SPEEE DE

Anyone else had problems with audiopilot. Mine sounds so bad I just turn it off. Sad, because its supposed to be premium but its the worst thing Ive ever heard.

I had it on the other day to give it another chance (I had turned it off after 2 minutes driving it home from the dealer). I turned the volume down to about 3, which is pretty darn quiet, and within two seconds, the audio pilot absolutely blasted it up (deeply) to a volume that sounded like a 15. Thats loud when you have the thing set at a low volume like 3.

Should I be concerned or does audiopilot really stink that bad?

8_wannabe

I normally leave mine on. It's effect, if any, is minimal. I don't detect that it raises volume as a function of ambient noise. But I can hear it raising the hights and lows, which is why I turn it on. More of a tone control, for me.

In answer to your question, I'd say yes the audiopilot really does stink that bad. As does the whole Bose system. All in all, the stereo is "good enough" for me but more in keeping with what I'd expect of a base (entry level) audio system, not from an expensive upgrade.

mikeb

I leave mine off

r0tor

iTrader: (1)

I had the same problem - I had it turned down to like 3 because I like the sound of the rotary (:D ) and partially need to hear the revs to shift cause I still suck at driving (:o ) and suddenly when I pulled into my parking spot and was ready to turn the car out the damn audiopilot cranked the volume up to like 15-20!!!

I noticed a few other times that it mysteriously cranked the volume at idle rather then turning the volume down - I just turned it off.

jtimbck2

What a relief -- I was beginning to think there was something wrong with my system, my Audiopilot does some strange things at idle too. It doesn't behave as I expected it to.

I think I'd prefer just a simple speed-sensitive volume adjustment instead of whatever it is the Audiopilot does.

Lensman

Here's a link to the 350Z forum. The Z is plagued by an astonishingly poor premium BOSE audio system primarily because of the damned Audiopilot system. This is a typical post describing exactly the symptoms posted above.

350Z Forum

LL7

I was just about to post a similar thread. On mine the Audio Pilot makes the sound very boomy in the lower midrange. I thought the speakers just sucked untill I turned off the Audio Pilot. Now I think the Bose system is adequate, but not great. I never really felt the need for this type of system, so I don't think I will miss it.

RX-GR8

when i first start the car the sound is at the level i last had it on and then after about a minute the volume gets louder even though i havent started to move the car and therefore the ambient noise has not increased but the volume gets louder.

mikeb

most people suggest turn audiopilot off

Shocka

interesting ive always had an aftermarket system in all previous cars

currently have a Kenwood Mp3 player in the Civic with 2" 10 XPLODs with a Sony Amp and stock speakers inside and I think the RX sounds fine. Not the bass I like but i have no complaints..

Audio Pilot is always on in my car

im not imrpessed by the bose system but certainly no complaints

jtdwab

I've fought that before. What I found is that things work better when the volume is turned up. I used to try to keep it around 3-4 but hatted the way things sounded. Then one day a song came on I liked and I turned it up to around 10. Surprisingly it didn't as much get louder as it got fuller.

Basicly I think the autopilot wants to here itself and when it can't hear, it cranks the system up. The sad parts is when the need for more volume arises (rough road whatever) the autopilot is real slow to react.

lefuton

i think i lasted about a week with the audiopilot turned on, i usually drive with the windows down too and the whole system isn't terribly good with wind noise, but in a sealed cabin it's significantly better, though still annoying.

selmeralto

My experience is similar to LL7's: it's not so much the AudioPilot's volume changes I dislike but the changes in equalization (frequency response: bass, mid, treble, etc.) that I find objectionable. Or course equalization is related to volume (and a host of other variables) but all in all I would have liked a less tweaked system. Turning off AudioPilot helps but the Bose system alone still has a pretty unnatural sound to my ears. I can live with it, though: everything else about the car is a dream.

danRX8man

The Audio pilot only seems to turn the volume down slightly when slowing down, stopping, or when the nav voice comes on.

When I have the volume up (>15), I would expect that the volume would decrease enough to hear the nav voice when it chimes in. This is not the case. I can barely hear the nav voice when the music volume is high.

Is anyone else experienceing this?

8_wannabe

Yup. It's basically a worthless "feature."

mikeb

I agree, I've had the audio pilot off since day one

Lensman

I still find it amazing that after exactly these problems and subsequent bad publicity for BOSE caused by the AudioPilot system of the 350Z they do it again with the RX-8. I'm also amazed that after the pre-publicity for the RX-8 described the audio system as outstanding it turns out to be something of a lemon. Why? It can't be that difficult or costly to install a good system in a car. So it adds a couple of hundred dollars to the price: well fine if it actually works properly and doesn't generate resentment.

RX-8-Tobi

Hi, doesn't sound good about AudioPilot. Well, it's a really tricky thing to measure noise and music simultanously and know what to do. Lot's of cpu power needed. Well, anyway, if they use it, they should be sure that it really does work.

Can you show me the **** where you switch AudioPilot ON/OFF?

Also, wich ***** are not stereo related? I think SET, CLK, DISP. What is AMB?!?

rgds
from Germany
Tobias

ectomort

Pressing this **** switches between AudioPilot, Bass, Treble, Balance and Fade functions. When a given function is active, turning the rotating the **** changes values + or - .

AMB displays the ambient temperature.

r0tor

iTrader: (1)

I've come to the conclusion that I wish it had the basic speed sensitive Bose system that our 6 has and the base RX8 system has - you turn it to level 2 and it does a good job of lowering/raising the volume when needed and being predictable

RX-8-Tobi

@ ectomort:

Thank you so much for answering my question. Much appreciated!!! :-)


@pr0ber:

Is there any chance to turn off the AudioPilot and just use the spped sensitive volume adjust with the BOSE headunit???

rgds
Tobias

BRx8

the effects of Audiopilot on my car is very minimal...it's supposed to raise volume when you're slowing down or raise volume when speeding up to compensate for wind and engine noise but i can't even tell...mine doesn't do anything 'weird' while idling...

anyway, i've turned mine off and left it off after installing 2 8's in the back...i left it on previously because i thought Audiopilot was responsible for lowering the volume when the NAV spoke but even with it off, the volume on the driver's side lowers itself regardless...

PS - i'm now happy with the BOSE stereo...with the added bass from the 2 8's i installed, the mid's get drowned out and all i hear is sweet treble and bass all around...NO distortion whatsoever even at the full 35 volume...crystal clear at any volume

MrWigggles

On my car the effects of Audio Pilot are only noticeable at low volume (15 or less). It really does very little at medium to high voume.

Some songs behave a little weird at low volume but nothing major. Now anyone with a sub-system is going to get very strange behavior due to the positive feedback nature of the audio pilot system.

I haven't played around with the base radio system yet, but it has the feature of increasing volume as you increase speed which is simpler and better in my opinion than the complicated Audio Pilot. If with the Bose system we can disable audio pilot and get the speed sensitive settings instead that would be better.

Does anyone know if the part numbers for the Head-units in the Base and Bose system are the same? They should be because when you upgrade to the 6-disc changer, don't they use the same headunit wether you have a Bose system or Base system. Is there a switch on the back of the 6-disc that enables you to choose which system it is going in?

Anyway, Here is the Base headunit schematic:



Here is the Bose headunit schematic:



The wire labeled 1H looks like it might be the signal from the headunit that enables/disables the Audio Pilot while the wire at 1J looks like it might the signal from the Bose Amp that tells the headunit that the Bose amp is present in the car.

-Mr. Wigggles

r0tor

iTrader: (1)

Nope, it appears you either have the AudioPilot or the speed sensitive (the base stereo)... not both


I wonder if its possible to put a resistor or something in to lessen the audioPilot signal... it would be nice if it was at least adjustable like the speed sensitive system

mikeb

brx8
whats your system look like
pics please