, that's a huge bonus.

Expounding a bit, it would be tough with one or more passenger to have a good listening experience since the sweet spot in a small car interior would be basically one seat, the other seats would be compromised. Or 'center' in the middle of the cabin would mean all occupants have a compromised experience. But for driver only commute, it could certainly be passable.

Makes sense. And, yes, I am a member of the QQ forum.

 

[Blue PonyE]

Hi Frank, I'm also a home surround enthusiast (you a member on QuadrophicQuad by chance?). There's very few true surround OE systems and they're mostly in higher trim makes/models that offer true discrete surround playback. As far as I know, the sound system(s) offered with the MME are phantom (fake) surround. If they can actually playback dolby discretely, that's a huge bonus.

Expounding a bit, it would be tough with one or more passenger to have a good listening experience since the sweet spot in a small car interior would be basically one seat, the other seats would be compromised. Or 'center' in the middle of the cabin would mean all occupants have a compromised experience. But for driver only commute, it could certainly be passable.

I may still have my quad 8-track tape player somewhere in the garage (why?), however, the quad 8-track tapes are long gone. I remember the comic strip in the paper "Funky Winkerbean" that had the main character holding a pair of quad headphones but complaining he only had a stereo head.

 

[BlueWhale]

Is there such a thing as "real" surround sound for music. Is it not all recorded in stereo?

 

[stoopid]

Is there such a thing as "real" surround sound for music. Is it not all recorded in stereo?

Yes, actual 4+ channel surround is "real". They use the individual instrument tracks from the studio when the album was recorded and put the instruments in various places around the room, sometimes moving them creatively as the music plays.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Surround_sound

This is a thing that's existed for home playback since the 1970s.

 

[BlueWhale]

Yes, actual 4+ channel surround is "real". They use the individual instrument tracks from the studio when the album was recorded and put the instruments in various places around the room, sometimes moving them creatively as the music plays.

This is a thing that's existed for home playback since the 1970s.

Sounds artificial to me.

Also, just to add to the discussion...
https://www.howtogeek.com/129509/why-surround-sound-doesnt-make-sense-for-music/

 

[exit74chris]

I was just in our Mach E GT the other day and thought "this system is good".

Then I realized why it was only "good" - my prior car was a Volvo with the Bowers and Wilkins system. That stereo using Tidal would blow your mind. You could distinctly hear a every different track.

 

[Herbknowsit]

I'm an audiophile and was pleasantly surprised with the stock sound in my 2024 MME. Played with the phasing and tuning a bit and decided against going for an upgraded $$$ sound group. But I got in the car yesterday and Radio Paradise via Apple Car Play sounded like crap. And it is streamed at high res and always sounds crisp. Turned out that I"d gotten an "update" overnight (something to do with better Sirius access which I don't subscribe to anyway) which changed all the sound to the driver side rear speaker only! Pulled over and made soundscape adjustments and everything was A-Ok. Hope it stays that way!

 

[rugedraw]

Not sure what this is exactly.

I’m a surround sound enthusiast since the 2010s starting with a 5.1 home system and upgraded to Atmos a couple years ago. Is the MME version just a faux surround up mixing solution? Can one play real surround from a USB drive? Probably not, but I thought I’d check in with you all.

I have a 7.2.2. Atmos system at home. Just like you, I started with a 5.1 system and slowly but surely, worked my way up. Currently in the process of replacing my Atmos speakers from the ones that bounce the signal off the roof and down to over-head ones mounted in the ceiling. Also, I have had an aftermarket sound in just about every vehicle I have owned since I first started driving 3 decades ago. My truck has the 18-speaker B&O system with the overhead speakers designed to reproduce the Atmos effect and it is laughable at best. All the speakers are cardboard FoMoCo and the B&O system in all Ford's seem to be tuned to be front-stage biased as opposed to true surround.

IMO: If you want something decent, you gotta rip all the OEM crap out and go full aftermarket.

 

[Frank of America]

It’s all artificial. Mono, stereo, quad, 5.1, Atmos. However, I think surround is pretty groovy man. To each their own.

 

[AtomicInternet]

Currently in the process of replacing my Atmos speakers from the ones that bounce the signal off the roof and down to over-head ones mounted in the ceiling.

I always wondered how well those ceiling bouncing speakers worked. When I was setting up my system I crawled up into my attic and ran the wires for the ceiling ones. I'm curious how much of a difference you notice once you switch, and if it was worth crawling around an oven for 15 minutes lol

 

[rugedraw]

I always wondered how well those ceiling bouncing speakers worked. When I was setting up my system I crawled up into my attic and ran the wires for the ceiling ones. I'm curious how much of a difference you notice once you switch, and if it was worth crawling around an oven for 15 minutes lol

They work......I noticed the difference right away when I added them. I found that using the mic to tune them was not as effective as measuring distances and hand tuning them. My issue is, I have a ceiling fan right smack between my couch and the speakers, so I feel the fan has to distort the sound. Also, with the new custom entertainment system I'm having built into the wall, I'm mounting the towers on the wall now next to the TV, so if I place them on top of the towers, they'll be way too close to the roof to be effective and I don't want clutter on top of the entertainment piece, so to the roof they go. Tbh, I'm very happy with my system as it is. It's extreme overkill for the small space I have me set up in. Lol I'm doing it more for a cleaner look than for performance.

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