Replacing Fender Subwoofer II

1854sailor

Resident Curmudgeon
Joined
Aug 10, 2004
Location
Westerly, RI
TDI
2015 Golf SE SportWagen, 2015 Golf SE Hatch Back.
It's an early generation iPod and I'm not sure if it even has Bluetooth capability. It just lives in the compartment in the console always plugged in and it works and sounds great. The only time it is out is if I'm updating playlists and have it plugged into the computer.

Does the ipod bluetooth? It would be interesting to know if the software boosts it more over bluetooth.
 

adjat84th

Veteran Member
Joined
Dec 13, 2008
Location
Virginia Beach, VA
TDI
'01 Jetta TDI/'15 Golf TDI
Go into setup... Sound.... Bluetooth.... Its factory set to Quiet. Set that to Loud. Just like that the system comes to life. Easily twice the sound. Sub now hits hard and sounds AMAZING. Crystal clear sound. The system now sounds tied together instead of music with imported bass. No other changes made. Except i did have to tune the sub down alil. Made it hard to breath with system on at stop lights.
My SEL does not have that option in any of the bluetooth or sound menus??
 

GreenLantern_TDI

Veteran Member
Joined
Feb 27, 2014
Location
Iowa
TDI
2015 GOLF SEL
At one time my subwoofer control disappeared for about a week before i could see it again. But just so were on the same page that im not crazy i will post some pics soon.
 

Cuzoe

Veteran Member
Joined
May 24, 2017
Location
Los Angeles
TDI
MK7 Golf S
Have had it on medium since I bought the car. I don't know what exactly it does. Didn't notice much difference in sound other than volume, this with the base audio though.

The best thing I've found for "sound quality" over Bluetooth is to turn my phone to about 2/3 volume and then turn the radio up. Just have to turn it back down before switching sources.

Recently installed the helix soundbox but haven't had it programmed yet and the sound is really bright, highs can be shrill. The helix seems super sensitive to source. Changed it to loud in the mean time because it allows me to turn the phone volume down even more.

Can't say I've ever not had my phone connected though, even if I'm not listening to Bluetooth audio so I've always seen the option. Dealer showed it to me while "teaching" me how to use the radio at delivery.

Sent from my A0001 using Tapatalk
 

bizzle

Veteran Member
Joined
May 21, 2013
Location
Southern California
TDI
2015 GSW SEL (totaled), 2013 Touareg Executive
It should be turned all the way up. Not turning the volume all the way up is a holdover from analog output and reducing distortion, but Bluetooth is a digital signal.
 

Cuzoe

Veteran Member
Joined
May 24, 2017
Location
Los Angeles
TDI
MK7 Golf S
I understand that... but Bluetooth audio from my phone sounds terrible all the way up. Not just in the car. It's bad with my Sony WH-1000s, bad with the UE Boom we take to the beach, and bad on the rare occasion that I pair my phone with my wife's car if she's driving.

For what it's worth I have a Oneplus One (they're on the Oneplus 6 already, but I can't justify an upgrade). I'm running a custom rom that has "EQ Settings" which I leave off. But if I turn it on, even leaving it flat has a huge effect on the sound ( it actually sounds better on the UE Boom) but worse everywhere else).

I don't know how Android handles Bluetooth audio but volume absolutely makes a difference. I had one of those Bluetooth-tape adapters in my MK4 and the instructions said not to turn the connected device to max volume for best sound quality. It made a bigger difference there than it does with anything I connect to now.

The "EQ" on my phone looks like this...


Sent from my A0001 using Tapatalk
 

bizzle

Veteran Member
Joined
May 21, 2013
Location
Southern California
TDI
2015 GSW SEL (totaled), 2013 Touareg Executive
I wasn't sure how Android controls the audio stack, either, so I looked it up. Apparently Android actually digitally amplifies the signal past ~60% so your experiences and examples make more sense to me now. I didn't see anything related to iOS but haven't noticed as significant difference as you have, but I'll check it more carefully later today.
 

Cuzoe

Veteran Member
Joined
May 24, 2017
Location
Los Angeles
TDI
MK7 Golf S
That explains the difference I hear. I work around aircraft but according to the doctors my hearing and hasn't been negatively affected, haha. But they are always clamoring to re-establish my baseline. I don't know what they mean by that but I politely decline.

I have noticed that my wife's iPhone seems to sound the same at any volume in her car, using one of those adapters that plugs into the back of the radio and presents itself as a CD changer. That being said, 2005 Corolla stereo sounds much worse than the standard radio in my Golf so it might not be noticeable anyway.

Sent from my A0001 using Tapatalk
 

bizzle

Veteran Member
Joined
May 21, 2013
Location
Southern California
TDI
2015 GSW SEL (totaled), 2013 Touareg Executive
The iPhone's volume not changing is a slightly different issue from whether iOS is digitally amplifying the signal (which would be evidenced by distortion when over-amplified). I realize you already know this, I'm just pointing it out for others who want to test their devices.

The issue with your wife's iPhone is probably more related to an issue I've encountered where sometimes the iPhone's individual sound sliders don't present themselves to the user properly. Android also flubs this but the screen/drawer/settings usually present all of the sliders to the user so it can be addressed quickly. But on an iPhone the user almost always only has access to one slider at a time depending on what the device believes it's connected to and the other sliders are nested deep in the main settings.

It's possible (in my experience, likely) that her iPhone isn't recognizing that adapter for what it is and so when she's using the volume rocker it's only changing the phone volume (and not changing speaker volume or bluetooth volume, etc.). Try changing the volume from inside the settings menu making sure you're controlling the bluetooth slider and see if it changes anything in her car.

FWIW, I have my in-car settings as BT volume at max, phone BT at max, EQ 0, while controlling the sound from the stereo and I don't detect any distortion.
 
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