Sirius Sound Quality vs Bluetooth Streaming

[jimbo1mcm]

I have noticed that on some of the channels the frequency range seems to be diminished with very little bass and chopped highs. On other channels, like 71, Sinatra, the bass and highs seem to be there. I do understand that on some channels, like the 50's, the source material is poor. I used my Galaxy S7 Edge with my music collection streaming via bluetooth and the quality difference was startling. You really get to hear what the system can do.

 

[cagilber]

Most of the audio quality on XM is junk. It seems to have gotten even worse of the last 5-6 years.

 

[GenesisAWD]

Agreed. It's really night and day difference between radio or XM compared to when I use Spotify streamed via bluetooth.

I haven't tried the USB route but I'm guessing that has the ability to be even better quality.

 

[Nikgen]

Agreed. It's really night and day difference between radio or XM compared to when I use Spotify streamed via bluetooth.

I haven't tried the USB route but I'm guessing that has the ability to be even better quality.

Yup -actual CD's or music stored on USB or the Jukebox is even better!

 

[AustinTX]

I have noticed that on some of the channels the frequency range seems to be diminished with very little bass and chopped highs. On other channels, like 71, Sinatra, the bass and highs seem to be there. I do understand that on some channels, like the 50's, the source material is poor. I used my Galaxy S7 Edge with my music collection streaming via bluetooth and the quality difference was startling. You really get to hear what the system can do.

SiriusXM compresses the data it sends from the satellites to our car. They constantly change the bit-rate ( 32-64kbps AAC-HE) of each channel depending on the content type, time of day, and what else is going on (for high profile events they turn a bunch of channels down to give another channel higher bit-rates).

They also have terrestrial repeaters in different locations, which are listed here: http://www.dogstarradio.com/sirius_map.php - these may influence signal quality as well, not sure how that technology works in detail.

The comedy talk radio stuff is heavily compressed and sounds like garbage almost all of the time (muffled and noisy). Some music channels sound great, others more like "meh". Apparently the Howard Stern stuff usually gets full bandwidth.

High bit rate compressed audio on an iPod, memory stick, phone or from CD will normally sound better than what SiriusXM can deliver.

Whenever they add more channels the bandwidth on other channels needs to be reduced, since the total bandwidth of the system doesn't increase. I don't think the system in the Genesis is to blame for the sound quality on SiriusXM data, that's most likely based on the signals received from the satellites ...

 

[ksoze]

Apparently the Howard Stern stuff usually gets full bandwidth.

Funny you mentioned that as I always noticed the music intros to his show segments or in studio live performances always sound much better than other content on other XM stations.

 

[Genesisimo]

SiriusXM compresses the data it sends from the satellites to our car. They constantly change the bit-rate ( 32-64kbps AAC-HE) of each channel depending on the content type, time of day, and what else is going on (for high profile events they turn a bunch of channels down to give another channel higher bit-rates).

They also have terrestrial repeaters in different locations, which are listed here: http://www.dogstarradio.com/sirius_map.php - these may influence signal quality as well, not sure how that technology works in detail.

The comedy talk radio stuff is heavily compressed and sounds like garbage almost all of the time (muffled and noisy). Some music channels sound great, others more like "meh". Apparently the Howard Stern stuff usually gets full bandwidth.

High bit rate compressed audio on an iPod, memory stick, phone or from CD will normally sound better than what SiriusXM can deliver.

Whenever they add more channels the bandwidth on other channels needs to be reduced, since the total bandwidth of the system doesn't increase. I don't think the system in the Genesis is to blame for the sound quality on SiriusXM data, that's most likely based on the signals received from the satellites ...

Great explanation, thanks, makes perfect sense. Now, I really need to find time to RTFM (read the friendly manual). And figure out the most convenient ways to listen to music via iPhone in the Genny...

 

[AustinTX]

Great explanation, thanks, makes perfect sense. Now, I really need to find time to RTFM (read the friendly manual). And figure out the most convenient ways to listen to music via iPhone in the Genny...

If you have the DIS system, you can get a USB memory stick and transfer music to the "Jukebox" in the vehicle. Here are the instructions from Hyundai for that feature:

https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=3&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=0ahUKEwj89L_23b7MAhWMloMKHXiFBeAQFggwMAI&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.hyundaiusa.com%2Fmyhyundaicontent%2FData%2Fteamsite%2Fdoc%2FQuick-tips%2F2015%2FGenesis%2F2015_Genesis-Upload_Music_to_Jukebox.pdf&usg=AFQjCNGx_pmHPt4Kar6QBlTT_HeU32mGEg&sig2=UMpyWE0rmYOPQvCvZsOVKQ

I found the copy process to be slow, but it works and is convenient if you have a limited data plan and/or weak cell phone signal while driving (my Pandora on Bluetooth cuts out every now and then when traveling outside the more populated areas in central Texas).

I haven't found anything helpful in the manuals about how to play music from the phone via Bluetooth (maybe I missed that somewhere). I figured the Pandora connection out myself quickly, but there wasn't much help in the manuals that I could find ...

This link/thread might be helpful: http://genesisowners.com/hyundai-genesis-forum/showthread.php?t=18651

 

[srobak]

Watercolors and Chill channels both sound fantastic. Almost everything else sounds like ass due to the cut bitrates mentioned above.

That being said - "bluetooth" and "sound quality" are two words which do not go together. A2DP does not have the bandwidth to support material across the entire 20-20k spectrum. If you want the best possible quality available to the Genesis - 320k on the hard drive or in your usb drive is the best you are gonna do. Other than that you need to cable into the aux port.

Hopefully FLAC will be supported in the coming model years.

 

[ksoze]

Hopefully FLAC will be supported in the coming model years.

If only....

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