How to Improve a Rivian R1S’s Elevation Sound System With Simple EQ Changes (Equipment Measured Tests & Results)

[FlightDoc]

@bhlackey that would be awesome if you could figure it out.
I too have an R1T with Meridian. I tried the posted settings and it sounds tinny to my untrained ears.
@superfluid said we don't have a sub. I thought that box under the R rear seat that says Meridian was a subwoofer. No?

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[bhlackey]

@bhlackey that would be awesome if you could figure it out.
I too have an R1T with Meridian. I tried the posted settings and it sounds tinny to my untrained ears.
@superfluid said we don't have a sub. I thought that box under the R rear seat that says Meridian was a subwoofer. No?

I will definitely post here in the next few days. There is a 16x9 speaker in the box under the rear seat. not really a "sub", but does try.

 

[ironpig]

Great write up - thank you for your service. (even if it doesn't apply to my Meridien R1T, it's a great read)

 

[R1Tom]

I wish Rivian would allow multiple user defined equalizer settings. That way I could adjust to several different music types and easily change the equalizer settings for that music by just changing to that preset.

And I wish they would offer a really upscale system....at a premium price....but at least offer it.

 

[Glembi2]

It varies in all three dimensions: front to back, side to side, and top to bottom.

…

Thanks. My question was poorly worded. Here’s what I should have asked:

1. Is there an appreciable difference between optimizing at a given point (the 3D position of the mic) compared to putting separate mics at ears of a mannequin?

For sound below 4kHz, I think always no based wavelengths being more than the distance between one’s ears. But above 4kHz, I’m guessing yes but effectively no (based on the mess of reflected sound waves) but really don’t know.

2. I appreciate the beauty of a stereo sound field and the complexity of trying to shoehorn living room spatial distances into a dashboard + a handful of other locations while trying to match speaker efficiency variations over their frequency ranges + crossover frequencies + venting etc.

Is Rivian’s point about OTAs adjusting the Elevation system is that they can actually adjust the crossover frequencies of the audio system (the cutoff frequencies of low-, mid-, and high-pass filters/ separate equalizers per channel per speaker size)?

3. Why is good hearing wasted on the young?

 

[superfluid]

@superfluid I'm going to try and repeat your tests with R1T Meridian over the next few days. I have my mic already. I wanted to verify your settings on REW. Any comments or differences you were using?

I was also curious on the smoothing and scales of your graphs. (Also makes for comparison between T and S)

Excellent.

Everything looks good, except I would enable the acoustic timing reference. It makes comparisons easier because each measurement will have the same zero start time.

Graphs:
- 1/6th smoothing.
- Scale: 20 dB to 100 dB; 5 Hz to 25,000 Hz

I'll DM you a link to download my MDAT so you can overlay the T and S measurements if you want. The measurement "REF: L+R Bluetooth Feb 6" is the R1S Elevation measurement with flat EQ. "ADJSTED: L+R Bluetooth Feb" is the measurement with the EQ settings I recommended in my original post.

Looking forward to seeing your results. Let me know if you want a hand interpreting any of them!

 

[CGM55082]

superfluid and bhlackey, I just wanted to thank you both and say you are doing god's work. So appreciate the effort you're both putting into this for the benefit of us Rivian owners pursuing better audio. As a R1T Meridian owner, I can't wait to see your results bhlackey.

 

[Siberian_Rivian]

Thanks!

What attachment? The graphs?

Hello, My name is Mike you did an amazing job testing the sound system! Thank you for your work! I have a Rivian Elevation system! I am also a big fan of nice sound, but the sound in my Rivian is really upsetting me. My door trims start to rattle a lot after I increase the volume on 15 or more. if you put on maximum even outer door aluminum panel rattles. So it is impossible to listen to music loud. Can you maybe give me advice should I go and fight with Rivian to fix that? They tried like 5 times already to minimize that but no luck. Or I should go to an aftermarket car audio shop, will replacement of the speakers for better quality?

PS One time I drove a loaner with Meridian speakers it had no rattles at all((( that upsets me even more))

 

[MVRivian]

Are these settings on any of the "default settings"?
I went to change my settings this morning and my settings were at the exact same positions as suggested.
My son changed the settings a few weeks back.
The only thing was turning off 3D and Dynamic Sound.
Sounds great!....Thanks!

 

[J-Flo]

I wish Rivian would add native Apple Music so I wouldn't need to resort to Bluetooth...

Me too! I prefer Apple Music and don’t want to have to add a Tidal subscription.

Unfortunately, Rivian is not the problem here, it’s Apple. Apple currently is extremely strict about who it will allow to access the Apple Music API for integration. Apple offers CarPlay for this and doesn’t want other car system makers to do so, in part for QC reasons (Apple doesn’t want to lose control of the UI on its products, which is totally understandable to me). I believe Sonos and perhaps one or two seriously high-end stereo companies (I think HiFi Rose) are currently the only third parties who Apple authorizes to run an Apple Music integration. In the HiFi world, one way to get around this is to built an Android-based system running Apple Music natively. If the Rivian infotainment system were Android-based, then this would be an option (I don‘t know but I doubt it).

Edit: as established below, the foregoing info is wrong/out of date; Apple Music has now been made available to other car makers without CarPlay — we need to make it clear to Rivian that we want this!

 

[PeterSK]

Me too! I prefer Apple Music and don’t want to have to add a Tidal subscription.

Unfortunately, Rivian is not the problem here, it’s Apple. Apple currently is extremely strict about who it will allow to access the Apple Music API for integration. Apple offers CarPlay for this and doesn’t want other car system makers to do so, in part for QC reasons (Apple doesn’t want to lose control of the UI on its products, which is totally understandable to me). I believe Sonos and perhaps one or two seriously high-end stereo companies (I think HiFi Rose) are currently the only third parties who Apple authorizes to run an Apple Music integration. In the HiFi world, one way to get around this is to built an Android-based system running Apple Music natively. If the Rivian infotainment system were Android-based, then this would be an option (I don‘t know but I doubt it).

Actually Tesla added Apple Music to their in-car options (previously Spotify, TuneIn and Tidal, plus Tesla's own streaming that was originally called Slacker) just over a year ago, in a December 2022 release (https://www.macrumors.com/2022/12/20/apple-music-tesla-hands-on/). So there is precedent for Apple Music in a car without CarPlay.

Perhaps Apple decided the Tesla user base was too big to ignore - Rivian unfortunately is a ways from that level.

 

[racekarl]

Actually Tesla added Apple Music to their in-car options (previously Spotify, TuneIn and Tidal, plus Tesla's own streaming that was originally called Slacker) just over a year ago, in a December 2022 release (https://www.macrumors.com/2022/12/20/apple-music-tesla-hands-on/). So there is precedent for Apple Music in a car without CarPlay.

Perhaps Apple decided the Tesla user base was too big to ignore - Rivian unfortunately is a ways from that level.

Porsche has it too, there is an API that's available:
https://developer.apple.com/musickit/

It may be that to get it working in a car you need some sort of secret access beyond what's public, but it clearly exists.

 

[Indukuriv]

wonderful writeup. I think you should present this analysis to Rivian probably some kind of update they could send over air to get this custom as one of the options

 

[The_Frog]

Best TLDR; ever. The write up is not bad either.

In all seriousness, thank you for the very thorough writeup. I can't wait to try it out tonight.

 

[J-Flo]

Thanks for the corrections and updating my old info racekarl and PeterSK! I don’t know if it’s a matter of money, programming resources or both, but Rivian needs to get Apple Music running natively on their system. It’s the only major streaming service with lossless and hires as the default option! Given its need for internet bandwidth it will be a no-brainer for Rivian to upload it so that we all have a strong reason to pay for broadband internet once they start charging us for that!

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