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Thread: Radio Quality

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  1. #1
    Active Member JCWeatherman's Avatar
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    Default Radio Quality

    Hi to All,
    I am new to Spyders. Two weeks ago I bought a 2013 ST Limited with 186 miles on it from a dealer in Lancaster County, PA. I love the bike, and I have put about 500 miles on it. My only complaint is about the radio. It is functional; I can scan for stations; I can store presets. The problem is the sound quality.

    Even when the ST isn't running, the radio sounds like crap.
    • Is this common?
    • Is this what I should expect from it?
    • Is there any way to improve the sound quality?


    Thanks for your help,
    John

  2. #2
    Registered Users RBS66's Avatar
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    Welcome and hello from Morgantown PA. I have an RT and I use an IPod mostly. It sounds good. The radio is NOT as clear.
    2013 RT SE5
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    Very Active Member Trbayth's Avatar
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    Sound quality, especially for music, is not the greatest. You're better off picking up an older iPod off eBay and using the iPod cable. You want one with the older 30 pin connector, not the newer Lightning cable. There are adapters but it works better if you don't need an adapter.
    Trb-- (Roger)

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    Very Active Member Buggy's Avatar
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    I find the sound quality good for the context of what it is. A noisy environment, wind, engine noise and traffic make truly high end sound unattainable imho. I can here it loud and clear at highway speeds. If I want a high fidelity experience I will listen to my home rig. The speakers being a mechanical device require a break in period. The more you play them the better the will sound.

    Cheers
    2016 RT Ltd. , Pearl White

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    Very Active Member Orange Spyder Man's Avatar
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    I had a 2006 GoldWing... the audio was great... a riding buddy had a 2009 HD Ultra... audio system was great... the 2014 Spyder I presently own the audio sucks... evidently BRP shopped the cheapest audio systems and same for their OEM tires... oh I almost forgot ... the horn sounds like a bicycle horn

    osm

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    Very Active Member BLUEKNIGHT911's Avatar
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    Default AUDIO

    Quote Originally Posted by Orange Spyder Man View Post
    I had a 2006 GoldWing... the audio was great... a riding buddy had a 2009 HD Ultra... audio system was great... the 2014 Spyder I presently own the audio sucks... evidently BRP shopped the cheapest audio systems and same for their OEM tires... oh I almost forgot ... the horn sounds like a bicycle horn

    osm
    Not the entire thing .................just the speakers !!!!...............( and I fixed mine )..............Mike
    Last edited by BLUEKNIGHT911; 08-29-2015 at 02:15 PM.

  7. #7
    Very Active Member ARtraveler's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Orange Spyder Man View Post
    I had a 2006 GoldWing... the audio was great... a riding buddy had a 2009 HD Ultra... audio system was great... the 2014 Spyder I presently own the audio sucks... evidently BRP shopped the cheapest audio systems and same for their OEM tires... oh I almost forgot ... the horn sounds like a bicycle horn

    osm
    And...I will add a "meep, meep" to that.
    Last edited by ARtraveler; 02-22-2017 at 06:33 PM.

    Currently Owned: 2019 F3 Limited, 2020 F3 Limited: SOLD BOTH LIMITEDS in October of 2023.

    Previously : 2008 GS-SM5 (silver), 2009 RS-SE5 (red), 2010 RT-S Premier Editon #474 (black) 2011 RT A&C SE5 (magnesium) 2014 RTS-SE6 (yellow)

    MY FINAL TALLY: 7 Spyders, 15 years, 205,500 miles

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    Quote Originally Posted by Orange Spyder Man View Post
    I almost forgot ... the horn sounds like a bicycle horn

    osm
    That's why, the first farkle I placed on my RT-S was a Stebel Nautilus 139 DB horn!

    Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G890A using Tapatalk

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    Active Member JCWeatherman's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Buggy View Post
    I find the sound quality good for the context of what it is. A noisy environment, wind, engine noise and traffic make truly high end sound unattainable imho. I can here it loud and clear at highway speeds. If I want a high fidelity experience I will listen to my home rig. The speakers being a mechanical device require a break in period. The more you play them the better the will sound.

    Cheers
    The problem is that it doesn't even sound good when the ST is in my driveway and the engine is off!

  10. #10
    Active Member JCWeatherman's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Trbayth View Post
    Sound quality, especially for music, is not the greatest. You're better off picking up an older iPod off eBay and using the iPod cable. You want one with the older 30 pin connector, not the newer Lightning cable. There are adapters but it works better if you don't need an adapter.
    Thank for the advise. I'll ask my children which iPod I should buy.

  11. #11
    Active Member JCWeatherman's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by RBS66 View Post
    Welcome and hello from Morgantown PA. I have an RT and I use an IPod mostly. It sounds good. The radio is NOT as clear.
    I'm right down Rt. 10. See you on the road! I'll give the iPod a try.

  12. #12
    Very Active Member Pennyrick's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by JCWeatherman View Post
    Hi to All,
    I am new to Spyders. Two weeks ago I bought a 2013 ST Limited with 186 miles on it from a dealer in Lancaster County, PA. I love the bike, and I have put about 500 miles on it. My only complaint is about the radio. It is functional; I can scan for stations; I can store presets. The problem is the sound quality.

    Even when the ST isn't running, the radio sounds like crap.
    • Is this common?
    • Is this what I should expect from it?
    • Is there any way to improve the sound quality?


    Thanks for your help,
    John

    Playing with the bass and treble helps find a better sound. I find that in the six to seven range the sound improves but not for the radio that I never have been able to make sound right. I use my I Phone 6 or my I Pod classic for music when traveling.

    The external speakers suck!!! Running the Spyder system through a Sena Dongle into my Sena SPH10 headset gives me great stereo sound but it is still not as great as my old Gold Wing's system.
    Penny and Rick have owned many motorcycles starting in 1974 with Honda’s, then to Suzukis, Gold Wings and ultimately Spyders.
    ‘74 Honda 360T (pair); ‘78 Suzuki GS 1000 (pair); ‘’82 Honda Aspencade; ‘84 Honda 400; ‘87 Yamaha 1100; ‘99 Honda Valkyrie; ‘01 Suzuki Burgman(triked); ‘02 Honda GL 1800(triked); ‘10 Spyder RTSE; ‘11 Spyder RTSM; ‘12 Spyder RTSL (pair); ‘20 Spyder RTL (current)


  13. #13
    Active Member JCWeatherman's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Double Trouble View Post
    Playing with the bass and treble helps find a better sound. I find that in the six to seven range the sound improves but not for the radio that I never have been able to make sound right. I use my I Phone 6 or my I Pod classic for music when traveling.

    The external speakers suck!!! Running the Spyder system through a Sena Dongle into my Sena SPH10 headset gives me great stereo sound but it is still not as great as my old Gold Wing's system.
    I've tried tweeking the tone controls. Come Spring I'll be looking for Bluetooth headsets. They should make a difference, plus, my wife and I can talk while we ride.

  14. #14
    Active Member JCWeatherman's Avatar
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    Default Replace Speakers?

    Has anybody tried replacing the speakers? If so, what should I use?

  15. #15
    Very Active Member BLUEKNIGHT911's Avatar
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    Default SPEAKER REPLACEMENT

    Quote Originally Posted by JCWeatherman View Post
    Has anybody tried replacing the speakers? If so, what should I use?
    If you are going to SPYDERQUEST .....I have a pair that will make you smile .......Mike

  16. #16
    Very Active Member Bfromla's Avatar
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    Default Ryding a jukebox

    Fyi I use ipod 90% of time but my stock speakers work fine I do laps @ mall & stores during Christmas playing charlie brown holiday songs! Its a hoot& brings smiles to young & old . Worst is when I go to wheather radio lots of background static but can still hear broadcast info. (Thankfully dont need much)
    2013 STL , Stock Stock Black currant

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    Check antenna connections and I've had Satellite radio because local radio has gotten worse.


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    2021 F3 Ltd , Magna Red

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