Stereo/DVD: Bluetooth Audio Streaming - poor quality

[Mikerhodes1]

Good afternoon. I have a 2013 R design XC90 and having real problems with the Bluetooth audio quality. The car has been back now twice to have it looked into but other than a SW update each time nothing has changed.

The quality of the audio is significantly worse than any other audio source. The main problem is a crackling sound on the 'high' notes. I am by no means an andiofile however it's annoying the hell out of me..

I know I coudl plug my phone in, or put an ipod in the glove box or even a usb pen drive with some music on it and it would sound better, however that's not what I paid my money for..

Is this a problem unique to my car or is it fairly common, if it's common and as good as it gets than I'll go with plan be, but I'm not convinced there isn't a problem with my car...

I've tried it with iphone, 4, 4s, 5s, 5c and now a 6 on various different ios revisions plus a nexus 5 and they all seem to do it.

Many thanks

Mike

[rich1068]

I've been using the Bluetooth audio since I got my XC90 a few months ago. No problems at all. I don't recognise what you're describing so I'm afraid you need to have another chat with your dealer.

[JonWill]

Hi there, I'd ask to listen in another car at the dealer - bluetooth audio quality is significantly worse than a wired connection (it's a very lossy connection) - but whether that is what you are hearing or something else will only be apparent if you compare it to audio quality in another car...

I gave up on using it a while ago - it was similarly poor to my ears as the difference between 128MBps MP3s and 256MBps plus (I won't claim to able to tell the difference between higher bit rates!).

[rich1068]

I'd suggest there's something wrong with yours too. I appreciate MP3/AAC isn't really supposed to compare with CD but in my car and using my Nexus 4 there is little or no difference between what I stream via Bluetooth and what I may listen to stored on the USB in the glovebox. Quite often the source files from eg Google Play can vary in quality but that's a different matter.

[Gurj]

No problems BT streaming in my 2013 XC90 either. Mostly I use an iPhone wired connection but do use BT for other family phones.
Frequency response seems a little poorer over BT but otherwise very good sound.

You may want to try switching off the Surround Sound processing for music (ie. centre speaker), since this significantly worsens the sound in my opinion. It's configured on a per source basis.

XC90 has one of the best audio systems get them to sort yours out.

[Mikerhodes1]

Originally Posted by Gurj

No problems BT streaming in my 2013 XC90 either. Mostly I use an iPhone wired connection but do use BT for other family phones.
Frequency response seems a little poorer over BT but otherwise very good sound.

You may want to try switching off the Surround Sound processing for music (ie. centre speaker), since this significantly worsens the sound in my opinion. It's configured on a per source basis.

XC90 has one of the best audio systems get them to sort yours out.

Thanks all I will keep trying..

Mike

[Bighairydel]

I know this is an old thread, however I have recently purchased a 2013 C30 and get the exact same problem with the quality of the Bluetooth audio streaming.
Did you ever find a solution?

Cheers!

[XJSDriver]

Have you isolated the problem to the car i.e. have you tried the same music pairing with different phone or using your phone with cable?

[SwissXC90]

Originally Posted by Mikerhodes1

I have a 2013 R design XC90 and having real problems with the Bluetooth audio quality. The car has been back now twice to have it looked into but other than a SW update each time nothing has changed.

The quality of the audio is significantly worse than any other audio source. The main problem is a crackling sound on the 'high' notes. I am by no means an andiofile however it's annoying the hell out of me..

I know I coudl plug my phone in, or put an ipod in the glove box or even a usb pen drive with some music on it and it would sound better, however that's not what I paid my money for..

Is this a problem unique to my car or is it fairly common, if it's common and as good as it gets than I'll go with plan be, but I'm not convinced there isn't a problem with my car...

I've tried it with iphone, 4, 4s, 5s, 5c and now a 6 on various different ios revisions plus a nexus 5 and they all seem to do it.

At the stage you are at, I would do the following:

1. Identify one or two audio tracks you know very well, and prepare some written notes so you know at what timestamp the unwanted audio artifacts occur in your Volvos Bluetooth system. Always use the same Bluetooth device for all tests.

2. Take a second Bluetooth phone device with the same audio track to verify it is NOT the Bluetooth phone device producing the artifacts.

3. Connect the Bluetooth phone device via an AUX-IN cable to the car's AUX-IN port to verify that the unwanted audio artifacts are NOT present on a direct cable connection. A direct cable connection allows you to eliminate the Bluetooth transmission but still use the same audio source and same vehicle audio system.

4. Take both devices, and your written notes, and pair the devices with a DIFFERENT Volvo to yours. Play the sound and compare the timestamps and the audio artifacts with your notes

If you come to the conclusion that the unwanted Bluetooth audio artifacts are only present on YOUR Volvo Bluetooth system, then demand a replacement Bluetooth module. All of the Bluetooth functions happen in the Bluetooth module and that's the only piece of hardware that can be faulty.

Bluetooth always sounds inferior to a direct cable connection, and it can become noticeable on some audio tracks - it depends hugely on the type of music and the instruments being used, as well as the knowledge of the track and your own experience as to what you accept as 'OK'.

If you have a really expensive, really good sound system at home, and you commonly play the audio track on that system, from a pure uncompressed audio source, then you will likely hear and notice the quality difference. Slight or less slight.
The big question is whether the quality difference is 'normal' or not.....

[Bighairydel]

Thanks for the responses.

I play and stream my audio through Bluetooth speakers in my house and in the GROM aftermarket Bluetooth adapter for my Honda Civic and have done in my other cars without any problem with sound quality.

Connecting it to the USB port in the Volvo it plays absolutely fine with no quality problems. Unfortunately I don’t know anyone else with a Volvo to try my phone out on it however I get the exact same problem with my girlfriends phone as well so that rules out my phone settings and points at the system in the Volvo.

Really just wondering if there was a setting or adjustment could be made. I know in other systems you can sometimes adjust the pre-amp for Bluetooth but can’t find anything similar within the menus.

Thanks again for all your help! Great forum!!