I have a new Cx-5 and I'm disappointed with the sound quality when an HD station is selected. It's hard to describe, but the sound is a bit scratchy and a bit distorted. It's almost as if you're listening to a digital file that was recorded at a very low bitrate or have too much treble. If I press the HD button so that I'm just picking up the regular stereo broadcast, the sound is much richer and fuller. Is anyone else experiencing the same thing, or should I have the dealer take a listen to it. I'm only concerned that the dealer will say "I don't hear anything wrong", because it doesn't blatantly sound bad, it just subtly sounds not as good as the regular over-the-air broadcast. Thanks.
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hd radio sound quality
- Thread starter jdmarsh
- Start date
SapphireHearts
Member
- :
- 2013 Mazda Cx5 Touring - Moonroof/Bose/Tech
Just the exact opposite with ours. Did notice that the HD signal will fade out before the stereo signal. Get a slight delay/echo when it picks up HD.
The hd should sound perfect unless it is broadcasted poorly from the source. Hd is digital, it is either 100% or 0. Due ti this the signals are harder to pull in, analog signals come in easier. Very happy with my HD stations.
If you belive the radio is really bad demand that the dealer swap the radio out for a new one.
If you belive the radio is really bad demand that the dealer swap the radio out for a new one.
I've been very happy with the HD stations. Only thing is a brief echo on one station a few seconds or so after I turn to it. Seems to happen every time. The best thing about the HD is that, even though the Orioles baseball games are transmitted over the air on an AM station (sounds like they need to pull the string between the two cans tighter), its sister FM station broadcasts them on one of their HD channels and they sound great.
I have a new Cx-5 and I'm disappointed with the sound quality when an HD station is selected. It's hard to describe, but the sound is a bit scratchy and a bit distorted. It's almost as if you're listening to a digital file that was recorded at a very low bitrate or have too much treble. If I press the HD button so that I'm just picking up the regular stereo broadcast, the sound is much richer and fuller. Is anyone else experiencing the same thing, or should I have the dealer take a listen to it. I'm only concerned that the dealer will say "I don't hear anything wrong", because it doesn't blatantly sound bad, it just subtly sounds not as good as the regular over-the-air broadcast. Thanks.
I've noticed this on all of the HD and Sirius stations I've listened too. Just sounds like really low bitrate broadcasts. Maybe the sources are using low quality codecs? I've stuck with bluetooth streaming for now (iPod or Pandora/etc.)
I just picked up my CX-5 a week ago, and I am not happy with the HD reception. In the MPLS Metro area and surrounding burbs, the HD stations cut in and out as well as echos. I contacted MazdaUSA and they stated there is no known reception issues and would make note as well as suggested I take it to a dealer. It is annoying when you have a song cranked and it cuts out and then the music blasts back on.
I never activated the trial with the Sat radio because the little bit I heard before it shut down had a tinny sound to it, just like you described old low bit rate streaming online would sound.
The HD on the other hand sounds better than my high bit rate stuff on the USB stick. With the exception of one FM news station that also runs a HD signal, that one would sometimes sound tinny so I've often turned off the HD on it. Lately it has been better. But all the music stations sound great for me.
If you are on a "-1" HD signal and not a "-2" it will go back and forth between regular stereo and HD as you get to the edge of the HD range on it. That will sometimes cause an echo effect and definitely cause the sound quality to drop.
The "-2" stations don't have an FM equivalent so they just go dead when the HD signal is lost.
I was actually thinking of giving the Sirius trial a shot if it would sound as good as the HD
The HD on the other hand sounds better than my high bit rate stuff on the USB stick. With the exception of one FM news station that also runs a HD signal, that one would sometimes sound tinny so I've often turned off the HD on it. Lately it has been better. But all the music stations sound great for me.
If you are on a "-1" HD signal and not a "-2" it will go back and forth between regular stereo and HD as you get to the edge of the HD range on it. That will sometimes cause an echo effect and definitely cause the sound quality to drop.
The "-2" stations don't have an FM equivalent so they just go dead when the HD signal is lost.
I was actually thinking of giving the Sirius trial a shot if it would sound as good as the HD
puddle.jumper
Member
- :
- mazda cx-5 touring 2013
i've been getting the same thing as sapphirehearts described of a delayed echo sound when the signal switches back and forth. since i've been getting used to it it's less annoying, but still distracting.
there are instances of no sound while on hd as well.
and, sometimes the song info doesn't display, so i have to switch the channels back and forth until it picks up the song info.
i drive all around town, so hit fringe spots even just passing under a tree that resumes a few feet later.
i'm guessing these things could be based on the shark fin antenna's reception as well as one's local area. my old vehicle had a retractable power antenna that didn't have this problem.
there are instances of no sound while on hd as well.
and, sometimes the song info doesn't display, so i have to switch the channels back and forth until it picks up the song info.
i drive all around town, so hit fringe spots even just passing under a tree that resumes a few feet later.
i'm guessing these things could be based on the shark fin antenna's reception as well as one's local area. my old vehicle had a retractable power antenna that didn't have this problem.
No issues with mine, if anything you're experiencing a local broadcast issue.
I have 7 HD channels saved on my settings. All 7 of them have issues....echo, repeating like a skipped record, cutting out, delayed playing etc. Not what I would expect at all for this type of stereo. I am disappointed.
I have a new Cx-5 and I'm disappointed with the sound quality when an HD station is selected. It's hard to describe, but the sound is a bit scratchy and a bit distorted. It's almost as if you're listening to a digital file that was recorded at a very low bitrate or have too much treble. If I press the HD button so that I'm just picking up the regular stereo broadcast, the sound is much richer and fuller. Is anyone else experiencing the same thing, or should I have the dealer take a listen to it. I'm only concerned that the dealer will say "I don't hear anything wrong", because it doesn't blatantly sound bad, it just subtly sounds not as good as the regular over-the-air broadcast. Thanks.
No problem with the sound quality on my HD radio. What you describe is actually the sound quality that I was experiencing with XM radio when I had my Elantra.
My only complaint is the constant cutting in and out of the HD radio signal.
I'd have to say it must be a local broadcast thing. I've had integrated Sirius/XM in 2 Alpine stereos before, and know what you're referring to. I quickly ripped it out for the dock-n-play units that didn't have the issue. However all the HD channels around the Raleigh area sound better than my IPOD. I can't figure out why the ipod sounds so lack luster, I plug it into the Aux jack and it sounds better. So bizarre.
Get closer to the broadcast towers and see if the problem goes away.
Get closer to the broadcast towers and see if the problem goes away.
SayNoToPistons
Wheels, not rims...
- :
- CX-5 GT AWD w/ Tech, RX-8 GT 6spd w/ 'goodies'
Instead of starting a new thread, I'll post here.
I just activated my Sirius trial. Normally if I were to use the radio stations, it would obviously be the FM HD stations. The FM HD stations are clear through the entire range (lows to highs). Of course FM HD is not as clear as my BT/iPod 320+ bitrate files, but they are decent none the less. In comparison between FM HD and Sirius, FM HD easily trumps Sirius in sound quality. Sirius is scratchy and sounds equivalent to lets say file bitrates of around 128. This is my first time using comparing satellite radio to FM HD, and I always expected better from satellite radio because of all the marketing saying how "clear" it is. Anyone else in a similar situation?
I just activated my Sirius trial. Normally if I were to use the radio stations, it would obviously be the FM HD stations. The FM HD stations are clear through the entire range (lows to highs). Of course FM HD is not as clear as my BT/iPod 320+ bitrate files, but they are decent none the less. In comparison between FM HD and Sirius, FM HD easily trumps Sirius in sound quality. Sirius is scratchy and sounds equivalent to lets say file bitrates of around 128. This is my first time using comparing satellite radio to FM HD, and I always expected better from satellite radio because of all the marketing saying how "clear" it is. Anyone else in a similar situation?
I actually don't hear much of any difference when using HD. So I just don't us it since we don't get the song name info when using it.
We are very dissapointed in the sirius and never kept up our subscription. It cut out several times on any short trip and half of the stations sounded tinny too us as well. All in all, I'm dissapointed in a lot of the things I bought the GT and tech package for, including the tomtom.
We are very dissapointed in the sirius and never kept up our subscription. It cut out several times on any short trip and half of the stations sounded tinny too us as well. All in all, I'm dissapointed in a lot of the things I bought the GT and tech package for, including the tomtom.
SayNoToPistons
Wheels, not rims...
- :
- CX-5 GT AWD w/ Tech, RX-8 GT 6spd w/ 'goodies'
I guess it is location dependent. I am very happy with the simplistic TomTom with GT. The only real complaints I have are minor.
BacklashZ06
Member
- :
- Mazda Cx-5
I guess it is location dependent. I am very happy with the simplistic TomTom with GT. The only real complaints I have are minor.
Agree, it does not have all of the bells and whistles of my Garmin, but it does the job.
Agree, it does not have all of the bells and whistles of my Garmin, but it does the job.
Yes, the TomTom "does the job" in the same way that a 1963 Trabant 601 Limousine "does the job".
To address the OP's remarks, HD radio like Sirius radio can often times be over compressed. Also since many HD stations are broadcasting at lower power levels than their FM counterparts there are many reasons to stick with FM if the content is the same. The advantage over HD is that with multiple HD channels per radio station there is a lot more to listen to. I am not sure if I will want to get the Sirius radio or not, I have had it on and off since 2007, but with an aux port and bluetooth streaming I don't see the need.
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