Carver / DSP system problems

C

Carteen

Member
 Stockholm
Hi
I have a 2007 Z4 Coupe with a Carver DSP speaker system in my car.
The sound is anything but good and sounds like the bass is “crashing” all the time when playing songs with a bit of bass. Is it really supposed to be this bad? Sure, it’s a 19-year-old car, but this is supposed to be the “best” system in the Z4, so you’d think you could have a little higher expectations.
For those of you who have this system, is there a specific setting I need to adjust, or is something perhaps broken? Any help would be greatly appreciated 🙏
 
My first Z4 had it and I found the bass was too boomy, but didn't turn it on too often and only had the car 2 years.

My current one also has it and it seemed the same, but it has Sat Nav as well and there is a graphic equaliser in there and by altering the settings in there I've got it much better. :)

But if you don't have Sat Nav I'm not sure how you can alter it, although there must be settings for Bass & Treble somewhere?
 
I have an E86M with Hi Fi System Professional DSP which I believe is the same as yours and many aspects of the sound can be changed with NCSEXPERT.

Here’s something that someone posted here a while back. The options in the attached pic change the settings of the Coupe to Roadster settings.
 

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Find the post on here where someone did a spectrum analysis of the coupe top hifi system and provided a DSP curve that transforms it into something enjoyable.
 
Thank you very much for this link. I’ll try that setting tonight and see if it makes any difference.
 
That's the one. It seriously improved the sound I got.

Also turn down the automatic volume increase, this also boosts the bass way too much.
P

Thread 'Radio volume'

I have the Carver sound system, with the sat nav option.
I am finding that the auto volume increase with speed is too much.
i.e I set the volume at a comfortable level at say 50mph, by the time I'm at 70-80mph it's blaring!
Does anyone know if this can be ajusted in the settings, I haven't got the manual.
Cheers
 
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That really made a difference 😊. Not great but significant better 👍. I will also try with a better aux cable as the one I have now is a cheap one.
Thank you very much!!
 
abar121 said:
That's the one. It seriously improved the sound I got.

Also turn down the automatic volume increase, this also boosts the bass way too much.
P

Thread 'Radio volume'

I have the Carver sound system, with the sat nav option.
I am finding that the auto volume increase with speed is too much.
i.e I set the volume at a comfortable level at say 50mph, by the time I'm at 70-80mph it's blaring!
Does anyone know if this can be ajusted in the settings, I haven't got the manual.
Cheers
Click to expand...
How do i turn down the automatic volume increase? Cant find it in the meny.
 
Carteen said:
How do i turn down the automatic volume increase? Cant find it in the meny.
Click to expand...
It's here:

PerryGunn

Post in thread 'Radio volume'

Adjusting the speed sensitive Audio volume setting

1. Turn radio off and then on
2. Press and hold the "SEL" button
3. Radio will display the software version
4. Use the "<>" button to step through the settings.
5. Find one that says "GAL"
6. Use the "1,2,3,4,5,6" buttons to change the value (1-6, 1 is lowest, 6 is highest speed volume compensation)...
7. Turn radio off and then on.
 
Got the coupe back o n road today and on my way home decided to play with the DSP adjustments. Used the settings from a topic that @abar121 suggested and was really surprised. The crappy sound that I was used to was gone and finally the setup was playing as expected, to be honest could not believe the improvement 👍🏻
 
I am having a similar issue. I have a 2007 M roadster.

This car came with the top hi fi with DSP package, verified by VIN. It has the CD player and aux input with a navigation screen. The aux input didn't work when I first tested it, I could not switch to aux with the source button. I also noticed the DSP settings didn't seem to have any effect on the sound, but I didn't really turn it up or test properly at the dealer. The dealer put an aux bluetooth adapter in before I took it home which worked but didn't sound great, and the DSP settings still did not have any affect on the sound. I noticed that the sound is a bit better with CD/radio, but I still felt that it lacks in bass especially and the DSP settings on the navigation screen do not seem to work. I was surprised because I thought the top hi fi with DSP would sound better. I figured maybe the Bluebus would help, so I bought one of those and had a friend help me install it. We also removed the aux bluetooth adapter from behind the radio and everything works. The sound is definitely better and matches CD quality, but it still lacks in bass, and the DSP settings still don't work. The bass/treble settings in the tone menu do work, but the DSP settings do not. I can hear sound coming from all 10 speakers and I can feel them moving when I turn it right up. The mids and highs do get pretty loud, I am just surprised by the lack of bass. I turned up bass and turned down treble in the tone menu and it sounds a bit better but still not as good as I'd like. I know it is a roadster and these are only 6.5" subs with 10ohm resistance, but I thought top hi fi would sound a little better than this.

I've done a lot of research and it seems the DSP amps are finicky and do break often due to water damage. I can't tell if the bass is lacking because of my non working DSP settings, or if this is just the nature of the M roadster?

I love the car and I love the sound of the engine, but I am a big music guy and I love cruising with the top down to loud tunes. I can't decide if I should try and upgrade the speakers, or if it's just the amp. I've also read that aftermarket upgrades can be very difficult with the top hi fi setup.
 
Sounds like the DSP amp has had it or has been badly modified / bypassed . Get that fixed and then see what improvement is needed.

There was no lack of bass for me before the new DSP curve. Quite the opposite..
 
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