Sound Quality Got Worse After VT2 Installment

V

venza

New member
Hey everyone.

I've installed VLite 2 into my '08 Lexus RX 350(standard acoustic with 8 speakers) and noticed that sound quality got worse - dimmed mid and high tones, lack of bass, sound overall is quiet. All speakers seem to work.
Most of a time playing sound through usb connection + CarPlay.
VT2 Bluetooth connection acts in same manner, but with some quality loss which is expected for bluetooth.

Does someone experience same issue? If yes - have you came with a solution?

admin is it a known issue?

Since VT 2 suppose to use stock audio system I thing there must be something with VT 2 software..

Will much appreciate for any help.
P.S. Lexus stock equalizer doesn't help a lot, and can be as temporary solution only..
P.P.S. Before that I was using bluetooth adapters for cassette player, situation was better.
 
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I can confirm, in my case in Lexus GS 450h sound quality is also noticeably worse than through jack input, for example.
 
If your sound is not great when using VLine VL2 or VLite VT2 system, please go to the factory UI (user interface) and adjust the sound settings such as treble , bass, etc, for the specific stereo mode that VLine uses. Here is how to:

https://youtu.be/Sgb4eTHmukQ
 
Unfortunately it isn't about treble/bass/etc but about the quality itself - bitrate/depth difference (comparing to OEM jack connection) is very audible.
I haven't experienced it in other cars, even with cheap chinese CarPlay units.

Is there a way to fix it in any way?
 
Raptor said:
Unfortunately it isn't about treble/bass/etc but about the quality itself - bitrate/depth difference (comparing to OEM jack connection) is very audible.
I haven't experienced it in other cars, even with cheap chinese CarPlay units.

Is there a way to fix it in any way?
Click to expand...

Yes, it is not normal. Contact our technical team at https://gromaudio.com/support.html They will review your particular case and let you know what to do and how to resolve it.
 
Thanks for an answer.
I've just tried but after filling the form, I got the error message "cannot be delivered" on a "open_new_ticket.php" page.
 
The form has been fixed now, you should be able to contact GROM technical team.
 
Raptor said:
Unfortunately it isn't about treble/bass/etc but about the quality itself - bitrate/depth difference (comparing to OEM jack connection) is very audible.
I haven't experienced it in other cars, even with cheap chinese CarPlay units.

Is there a way to fix it in any way?
Click to expand...

Hi Raptor, have you got any success? Did support ticket helped?
 
Joined up to respond here since this seems like a current issue. I can attest to audio quality issues in my 2018 Lexus IS while using Apple Carplay, but only after updating my Grom Vline 2 to the most current version right around the time OP first created this thread at the end of April. Up until then it sounded great - no where near as low-bit rate/crunchy sounding as it does now. I actually haven't even used the Grom unit at all since then, as I was hoping future version updates might fix the issue, but after updating to today's current version my sound quality still suffers.

I was also told once that an Android update was coming soon, but 8.1.0 (6 years old) remains the most current. Is this still coming?

Grom.png - Click image for larger version Name: Grom.png Views: 0 Size: 532.0 KB ID: 868

GromUpdate.png - Click image for larger version Name: GromUpdate.png Views: 0 Size: 417.6 KB ID: 870

Grom, how can we fix our poor audio quality?
 
I'm going to be installing my VLite2 this week. I really am hoping that the sound quality won't be an issue for me. I was debating going between a regular BT streaming adapter and this, I opted for the VT2 because the carplay, but if the sound is really bad, I might change my mind. I'm installing in a 2005 LX470 with Mark Levinson system. Anyone else here installing in an older lexus?
 
I installed the Grom Vline2 in my '18 IS350 (w/ nav and ML sound package) and am also experiencing noticeably degraded sound quality. Almost sounds like blown speakers. Low bit-rate / crunchy as zgadson described.

Love the Android Auto/Carplay but sacrificing sound quality is unacceptable.
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Updating this post as of 11/1/23, the quality sounds better now? Was this addressed by an update, I've have at least 2 since install and the audio quality seems returned to normal. There have been a couple times after startup the audio quality was noticeably worse but fixed itself in a few minutes. Maybe it's a loose connection, will have to re-check the wiring at some point...
 
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Is this both with Wireless carplay and wired carplay? I know that in other cars, I've experienced better sound quality when wired.
 
The first step is to ensure you adjust the sound settings using the factory UI, for the specific stereo mode that is taken over by GROM VLine VL2 / VLite VT2.

Here is how to get to the Factory UI on the VLine VL2:

https://youtu.be/Sgb4eTHmukQ

For the VLite VT2 there is a button at the bottom of the screen, on the right-hand side, that says "Car Settings". It will take you to the factory UI for the stereo mode that GROM VLite VT2 took over.

If adjusting the settings on the factory stereo side does not help, check and ensure you are using the latest firmware and software. Here is how to update:

https://youtu.be/UrQ2TWJ5v1Q

If you have the latest firmware and software installed and adjusted the factory stereo settings for the GROM-specific stereo mode, using factory UI, and nothing helps - contact our technical team at https://gromaudio.com/support.html We will help!
 
Same issue here. I’ve noticed that it’s significantly worse with wireless carplay vs wired. I assumed my speakers were blown, that’s exactly what it sounds like. Static sounds and audio cutting out. Definitely not an EQ issue. It makes wireless carplay unuseable.
 
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I'm thinking on getting a VT2 for my 2021 LC200 and came here after I saw a post on reddit mentioning poor audio quality with Grom VT2. Was this fixed or at least diagnosed? I'm planning on using android auto (not carplay) if it makes any difference. Thanks!
 
I still notice the low bit-rate audio quality even after sending the unit back and them reporting that they did not find anything wrong with it, and them returning it. Even when I use wired carplay. This leads me to believe the audio processor is just set to low bitrate, similarly to how some bluetooth devices stream higher bitrate audio for media, but reduces to a lower muffled bitrate for calls to minimize latency. Is is possible that the audio is somehow stuck on the handsfree audio bitrate?
 
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