• Sign Up! To view all forums and unlock additional cool features

    Welcome to the #1 Fiesta ST Forum and Fiesta ST community dedicated to Fiesta ST owners and enthusiasts. Register for an account, it's free and it's easy, so don't hesitate to join the Fiesta ST Forum today!


Adjusting Audio

Messages
193
Likes
97
Location
Brownstown Twp
#1
Was not happy with the sound, it was pretty much unlistenable (is that a word?). Sounded tinny, like a cheap boombox.
Had Bass set to full, Treble to minimum, and Mid in the middle. Orientation of front to rear was slightly towards the rear and left/right was slightly towards the right.
Was ready visit the dealer figuring something was defective, but yesterday started playing around with it. Turns out that the rear has to be set to at least 3/4 for the sound to come alive. I will now play around with adjusting Bass & Treble.
What a difference! I can listen to my Partridge Family/Cowsills mix in total enjoyment! [goofydrunk]
How do y'all have your settings on the factory Sony system?
 


Messages
9
Likes
1
Location
Palm Beach
#2
Just want to say I completely agree with you. From the factory Ford sends too much power to the front. Setting it towards the back definitely helps overall sound quality. I set it about 2 clicks towards the rear. For anybody not happy with the audio. Just mentioning I do have the sync 3 and can't speak for the older version.
 


neeqness

1000 Post Club
Messages
1,398
Likes
166
Location
LA
#3
Just want to say I completely agree with you. From the factory Ford sends too much power to the front. Setting it towards the back definitely helps overall sound quality. I set it about 2 clicks towards the rear. For anybody not happy with the audio. Just mentioning I do have the sync 3 and can't speak for the older version.
I did the same as you before installing the subwoofer.

Afterwards, I added high pass filters to the full range speakers and use different settings now.
 


Messages
182
Likes
54
Location
Gatineau
#4
Ok, holy crap. I just went to my car and put the fade to the back to maybe 25%, what a difference. Everything sounds crispier and there is now bass! I felt that for a car with a "premium" sound system, the bass was very lacking, but now, just wow! To anyone that sees this thread, play with the fade of your sound, you will see an enormous difference.

I felt that going more than around 25% was just putting all of the sound in the back. It really feels as if centered was all up front, then one step to around 5 or 6 steps is fairly balanced front back and then more than that feels too back heavy (for me). I never played with the fade in a car before other than putting it in front to let the kids sleep in the back, but damn, the engineer that calibrated the sound on that car did not put the center at the right place!
 


Capri to ST

1000 Post Club
Messages
1,602
Likes
1,982
Location
CHAPEL HILL, NC, USA
#5
Ok, holy crap. I just went to my car and put the fade to the back to maybe 25%, what a difference. Everything sounds crispier and there is now bass! I felt that for a car with a "premium" sound system, the bass was very lacking, but now, just wow! To anyone that sees this thread, play with the fade of your sound, you will see an enormous difference.

I felt that going more than around 25% was just putting all of the sound in the back. It really feels as if centered was all up front, then one step to around 5 or 6 steps is fairly balanced front back and then more than that feels too back heavy (for me). I never played with the fade in a car before other than putting it in front to let the kids sleep in the back, but damn, the engineer that calibrated the sound on that car did not put the center at the right place!
I've been messing with this, too. I'm confused, do you mean 1 step to the rear from the centered position, which is then 5 or 6 steps back from all the way to the front? Not sure what you mean by 5 or 6 steps. Sorry, it's probably obvious, but I just wanted to be sure.
Also, are you set to Driver or the other setting? That must play into this.
 


Messages
9
Likes
1
Location
Palm Beach
#6
Another thing I didn't like was the sound mode between "driver" and "all seats". Definitely stick with "all seats" mode. IMO
 


Messages
9
Likes
1
Location
Palm Beach
#7
I've been messing with this, too. I'm confused, do you mean 1 step to the rear from the centered position, which is then 5 or 6 steps back from all the way to the front? Not sure what you mean by 5 or 6 steps. Sorry, it's probably obvious, but I just wanted to be sure.
Also, are you set to Driver or the other setting? That must play into this.
Put in "all seats" setting. The put the fade towards the rear 2 arrow clicks down. See how you like it
 


Messages
249
Likes
27
Location
Calgary
#8
I have mine on driver and 2 clicks to the front, with the speed increase off, midrange and bass are -1, other one is 0
But I also have 2 10's in the hatch
 


Messages
182
Likes
54
Location
Gatineau
#9
Well now I don't remember exactly how many clicks, I'm doubting myself with reading others saying only 2, but it's a few clicks down from the center.

I tested this during my lunch break, so I did it quickly. It was set to "All seats", but I'll do some tests with "Driver" and see how it sounds, maybe by changing the fade might make it sound even better on "Driver", I'll update the thread today or tomorrow.
 


Messages
132
Likes
58
Location
Mississauga
#10
I have mine on driver and 2 clicks to the front, with the speed increase off, midrange and bass are -1, other one is 0
But I also have 2 10's in the hatch
I'm pretty sure having 2 x 10" in the back makes your settings useless to all of us that have stock sound systems... lol
 


Messages
9
Likes
1
Location
Palm Beach
#11
Well now I don't remember exactly how many clicks, I'm doubting myself with reading others saying only 2, but it's a few clicks down from the center.

I tested this during my lunch break, so I did it quickly. It was set to "All seats", but I'll do some tests with "Driver" and see how it sounds, maybe by changing the fade might make it sound even better on "Driver", I'll update the thread today or tomorrow.
The thing is. If it is in driver mode all its doing is focusing the sound on the front driver seat via the fade and balance. It's nothing more than that. So if you put it I. Driver and set the fade back it's going to send more sound to the left side by making the right speakers louder. Where as when it's "all seats" it sends it to what Ford think is the center. Which is still too much of the front speakers. That's why I center it back. Which won't put too much stress on one side of the speakers

And the rear speakers really produce the bass in these cars. I stopped at 2 because when it got louder the rear speakers do start to struggle. Unless you are into distortion
 


Messages
249
Likes
27
Location
Calgary
#12
I'm pretty sure having 2 x 10" in the back makes your settings useless to all of us that have stock sound systems... lol
Only thing that has changed is the bass eq, everything else has stayed the same

I'm gonna try the all seats method and report back...
 


Messages
182
Likes
54
Location
Gatineau
#13
So I drove a bit with the sound in "Driver" mode last night with the fade a bit to the back, and meh, it's not better than "All seats". I switched it back to "All seats" halfway in my commute. I think that moving the fade a bit to the back makes it sounds like a surround system (as it should) much more. Before, it sounded like the sound system of my old 2012 Fiesta (which I never changed the fade, so maybe it would have been better), so I was a bit underwhelmed, but now, it really shines.

Mind you, it's not a super high end system that blows everything else out of the water, but at least you can hear and feel the bass on the stock system, which I felt was almost non-existant when the sound was centered (as the bass speaker are most likely in the back).
 


Capri to ST

1000 Post Club
Messages
1,602
Likes
1,982
Location
CHAPEL HILL, NC, USA
#14
I've been on Driver setting for a while. I tried All Seats and it didn't sound as good to me , Driver sounded richer somehow. Sound is very personal.
 


Messages
291
Likes
86
Location
Ontario
#15
Was not happy with the sound, it was pretty much unlistenable (is that a word?). Sounded tinny, like a cheap boombox.
Had Bass set to full, Treble to minimum, and Mid in the middle. Orientation of front to rear was slightly towards the rear and left/right was slightly towards the right.
Was ready visit the dealer figuring something was defective, but yesterday started playing around with it. Turns out that the rear has to be set to at least 3/4 for the sound to come alive. I will now play around with adjusting Bass & Treble.
What a difference! I can listen to my Partridge Family/Cowsills mix in total enjoyment! [goofydrunk]
How do y'all have your settings on the factory Sony system?
You da best! i adjusted the fader to steps to the rear and it sounds so much better. The default pushes too much through those tiny tweeters by the door handles. Thank you for this tip!
 


OP
TomCat
Messages
193
Likes
97
Location
Brownstown Twp
Thread Starter #16
What is the "All Seats" and "Driver" adjustment everyone is referring to? I have no such described option.
Is this another way of saying the left/middle/right orientation adjustment? [dunno]
 


Capri to ST

1000 Post Club
Messages
1,602
Likes
1,982
Location
CHAPEL HILL, NC, USA
#18
What is the "All Seats" and "Driver" adjustment everyone is referring to? I have no such described option.
Is this another way of saying the left/middle/right orientation adjustment? [dunno]
It's in your sound settings, you may have to scroll down the screen to see it, but I also have a '16 and it's there.

EDIT- Just got out of my car, it's not on the Settings screen unless you scroll down, it's the last setting and is called Occupancy Mode. See p.86 of the Sync Supplemental Manual.
 


Last edited:
OP
TomCat
Messages
193
Likes
97
Location
Brownstown Twp
Thread Starter #19
It's in your sound settings, you may have to scroll down the screen to see it, but I also have a '16 and it's there.

EDIT- Just got out of my car, it's not on the Settings screen unless you scroll down, it's the last setting and is called Occupancy Mode. See p.86 of the Sync Supplemental Manual.
Thank you Capri, found it!
Tried All Seats but, like you, prefer Driver.
Wish Ford had put a few more bucks into a better system. But, it is what it is.
 




Top