Is it just me or .........

[GGLX4me]

is the radio in my LX a piece of crap ?

When I have the bass up and turn up the volume say to 15 or above the stereo ,in Radio mode , turns down the bass so there really isn't any .This does not happen when I play a CD and it sounds fine but go to FM and turn up past 15 and no bass...what gives ? Is everyone else's like this or just mine?

[Nexus]

Originally Posted by GGLX4me

is the radio in my LX a piece of crap ?

When I have the bass up and turn up the volume say to 15 or above the stereo ,in Radio mode , turns down the bass so there really isn't any .This does not happen when I play a CD and it sounds fine but go to FM and turn up past 15 and no bass...what gives ? Is everyone else's like this or just mine?

Hmm I havent noticed that. I have noticed that I have to turn the bass down to -6 if I want to play anything loud without blowing the speakers though.

[ethlar]

FM signals typically dont carry a lot of bass or high trebel, it gets cut off when its transmitted, so you could be hearing the result of that and not necessarily the crappiness of your sound system.

[koolkat]

I have definitely noticed it and was beginning to wonder if I was the only one. Its kind of annoying at times especially when a jam comes on and you want to crank it. I am thinking of installing an aftermarket stereo sometime during the winter. Not sure which HU to go with though.

[Kakashi]

oops double post

[Kakashi]

THe stock HU and speakers play CD's perfectly. FM Radio is always lacking in bass and treble as ethlar stated. Go XM or just burn your own music~

One of my songs at Bass+6 makes stuff rattle off my dash, so id say its plenty.

[ReutherMonkey]

big bump here, but this is still a problem I have. And I don't buy the "FM Radio doesn't have bass" argument. On every other (aftermarket) system i've owned (kenwood, pioneer, blaupunkt) i've been able to turn up the stereo and get great bass out of local FM stations.

It's definitely not a problem with the broadcasts. It's a receiver issue. The FM bass output has been noticeably reduced, and i'd like to know what can be done about it (other than spend money to get a non-crippled head unit)

[spinner]

Think whatever you want, but it is a fact that over-the-air analogue radio signals do not have dynamic range. This is done to improve reception on the FM band.

[CivicEX08]

Originally Posted by spinner

Think whatever you want, but it is a fact that over-the-air analogue radio signals do not have dynamic range. This is done to improve reception on the FM band.

Yes, that's true.

It's noticeable in every car I've driven.

[packers04]

aftermarket decks will have more bass output on fm stations because they have a higher wattage output.

[boltuprite]

That's why it paid to upgrade to the EX.

You get the premium sound system with a sub-woofer, the power moon roof, and most importantly disc brakes all around as opposed to the disc front/drum rear set-up.

Only solution I can give you is an aftermarket 'premium quality' sound system.

[Marneus]

^ Word

EX sound system alone makes me thankful i got the ex every time i listen to anything in it.

[splew]

If you want to make your system sound good then don't listen to the radio. Buy an iPOD (if you don't have one), put all your music on there then switch the iPOD's EQ to bass booster, get a double male end headphone jack (like $3 at radio shack), plug you iPOD into your auxiliary jack(under the cigarette lighter), push the CD/AUX button and enjoy. If you want more bass then buy a powered subwoofer (I have a blaupunkt) and if you want better over all sound quality replace the front door speakers ( I have blaupunkt speakers too).

[packers04]

the bass output really isnt much on the ex either if you are used to listening to a lot of bass. i added another subwoofer to it and it sounds good without overdoing it.

[pks17]

Dont forget that your car is only 18 grand, so how good can you expect it to be?

[spinner]

Originally Posted by splew

If you want to make your system sound good then don't listen to the radio. Buy an iPOD (if you don't have one), put all your music on there then switch the iPOD's EQ to bass booster,

-1 for altering line-out audio before the receiver. It should always be flat and not boosted.

[Ematcion]

Actually, I found the sound quality of AM to be not so good. This is regarding the sound of announcers and news readers, etc. Sounds like they are broadcasting from inside a well. I can tolerate the sound quality of FM and CD is not bad.

[oldfart]

After two months of ownership I agree that the radio sound is not great. AM is especially bad compared to other stock radios I have owned. CDs and MP3 players sound pretty good. However, when cranked, the sound gets shrill so I suspect the whole unit is underpowered.

Having said that, new coaxs might be the ticket for moderate volume listening.

[ReutherMonkey]

Originally Posted by pks17

Dont forget that your car is only 18 grand, so how good can you expect it to be?

Let's be clear. I'm perfectly pleased with the bass output on CDs. The stereo on this car is one of the best stock stereos i've ever seen in a car with an MSRP below 25.

That said, the bass output on FM is horrendous, and it's not because FM lacks that fidelity. The range certainly isn't as wide as a CD, but it doesn't stop at 1000hz either. If that were the case, the lack of bass would be the same on ALL systems - stock and aftermarket. What the OP describes (a description which is spot-on) also wouldn't happen. We wouldn't get any bass below volume level 15 just as we don't get any bass above 15. But below 15, we do hear the bass clearly and in line with what it should be at in comparison to the rest of the music volume, but the car has to basically be turned off or idling at a quiet stoplight for it to be noticeable. With most other stock head units in this price range this wouldn't be an issue because their poor quality would be the obvious culprit.

While I wish I were merely an idiot with no knowledge of the various capabilities of each source of audio, I know what I hear and I know when the head unit is turning down the bass as I turn up the volume on FM (for whatever reason). Many TV's do this type of sound leveling to prevent immediate loud noises from blowing or damaging the speakers. On those TV's it can be disabled. I was hoping there was a way to disable it on this receiver.

[splew]

Originally Posted by spinner

-1 for altering line-out audio before the receiver. It should always be flat and not boosted.

I just like "bass booster" because it makes the sound more full and bassy (obviously)