Bluetooth sound quality?
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Super Member
Joined: May 2011
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From: Vancouver
2018 e63s edition 1
Bluetooth sound quality?
Just got my 17 a month ago and noticed that sound via XM radio is actually better sounding with more base than when I play spotify or mp3's off my phone over bluetooth. I feel like that should be the opposite of what should be happening as in my 2012, music over xm/satellite radio sounded worse. Higher treble notes and voices in the music also get distorted from what sounds like the centre dash speaker. Anyone noticed this?
MBWorld Fanatic!
Joined: Feb 2008
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'20 GLC300 SUV
Just got my 17 a month ago and noticed that sound via XM radio is actually better sounding with more base than when I play spotify or mp3's off my phone over bluetooth. I feel like that should be the opposite of what should be happening as in my 2012, music over xm/satellite radio sounded worse. Higher treble notes and voices in the music also get distorted from what sounds like the centre dash speaker. Anyone noticed this?
Do you also have to turn up the volume higher than anticipated (including on the phone itself) to get adequate sound volume?
Thread Starter
Super Member
Joined: May 2011
Posts: 883
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From: Vancouver
2018 e63s edition 1
100% accurate. I actually had the same issue in my departed '13 W204 C63, my departed GLE400, and my current W205 C43. Haven't tried the BT in my '20 GLE450 yet.
Do you also have to turn up the volume higher than anticipated (including on the phone itself) to get adequate sound volume?
Do you also have to turn up the volume higher than anticipated (including on the phone itself) to get adequate sound volume?
I can't tell about the sound volume since there is no volume level reference to show how loud the music is turned up, and also the volume "button" is endless scrolling so I can never tell when it's fully down either. I was thinking about trying an AUX cord but looking around in the centre console I didn't notice a spot to plug it in.
I wonder if this is normal, I was going to mention it next time my car was in for service.
MBWorld Fanatic!
Joined: Feb 2008
Posts: 2,829
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'20 GLC300 SUV
That's weird, in my 2012 I found that XM radio sounded worse than music off my phone via bluetooth. It's weird now having more bass and overall better sound from XM.
I can't tell about the sound volume since there is no volume level reference to show how loud the music is turned up, and also the volume "button" is endless scrolling so I can never tell when it's fully down either. I was thinking about trying an AUX cord but looking around in the centre console I didn't notice a spot to plug it in.
I wonder if this is normal, I was going to mention it next time my car was in for service.
I can't tell about the sound volume since there is no volume level reference to show how loud the music is turned up, and also the volume "button" is endless scrolling so I can never tell when it's fully down either. I was thinking about trying an AUX cord but looking around in the centre console I didn't notice a spot to plug it in.
I wonder if this is normal, I was going to mention it next time my car was in for service.
Thread Starter
Super Member
Joined: May 2011
Posts: 883
Likes: 72
From: Vancouver
2018 e63s edition 1
Senior Member
Joined: Jan 2019
Posts: 439
Likes: 74
From: California
2019 AMG C63S
Just got my 17 a month ago and noticed that sound via XM radio is actually better sounding with more base than when I play spotify or mp3's off my phone over bluetooth. I feel like that should be the opposite of what should be happening as in my 2012, music over xm/satellite radio sounded worse. Higher treble notes and voices in the music also get distorted from what sounds like the centre dash speaker. Anyone noticed this?
To experiment, you can try playing audio in different apps on your phone when connected over BT to the car stereo. I always recommend USB sticks/SD cards any day because you can control the audio quality (by choosing the codecs) and you don't have any shortage of bandwidth when connected over a physical interface. Another advantage is, while traveling you don't lose signal and/or data connectivity for streaming.
AUX is an analog interface and hence you're going to experience some loss in quality whenever you're converting digital to analog or analog to digital. I'm not sure if there is an AUX->USB connector, and even if there is one you're performing the conversion twice (from a digital medium) and you're going to see loss in quality there too.
Last edited by Tuxdude; Aug 24, 2019 at 01:17 AM.
