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Discussion Starter · #1 ·
I just got the 2020 Santa Fe SEL with the convenience package that includes the Infinity premium audio. Everything is great except the sound quality. I'm not a bass freak. I mostly listen to calm music. The highs hurt my ears and the bass is barely noticeable. Adjusting the settings barely helps. My portable battery-powered Harmon Kardon speaker has more bass and higher clarity than the car speakers. Anyone else has issues with these speakers?
It sounds atrocious worse than my mom's CRV without premium audio. It's so bad that it's the worst sound system I've used in a car. Any car. No exaggerations. Is it this terrible, or can my car be defective?
Anyone else have problems with the premium audio system?
 

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‘19 Santa Fe Ultimate 2.0T; ‘22 Tucson Limited 2.5
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It’s a terrible thing that you bought a new vehicle without testing the sound system during your test drives. Terrible! Take it back to the dealer immediately.
 

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Please read the manual for the settings, if not done already. Make sure the position option is centered. When I bought my vehicle someone changed it to the end of one corner (not centered at sll) and it sounded terrible. After adjusting it sounds much better. Here’s is my setting if you are interested: position: one notch above center, bass:+8, miss: +7, treble:+2.
 

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Discussion Starter · #5 ·
It’s a terrible thing that you bought a new vehicle without testing the sound system during your test drives. Terrible! Take it back to the dealer immediately.
It could be that the sound system is defective. I'm having a hard time believing how terrible it is considering it's Infinity audio, which I had on my 2008 Kia and sounded great.
 

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I don't know if it's the same Infinity system in the top of the line Santa Fe. But I discovered I really have to crank the volume to get the subwoofer moving, 25-30 on the volume. Also as I'm sure someone's already said, change your EQ settings.
This is my 2nd Hyundai and owning different brand vehicles I think Hyundai with Infinity are going for clarity rather than volume. That's just my calibrated ears opinion. ?
 

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Its a hyundai / Kia Product i dont think hyundai was focused on sound quality to much if your that concerned about Sound Quality then all i can say is invest in a higher end aftermarket sound system
I have the premium infinity in the 2013 SFS and it's an ok system but certainly far from the best audio system I've been exposed to, but it fits well with Hyundai/KIA overall market position - functional, value based, but far from the better systems found in near luxury/luxury makes. The 2013 has a surround sound feature which does make the sound pretty horrid and the subwoofer seems pretty lacking.
 

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2020 Santa Fe Limited 2.0T Awd
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Try checking to see if the amp is connected properly. I believe it is under the passenger's seat. When I first test drove the SF, I wasn't all that impressed. With subsequent test drives I grew to like the system. My last vehicle had a pretty nice system with punchy bass. I don't find that the SF is lacking too much. I really like the sound system. I don't even have the bass all the way up. Of course not the best system in the world, but I wouldn't call it horrible. Also, if listening over bluetooth be sure your volume on your phone is turned up. Listening to streaming over bluetooth requires increased volume levels for same sound output compared to SXM or listening to music from a flash drive.
 

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‘19 Santa Fe Ultimate 2.0T; ‘22 Tucson Limited 2.5
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It could be that the sound system is defective. I'm having a hard time believing how terrible it is considering it's Infinity audio, which I had on my 2008 Kia and sounded great.
Take it right back. Have it checked. Test other vehicles. If you don’t like it, get another vehicle. Nobody here is able to hear your audio system, or fix it. In my state the buyer has 3 business days to cancel a deal.
 

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2020 Santa Fe Limited 2.0T AWD Stormy Sea
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I've invested a LOT of money when it comes to audio gear (mainly headphones, DAC's and Amps) and I have to say that in my opinion the system (infinity) in my 2020 Limited is excellent. However, depending on your source and the status of the sound options on your phone things could go bad rather quickly. Also, if you're using HD radio or XM channels it should be noted that while these can be better than traditional FM radio they aren't all that great due to compression and low bitrates.

For starters, you should go to the audio settings, then to the Advanced section and turn off the Quantum Logic (It can be fun, but it really thins out the low end). In the main sound settings make sure to put the bass, mids, and treble settings to center or zero and re-center the listening position. I'm pretty sure that there's a "default" button somewhere that should do all of this with one tap. If you're streaming from your phone or running off of an aux cable you need to go to the sound settings on your phone and make sure that any and all sound effects / profiles / equalizers are off. With Bluetooth or from an aux cable make sure to put the volume of the phone to max. Once you have that taken care of choose a quality example of the music you like to listen to (I have a playlist of about a dozen tracks that I use when evaluating or setting up audio gear). Start with the bass/mid/treble settings in the vehicle and make small adjustments. I suggest starting with the mids because that is where the majority of the sound we hear exists. I have the bass set at zero, the treble at zero, and the mids at minus 3. I listen to everything from Mozart to Metallica and this works well for me for the most part. I also created a custom EQ curve on my phone that boosts the low bass for times when I want a little more weight to the low end. I recommend tuning the bass this way since the bass slider in the car's settings isn't focused at the best frequency.

Hopefully this helps you out. I should also add that the system is definitely tuned for a more balanced sound than what I would call a more fun sound so it may be that this just isn't what you prefer. If you like big booming bass this system will not be able to deliver without some aftermarket equipment. Lastly, this system is incredibly clear when fed a quality recording, but it will also reveal the flaws of music that is poorly recorded.
 

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2022 Santa Fe Calligraphy 2.5T
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I just got the 2020 Santa Fe SEL with the convenience package that includes the Infinity premium audio. Everything is great except the sound quality. I'm not a bass freak. I mostly listen to calm music. The highs hurt my ears and the bass is barely noticeable. Adjusting the settings barely helps.
Can you describe your current audio settings and source? Are you listening to AM/FM or Satellite radio? Have you tried a different source via USB or Bluetooth with a similar result?
 

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‘19 Santa Fe Ultimate 2.0T; ‘22 Tucson Limited 2.5
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This is what the OP said:

“It sounds atrocious worse than my mom's CRV without premium audio. It's so bad that it's the worst sound system I've used in a car. Any car. No exaggerations. Is it this terrible, or can my car be defective?”

The clock is ticking. Get to the dealer if you don’t want to get stuck with it.
 

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Discussion Starter · #16 ·
The car is not defective. I tried another Infinity audio Santa Fe on the lot. The speakers are just way too bright leading to listening fatigue. I am planning to upgrade the speaker system to something more balanced.
 

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I just got the 2020 Santa Fe SEL with the convenience package that includes the Infinity premium audio. Everything is great except the sound quality. I'm not a bass freak. I mostly listen to calm music. The highs hurt my ears and the bass is barely noticeable. Adjusting the settings barely helps. My portable battery-powered Harmon Kardon speaker has more bass and higher clarity than the car speakers. Anyone else has issues with these speakers?
It sounds atrocious worse than my mom's CRV without premium audio. It's so bad that it's the worst sound system I've used in a car. Any car. No exaggerations. Is it this terrible, or can my car be defective?
Anyone else have problems with the premium audio system?
I was wondering if you had the service department check out your Infinity premium audio system? Mine sounds great with crisp clear sound. Please let me know your findings. Respectfully,. Timothy
 

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Sound is one of those things that is different for everyone, we all hear sounds slightly different from one another. But this does sound like maybe a faulty head unit. The premium sound system should have enough range to please almost all people. Maybe one of the speakers is defective.
 

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‘19 Santa Fe Ultimate 2.0T; ‘22 Tucson Limited 2.5
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The car is not defective. I tried another Infinity audio Santa Fe on the lot. The speakers are just way too bright leading to listening fatigue. I am planning to upgrade the speaker system to something more balanced.
I imagine that plan from 9 months ago fell through. It’s an expensive proposition. My ‘19 Ultimate sound system is good enough.
 

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So has anyone here updated anything with the sound system? Only factory system on cars I have owned for the last 10 yrs that wowed me was the one in my Acura TSX. I added a Memphis sub and amp to my CRV and it made all the diff. Wonder if the spkr amp for the SF could handle upgraded spkrs or if you would need a diff. more powerful amp?
 
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