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

[HaveBlue]

I think starting with flat response on these settings is the way to go and people can adjust to their personal taste from there.

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[foxerson]

I think starting with flat response on these settings is the way to go and people can adjust to their personal taste from there.

That’s pretty much the conclusion I reached based on the original post from @superfluid and the follow up from @bhlackey. I’m no expert so I really appreciate the knowledge being shared here. In particular, the R1T with meridian looks to be spot on when set to flat. So, I started there and adjusted a bit using settings shared here as suggestions.

 

[HaveBlue]

That’s pretty much the conclusion I reached based on the original post from @superfluid and the follow up from @bhlackey. I’m no expert so I really appreciate the knowledge being shared here. In particular, the R1T with meridian looks to be spot on when set to flat. So, I started there and adjusted a bit using settings shared here as suggestions.

You may want to start with his settings and adjust from there. I was referring to flat response of the sound system versus the EQ sliders adjusted to a flat line but maybe it gets you to the same spot.

 

[superfluid]

Meridian vs. Elevation Update:

I looked at @bhlackey 's measurements and EQ recommendations and found nothing concerning other than a puzzling amount of subass. It seems that the R1T Meridian system can output lower bass at a higher level (albeit at a very short listening distance) than an EDM concert's PA system. I don't know how that would be possible with the stock 6"x9" woofer unless its max excursion was measured in feet and it was powered by a 10,000-plus-watt amplifier.

Either way, bhlackey did a good job with his measurements and adjustments. His results are consistent with what I'd expect a properly designed speaker system to produce. Moreover, his settings provide a smooth response with what looks like a pleasing bass bump.

His results strongly suggest to me that the Elevation system was, in fact, improperly designed. I have an even stronger suspicion now that Rivian engineers swapped out the drivers and didn't reconfigure the cross-overs.

However, it is possible that the big issue at 1k is caused or exacerbated by the differences between the R1T and R1S speaker layouts: the R1S has many more speakers and a larger cabin size. I don't think that's the case, but it can't be ruled out until tested.

The most appropriate comparison would be between an R1S Meridian and R1S Elevation. It sounds like @GaryGR might be willing to let me measure his R1S Meridian, which should provide the final set of data needed to draw solid conclusions about the R1S Elevation system's problems.

I'll get to hear an R1T Meridian system and bhlackey's settings when I measure @RivianBowerbird 's truck this Sunday. Should be fun!

 

[CGM55082]

Meridian vs. Elevation Update:

I looked at @bhlackey 's measurements and EQ recommendations and found nothing concerning other than a puzzling amount of subass. It seems that the R1T Meridian system can output lower bass at a higher level (albeit at a very short listening distance) than an EDM concert's PA system. I don't know how that would be possible with the stock 6"x9" woofer unless its max excursion was measured in feet and it was powered by a 10,000-plus-watt amplifier.

Either way, bhlackey did a good job with his measurements and adjustments. His results are consistent with what I'd expect a properly designed speaker system to produce. Moreover, his settings provide a smooth response with what looks like a pleasing bass bump.

His results strongly suggest to me that the Elevation system was, in fact, improperly designed. I have an even stronger suspicion now that Rivian engineers swapped out the drivers and didn't reconfigure the cross-overs.

However, it is possible that the big issue at 1k is caused or exacerbated by the differences between the R1T and R1S speaker layouts: the R1S has many more speakers and a larger cabin size. I don't think that's the case, but it can't be ruled out until tested.

The most appropriate comparison would be between an R1S Meridian and R1S Elevation. It sounds like @GaryGR might be willing to let me measure his R1S Meridian, which should provide the final set of data needed to draw solid conclusions about the R1S Elevation system's problems.

I'll get to hear an R1T Meridian system and bhlackey's settings when I measure @RivianBowerbird 's truck this Sunday. Should be fun!

This is awesome info. Can't wait to see what you come up with on RivianBowerbird's R1T Meridian.

 

[superfluid]

Update:

@RivianBowerbird brought his lovely Canyon Red R1T with Meridian system over today. We measured it, talked through a lot of stuff, and made several adjustments. The Meridian sounded better than the Elevation out of the box to my ears, but I think the adjustments made a noticeable improvement. I think he’d agree.

We spent a good amount of time after listening to my home system and talking about what makes for good audio and the benefits it provides to music and movies. He’s a smart, intellectually curious guy. We had a great time!

It’ll take me a bit to get the analysis and recommendations posted, but I wanted to let you all know I’ve measured a Meridian R1T and the results are coming.

Thanks to RivianBowerbird!

 

[RivianBowerbird]

@superfluid And thank you for everything! My Rivian's music is definitely improved, and I deeply appreciate the crash course on audio and the home demonstration! Wow! I think you may have hatched a new audio enthusiast

 

[CGM55082]

Update:

@RivianBowerbird brought his lovely Canyon Red R1T with Meridian system over today. We measured it, talked through a lot of stuff, and made several adjustments. The Meridian sounded better than the Elevation out of the box to my ears, but I think the adjustments made a noticeable improvement. I think he’d agree.

We spent a good amount of time after listening to my home system and talking about what makes for good audio and the benefits it provides to music and movies. He’s a smart, intellectually curious guy. We had a great time!

It’ll take me a bit to get the analysis and recommendations posted, but I wanted to let you all know I’ve measured a Meridian R1T and the results are coming.

Thanks to RivianBowerbird!

You two are doing god's work. Appreciate the update and can't wait to see your recommendations. Thanks to both you and RivianBowerbird.

 

[rkalbiar]

Looking forward to the results, as a pic. Thanks for all the info and work!!!

 

[rkalbiar]

Bhlackey, this is great and thanks so much for doing it. Was wondering if you might be able to post a picture of the settings? That makes ensuring I have the same settings as you much easier.

@bhlackey Yes, please. A pic would be great. Would also shows us other settings, which I assume you have off. Thanks yet again!

 

[Gen(R3)Xer]

Wow! This write-up is insane (in a good way). You should just work for Rivian. If you sent this to them I bet it would go a long way toward you getting hired. It really shows off your expertise.

 

[superfluid]

Posted my recommendations for improving the R1T Meridian's sound system here: https://www.rivianforums.com/forum/...anges-equipment-measured-tests-results.25545/

Hope it helps!

 

[superfluid]

You may want to start with his settings and adjust from there. I was referring to flat response of the sound system versus the EQ sliders adjusted to a flat line but maybe it gets you to the same spot.

I’d recommend the same. Start with the recommendations above and adjust to taste.

Adjusting from the default EQ by ear and arriving at maximum performance is very difficult, even when you’re aware of the acoustic and psychoacoustic effects of your changes. That’s because changes are interactive, multiplying exponentially the number of ways you can run down a rabbit hole of boosting something too much then boosting something else to compensate for that, then boosting yet another thing to compensate for that, etc.

Cutting is often smarter than boosting because boosting reduces how loud you can play the system (a.k.a. headroom) before getting distracting distortion.

The funniest example of this tendency is how often EQs in rental cars are set to +50-100% at nearly every band, or “bass boost” is set to 11. One of the first things I do on a longer-term rental is reset the EQ, fade, balance, and turn off all the up-mixing and processing that the previous renter experimented with and eventually abandoned because they couldn’t get a pleasing result and didn’t understand why

 

[R1Tom]

I’d recommend the same. Start with the recommendations above and adjust to taste.

Adjusting from the default EQ by ear and arriving at maximum performance is very difficult, even when you’re aware of the acoustic and psychoacoustic effects of your changes. That’s because changes are interactive, multiplying exponentially the number of ways you can run down a rabbit hole of boosting something too much then boosting something else to compensate for that, then boosting yet another thing to compensate for that, etc.

Cutting is often smarter than boosting because boosting reduces how loud you can play the system (a.k.a. headroom) before getting distracting distortion.

The funniest example of this tendency is how often EQs in rental cars are set to +50-100% at nearly every band, or “bass boost” is set to 11. One of the first things I do on a longer-term rental is reset the EQ, fade, balance, and turn off all the up-mixing and processing that the previous renter experimented with and eventually abandoned because they couldn’t get a pleasing result and didn’t understand why

I do this even when I get in my kids cars to drive their truck across town....how they listen to things the way they listen to them.....baffles me....

 

[HaveBlue]

I sometimes run live sound for bands and it's always a race to the top by everyone wanting to be louder instead of balanced. It starts with the drums and by the time you're at the poor guy doing vocals, it's a mess if nobody has proper say.

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