Standard "8 Speaker" Audio

rayaans · September 26, 2015

Got to say, pleasantly surprised by the 8 speaker Audio system (pioneer if I recall correctly) which comes with the Premium Nav.

I thought ML was great but the 8 speaker setup is 90% there so no need to fork out the extra cash at all. In fact, its very difficult to tell the difference between the 8 speaker IS setup and the 15 speaker ML setup in my RX. The only difference would be that the RX is slightly crisper but not by that much!

Having said that, my main sources of music are USB and CD so ML may sound better with other sources like DAB or radio.

Compared to standard spec Merc and BMW audio systems I feel the 8 speaker setup in the IS is superior IMO.

How's everyone else finding the audio systems in their IS?

Zood90 · September 26, 2015

When the iPod is hooked up by USB i find the 6 speaker (plus subwoofer?) set up really rather good, doesn't need high volume. DAB music though is woeful, compressed so much I simply never bother.

200h · September 26, 2015

i am glad someone alse has noticed the quality of the dab,this is the first time i have had dab in a car and i find that fm

has a far nicer tone to it,the volume is quieter on dab so you have to turn it up a bit and hopefully turn it back down

for any other source so i just listen to fm now ,overall sound quality i would say is good and wouldn't change anything.

ganzoom · September 26, 2015

DAB is pointless for music, some channels as low as 60kbps, in mono!! Even back in the day when MP3 first started 128kbps stereo was deemed the minimal acceptable level of compression for music. The better the speakers the worse DAB sounds :(

Deadloak · September 26, 2015

The DAB is good on my ML, my Wife just commented today on the clarity of the drums.

David.

rayaans · September 26, 2015

Yup DAB is awful but luckily I don't listen to it much. I prefer fm.

After hearing ML on the IS Premier when I had it on a demo, it wasn't much different in terms of sound quality on USB and CD. Its very subtle. Not sure on DAB though but if I remember right, the 2015 IS has a shark fin antenna which weren't present before

ganzoom · September 26, 2015

I find DAB unbearable on the ML set up on our Premier. No matter how you play with the settings there's just no depth and rubbish staging. Especially compared to steaming from iTune music.

Even the best DAB channels is only 128kbps, that half the quality of what I'm use to these days on evey other audio source.

http://www.transmissionzero.co.uk/radio/london-dab-radio/

Zotto · September 27, 2015

Probably the quality of DAB in UK is low because of compression and low kbps, here in Italy DAB stations are few and quality is far better than FM stations. For best audio quality I found interesting some internet radio, like Linn Radio, trought cell phone and BT, using app Tunein or others.

ganzoom · September 28, 2015

Probably the quality of DAB in UK is low because of compression and low kbps, here in Italy DAB stations are few and quality is far better than FM stations. For best audio quality I found interesting some internet radio, like Linn Radio, trought cell phone and BT, using app Tunein or others.

I use TuneIn radio, apple Music, and occasional BBC iPlayer radio app. Cannot live without streaming media these days. It must be over 12 months since I last even touched a CD, with the amount of music now on offer via streaming services, I don't even bother with my own iTunes music collection - I do love all you can eat data on '3' - Getting through about 2-3 gigs of data a month :)

wh05apk · September 28, 2015

How much data do you use streaming?

I have 6g per month but only use 2-3 normally so have some capacity spare, although I normally prefer radio anyway.

bluenose1940 · September 28, 2015

Probably the quality of DAB in UK is low because of compression and low kbps, here in Italy DAB stations are few and quality is far better than FM stations. For best audio quality I found interesting some internet radio, like Linn Radio, trought cell phone and BT, using app Tunein or others.
I use TuneIn radio, apple Music, and occasional BBC iPlayer radio app. Cannot live without streaming media these days. It must be over 12 months since I last even touched a CD, with the amount of music now on offer via streaming services, I don't even bother with my own iTunes music collection - I do love all you can eat data on '3' - Getting through about 2-3 gigs of data a month :)

I can tell that I'm getting/am old, all of this goes screaming above my head!!!!

capese21 · September 28, 2015

I regularly have no data connection on my mobile so would not find streaming music a viable option. I doubt any mobile would pick up a data connection to be reliable enough?? On a recent trip to Wales for much of the journey there wasn't even a voice signal!!

A USB stick packed with loads of tracks is more than enough though.

Ed

Zotto · September 28, 2015

Probably it depends if you drive in well covered zones or not, where I live internet coverage is usually good, besides on my GS there is a wifi hotspot by Lexus using diversity antennas and the signal reception is better.

ganzoom · September 29, 2015

I regularly have no data connection on my mobile so would not find streaming music a viable option. I doubt any mobile would pick up a data connection to be reliable enough?? On a recent trip to Wales for much of the journey there wasn't even a voice signal!!

A USB stick packed with loads of tracks is more than enough though.

Ed

I'm on '3' so they only offer 3G or 4G, so if there is no data coverage I have no voice either :)

A few years ago it wasn't great, but these days things pretty good - I'm 100% urban dweller, any where with no 3G/4G coverage is far too rural for me :D

I have to be honest, with things like DropBox, AirDrop and a home server connected with 802.11n+ I'm actually using USB less and less. I think we're moving towards cloud based storage very quickly with reliable 4G. Its good news because it means you need to have less physical storage space on our devices, and just stream data off the cloud. My Iphone 5 with only 11gig of usable space for everything - apps/photos/music etc is still going strong thanks to having access to iTune Music/Spotify/FlickR. Even with my laptop - I cannot see my self needing much more than the build in hard drive, I've moved all my photos to the home server, and all backs ups are how done via WiFi....Having a wireless setup is great, just a shame I still have to plug my car into the house every night :)

200h · September 29, 2015

maybe we will have inductive charging system one day where you can drive over a charging plate

DJP · September 29, 2015

maybe we will have inductive charging system one day where you can drive over a charging plate

We could take bets on which happens first. This ^ or hydrogen powered cars

LeeG · September 30, 2015

My experience of DAB in the IS is OK.

I was under the impression that reception is pretty patchy throughout the UK, so I fully expected drop outs (especially in rural areas).

The radio is clever enough to sync the DAB and FM signal, so that if DAB signal drops, the FM kicks in.

You do notice the difference in audio, but I can live with it until the DAB network is improved.

jamesm182 · September 30, 2015

Got to say, pleasantly surprised by the 8 speaker Audio system (pioneer if I recall correctly) which comes with the Premium Nav.

I thought ML was great but the 8 speaker setup is 90% there so no need to fork out the extra cash at all. In fact, its very difficult to tell the difference between the 8 speaker IS setup and the 15 speaker ML setup in my RX. The only difference would be that the RX is slightly crisper but not by that much!

Having said that, my main sources of music are USB and CD so ML may sound better with other sources like DAB or radio.

Compared to standard spec Merc and BMW audio systems I feel the 8 speaker setup in the IS is superior IMO.

How's everyone else finding the audio systems in their IS?

Does the 8 speaker "premium nav" set up have a sub as I believe the "standard" 6 speaker set up does not?

200h · September 30, 2015

i have the premium nav fitted so does that mean i have the centre channel speaker in the dash and the sub on the shelf to make up the 8

rayaans · September 30, 2015

Yes I think it does have a sub on the parcel shelf. All Premium Nav cars come with 8 speakers and reversing camera

wh05apk · September 30, 2015

Now my reception issue is sorted, I have no problem with DAB, sound quality is better than FM, for some reason though it seems more "basey"

jamesm182 · September 30, 2015

Yes I think it does have a sub on the parcel shelf. All Premium Nav cars come with 8 speakers and reversing camera

Interestingly I've seen a non premium nav car (executive trim) which has the 6 speaker set up but that still has a grill on the parcel shelf. I'm assuming this has nothing in it?

200h · September 30, 2015

Now my reception issue is sorted, I have no problem with DAB, sound quality is better than FM, for some reason though it seems more "basey"

what did you do to improve the reception of the dab

wh05apk · October 1, 2015

It turned out the dab reception was always ok, but I was using a 12v adaptor to charge my phone which was causing interference, now I have changed it I rarely lose signal.

ganzoom · October 1, 2015

Now my reception issue is sorted, I have no problem with DAB, sound quality is better than FM, for some reason though it seems more "basey"

Your have better reception but there is no way a rubbish 64 kbps in MONO and MP2!!! Will have better sound quality compared to stereo FM. The M&L set up in the IS is very good though. It's the first car I've been in where you can actually listen to classical music and hear different instruments on the move.

http://www.techradar.com/news/car-tech/why-dab-radio-in-the-uk-is-broken-and-how-to-fix-it-1217586