Audio improvement after update 2024.27?

[CANCERDOC]

Did the most recent update to 2024.27 last night for my 2024 R1S.

Noticed that the audio quality is now significantly improved - previously for Spotify I had the volume at 15 or 16 for regular driving. When the car started up, the volume was blasting loud. I turned it down to 5 or 6, and that volume is now suitable for regular driving. Quite a difference. I checked the settings - nothing changed, same balance, same EQ, same options including the speed sensitive volume control. I even played around with the fader/balance last week and made sure sound came out from all the speakers, so its not the issue of "losing the right channel" that another user posted on Reddit.

Oddly, cell phone calls are unchanged in volume. It's still 18 or 19 for me to hear the other caller clearly since calls are directed to the drivers side speakers mostly.

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[ace008]

I had the same observations. After last night's update, took a drive today and it seems much louder in lower volumes. I previously had to crank the volume up to 21 to get any punchiness in the music, but now even with 12, mids, bass, and vocals are much punchier. I am using Spotify and have yet to try Apple Music yet.

 

[Trandall]

Did the most recent update to 2024.27 last night for my 2024 R1S.

Noticed that the audio quality is now significantly improved - previously for Spotify I had the volume at 15 or 16 for regular driving. When the car started up, the volume was blasting loud. I turned it down to 5 or 6, and that volume is now suitable for regular driving. Quite a difference. I checked the settings - nothing changed, same balance, same EQ, same options including the speed sensitive volume control. I even played around with the fader/balance last week and made sure sound came out from all the speakers, so its not the issue of "losing the right channel" that another user posted on Reddit.

Oddly, cell phone calls are unchanged in volume. It's still 18 or 19 for me to hear the other caller clearly since calls are directed to the drivers side speakers mostly.

Would you say quality is improved/changed or just louder at a given volume setting?

 

[CANCERDOC]

Would you say quality is improved/changed or just louder at a given volume setting?

Both. Previously I felt there was very little output from the rear speakers - they were there but ever so faint. Now I can clearly hear the surround effect that I am so used to from my previous vehicles. Now also when I change the EQ settings, the differences are obvious. Previously it would be there but so faint it was difficult to tell unless I cranked the volume above 20.

Another poster noted in the software update thread that non Dolby Atmos streaming audio seems to play louder now. Since Spotify doesn't have that, maybe thats why with the new programming the "volume control" is so much louder at lower numbers. It is possible for the Apple music Dolby Atmos, they needed more "power" for the effect and to avoid people cranking it up to 25, they changed the volume slider around. It does seem kind of lazy to not make the volume slider loudness the same across all apps.

 

[zwhite304]

Noticed the same thing…which IMO is a good thing, felt like before I had to crank it to 20+ when I wanted to jam out to a song. Bravo Rivian!

 

[McLovin]

I had the same observations. After last night's update, took a drive today and it seems much louder in lower volumes. I previously had to crank the volume up to 21 to get any punchiness in the music, but now even with 12, mids, bass, and vocals are much punchier. I am using Spotify and have yet to try Apple Music yet.

 

[Lrak1973]

I am always surprised at these stories. My 2023 R1S volume never needs to be above 6. I turned it up to 11 once, and the kids complained like little old ladies from the back seat that it was too loud. It is a bit quieter when streaming through bluetooth, but if I'm on spotify, I keep it at 4 for the perfect level of music.

 

[R1Thor]

I am always surprised at these stories. My 2023 R1S volume never needs to be above 6. I turned it up to 11 once, and the kids complained like little old ladies from the back seat that it was too loud. It is a bit quieter when streaming through bluetooth, but if I'm on spotify, I keep it at 4 for the perfect level of music.

I think it depends on the source.

If I'm using Bluetooth to stream YouTube Music, I actually keep it at 2 or 3. I have to turn it down to 1 to have any kind of realistic conversation inside (and then, that's too quiet, and 2 is too loud...I need like...5 steps in between).

But if I'm also using YouTube Music to listen to podcasts, I have to turn it up and run it 12-16 ish. And any other source requires it to be similarly high.

Maybe I have some presets or other tuning going on my phone in the background, but it's kind of frustrating at times due to the lack of granularity to find an 'ideal' volume...

 

[Engineer]

I am always surprised at these stories. My 2023 R1S volume never needs to be above 6. I turned it up to 11 once, and the kids complained like little old ladies from the back seat that it was too loud. It is a bit quieter when streaming through bluetooth, but if I'm on spotify, I keep it at 4 for the perfect level of music.

I don't have the update yet, but i listen to podcasts on Spotify and below 10 it is too quiet to make out what people are saying, 16-18 is better... on 4 there is no discernable output...

 

[chewychiu]

Listening to the radio this morning after the update, 2 was too loud and 1 was too soft. ?‍

 

[CANCERDOC]

I don't have the update yet, but i listen to podcasts on Spotify and below 10 it is too quiet to make out what people are saying, 16-18 is better... on 4 there is no discernable output...

This was the same for me too pre recent update. After update 5 or 6 was good for Spotify. Down from 15-16.

 

[beatle]

I am curious why people think the change in a compressed volume range is a good thing. Like others, when I really wanted to jam out, I'd crank to 20-22 which was still only about 70% of the max volume - about right for what gain should be. Normal for me is around 12-15. If that has all been compressed, it's like throwing away most of the volume adjustments.

I've yet to get the latest update so I guess I'll see for myself.

 

[gramound]

Listening to the radio this morning after the update, 2 was too loud and 1 was too soft. ?‍

Me too! Same issue with Amazon Music, Spotify and FM radio. Rebooting the entertainment system didn’t help. I also tried raising the volume to the max (while the music was paused) to see if it would reset the range of volume, but 2 was still too loud and 1 too low.

EDIT: removed Apple Music from the list, because the problem fixed itself this morning when I tried playing Apple Music. Now I’m having doubts about whether I had really tried that particular one yesterday, or if something else fixed the problem.

Probably unrelated, but before the update I had a day where one of the audio channels seemed muted (e.g. one of the “Galileo!” in Bohemian Rhapsody sounded like it was coming from the third neighbour’s basement). I had never touched anything equalizer settings (and I don’t even know if it’s possible to do that effect intentionally). That problem went away by rebooting.

 

[Afterburner83]

The sound quality is still poor IMO. Making it louder isn’t solving the problem: there are no mid range speakers in the elevation audio system. I don’t think any adjustments to EQ can solve it. Maybe future firmware and software can get it to a reasonable level. But to my ear it’s hard to enjoy. Not even a simple podcast sounds crisp. Just two people talking should not sound like it does. I hope I’m wrong and firmware + software can fix it for real. An 80k+ vehicle should not sound worse than a Toyota Corolla

 

[dleepnw]

Can you please list what sound system you have? Saying it improved doesnt mean a whole lot when we don't know if youre on Meridian Elevation (Gen1), Rivian Elevation (Gen1), Rivian Premium Audio (Gen2 but is likely Rivian Elevation Gen1) or Rivian Standard Audio (Gen2).

I have Meridian Elevation and it sounds worse after the update.

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