Hyundai Forums banner

Dimension Audio Quality

28K views 108 replies 57 participants last post by  Stevereno 
#1 ·
I just got my new sonata, a GLS with nav and upgraded dimension stro and I have a question.

Is it supposed to sound this bad? It's supposed to have a nice amp and sub, but it sounds like an AM radio, no matter what the source is - iPod XM or radio. Is there a setting that I'm missing? I've played with th EQ presets, adjusted the balance and fader. It still sounds like a cheap toy. I'm not an audiophile or anything, I'm pretty content with most factory stereos, but this sounds very dull. I'd almost believe they forgot to hook up the amp. Very little bass, no highs, and generally poor quality.

Also, is HD available yet?

Otherwise, this is the nicest car I've ever owned.

Thanks!
 
#82 ·
No problem at all. Not everyone likes to shout over their audio system when they talk - and as you have stated your listening level is about half of full volume, I expect the dealer would state everything is fine. The audio systems in these cars are really quite decent for stock systems. Not everything has to be about ear shattering volume, or license plate rattling bass notes. You may want to ask about trading up to the nav system as it has a few more watts, and is certainly plenty loud for 99% of drivers I would gather.
 
#84 ·
I've got the Canuck '11 w/Nav - 360w Dimension (no Infinity for Cdn models)

When cruising at 120 kph, I find 10-15 (10 for 320 kpbs mp3 over USB, 15 for XM) to be plenty loud enough; to the point it's difficult to carry on a conversation with passengers.

I think I've only ever had it to 20 once and that was only for a few seconds to see what it was like. There's no way I could tolerate anything above that for more than a second or two.
 
#85 ·
when i am alone in the car...sunroof open...good song...i will turn up to 20...and that is plenty loud. my teenager doesn't like when i put on godsmack or rev theory with the windows up and turn it up to '20'. both say it's way too loud.

i usually have it between 7-10 when family is in car....plenty of volume and able to carry on a conversation.
 
#86 ·
When comparison shopping, the Nissan Altima seemed to have the best stock audio system I have heard (in a family type car). Even the low end model sounded good, and you could crank it pretty loud. I didn't notice any difference between the Dimension and the Nav+Infinity in the Limited, but it is 1000% better then the crappy one in my Subaru.
 
#87 ·
Well when I'm driving to school at 7AM , the volume is at around 5-7, which is loud enough. When I get out of school at around 12ish, the volume doubles to around 14-16. If I have friends in the car or Im on the highway with the windows down, volume goes to around 20-23.
 
#88 ·
I have a 2012 Limited w/NAV and the Infinity speakers. I have to say that I am quite impressed overall. I did put my JL Powerwedge 12W2v6 Subwoofers in the trunk as well as my JL HD750/1 amp to power both subs. I removed the factory sub for more air to flow. Since I have had the amp repaired I am quite impressed overall when playing something on my USB stick, or listen to a good SIRIUS channel where the music hasn't been over compressed.

Don't get me wrong, I still want more. At times I have the volume up at the top, 35, and it sounds great but I still want more. I just don't know if I can justify 1K for a 4 channel amp and some new speakers. If I do it, I will go all JL....

Right now I am eyballing a JL HD600/4 and some JL components. If I go that route, it should be a show stopper !!!! I love my audio....

on a side note, I have a JL 1000/1 that I need to get rid of...this thing WILL pound out some bass !!!
 
#89 ·
I have a 2012 Limited w/NAV and the Infinity speakers. I have to say that I am quite impressed overall. I did put my JL Powerwedge 12W2v6 Subwoofers in the trunk as well as my JL HD750/1 amp to power both subs. I removed the factory sub for more air to flow. Since I have had the amp repaired I am quite impressed overall when playing something on my USB stick, or listen to a good SIRIUS channel where the music hasn't been over compressed.

Don't get me wrong, I still want more. At times I have the volume up at the top, 35, and it sounds great but I still want more. I just don't know if I can justify 1K for a 4 channel amp and some new speakers. If I do it, I will go all JL....

Right now I am eyballing a JL HD600/4 and some JL components. If I go that route, it should be a show stopper !!!! I love my audio....

on a side note, I have a JL 1000/1 that I need to get rid of...this thing WILL pound out some bass !!!
I had the HD600/4 for a while, and liked it a lot. I ended up swapping it for an HD900/5 when I added a stealthbox. For it's small size and low heat output, the 900/5 is impressive. JL isn't for everybody, but I sure like the brand.
 
#92 ·
I replaced the head unit with an Alpine nav and replaced the front speakers with Phoenix Gold separates, I have turned the rear speakers way down but not off, no amp, no sub.....night and day difference. The speaker which was removed from the door is about half the weight of the one which replaced it and those things in the dash are not real tweeters
 
#93 ·
Your right they are not tweeters, they are mid range drivers for frequencies under what the tweeter can reproduce and above what the mid bass drivers. And your front stage is the most important so by adjusting towards the front you are accurately adjusting it the way it should be. In sound competition or SQ they actually take off points for sound coming from the rear, it supposed to be balanced in a way that with your eyes closed you shouldn't be able to distinguish where the sound is coming from.
 
#94 ·
Concerning the response of the stock systems in the YF's audio, I ran sweeps about a year ago or so on my own Limited JBL/Infinity system to get a better idea of how it was tuned. It was surprisingly flat from the listening position of the drivers seat.



There is a gentle roll off at approx 13.5 kHz, which I suspect was done intentionally to minimize high frequency reflections off the windscreen glass. These can absolutely kill any hope of a reasonable sound stage in a vehicle, and I would venture to guess that this is also why a two-way driver was not implemented here.

A high quality true tweeter would perform very well firing across the cabin, and mounted either in: #1 - the A pillar (being careful of the curtain airbag of course!) or #2 - in the upper doors just forward of the handle.



The A pillar mount works very well for staging, but because it is a higher position, and further forward than the main door driver, you may experience timing issues due to the physical space and location difference of the two drivers. There is equipment available to help eliminate this effect, but it gets pricey - quickly. The door location is better for time coupling, but there is a greater likely hood the signal may be muffled by the drivers arms, or even the steering wheel itself getting in the way.

I have yet to be able to measure the response of the Dimension system separately from the Limited system in my own vehicle, but I expect they aren't likely to be dramatically different in their overall frequency responses. If anyone is near me, and interested, I'd be happy to run the same sweeps of the stock Dimension system, and post the results here.

Cheers
 
#95 ·
I have no plans of upgrading anytime soon, The sound of mine is ok to good but not Great. I only wish they gave more than a three band EQ. The Dimension is doing ok but the bass is flat to me, But then again I have some tone deafness derived from time in the Army. With all the bang bang my ears were subjected to, highs drive me nuts. Since I cant really tune the EQ as much as I would like I just adjust the volume from 8 to 12.
 
#96 ·
There are some excellent soft dome tweeters made these days that are a dream to hear - particularly if harsh highs are just too much for your ear. I used to prefer things on the brighter side (ie: almost harsh to many), but over the years, I do like a warmer more mellow and balanced tone now. Placement really is absolutely key with high frequency drivers - much more so than with any others. Some will sound better more or less directly on axis, while others will really come alive tens of degrees off.

As for the bass response you mention Titaniumskull, have you added any deadening to the doors such as Dynamat or the like? I expect it would help tighten things up for you a bit, and may help to add a little bit more punch into what you hear. It would be a relatively easy and low to moderate cost effort at any rate, and those here who have attempted the same have almost all stated noticeable improvements to their ears.

The audio environment in our Sonatas is quite obviously far from a concert hall or studio setting. But I believe their engineers have delivered a really decent product for a rather modestly priced vehicle.
 
#97 ·
For Dimension nav stereo, Hyundai has done better than I had expected. My AVIC BT700 gave me an EQ with so much options I was able to refine the adjustments with the Q-band controls. Thats the one thing I miss, I listen to everything from classical to gangster rap, The only Achilles heel for the Dimension is the ability to switch EQ settings for each Genre.

Most people like the sound in the front, I have always adjusted it so the sound seems to always be like it's slightly behind my right ear. That's now my dilema, when I started to loose some of the hearing of bass it made the the highs seem like an ice pick in my ear.

I'm going to give the Dynamat a shot after the holidays, That might help hide the sounds from outside as well. Road noise is one thing, But to sit at a stop light and listen to a car next to me with the volume pushing till the speakers have that death flutter from being pushed to far is another thing.
 
#98 ·
I agree that the three band equalization (without any parametric or Q options) does limit ones ability to customize the sound field. My wife's Subie Outback has that option over five bands...although it only allows you to change anything when the car isn't moving. It's positively maddening! :)

I get what you're saying about hearing loss. It can certainly make fine tuning your music exceptionally difficult. My first suggestion of the Dynamat (or similar product of your choosing) still stands. I think that for the cost, this is an excellent place to start. As you mention, you may also benefit with slightly reduced road and outside environment noise as well.

Secondly, as counter-intuitive as it sounds, you may want to look into a high quality pair of separates for the front doors. You could easily do a two way set, or even a three way 6.5/3.5/tweet as well if you wanted to really open up your sound. However, I strongly suggest a shop that will let you demo them with your music before you buy.

Keep the tweeters in the areas I mentioned above, and make sure you've got a set with a good crossover. Most of the better component sets will allow you to attenuate the highs through several settings/connection options to your liking, and to the particular car you're installing them in. If possible, a program like Room EQ Wizzard (it's free online) is helpful in working towards a flat response initially. Once you've got things as reasonably flat as possible, then tune for listenability with your own ears.

I expect you'll be quite happy with the results if time and budget allow you to tweak your set up just a bit.

Cheers!
 
#99 ·
I get you bro. I have a friend that works bestbuy install. I will get him to work something up for me.

I spent literally hours at the store listening to all the speakers. And every time I lean back to the pioneer 3 & 4 ways. The produce a sound that is more appealing to me. My last set of pioneers went thru two explorers from 1999-2011. Almost 12 years of thumping the same speakers. The punches I had for 7 years. But times have changed and I need to re compare the sounds

I'll get Jason to do the dynomat during speaker install.

Thanks again.


Sent from my iPhone using AutoGuide.com App
 
#100 ·
A great start! I don't mean to sound disparaging of Best Buy AT ALL...but they are rather limited in their mobile audio product offering. I'm not sure if you have any other custom audio shops in your area as well? You might be surprised at the difference some component sets can make. Pioneer is fairly decent in their higher end stuff for the mass market, but there are other makers that literally blow them away in regards to sound quality.

If you have a chance, spend a little time listening to some of the other lesser known 'common' brands. The cost may not be that different at all, and you may well open up even greater sound possibilities. This from an old install junkie myself. :)
 
#101 ·
The one in Miami Kendal has a fair selection of speakers, then again I haven't been there in like 6 or 7 years, things could have changed. BestBuy scared me away when they started jacking prices to the point that it was almost twice the price. My friend can get things for me at employee cost but I dont bother him with that.

I have spent the past few years using Crutchfield. Good service and warranty, fair prices.
 
#102 ·
What I should have said but did not (probably because I was half asleep) is that car manufacturers have been trying to cut in on the after market action by offering systems actually made by some of the electronic manufacturers, but they charge a premium and really and truly you seldom get what you pay for. It's not that hard to add a little sizzle and some bass to make the system appear to sound decent but when you stop hearing and really start to listen the details or lack thereof become apparent, but the killer is when you hear a modestly priced after market system at a fraction of the dealer's cost. We are not talking competition systems , we drive family sedans, just something that you can really enjoy your music while on the road. For some of us though, once it's not factory installed, we want no part of it. I'm not sure that we are addressing the original question in this thread though. Anyway nice posts Uilleann, and Titaniumskull if you really like the Pioneer brand, I hear that the D-series are pretty good TS-D1720C or TS-D1602R if you prefer coaxials. I also did read somewhere that the system tuned by Ken Pohlmann is pretty good as well.
 
#103 ·
The Dimension sound is very flat as uillean has mentioned. The lack of sound deadener could contribute to a lot of white noise. I don't think dynamat is going to help with that issue. You might need a little bit of foam installed to help tame it.

For the people who say the highs might not be bright enough if you looked at A pillar mounts I'd definitely look into silk tweets. Most of the on axis sounds will be pretty shrill. If you're replacing the dash speakers I don't think a metal tweet will be as bad as along as the crossover boost is set flat.

I think the mix up is what people are expecting. If you want a true sound (flat) this stereo is better than most competition SQ vehicles a few years ago. It's not peaky at all. However if you're wanting boom and screeching highs you're going to be disappointed. And lol @ saying this makes another stereo "sound like Bose". Because Bose is such an awesome sound. :) I guess that gives the nature of what people are expecting.
 
#104 ·
Mentioning Bose, I have Bose Companion 5 for the pc and Companion 2 at work in my tool box. The 5 gives me more room to adjust with the add on software EQ it gets better. The acoustimass gives me more of the sound I like.

I think one of the things I have to do is something with the woofer and a box, That being an open woofer is probably where I am not to happy with the bass. Since bass is where I have lost the ability to hear it as well as everyone else and why I keep the volume down because too much flutter and distortion in the stock woofer with me having the bass tuned up and the treble tuned down. And I really Really dont like the dash speakers, it's not the quality but the highs. I dont hear bass that well so I tune it up to thin the treble and keep the treble from making me cringe. Concert sound setting brings me too much treble and normal setting brings too much sound up front for me. Dang if I aint gettin a little to finicky. Music is an art, regardless of which genre. My choices are matched to my mood and fast paced music keeps me working at a fast pace
 
#105 ·
TS - what you mention about the different pre-set sound fields in the Dimension system really has me wondering. If anyone has an hour or so some day with a Dimension system in my neck of the woods, I'd really like to map it's response as well, and see if I can figure out what's happening with that eq environment.
 
#106 ·
2,510 mi, 41 hours
In current traffic: 41 hours :eek:

If I win the powerball I will drive from east coast to west coast and back, lol. Heck, if I win I will be moving to north Midwest. Truth is I haven't taken a vacation in 16-17 years. Last time I went anywhere was a couple months ago to pay BigMerf a visit, one day trip.

Last time I had a ride that far was when I was 5 and my dad moved us to the US and he drove from South Carolina to Colorado (went the southern route) . I remember bugging him for a Giant lollipop (6 inch wide) and I left it on the seat without the wrapper while in New Mexico in the middle of the day in the middle of the summer. This was back in those days when A/C was a super luxury, hence the lollipop didnt come out of the seat, all I got was the short end of the stick lol and the belt, ouch.:eek::eek:
 
#107 ·
If you make that crazy drive all the way out here, I'll buy you any size sucker you want! WOW! :) I remember some crazy road trips with my folks when I was a kid as well. Ours usually ended up with the RV broken down in the middle of nowhere. Meeeeemmmmorieeeeeesssss LOL

I guess I could come down that way too...but you'd have to introduce me to Dexter. ;)
 
#108 ·
Dexter?

This morning I was drinking coffee and eating a croissant
I had two advertising cards in the console. I put one on top of both dash speakers and now the sound sounds more balanced to me. Not so heavy in the front and the bass does not sound as flat and I can start to hear the separation from lows and mids better. I am going to the drawing board and cut me some stock to fit between the dash speakers and covers.
Next I have to pinpoint the rattle in the doors and add felt to stop it.


Sent from my iPhone using AutoGuide.com App
 
#109 ·
Resurrecting this thread again. I have a new Sonata SE with Nav/Sunroof package and I came on here to find out if others were as disappointed as I am with the Dimension sound system. I had to wait a few days for my car to be delivered and in the meanwhile I drove a loaner SE w/o the Nav package. That system actually sounded much better regardless of the source material (FM/XM/iPod) except for the lack of the sub-woofer. So did my 2003 F-150 that I traded in and it had low end stock speakers with an aftermarket radio and no additional amps or anything else.

What I have read here jives with my own impressions in that the main problem is with the dash speakers which sound pretty awful to me. After playing with the EQ settings, the only way I can get a somewhat satisfactory sound is to set the Fader to where the line is over the backseat and as mentioned by others that's just not appropriate for an accurate sound field reproduction. When the Fader is in the neutral (default) position the dash speakers dominate the sound (seemingly all you can hear) and they just don't sound good at all for most music. I guess it's a combo of poor speakers in the dash and maybe the crossover pushing too much to those speakers over the front door speakers.
 
This is an older thread, you may not receive a response, and could be reviving an old thread. Please consider creating a new thread.
Top