Where to start?

[markabby]

dumb question....have you tried the equalizer settings? it's funny because as we drive away from our home, about maybe 1000 feet i lose my phone's wifi, then the LTE kicks in, but, the music sounds horrible, like you said, like a cheap radio, then after driving a few hundred feet more, it gets normal again and sounds great. This happens in only when we lose wifi then it goes to LTE.

maybe your issue is something like LTE or wifi?

 

[brunzca]

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.

100% agree- the difference between listening to Sirius directly through the head unit, as compared to through the Sirius app via USB is night and day. Listening to an even higher quality streaming source (like Tidal), widens the quality gap even further. This isn't unique to Ram/Uconnect, FYI. I've done some reading/research on some mobile audio boards, and this is pretty much standard - satellite radio quality "over the air" isn't as good as it is via app.

 

[MD Sledhead]

dumb question....have you tried the equalizer settings? it's funny because as we drive away from our home, about maybe 1000 feet i lose my phone's wifi, then the LTE kicks in, but, the music sounds horrible, like you said, like a cheap radio, then after driving a few hundred feet more, it gets normal again and sounds great. This happens in only when we lose wifi then it goes to LTE.

maybe your issue is something like LTE or wifi?

Doesn't seem to matter... I'm mostly referring to Sirius XM receiver in the truck. Only one of my favorite channels uses cellular service.

The best way to describe the sound is like it's monotone (not stereo or surround) with no rear speakers at all.

And yes... I've messed with all the equalizer, speed sensitive, surround crap. Nothing helps.

BTW - "LTE" is not a good thing. It means Long-Term Evolution - it's better than 3G, but not nearly as fast as 4G. Google it.

 

[MD Sledhead]

100% agree- the difference between listening to Sirius directly through the head unit, as compared to through the Sirius app via USB is night and day. Listening to an even higher quality streaming source (like Tidal), widens the quality gap even further. This isn't unique to Ram/Uconnect, FYI. I've done some reading/research on some mobile audio boards, and this is pretty much standard - satellite radio quality "over the air" isn't as good as it is via app.

I listened to Sirius directly through the head unit of my 2014 for 10 years - it sounded fantastic to me. I almost never listed to music from my phone or any app while in the truck. My 2014 Alpine sounded better than the Harman Kardon system in my wife's 2016 Jeep GC Overland.

I know what you referring to... but this is far, far beyond the quality differences between Satellite vs Streaming. My truck sounds like a poor man's boom box from the 80's. Like a little Panasonic AM/FM Cassette with one speaker. I am not exaggerating.

Ram Cares was supposed to call yesterday and talk about speakers.

 

[skates15]

I listened to Sirius directly through the head unit of my 2014 for 10 years - it sounded fantastic to me. I almost never listed to music from my phone or any app while in the truck. My 2014 Alpine sounded better than the Harman Kardon system in my wife's 2016 Jeep GC Overland.

I know what you referring to... but this is far, far beyond the quality differences between Satellite vs Streaming. My truck sounds like a poor man's boom box from the 80's. Like a little Panasonic AM/FM Cassette with one speaker. I am not exaggerating.

Ram Cares was supposed to call yesterday and talk about speakers.

Agreed that the stock speakers sound like a boom box. Its heavy on mid and mid base, so the stock system has little definition and is muffled and rough to my ears to the point that being heavy on mid and mid base tones fatigues my ears.

This is due to the way the amp combines and cross over the channels to make the crappy speakers sound acceptable but they are really bad.

There is much info on the alpine system in this forum and diymobile and other forums.

I did replace all 3 speakers in the dash after trying just the corners without center and with center. I found the range was better with the center speaker using wide bands as they reflect off the windscreen and the center is no longer dominating the sound stage like before. The CDT speakers have crazy wide band tones even at low volume. The rear headliners pop now, if you sit back there its plenty loud now.

I went with 4 ohm because ill be adding an amp and dsp to really bring it together. Even at 4 ohms for the replacement doors and dash the highest volume I use is half to 3/4.

That said, I do stream spotify via USB cable plugged into a $15 DAC which outputs to the AUX cable. This sounds better than blutooth , especially the base, I can feel it in the floorboard!

I also increase the aux gain in the head unit settings which helps overdrive the output quite a lot.

When it comes to satellite radio, the compression will always make the music sound like low definition, which is why I stream, I want to hear the music and yes, Tidal is great.

 

[Marshall]

50's and 60's rock and roll.

Isn't that's all that matters ? Hank Williams is OK.

Re speakers, they are quite easy to check, if you can get at them.
All going bad at once, not unless they all got flooded or someone ran too much current and I can't see that happening. Bad amp I could see doing that. a oscilloscope would show that.
The dash speakers are for hi's, and they are small ( on my 2014) door ones are full range , and I have subwoofer under the back seat.

If you are under warranty, just have them start with a different stereo, I suppose with these trucks ,that is a big deal. then speakers.
Mt truck says Alpine right on the dash, but different generation

 

[Tulecreeper]

Isn't that's all that matters ? Hank Williams is OK.

Hank Williams made some good music, but even he is a little to "twangy" for my taste. His son made his million combining country/redneck/rock, but that is a little too rough for me to listen to regularly. I grew up listening to country, but I mostly got away from it about 10 years ago because most of what they call country music these days, well, isn't. There are still a few of the old school C&W artists making albums, and a couple of the newer ones are trying to keep the faith, but for the most part it's kind of similar to when New Wave Rock hit the scene. They called it rock, but it wasn't.

 

[Scottly]

My anger with this is that they use a name-brand to sell the "system", yet the door speakers are the same cheap ass ching chong crappola that the cheap system has. There's just more of them. I had the base radio...replaced the door speakers with quality aftermarket units and it woke up and sounded great.

 

[WhiteRamBighorn]

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.

Sorry to hear of your issues. I have a big horn with the Alpine system and I love the sound. Hope they get it fixed for you

 

[Marshall]

My hearing is shot, bass I can hear, at 1000 cycle the graft falls off the cliff.
Mind you I can still hear crap compared to good. ( with the hearing aids) They are great with the blue tooth on the phone.
Many years ago I use to run some great systems ,Built some of it , Back when tubes where king.
I have not kept up with the hi end audio field for yrs

 

[17Ramguy78]

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

Might think I'm crazy but I rather enjoy the sweet melody of a gas guzzling V-8

 

[puma69]

Then go NON RAM like you said and goodbye! Your non ram comment is rude and a insult!

We are proud owners and members here!

You can't fig it's a ground issue?
Take hd, spkrs, system out. Reinstall after cleaning all contacts, ground points, check all wire connectors...

If that helps

Common issue!

 

[MD Sledhead]

Then go NON RAM like you said and goodbye! Your non ram comment is rude and a insult!

We are proud owners and members here!

You can't fig it's a ground issue?
Take hd, spkrs, system out. Reinstall after cleaning all contacts, ground points, check all wire connectors...

If that helps

Common issue!

Rude? Insulting?
Please tell me you're not a butt-hurt millennial...

And that's you're suggestion??? Spend a day tearing apart a 2-month-old $75,000 truck? Popping leather covered door panels off and checking for for loose wires.

Sorry... that's what the warranty is for.

 

[platoon2063]

@MD Sledhead seems a troll made it onto the forum. I would ignore comments like the one above yours.