So, you hate Beats? I have an interesting read for you!

[Jaco2k]

I had a Seat Leon Cupra mk3 with Seat Sound system before and it was, IMHO, one of the best OEM systems I have heard in ANY car.


Like most, I was a bit disappointed with the Beats system in the Formentor...
....until today.


Yesterday I read in a different group a request from a fellow Formentor owner about disabling or coding off Beats to which someone replied "Code it to Fender instead cause it sounds better" - that sparked my interest, because I didn't know it was possible.
I started digging on it and it turns out that across the MQB-EVO platform, all the top tier audio options share the same HW (amp and speakers) and only the branding and DSP tuning change - ...excluding the RS3 Bang& Olufsen, but let's leave that aside.


So, this means that:
- Cupra Beats
- Skoda Canton
- VW Dynaudio/Harman Kardon/Fender
...are all the same and the only differences should be the DSP tuning, which I suppose will affect:
- EQ center frequencies
- Crossover points
- Compression


Now... I came across the instructions to code the different profiles on and after trying them all, I think Fender is way better sounding than Beats - the bass is more dry and clean, the mids are more detailed and the highs are less harsh, without the annoying high mid focus of Beats and a more musical and higher frequency focus.


Also, I tend to not use the Beats profile in the infotainment and use instead the second from top, but it is all up to taste.
I can share my settings (with the Fender profile coded via OBDeleven) tomorrow and you guys can judge by yourselves.


If all you are after is a boomy bass and loud, etc. you are perhaps better with the Beats profile, but if you want a little bit better overall sound quality, I strongly recommend trying Fender.


Also, I am near to ditch Spotify Premium because the sound quality is horrible.
Just to do some crosscheck I am temporarily using a cracked Tidal and Deezer free apps (so, the MINIMUM sound quality on both...) and they BOTH sound BETTER than my PAID (expensive....) Spotify Premium.


But hey, what you have all been waiting for, the instructions to code the different profiles - enjoy, try and report your findings under!

http://imgur.com/a/Swot9UC

 

[Wyld Stallyn]

Thanks for the tip Jaco, nice work

Will it sound Right for those of us without subs in the boot?

 

[Jaco2k]

Thanks for the tip Jaco, nice work

Will it sound Right for those of us without subs in the boot?

If you don't have a sub in the boot, you don't have the Beats system and therefore you don't have an amp/DSP so, this won't apply.

 

[Hamish]

Is there any confirmation the physical equipment in the Hybrid is different (except the sub)?

Curious as I recently picked mine up and was blown away by the sound quality for an OEM car with no sub. (I'm installing a small under-seat one to compensate)

I don't really care either way as what's in mine is easily good enough for me, more curious

 

[Jaco2k]

Is there any confirmation the physical equipment in the Hybrid is different (except the sub)?

Curious as I recently picked mine up and was blown away by the sound quality for an OEM car with no sub. (I'm installing a small under-seat one to compensate)

I don't really care either way as what's in mine is easily good enough for me, more curious

If you don't have a sub in the boot, you don't have the Beats system and therefore you don't have an amp/DSP so, this won't apply.

 

[Hamish]

I was more referring to the other speakers that aren't the sub. I'm aware it's not the "beats" system
Reading the OP it suggests that the hardware across the group is the same, was just curious really as there's no way I'm upgrading them.... I'm putting a small underseat sub to fill the lowers a little and that's me done

 

[Jaco2k]

This tweak is about the DSP settings on the Beats amp.

I don't know about the non-Beats systems but let's assume for the sake of conversation that the standard non-Beats system has the same speakers minus the amp/DSP and the subwoofer.

In that case, the amplification for the speakers would come straight from the head unit.

Given that these are DSP settings, the standard system lacks the actual hardware to make them.
There is no sound processing going on in the non-Beats system.

 

[Hamish]

All good, I wasn't expecting to be able to tweak it, understand the difference, was just curious as I was expecting a very sub par system but was pleasantly surprised upon delivery. Apologies for the thread derail