Audio quality of 2015-16 Forester

[grethec]

Hi Folks,

 

I'm new to this forum so don't make fun of me if I ask dumb questions!

 

Considering either a new 2015 Forester or 2016 model.

 

How do you like the quality of the audio in the Forester. We'll probably get the premium with the 6 speakers.  We're also looking at the Toyota Rav4 but leaning much more towards the Forester.  Anyway, if you have heard comments about the sound quality of the Rav 4, please way in.

 

Sadly, I haven't really had a chance to listen to the audio in either car.  I'm a little picky about sound quality.  At home, I have a pretty nice audio setup (about 3k, albeit on the older side).  Anyway, the system in my 2007 Mazda 5 (4 speaker), is the only thing I can compare the new cars sound to and the Mazda's audio is pretty ok. So if the Forester's is as good or better, I'll be happy, I think.

 

Your opinions, please!

 

Thanks in advance,

 

Greg

[keith3267]

The interior of a car, any car, is never going to be a good audio environment.  Typically the interior noise at city speeds (45 mph) runs around 65-75dB and on the highway(70 mph), 80 to 90 dB.  You need a minimum signal to noise ratio of 20 dB for AM quality music.  That is music that was recorded with a narrow dynamic range for AM radio.  So AM quality music has to be played at 95 to 110 dB to be heard clearly.  Hi Fi, forget about it, especially with classical music that can have a additional 30-50 dB dynamic range.

 

Its much better to invest in a high quality sound system in your home and just keep it simple in the car.

[Cougar]

When it comes to audio quality your definition of good quality may be different than most people. Before you decide on any car you should really go for an actual test drive in one before making any decisions on which is the right one for you. Even if the car you like better in your opinion has the lesser sound quality, are you going to pick the one with the better sound because of that? Probably not. I would guess that both of the sound systems are going to be about the same in sound quality. Myself, I would be more concerned how quiet the car is on the road than the sound quality of the audio. I don't like road noise or people that drive around with 5 kilowatt sound systems cranked up so high you hear them coming from two blocks away. Well,... unless they have some Dire Straits or Eagles playing .

[grethec]

Thanks for your reply Cougar and Keith,

 

To all, 

 

We ended up buying the Forester based on the car first and foremost. We did get the premium version with the 6 speaker setup.  I'm a little disappointed overall with the sound; a little too much "thump and sizzle" for my tastes, meaning to much bass and treble. The bass, mid and treble adjustments are a little too basic for fine tuning the sound. 

 

So I am looking for ways to tame the bass and treble in my 2015 Forester "type b" audio system. 

Some options I'm considering:

1- Quick upgrade to the speakers up front. If anyone has suggestions of speakers that fixed the sound issues, please advise.

2- I learned I can over-write the preset EQ settings on my iPhone in iTunes and load them into my phone. So that's 10 bands of tonality I can adjust perhaps to bring the boomy bass down and soften the treble a touch. Trial and error in that I create an EQ curve on the home PC, sync and then listen in the car.

In a perfect world, someone with discerning ears has already found an iTunes EQ curve that plays nice with my 2015 Forester "Type B" audio set. Anybody?

 

2 more questions: 

1: Does Virtual Bass just bump up the bass? I'm hearing some trebles gain too with virtual bass on.

2: How does "sound restorer" impact the sound? It's just the treble, right?

If anyone is else having the same audio issues that I'm having please feel free to weigh in on this topic.  Of course prefer to not spend any more dollars so I welcome all suggestions!

 

Thanks

Greg 

Edited August 24, 2015 by grethec

[grethec]

Ha!

Just learned that there are some hidden settings in the stock head unit (type- that came with my new Forester. Essentially, there are some Easter Egg settings that you can edit by pressing various button combinations which allows you to adjust the Loudness as well as the bass settings. This video helped me along:

A reminder, my original complaint about the audio was this: Even with virtual bass off, and the bass, mid and treble set flat, there was too much bass and too much treble and the midrange tonality was not very present. Turning off the virtual bass helped. Bumping up the midrange added clarity to vocals and middle tones, especially at higher speeds, but they also sounded more canned.

I'll need to drive with the music playing to see if the new settings helped but on first listen, midrange clarity seemed better and the bass was tighter. I'll report the full results in a day or so.

G

From my iThingy Edited August 24, 2015 by grethec

[bratman2]

My suggestion would be look to Crutchfield and pick your own speakers out. They will come with instructions and the proper connectors to install. I have not seen too many premium factory systems that the speakers could not be upgraded for a reasonable price with much better results. I will not give advice for speakers because that is a very personal decision and will vary greatly from one individual to another. And somewhat from different vehicle to different vehicle. Side note my wife's 011 XT has a pretty decent unit as is.

[grethec]

Thanks Bratman, I'll give a listen to the setup with the "Easter egg" adjustments first-- might be just fine. I used to sell high end audio and know good sound. I don't have high expectations at all but I found that the initial settings of the stereo had been over tweaked. Virtual bass on, enhancements on, Bass and treble were all the way up (maybe when the car was test driven). I tend to like my music much "flatter" than what others like and my most recent adjustments seemed to have helped a lot.