F30POST
F30POST
2012-2015 BMW 3-Series and 4-Series Forum
BMW Garage BMW Meets Register Search Today's Posts Mark Forums Read
BMW 3-Series and 4-Series Forum (F30 / F32) | F30POST > Technical Forums > Navigation, iDrive, Audio, Video, Bluetooth, Phone, Cameras, Electronics > Poor FM reception?
proTUNING Freaks
Post Reply
 
Thread Tools Search this Thread
      09-28-2012, 02:42 PM   #1
RPM90
Major General
890
Rep
7,047
Posts

Drives: 340i M-sport AT
Join Date: Mar 2006
Location: Chicago

iTrader: (1)

Poor FM reception?

I have the HK audio in my 335i.
My FM reception is not very good at all.
Even on strong stations, which I have been listening to for years, the reception gets static.

On the stations that also have HD FM, I can't listen to it while driving because the reception is so weak the radio switches between HD and standard FM creating odd sounds and slight repetitions, along with the audio quality changing within seconds.

Anyone else have poor radio/FM/AM reception with HK or standard audio?
Appreciate 0
      09-28-2012, 06:59 PM   #2
batislav
Private First Class
3
Rep
193
Posts

Drives: 2012 335i Sportline
Join Date: Jul 2012
Location: Ohio

iTrader: (0)

One station comes in much quieter than the others (my favorite, lucky me) on my radio with HK, but I don't have any static issues with my system.
Appreciate 0
      09-28-2012, 07:18 PM   #3
RPM90
Major General
890
Rep
7,047
Posts

Drives: 340i M-sport AT
Join Date: Mar 2006
Location: Chicago

iTrader: (1)

Quote:
Originally Posted by batislav View Post
One station comes in much quieter than the others (my favorite, lucky me) on my radio with HK, but I don't have any static issues with my system.
I have an F30 328i loaner right now with stock audio.
You know, it's not that bad at all really.
Yes, it won't play as loud as the HK system as there is less power, but played within it's clean range it sounds pretty good.
In fact, the high end sounds more natural than in the HK.
HK uses metal dome tweeters and I hate those, they get very fatiguing over longer listening periods.

I'm going to install a set of nice silk dome 1" tweets I have, it should improve the high end. I can't believe it cost over $900 for a system that I now have to modify. Sheesh.

To the topic at hand, the non HK loaner radio has a good bit less static than my HK. I hope the antenna is loose, otherwise it'll take a lot of effort to convince the gearhead tech's at my BMW service center that there is something wrong.
Appreciate 0
      09-28-2012, 08:00 PM   #4
JPC Moose
New Member
United_States
15
Rep
21
Posts

Drives: 2012 F30/N20Sport /Silver
Join Date: Jun 2012
Location: Sherwood, Arkansas

iTrader: (0)

Quote:
Originally Posted by RPM90 View Post
I have the HK audio in my 335i.
My FM reception is not very good at all.
Even on strong stations, which I have been listening to for years, the reception gets static.

On the stations that also have HD FM, I can't listen to it while driving because the reception is so weak the radio switches between HD and standard FM creating odd sounds and slight repetitions, along with the audio quality changing within seconds.

Anyone else have poor radio/FM/AM reception with HK or standard audio?
I own a April build date N20 Sport and I noticed poor reception as well. I even went to the dealer and of course the reception was perfect, on the way home which was a 18 mile ride very spotty reception. My 2003 Chevy Truck has better reception..
Appreciate 0
      09-28-2012, 09:40 PM   #5
elistan
First Lieutenant
United_States
38
Rep
387
Posts

Drives: F30 328i, AP1 S2000
Join Date: Sep 2012
Location: Longmont, CO

iTrader: (0)

Quote:
Originally Posted by RPM90 View Post
I have an F30 328i loaner right now with stock audio.
You know, it's not that bad at all really.
Yes, it won't play as loud as the HK system as there is less power, but played within it's clean range it sounds pretty good.
In fact, the high end sounds more natural than in the HK.
HK uses metal dome tweeters and I hate those, they get very fatiguing over longer listening periods.

I'm going to install a set of nice silk dome 1" tweets I have, it should improve the high end. I can't believe it cost over $900 for a system that I now have to modify. Sheesh.

To the topic at hand, the non HK loaner radio has a good bit less static than my HK. I hope the antenna is loose, otherwise it'll take a lot of effort to convince the gearhead tech's at my BMW service center that there is something wrong.
Have you spent much time adjusting the equalizing the HK?
Appreciate 0
      09-29-2012, 02:23 AM   #6
polly
Second Lieutenant
polly's Avatar
South Africa
123
Rep
241
Posts

Drives: 2010 e90 m3
Join Date: Jan 2011
Location: south africa

iTrader: (0)

any one knows what is the optimal eq settings should be for a nice "tight" base and sound quality on the F30?
Appreciate 0
      09-29-2012, 08:59 AM   #7
F30AM
Major General
F30AM's Avatar
United Kingdom
704
Rep
5,021
Posts

Drives: F30 330d M Sport sDrive
Join Date: Aug 2012
Location: London, UK

iTrader: (0)

I've got four very expensive silk dome tweeters (Morel Signatures: really fab) which I will remove from my GTI and possibly install into the BMW if I'm unhappy with the high frequencies of the HK. There's no doubt that silk domes are better than metal ones. The latter ring and sound harsh especially when listening to Classical music which I do all the time.
__________________
Previous: Superman 330d sDrive M Sport + Toys
Present: Red Tornado Golf 7R 5 Dr, DSG + Toys
Appreciate 0
      09-29-2012, 05:56 PM   #8
MikeVictor
Brigadier General
Australia
209
Rep
3,288
Posts

Drives: anything given a chance
Join Date: Jul 2008
Location: .au

iTrader: (0)

Garage List
OP did you make sure you installed the correct tint?
Appreciate 0
      09-30-2012, 12:18 PM   #9
Raspartan
Captain
Canada
41
Rep
702
Posts

Drives: F15 X5
Join Date: Oct 2011
Location: Toronto

iTrader: (0)

Funny, I noticed this too in my F30 but I thought it might have been my imagination. My wife complains about it, but I don't know if the service guys would take this seriously or not.
Appreciate 0
      09-30-2012, 12:23 PM   #10
Antares
First Lieutenant
Antares's Avatar
Italy
52
Rep
348
Posts

Drives: dark-blue coupe
Join Date: Sep 2012
Location: Venice

iTrader: (0)

Solution: buy a CD
Appreciate 0
      09-30-2012, 09:22 PM   #11
RPM90
Major General
890
Rep
7,047
Posts

Drives: 340i M-sport AT
Join Date: Mar 2006
Location: Chicago

iTrader: (1)

Quote:
Originally Posted by elistan View Post
Have you spent much time adjusting the equalizing the HK?
Yes, a LOT of time.

EQ is for fine tuning. It can only do so much. The speaker/drivers, cross overs, and amp/s need to be very good to begin with.
My EQ settings are very close to flat. I have a bit of increase for bass, slight attenuation in the upper mids, due to the harshness of sat radio, and a slight bump up in the high end to compensate for my high frequency loss.
The EQ can't fix the natural tone of the tweeters though. They are harsh to begin with. Cut too much high end and you lose clarity and "airyness" of the sound.

It doesn't help that FM reception is poor, and that satellite signal sucks.
CD's sound great. But, HK/BMW left out the ability to EQ for each source.
That is a HUGE omission, and frankly sucks in a $950 "upgrade".
The sources are so distinctly different in tone and quality that one EQ setting can't suffice for all of them. Each source should have it's own EQ setting, and that wouldn't have been too difficult to implement. EQ setting memory for each source as you switch between them would help.
Better drivers would have helped even more.
Poor FM reception just adds to the problem.
Appreciate 0
      09-30-2012, 09:27 PM   #12
RPM90
Major General
890
Rep
7,047
Posts

Drives: 340i M-sport AT
Join Date: Mar 2006
Location: Chicago

iTrader: (1)

Quote:
Originally Posted by Antares View Post
Solution: buy a CD
CD's do sound great. Still the best source imo.
But I do like to listen to the radio at times, to hear new music/artists, news, different types of music that I don't own.

That's why the idea of satellite was so appealing, the variety.
Too bad the sound quality of sat radio is so freaking compressed, it sucks.
When I listen to material I am very familiar with I get really bummed in just how bad sat radio is. It sounds worse than some typical quality MP3's.
Appreciate 0
      09-30-2012, 10:14 PM   #13
Lkoan
New Member
0
Rep
9
Posts

Drives: 2013 328i Sportline
Join Date: May 2012
Location: Ill, USA

iTrader: (0)

The poor sound from the tweeters my be due to low-end D/A converters in the head unit. The metal tweeters, because they are more accurate, don't hide the poor resolution of the D/A converters. Good D/A converters should fill in the gaps in the highly compressed satellite feed resulting is a decent sound.
Appreciate 0
      10-01-2012, 12:00 AM   #14
Antares
First Lieutenant
Antares's Avatar
Italy
52
Rep
348
Posts

Drives: dark-blue coupe
Join Date: Sep 2012
Location: Venice

iTrader: (0)

Quote:
Originally Posted by RPM90 View Post
CD's do sound great. Still the best source imo.
But I do like to listen to the radio at times, to hear new music/artists, news, different types of music that I don't own.

That's why the idea of satellite was so appealing, the variety.
Too bad the sound quality of sat radio is so freaking compressed, it sucks.
When I listen to material I am very familiar with I get really bummed in just how bad sat radio is. It sounds worse than some typical quality MP3's.
I was joking, of course.
I prefer the radio in any case.

I personally don't like buying electronics that comes with the car. An example are navigation systems; 2x more expensive that commercially available solutions and you cannot throw them out and buy a new better gadget in 3 years time.
Appreciate 0
      10-01-2012, 09:18 AM   #15
elistan
First Lieutenant
United_States
38
Rep
387
Posts

Drives: F30 328i, AP1 S2000
Join Date: Sep 2012
Location: Longmont, CO

iTrader: (0)

Quote:
Originally Posted by RPM90 View Post
Yes, a LOT of time.
Bummer. Hopefully the silk domes improve things for you. (I didn't audition the HK for my order, and just went with the base unit.)
Appreciate 0
      10-01-2012, 10:00 AM   #16
Mrcarcrazy
Sarcasm free with all posts.
7
Rep
441
Posts

Drives: 05 Elise REV310
Join Date: Jul 2010
Location: Odessa, TX

iTrader: (0)

Are we seriously trying to be Audiophiles in cars? Cars SUCK as sound stages. Accept this as fact and move on.

The reception thing sucks. hopefully it's just on the HK systems
__________________
The best 2013 M sport is owned by me.
Appreciate 0
      10-01-2012, 06:49 PM   #17
RPM90
Major General
890
Rep
7,047
Posts

Drives: 340i M-sport AT
Join Date: Mar 2006
Location: Chicago

iTrader: (1)

Quote:
Originally Posted by Lkoan View Post
The poor sound from the tweeters my be due to low-end D/A converters in the head unit. The metal tweeters, because they are more accurate, don't hide the poor resolution of the D/A converters. Good D/A converters should fill in the gaps in the highly compressed satellite feed resulting is a decent sound.
True, but you can't put back what isn't there in the first place.
If the source is of poor quality it doesn't matter much if the D/A's are good.

Metal dome tweets can have good accuracy, but their tonal quality is not to my liking. Couple that with a poor source and the harshness gets accentuated with metal domes.

I have a set of JBL home speakers that came with titanium dome tweets.
They do have good accuracy but they too created hearing fatigue when listening for a long time at higher volume. I swapped them with a pair of silk domes and the improvement was excellent, just as accurate with a smoother tonal quality, much easier to listen to.
Appreciate 0
Post Reply

Bookmarks

Thread Tools Search this Thread
Search this Thread:

Advanced Search

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off



All times are GMT -5. The time now is 07:04 AM.




f30post
Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.11
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, vBulletin Solutions Inc.
1Addicts.com, BIMMERPOST.com, E90Post.com, F30Post.com, M3Post.com, ZPost.com, 5Post.com, 6Post.com, 7Post.com, XBimmers.com logo and trademark are properties of BIMMERPOST