Where to start?

[MD Sledhead]

So after 3 months of ownership, and countless opinions from other local Ram owners, I'm convinced there is something drastically wrong with the Alpine 9 speaker system in my 2024 Limited (there's another whole post on this - the 2023's sound great to me). Owners of other Rams (Big Horn, Sport, etc.) sat in my truck and referred to the sound as "tinny", "a little boom box", and "my portable speaker sounds better". It really does sound that bad.
The service department wanted to replace the XM antenna FIRST - but it sounds like this no matter what you play (in fact, XM sounds better).

So my question is... Where do I tell them to start?

To me, the easiest (least invasive) is to replace the amp, then dash speakers, and go from there.

Anyone else having this issue? I literally hate my truck because of this! If I can't get it rectified, I'll sell my truck and buy my first ever "non-Ram" truck.

 

[Tulecreeper]

And here I am, 10 months into owning my 2500 and I've had the radio on maybe a half dozen times.

 

[MD Sledhead]

And here I am, 10 months into owning my 2500 and I've had the radio on maybe a half dozen times.

That's helpful... you must be older?

 

[Tulecreeper]

That's helpful... you must be older?

Older than what? Wooden sailing ships? No. The first Moon landing? Yes. I'm just one of those that prefers quiet when I drive. Unless it's jazz, or 50's and 60's rock and roll.

 

[platoon2063]

So my question is... Where do I tell them to start? Honestly, I don't think they'll do much to solve your problem.

To me, the easiest (least invasive) is to replace the amp, then dash speakers, and go from there. How far down the rabbit hole of car audio do you want to go (how much cash are you comfortable with spending?)

Anyone else having this issue? I literally hate my truck because of this! If I can't get it rectified, I'll sell my truck and buy my first ever "non-Ram" truck. How much $$ would you lose selling your Ram then purchasing another brand?

 

[MD Sledhead]

@platoon2063 I am not an audiophile - not even close. My wife does not like the radio (much like @Tulecreeper, but not as old lol). This is really bad.

I spent $75,000 for a truck with an expectation of a decent Alpine 9-speaker sound system based on what I heard sitting in a 2023 on the lot - I am not exaggerating how bad it is. Ram Cares did call back and they suspect this may be a speaker issue (they probably put cheap-ass speakers in the truck). They still have to replace the drivers side glass and chrome trim (glass is distorted and trim was dented on arrival at the dealer).

I'm not spending a DIME on replacing/fixing a $75,000 truck - Ram will correct the issue, or I'll have it into the dealer for repairs enough times to invoke the lemon law in my state. I will make things miserable for the dealer.

As far as getting rid of it and taking a loss... I'm one of those people stubborn enough to take this to the nth degree. Imagine a small rural town where everyone knows everything. I'll dive in that rabbit hole head first!

BTW - the other 2024 Limited on the lot sounds just like mine, while the 2023's ALL sound great.

 

[Curmudgeon]

@platoon2063 I am not an audiophile - not even close. My wife does not like the radio (much like @Tulecreeper, but not as old lol). This is really bad.

I spent $75,000 for a truck with an expectation of a decent Alpine 9-speaker sound system based on what I heard sitting in a 2023 on the lot - I am not exaggerating how bad it is. Ram Cares did call back and they suspect this may be a speaker issue (they probably put cheap-ass speakers in the truck). They still have to replace the drivers side glass and chrome trim (glass is distorted and trim was dented on arrival at the dealer).

I'm not spending a DIME on replacing/fixing a $75,000 truck - Ram will correct the issue, or I'll have it into the dealer for repairs enough times to invoke the lemon law in my state. I will make things miserable for the dealer.

As far as getting rid of it and taking a loss... I'm one of those people stubborn enough to take this to the nth degree. Imagine a small rural town where everyone knows everything. I'll dive in that rabbit hole head first!

BTW - the other 2024 Limited on the lot sounds just like mine, while the 2023's ALL sound great.

Grab your VIN and see what this site says about your build...

FCA RAM

fcagroup.my.site.com

Mine is 10 years older, but just for grins it shows:
"9 ALPINE SPEAKERS W/SUBWOOFER"

A quick glance shows this is the only mention for the sound system in my truck. Have you checked for the presence of a sub woofer under the rear passenger-side seat? Can you account for all 9 speakers.

Seems mighty weird though that the other 2024 sounds the same as yours.

EDIT: Just checked my window sticker...
"9 Amplified Speakers with Subwoofer"
hope this helps?

 

[Timsdually]

So, when you bring up the equalizer and turn the lowest frequencies up all the way and everything else down, then take your balance control and go all around the truck, L to R, Front to Back, what happens? what does it sound like?

 

[Tulecreeper]

Grab your VIN and see what this site says about your build...

FCA RAM

fcagroup.my.site.com

Mine is 10 years older, but just for grins it shows:
"9 ALPINE SPEAKERS W/SUBWOOFER"

A quick glance shows this is the only mention for the sound system in my truck. Have you checked for the presence of a sub woofer under the rear passenger-side seat? Can you account for all 9 speakers.

Seems mighty weird though that the other 2024 sounds the same as yours.

EDIT: Just checked my window sticker...
"9 Amplified Speakers with Subwoofer"
hope this helps?

Mine just says, "4 Speakers".

 

[Curmudgeon]

Mine just says, "4 Speakers".

I went back and looked line-by-line at the VIN build sheet and found this in addition to what I posted above... "HD RADIO"

No idea if that refers to the sound or the screen, but my rear-facing camera seem to be very HD.

 

[MD Sledhead]

Grab your VIN and see what this site says about your build...

FCA RAM

fcagroup.my.site.com

Mine is 10 years older, but just for grins it shows:
"9 ALPINE SPEAKERS W/SUBWOOFER"

A quick glance shows this is the only mention for the sound system in my truck. Have you checked for the presence of a sub woofer under the rear passenger-side seat? Can you account for all 9 speakers.

Seems mighty weird though that the other 2024 sounds the same as yours.

EDIT: Just checked my window sticker...
"9 Amplified Speakers with Subwoofer"
hope this helps?

My 2014 had the 9 Alpine with Subwoofer (under passenger rear sat). It was awesome.
The 2024 says "9–Amplified Speakers with Subwoofer" - It has 9 speakers, period. 3 on dash, one in each door, two in headliner.
The 2023 window sticker i downloaded (the Limited I sat in) says the same thing.
Keep in mind the 2023 Big Horn sounds great as well.

So, when you bring up the equalizer and turn the lowest frequencies up all the way and everything else down, then take your balance control and go all around the truck, L to R, Front to Back, what happens? what does it sound like?

I didn't move the sound around that way. I actually went to each speaker. Can't tell with the front, it sounds like everything is coming out of the middle. Front seat doors sound like they are muffled with a few pillows. Rear seat doors sound a little better. Headliner speakers almost have nothing coming out of them. Honestly, everything was muffled on volume level 10.

The biggest thing is that the other trucks have "body" to the sound. It's an immersive sound. The 2024's sound like you're sitting in front of a cheap little radio. My little Tribit portable speaker sounds infinitely better.

With the balance/fade in the middle and surround on, it sounds like everything but bass is coming out of the single middle dash speaker. I usually have the "equalizer" on 6-2-5 (bass, mid, treble). I've tried everything.

 

[Timsdually]

That sounds like something is up with the radio.
They shouldn't all sound the same muffled sound being they are all different speakers and sizes.

 

[skates15]

My 2023 9 speaker alpine sounded pretty bad as stock. The rear doors get the full range while the rear headliner speakers are bad and hardly have sound. The middle dash dominates the dash and the front doors are mid only.

I replaced the dash and rear headliners with the CDT Unity 8+ and now you can hear the rear headliners as it should be. Plenty of volume. The dash is better too, I can hear separation between the center speaker and corners. The center no.longer dominates and there is much more definition with the highs and the lows are tighter.

I initially replaced the dash and rear with cheaper replacements and it was only partially good. The CDT replacements have brought it alive.

 

[MD Sledhead]

My 2023 9 speaker alpine sounded pretty bad as stock. The rear doors get the full range while the rear headliner speakers are bad and hardly have sound. The middle dash dominates the dash and the front doors are mid only.

I replaced the dash and rear headliners with the CDT Unity 8+ and now you can hear the rear headliners as it should be. Plenty of volume. The dash is better too, I can hear separation between the center speaker and corners. The center no.longer dominates and there is much more definition with the highs and the lows are tighter.

I initially replaced the dash and rear with cheaper replacements and it was only partially good. The CDT replacements have brought it alive.

That's good information there... Did you replace all 3 dash speakers? Would you mind sharing the part numbers?

You've really described some of my issues quite well. The front middle dominates EVERYTHING. It's like i have a single speaker, even though i can hear stuff coming out of the door & headliners.

I just have a real hard time putting money into a high end vehicle that should've had a better sound system.
The build sheet and window sticker both said "9 speakers and subwoofer". So where's the sub? In my old truck had 9 spearkers and a separate subwoofer (consuming the passenger side underseat storage). As far as I can tell, there's no sub anywhere in this truck.

What's odd though is that you have a 2023 - all of those I listened to have been quite acceptable.

BUT, maybe it depends on build date??? The 2023 Limited models came with power side steps STANDARD, until they didn't. At some point during 2023, Ram moved those from the standard package into the Level 1 Equipment (I have window stickers to prove this).

That kind of stuff is why I'm so angry... I ordered a 2023 based on models on the lot, but I ended up with a 2024 that was "missing" things.

 

[markabby]

never use the radio...we only use Pandora. I noticed that if using blue tooth and not the usb ports, it does sound different than when plugged into a port. Maybe it's just me, but no complaints about the sound.

as a side note, i complained to the service department my wireless charging pad wasn't working....until i realized my iphone case was the culprit. Can't have a thick case on those phones....so, i cut a large hole in the back of it. problem solved. Not that we ever use it...our phones are just plugged into the usb-c ports.

 

[brunzca]

That's good information there... Did you replace all 3 dash speakers? Would you mind sharing the part numbers?

You've really described some of my issues quite well. The front middle dominates EVERYTHING. It's like i have a single speaker, even though i can hear stuff coming out of the door & headliners.

I just have a real hard time putting money into a high end vehicle that should've had a better sound system.
The build sheet and window sticker both said "9 speakers and subwoofer". So where's the sub? In my old truck had 9 spearkers and a separate subwoofer (consuming the passenger side underseat storage). As far as I can tell, there's no sub anywhere in this truck.

What's odd though is that you have a 2023 - all of those I listened to have been quite acceptable.

BUT, maybe it depends on build date??? The 2023 Limited models came with power side steps STANDARD, until they didn't. At some point during 2023, Ram moved those from the standard package into the Level 1 Equipment (I have window stickers to prove this).

That kind of stuff is why I'm so angry... I ordered a 2023 based on models on the lot, but I ended up with a 2024 that was "missing" things.

Adding a little context here.. This won't solve for your issue, but may provide some understanding, if it hasn't been posted already. With the Alpine system, the majority of the sound is intended to come from the dash speakers. That's where the mid-range and highs come from. Mid-bass, and some of the low-range mids comes from the front doors. The rear doors are full range, but receive less power (I think), and the headliners are mid/high frequency, but get less power. The low bass, obviously, goes to the sub. So, the same signal isn't going to every speaker, and you won't hear the same sound out of all of them individually - the Alpine amp is also an equalizer that distributes the sound this way. It just doesn't do a great job..lol. Switching out just the left and right dash speakers, even to a very inexpensive option (infinity 3032) can make a world of difference - the CDT Unity 8 mentioned earlier is a good choice, too- I had those in my previous truck.

I had a 2021 w/ the Alpine system, now have a 2022 that came with the HK system. The Alpine was OK, it was better when I changed the dash speakers (before I ripped it all out and went full custom). Good luck, hope you get it to a level more like what you want!

 

[platoon2063]

@brunzca is on the right path.

Listening to each speaker by itself won't tell you much. I have a higher end aftermarket system in my 23' Bighorn and if I isolate each speaker....one might say Wow! that much money doesn't sound great. Now listen to the system as a whole and everyone that I have sampled it too says Wow! that's sounds incredible.

Speakers (mids, tweeters, woofers, subs) have to work together to produce the best sound. It is about EQ, frequencies, filters, etc. which all get started in the radio itself. My guess is the OP's radio eq, filters etc. are not functioning properly. A radio replacement is probably needed. Speakers alone may help some but ultimately I would guess the radio is the most problematic part of the equation here.

As a side note, disconnect that da*n center channel. It's overly amplified and that's the reason most complain that every sound seems to be coming from the center speaker.

 

[brunzca]

@brunzca is on the right path.

Listening to each speaker by itself won't tell you much. I have a higher end aftermarket system in my 23' Bighorn and if I isolate each speaker....one might say Wow! that much money doesn't sound great. Now listen to the system as a whole and everyone that I have sampled it too says Wow! that's sounds incredible.

Speakers (mids, tweeters, woofers, subs) have to work together to produce the best sound. It is about EQ, frequencies, filters, etc. which all get started in the radio itself. My guess is the OP's radio eq, filters etc. are not functioning properly. A radio replacement is probably needed. Speakers alone may help some but ultimately I would guess the radio is the most problematic part of the equation here.

As a side note, disconnect that da*n center channel. It's overly amplified and that's the reason most complain that every sound seems to be coming from the center speaker.

This. When I tell people I only have an 8 channel DSP/Amp, they ask how I amplified the center and rear doors. Easy, I didn't! Don't have them connected at all, and don't miss them.

 

[barr0208]

That's good information there... Did you replace all 3 dash speakers? Would you mind sharing the part numbers?

You've really described some of my issues quite well. The front middle dominates EVERYTHING. It's like i have a single speaker, even though i can hear stuff coming out of the door & headliners.

I just have a real hard time putting money into a high end vehicle that should've had a better sound system.
The build sheet and window sticker both said "9 speakers and subwoofer". So where's the sub? In my old truck had 9 spearkers and a separate subwoofer (consuming the passenger side underseat storage). As far as I can tell, there's no sub anywhere in this truck.

What's odd though is that you have a 2023 - all of those I listened to have been quite acceptable.

BUT, maybe it depends on build date??? The 2023 Limited models came with power side steps STANDARD, until they didn't. At some point during 2023, Ram moved those from the standard package into the Level 1 Equipment (I have window stickers to prove this).

That kind of stuff is why I'm so angry... I ordered a 2023 based on models on the lot, but I ended up with a 2024 that was "missing" things.

in the new 5th gens the sub is behind the seat not under it

 

[MD Sledhead]

never use the radio...we only use Pandora. I noticed that if using blue tooth and not the usb ports, it does sound different than when plugged into a port. Maybe it's just me, but no complaints about the sound.

as a side note, i complained to the service department my wireless charging pad wasn't working....until i realized my iphone case was the culprit. Can't have a thick case on those phones....so, i cut a large hole in the back of it. problem solved. Not that we ever use it...our phones are just plugged into the usb-c ports.

I'm really referring to the Sirius Radio... I don't listen to FM. I've used it via USB and bluetooth with music on my iPhone, Sirius app, Pandora, Apple Music, etc. It all sucks, but Sirius sounds the better.

Again, this is not just someone being particular about sound quality... it is really, really bad.