Hating the JBL Stereo in 08

I'm not that crazy about my radio either. JBL speakers so what!

 

max? i've NEVER maxed out my audio... i've turned it up as high as 50 for a podcast that was recorded pretty low volume, but it's plenty loud around 30...

just curious, what is max?

 

Playing a satellite radio through an FM transmitter may be the problem. Once you get it hardwired you may be a lot happier.

 

A lot of Chatters think the JBL Stereo sounds better with the center speaker disconnected (do a search for threads on this topic).

The feedback issue with the AUX input is fixable. Get your dealer to fix it under the warranty (do a search for a recent thread on the subject).

 

http://priuschat.com/forums/toyota-prius-service-bulletins-tsbs/46700-noise-aux-port-06-08-a.html

 

The JBL system is pretty good. Not the best, but I'm satisfied with just a bit of tuning. With regards to the FM transmitter, they broadcast typically at a pretty low volume. I'd find a better solution for hooking the sat radio up. An FM transmitter with high volumes is lame to begin with.

The stereo goes up to 63, 64 is max. I have a few songs that I'll listen to on max because the mp3 was recorded low. Normal level recordings are sufficient on this system. yea, it's not nearly as loud as other stock systems, (my mygig in my '08 grand cherokee blows the jbl system out of the water) but it's pretty good for a relatively inexpensive car (my grand cherokee srt8 was over $50k out the door).

 

My older XM portable has a setup option for more gain to the fm transmitter portion. I maxed it out for better results with my Tundra. The FCC has been cracking down on "low power" FM transmitters, particularly those built into satellite radio systems. This is because x rated "shock jocks" have often been heard in adjacent cars on their way to Sunday morning church (or equivalent).

Bottom line, get it hard wired into the JBL, ideally with a receiver made for the Prius so that you get control on the car's display unit.

 

This is a source volume problem, not a problem with the JBL. We see this when we connect an mp3 player through the AUX input and find we need a higher volume setting to compensate for the lower input volume. The same thing is happening with your FM modulator. Crank that up and you will have plenty of volume, or better yet fix your ground loop problem on the AUX input.

Tom

 

Most, if not all portable satellite external units have a built in volume controls. Increase yours so that is outputting louder.

 

Turn down the volume. You're going to give yourself permanent hearing damage.

 

If you don't have time/don't want to go to the dealer for the ground loop isolator, just get one from crutchfield. They're cheap and the improved audio is well worth it.

That, and what JamesWyatt said.

 

(I just finished installing the KSC sw-10 subwoofer. I am amazed at how well it filled the sound from the system. I had previously installed Boston Acoustic Pro60 component speakers and there was only a little improvement over the JBL system. The subwoofer made a much bigger difference. (besides, it was a complete pain to try and find a place to put the crossovers!)

 

Hi qbee42
THis is the first time i've read this. I've gone thru so many posts to try to find a simplified answer and "fix"the JBL system.
i 'm thinking of adding a powered subwoofer and replacing speakers.
how do i set the needed source volume exactly? if this will create a much better listening experience i may not have to replace the door speakers.
thanks ! :cheer2:

 

I listen to NPR with the volume anywhere between 10 and 25, depending on if I'm parked or driving. Damn kids...

(OK, I'm 27.)

 

I think the JBL system sucks as well. I have had many stereos, including custom competition grade, so I know a good stereo when I hear it.

I have a Maxima with a BOSE. That car has the nicest stock system I have ever heard. It has a single 8" woofer in the rear deck. Very full, balanced sound.

I also have a Chevy Silverado with a BOSE. Compared to the Maxima, the BOSE in the truck sucks. But the trucks system is waaaay better than the JBL system in the Prius.

I had higher expectations from the uplevel JBL. I think it sounds tinny and cheap.

Mike

 

Sirius/XM sound quality is by nature poor to start with. No radio is going to make Sirius/XM sound good. It's about equivalent to a 36kbps MP3. I consider 128kbps MP3s to be tolerable at best.

That being said, the JBL sound system is ok when playing CDs. Not bad and not very good either.

 

Uhh, no. XM uses AACplus with a variable per-stream bitrate. Last time I checked, most music channels are at 48kbps AACplus, which is roughly equivalent to 128kbps MP3 stream. Non-music channels are lower, with news/sports channels usually at 16kbps (42kbps MP3 equivalent, somewhere between AM and FM quality), and channels like comedy at 24kbps (64kbps MP3 equivalent, roughly FM quality).

Sirius uses the PAC codec, which I don't have hard numbers on, but it's roughly equivalent to XM (though XM/Sirius fanboys will fight over this).

Assuming you're not flat-out trolling, you may be thinking of the companies' internet feeds, which used to be bad (48kbps MP3 for XM, 32kbps MP3 for Sirius), but both companies have been doing their internet feeds at 128kbps for a long time now.

 

Foobar, thanks for clarifying the actual rate vs codec phenomena.

Your explanation made me search on the internet to understand this better. I then looked for sound quality reviews (48kbps AAC+ vs 128kbps mp3)... it's an obvious subjective comparison by nature of course, and I observed a mix of opinions in regards to the 48kbps AAC+ vs 128kbps mp3s comparison. Some claim it's equal, some claim it's not.

That being said, if I play a 128kbps mp3 on my home system, it's tolerable at low-medium levels, but if the volume is cranked higher, the shortcomings are amplified and ruins the listening experience.