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2010 2011 BMW 5 Series Forum F10 F10 Technical Topics Navigation, iDrive, Audio, Video, Bluetooth, Phone, Coding Sirius Radio sound quality
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      03-07-2011, 06:40 AM   #1
toot535ix
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Sirius Radio sound quality

My sound quality, when I use Sirius radio, is terrible, it is very 'tinny' sounding. It sounds like it is coming out of a can! My stereo sounds great when I use the FM radio or my ipod. I have XM in my other car, and it sounds better than this.

Anyone else have this concern?

BTW--my car was built in November of 2010.
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      03-07-2011, 07:27 AM   #2
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You have a problem because mine is the same high quality as the rest.
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      03-07-2011, 11:24 AM   #3
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No problem with your car. Sirius and XM are both "tinny" sounding compared to other sources. XM appears to sound slightly better than Sirius. I listen for the time included in the price of the car and then never renew - not worth it to me. Also, why should I pay to listen to commercials or self promotions
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      03-07-2011, 07:51 PM   #4
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Sirius audio is sadly equivalent to 32-48kbps MP3s - at best.
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      03-08-2011, 02:52 AM   #5
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Quote:
Originally Posted by 1HOT BMR View Post
No problem with your car. Sirius and XM are both "tinny" sounding compared to other sources. XM appears to sound slightly better than Sirius. I listen for the time included in the price of the car and then never renew - not worth it to me. Also, why should I pay to listen to commercials or self promotions
Do you have cable or sat TV? You pay to watch commercials but not listen to them? Sirius is commercial free on the stations i listen to.
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      03-08-2011, 08:16 AM   #6
toot535ix
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thanks--i thought this was the case--I will not be renewing my sirius.
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      03-08-2011, 05:29 PM   #7
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Not A BMW F10 Issue

Yes, many people complain about poor Sirius sound quality, and the variance in sound quality between time of day and by station. If you search the net, you will find blogs and forums addressing the bit rates and how bad some are, depending on channel.

It is the same in the car, in the home and on mobile devices.

It has worsened since the merger of XM and Sirius.

But please, in all fairness, this is not a BMW F10 issue.
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      03-08-2011, 09:44 PM   #8
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Quote:
Originally Posted by AlBoston View Post
Do you have cable or sat TV? You pay to watch commercials but not listen to them? Sirius is commercial free on the stations i listen to.
Yes, unfortunately. My TV watching is limited to what comes out of my Tivo, skipping commercials and the rest is all Netflix. XM/Sirius in the beginning promised commercial free CD quality music and talk radio - the sound is not CD quality and the talk radio is full of commercials so I'm not paying them anymore than what I already paid when I bought the car
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      03-08-2011, 10:15 PM   #9
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Autojack View Post
Yes, many people complain about poor Sirius sound quality, and the variance in sound quality between time of day and by station. If you search the net, you will find blogs and forums addressing the bit rates and how bad some are, depending on channel.

It is the same in the car, in the home and on mobile devices.

It has worsened since the merger of XM and Sirius.

But please, in all fairness, this is not a BMW F10 issue
.
+1

Sat radio is poor in all cars and each with different brands of sound systems. Porsche, BMW, Merc. It sounds bad in all. Play DVD-A discs for the best quality, imho.
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      10-09-2012, 11:20 AM   #10
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Stumbled across this old post trying to find a solution to my really bad sounding Sirius radio. Sirius radio, especially sounds really, really bad. I had a Chrysler 300 before I purchased the new BMW, and it sounded the same - Bad!

I have a 2010 GMC Sierra, with XM, and it sounds much better. Still not CD quality, but at least tolerable. I am so disappointed that Sirius has chosen quantity over quality. I'll probably not renew once my free year runs out.
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      10-09-2012, 07:45 PM   #11
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Satellite radio has poor sound. I never renewed my subscription even when they offered a very low price. I usually record my favorite CD's to the hard drive and they have very good audio. I also find FM HD radio to have good sound quality. I have the premium sound system in my 535. At home I like to listen to LP records so I am a little fussy when it comes to audio quality.
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      10-09-2012, 08:10 PM   #12
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Quote:
Originally Posted by BradNeal View Post
Stumbled across this old post trying to find a solution to my really bad sounding Sirius radio. Sirius radio, especially sounds really, really bad. I had a Chrysler 300 before I purchased the new BMW, and it sounded the same - Bad!
Both in my "d",without the premium radio option and my Bluetec,*with* the premium radio option,the Sirius sound quality is,at best,"decent".Unlike some (many?) I don't expect outstanding sound quality from a car audio system so the Sirius quality doesn't represent a big disappointment to me.I like Sirius mainly because you can listen to the same station from maine to California.
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      10-10-2012, 11:27 AM   #13
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I am no audiophile, but Sirius does not sound "tinny" to me at all. Its as good, if not better, than the FM radio in the car
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      10-10-2012, 05:18 PM   #14
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Sound is subjective. Some like to listen to rock and roll and want a lot of base, others like classical music and are looking for a fuller, more balanced sound. MP3's, IPods, CD's, etc., never were intended to offer higher quality audio than LP records. They were developed for convenience and compactness. Many people today have had only digital music available to play and that is their reference point for how music should sound. If it sounds good and you like it that is what is important.
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      01-29-2013, 03:21 PM   #15
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Just wondering if there is a way to convert from Sirius to XM in my 535i. My wife's Caddi, and my GMC Sierra both have XM and the sound is noticeably better than Sirius. I know I could place an externall/portable XM device in the car, but I would really rather have it built in.

Any feedback appreciated.

Thanks,
Brad
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