R2 Launch Edition Sound System

[garysekorski]

I love to listen to my Classic rock real loud when I drive. Can someone let me know if this sound system can deliver very loud and clear?
There must be more people out there who love this as much as I do, please let me know.
What are some of the specs like total watts, THD etc.

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[Mos Eisley]

There are many threads, one long one in particular here debating the audio. From the earliest demo I've stated it was very good - with very flexible EQ settings. Since the latest OTA it's even better. If you know the current Tesla Model Y stereo - it's not that good as nothing else is in an EV currently.
Atmos support is good and has gotten better. If you are an audio purist like me and appreciate clarity and balance, it's very good. The "immersive audio" setting was just OK, it's gotten better since the OTA. If you prefer to unnaturally boost levels of bass etc. to levels the original audio mix did not intend - it's still good - but it won't replace 500W sub in the trunk.
975W, two subs, two force-balanced mid-subs, 9 speakers in total.

 

[DaveA]

After the last few updates, it sounds really good. I mentioned in another thread that 80s rock sounds really good to my ears and can be cranked up. You just have to dial in the EQ.

Pro tip: Move the fader halfway between its standard setting toward the rear. Out of the box its very dash speaker focused.

 

[dcdttu]

Pro tip: Move the fader halfway between its standard setting toward the rear. Out of the box its very dash speaker focused.

I'm not sure if some realize this, but the sound stage should be in front of you. This was an intentional choice by Rivian, and is also how Tesla's amazing audio systems work. Music should be coming from in front of you, not behind you. Moving the fader to be rear biased defeats this, and also negates/interferes with any immersion setting you have.

Each to their own, but the front-biased sound stage is very much intentional, and a I appreciate that Rivian and Tesla have done this vs. aim speakers at your ankes.

 

[DaveA]

I'm not sure if some realize this, but the sound stage should be in front of you. This was an intentional choice by Rivian, and is also how Tesla's amazing audio systems work. Music should be coming from in front of you, not behind you. Moving the fader to be rear biased defeats this, and also negates/interferes with any immersion setting you have.

Each to their own, but the front-biased sound stage is very much intentional, and a I appreciate that Rivian and Tesla have done this vs. aim speakers at your ankes.

You are correct, as the front soundstage is supposed to represent where the music comes from when attending a concert, etc. To my ears, even with Dolby audio, I don't hear as many of the details like I did in my R1T unless I moved the fader a bit to the rear with R2's setup. Its really song dependent, I guess.

 

[dcdttu]

You are correct, as the front soundstage is supposed to represent where the music comes from when attending a concert, etc. To my ears, even with Dolby audio, I don't hear as many of the details like I did in my R1T unless I moved the fader a bit to the rear with R2's setup. Its really song dependent, I guess.

It might also be you getting used to a front-biased system like the R2. When I got my Model 3 in 2018, it was wildly different than my last car's stereo. Took a bit of time, but I ended up loving it.

 

[Bullwinkle]

I'm not sure if some realize this, but the sound stage should be in front of you. This was an intentional choice by Rivian, and is also how Tesla's amazing audio systems work. Music should be coming from in front of you, not behind you. Moving the fader to be rear biased defeats this, and also negates/interferes with any immersion setting you have.

Each to their own, but the front-biased sound stage is very much intentional, and a I appreciate that Rivian and Tesla have done this vs. aim speakers at your ankes.

I would also add that if you are trying to achieve a sound similar to what the band and engineer decided to record in the studio, an EQ should be used in moderation. It is generally best used to take away resonance points in the car. If you go with a big smile curve, you are pretty far from what Mick or Miles had in mind when they made the music. The more you punch the bass on the left to EQ points, the less loud your system will play without distortion.

If you hear distortion, that means your amp is clipping, which clips or squares off the wave and forces your speaker cones to stop and start instantly, which is really hard on them and often ruins them. It also sounds bad and is likely to get you into hearing aids prematurely.

 

[dleepnw]

I've been in the R2 twice and two other times had demo drives. Each time I played the exact same songs via BT. Sound is mediocre at best. Once you hit about 18-20 on the volume (which I think was about 1/2 or possibly 2/3 of the max) its basically trash. It does not have good immersive sound at any volume. I haven't heard it since the last s/w update so I can't speak to the improvement if any but I'm very concerned about how good this system is (or will be). Based on what I've heard in the R1 (non-Meridian), it doesn't give me confidence.

 

[Dark-Fx]

I've been in the R2 twice and two other times had demo drives. Each time I played the exact same songs via BT. Sound is mediocre at best. Once you hit about 18-20 on the volume (which I think was about 1/2 or possibly 2/3 of the max) its basically trash. It does not have good immersive sound at any volume. I haven't heard it since the last s/w update so I can't speak to the improvement if any but I'm very concerned about how good this system is (or will be). Based on what I've heard in the R1 (non-Meridian), it doesn't give me confidence.

I haven't been able to get it to crackle since the last update. It's definitely way better, but the loudness above 25 doesn't seem to change much.

 

[kah]

Guessing the search function is down?

 

[kurtlikevonnegut]

I've found R2 to be similar to R1, in that it's source dependent. If you're listening to high quality audio with good EQ settings it sounds very good. What it doesn't do is make poor quality audio sound better, and if your EQ settings are out of whack it won't sound great.

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