2018 RT AUDIO SYSTEM SUCKS!!!

[Bob Denman]

You're conflating two issue: sound quality... and usage of the system! :banghead:
The sound quality is actually pretty darn good: the best that I've had in any of my three Spyders! :thumbup:
It's just that when it comes time to try and use the effing thing...

 

[rays hell]

Radio

My 16 F3T will play MP3 music from the Lightning cable and show it on the dash, but quit playing Spotify. I now have to use the aux input cable for audio and Lighning cable to charge my phone. Tried it on a 17 model and had the same results.

 

[Bob Denman]

It's obvious: this system was designed by the same moron who has kept the rear wheel valve stem right underneath the drive pulley! :banghead:

 

[Ride2GetHigh]

The Goldwing has been around for almost 40 years whereas the Spyder is only 11. The first sound system in the Goldwing was made by Clarion and was modular. Had to plug a headset in to work intercom and CB.

The 2018 spyders with new dash is much the same as the new Goldwing as there are quirks with both. GPS is built-in to the phone instead of in the bike which shows up in the dash. The phone's standard music app can play your music or a radio into the headset or speakers. The FM and AUX can only play through the speakers. (hoping this gets changed) Updating Genius Maps is auto on your phone, not sure how the map data will update on the new Goldwing.

I made a video on how to set the radio presets. I mostly listen to my music or iTunes Radio. I have to mute Genius Maps so it doesn't screw up the music. I have to start Rever before trying to open it on the bike. FOBO and Accuweather work great.

WoW that works. Where did you find that info and thanks so much for posting it. Now to get the BT on the bike to send to the BT on the helmet. They are connected but what good is that if there isn't any audio passed from the radio to the helmet.
Ride Easy........

 

[Ride2GetHigh]

1. You can only Auto Config Presets what ever it hears. Not true. Go to the FM tuning screen.
2. NO AM mode That's true. Very few use it anyway.
3. Can't put in manually a station that doesn't come up auto config. Not true. Go to the FM tuning screen.
4. No manual tuning across the band. Not true. Go to the FM tuning screen.
5. Have to Auto Config every 50 miles or so for a new set of stations and can't do it while heading down the road. Have to stop. Just do a long left or right joystick press to scan for another station. From the main screen.

From the video posted above yes your are correct. Where does that info come from? Not in the manual and I've done a lot of digging on the web site never seeing it.

Still want to know what good connecting the BT on my helmet to the BT on the bike is good for. The dash shows it's connected (Sena SMH5) and an icon of the helmet at the bottom. But where is the audio???
Thanks.....

 

[billybovine]

From the video posted above yes your are correct. Where does that info come from? Not in the manual and I've done a lot of digging on the web site never seeing it.

Still want to know what good connecting the BT on my helmet to the BT on the bike is good for. The dash shows it's connected (Sena SMH5) and an icon of the helmet at the bottom. But where is the audio???
Thanks.....

You are missing the visual clues that they are showing you on the screen.


On the right shows you the choice of function buttons by the joystick. Take note that some of them have an orange shading. Giving them a 3D look. The up volume button does not. That's telling you there is only one function on that button and that is to raise the volume. Now notice the volume down button. It has the orange 3D shading. That is telling you it has 2 functions. Short press lowers the volume. Long press mutes the audio. But it is case specific. If the audio is muted. Then the volume up will have the orange 3D shading. Giving you the clue that it now has the function to unmute with a long press. This is similar to older Spyders except they used a single or double chevron symbols that where more obvious. So back to the initial problem of tuning the FM presets. Notice the center button has the orange shading. Telling you it has a second function. But that is a mystery until you try it or someone posts it on Spyderlovers. :shocked:

Yes I agree it sucks that you can't BT the radio or aux inputs to the helmet headset.

 

[Ride2GetHigh]

You are missing the visual clues that they are showing you on the screen.
View attachment 163294

On the right shows you the choice of function buttons by the joystick. Take note that some of them have an orange shading. Giving them a 3D look. The up volume button does not. That's telling you there is only one function on that button and that is to raise the volume. Now notice the volume down button. It has the orange 3D shading. That is telling you it has 2 functions. Short press lowers the volume. Long press mutes the audio. But it is case specific. If the audio is muted. Then the volume up will have the orange 3D shading. Giving you the clue that it now has the function to unmute with a long press. This is similar to older Spyders except they used a single or double chevron symbols that where more obvious. So back to the initial problem of tuning the FM presets. Notice the center button has the orange shading. Telling you it has a second function. But that is a mystery until you try it or someone posts it on Spyderlovers. :shocked:

Yes I agree it sucks that you can't BT the radio or aux inputs to the helmet headset.

Thanks for that great tutorial on the way the radio system works. Why isn't this all in the manual or easy to find on the web site?? Burp...I mean BRP.....

 

[pauly1]

My 16 F3T will play MP3 music from the Lightning cable and show it on the dash, but quit playing Spotify. I now have to use the aux input cable for audio and Lighning cable to charge my phone. Tried it on a 17 model and had the same results.

The 2018's are different. So is the ability to use an Android-based phone.

 

[Flamewinger]

From the video posted above yes your are correct. Where does that info come from? Not in the manual and I've done a lot of digging on the web site never seeing it.

Still want to know what good connecting the BT on my helmet to the BT on the bike is good for. The dash shows it's connected (Sena SMH5) and an icon of the helmet at the bottom. But where is the audio???
Thanks.....

The BT is so you can hear the phone music and use the phone to make/receive calls. I doubt you would be able to distinguish Genius maps directions through the speakers so it’s good to have the BT for everything except FM and Aux. (hopefully that will change as the option is there)

 

[rvanbeek]

@billybovine Thanks for the great tutorial about the FM Radio. Why BRP keeps directions for operation so secret is beyond me. There was a heat problem with the 2013 models of rt and my wife had one of those that burned her leg on the right side. After enough complaints BRP fixed the problem. No FM bluetooth is not a major issue but it was one of the reasons that I made the decision to purchase the 2018 model. Right now my phone is connected, and my head phones have built in FM so I listen to that. Phone also has access to iheartradio, and xmsat so I can listen to that. The Spyder FM remains off because I can't hear it while riding above 50 mph.

 

[Seattle]

Audio output issues

Has anyone specifically only with the '18 model Spyder's (RT or F3's) that utilises the new digital display cluster notice if:
1) ALL their speakers clip on music's bass points, even while at low volume
2) the radio signal seems to have a harder time locking onto a station signal or is quite staticky and
3) volume output has to be turned up nearly 80%+ in order to hear it at speeds above 50mph/80kph?

I compared my '18 F3 LTD radio volume output against a 2017 F3-LTD. On the 2017 I set the volume output (tuned to the same radio station AND using a music streaming device playing the same song) at 30% and then adjusted the 2018 to an equal level output. My Spyder had to be set at 60% to be equal to the 2017. I've tried this also with the 2018 models with my dealer's new floor models against the 2017's and reproduced the same results.

Why would BRP reduce the volume output so significantly for the newly designed 2018 digital display Spyders' where we need to crank the volume output up so high? I've noticed even the bass and mid-range tones in the new models are no where as rich and deep as it was in the former Spyder model year sound systems. BRP has told my dealer they have no intentions of fixing this issue.

 

[billybovine]

Has anyone specifically only with the '18 model Spyder's (RT or F3's) that utilises the new digital display cluster notice if:
1) ALL their speakers clip on music's bass points, even while at low volume
2) the radio signal seems to have a harder time locking onto a station signal or is quite staticky and
3) volume output has to be turned up nearly 80%+ in order to hear it at speeds above 50mph/80kph?

I compared my '18 F3 LTD radio volume output against a 2017 F3-LTD. On the 2017 I set the volume output (tuned to the same radio station AND using a music streaming device playing the same song) at 30% and then adjusted the 2018 to an equal level output. My Spyder had to be set at 60% to be equal to the 2017. I've tried this also with the 2018 models with my dealer's new floor models against the 2017's and reproduced the same results.

Why would BRP reduce the volume output so significantly for the newly designed 2018 digital display Spyders' where we need to crank the volume output up so high? I've noticed even the bass and mid-range tones in the new models are no where as rich and deep as it was in the former Spyder model year sound systems. BRP has told my dealer they have no intentions of fixing this issue.

Audio sound quality issues seems to be with the FM radio. At least with mine. The actual audio from the speakers is far superior than the ST I traded off. Using BT audio from my phone is great. I can hear it very well traveling down the road at speed. But the wind direction and speed can make a difference. FM very different. Sitting in the garage without the engine running it sounds great to me. But at times just starting the engine will kill the FM reception. Traveling down the road no volume, bad reception. It just sucks. To my amusement the other day I found out that if I remove the antenna. The radio reception is not any different. Coming up on my first service. So I will have the dealer look into that.

 

[Easy Rider]

BRP has told my dealer they have no intentions of fixing this issue.

Two out of 3 of your symptoms sounds like a very low signal level.......like the antenna isn't connected properly.
But you aren't the first one to complain about it......and likely won't be the last.

I wonder if ANYBODY who has an '18 model has a good working radio ?? Somehow I doubt it.

 

[stmike 1800]

^^^^ my radio sucks also ,if the wife holds the antenna the radio is better, but she will not run beside the bike .

 

[Kentucky Mark]

Same here. Can’t hear it or the navagation instructions on the highway. That is, if the navigation works but that is another thread. Has anyone installed an amplifier on their system?

 

[Seattle]

2018 Audio Signal Weak & Low Volume Output

It appears there may be more of us with the new digital display in 2018 model years that suffer these issues I've addressed in my original post. We can be only the few who has noticed this so how do we get BRP to consider addressing these audio problems other than having a multitude of owners pestering the dealers to pass it along?

Can the amplifier be upgraded with the existing electronics? Can the speakers popping/clipping be related to the antenna connection which also causes the very weak radio reception?

 

[kevin_from_ny]

No AM Mode??

1. You can only Auto Config Presets what ever it hears. Not true. Go to the FM tuning screen.
2. NO AM mode That's true. Very few use it anyway.
3. Can't put in manually a station that doesn't come up auto config. Not true. Go to the FM tuning screen.
4. No manual tuning across the band. Not true. Go to the FM tuning screen.
5. Have to Auto Config every 50 miles or so for a new set of stations and can't do it while heading down the road. Have to stop. Just do a long left or right joystick press to scan for another station. From the main screen.

I dont own a spyder yet but tried one out today and going back tomorrow to try it again. You said No am mode...does this mean theres no AM Radio just FM radio??

 

[Seattle]

No AM Radio

I dont own a spyder yet but tried one out today and going back tomorrow to try it again. You said No am mode...does this mean theres no AM Radio just FM radio??

Only FM band.

 

[jlc41]

Radio

Or you could do what I did with my 2018 RTL, install a Sirius XM radio. It works great...
​

Did you have any fitment problems???

Joe

 

[QuadRAGIN]

This is a game changer for me. I figured BRP Connect would be similar to Apple CarPlay running apple or google maps with Spotify streaming in the back ground like most vehicles since 2016, and Indian and Harley... bummer
Looks like I’ll be shopping for a 2017 and a handlebar phone mount