Hello everyone,

I usually listen to mp3s on CD while driving but I decided I wanted a change and started listening to FM radio again. To my surprise, the FM radio quality is horrible compared to the CD quality. Now you would expect this, BUT, i my last car that had a Pioneer head unit, speakers, amp, and sub, the FM radio (same channels and location) sounded just as good as the mp3s.

Is it me or does anyone else find the radio quality of this head unit lacking?

I still want to replace my speakers and do which to hook up my sub but with such small trunk space and the fact the the CD mp3 quality is very good I have not yet. Well, that, and the fact there are or were very few after market speakers.

Mike

 

My first impression was that the amplifier and speakers were good enough to expose the flaws in FM radio because the CD sounded so much better.

I would be curious to use a good portable FM receiver attached to the AUX input and compare to the built in tuner.

My car is less than a week old so I haven't been able to test properly.

Do you have the upgraded JBL system?

 

IMO, I don't think it is the radio quality. I think the antenna buried in the window does a bad job of picking up the radio signals and that that is the main problem.

 

Are we comparing apples to apples? Is yours the JBL system?

I would think if the antenna is the problem then the stations would seem weaker and tend to fade. I have not yet experienced that with this car.

My old Saab had a nice radio but would lose reception in the hills by my house. With the Saab I did not notice as dramatic a difference in sound from FM to CD though.

Did you get XM radio with yours?

(BTW, I have the same color)

 

This might not matter to most folk, but how's the AM reception on the JBL/Nav radio? I work for an AM News/Talk station and want to be able to keep tabs on things when I'm away from the studio...

 

I am in Ottawa, Canada and listen to news talk AM station and reception is awsome.

 

Yes I have the upgraded JBL system.

I also feel the AUX input stinks. I have used my iPOD through it and it sounds worse than CDs as well. I know for a fact that it is not the iPOD that sounds bad. The AUX seems to be lacking frequency range (no I cannot prove it).

I do not feel the amplifier is so good that is exposes flaws. My Pioneer system used the head unit for the speakers and an 800w amp to drive the sub. The speaker I now use in my HT system for other rooms. They sound amazing still. With the old Pioneer unit the radio had much much more frequency response and better sound quality.

Maybe this is an EQ problem. I have read before that the CD (to some people) seems to run hot on the bass. I actually turn my up two ticks.

Without wanting to loose the NAV and not having a radio that would fit in the hole and the new to completely rewire everything and pull the amp (because of the absolutely stupid AV-LAN connection) I have not tried to hook up my other amp or head unit.

I really wish this thing had a high quality 30gig hd in there for mp3s. This CD business is **** old. Or I would settle for DVD-audio mp3s. (The use of CDs really ticks me off...at least you can put four of them in there.)

 

Good reception, always.

 

And the sound quality compared to CDs?

 

Have to say, I have no complaints about sound quality. I use both FM and CD (CDR/CDRW with mp3s) regularly. I was listening to some commercial yesterday and thinking of this thread I was actually impressed at the quality as the sound of the person's voice was kind of wandering around the speakers. Seemed very clear and clean and roved well around the car.

I'm no audiophile though so to a more "highly attuned ear" I suppose it could be lacking. To me it sounds great.