GenVibe - Community for Pontiac Vibe Enthusiasts

My 2009 Vibe has the Sun and Sound package and Auxiliary input. We have noticed that the sound quality of the aux input (for example, when we plug in the mp3 player) is way worse than a CD or even the XM radio. I mean, extremely noticeably different- really tinny with no bass. I don't *think* it's the mp3s themselves, because they're all ripped by us at higher-than-itunes-quality (around 192kbps) and sound just fine anywhere else. I also don't think it's the mp3 player (we each have a Sansa Fuze). What I am trying to figure out now is whether it's our connector cable (it's just some generic random one right now) or if the aux input quality just isn't that great overall.Any feedback or other experiences?

Mine isn't great either.. On my iPod I turned on bass booster which seemed to help.. Have you tried that? You also might play around with the sound settings on the mp3 player.. but my CD also has WAY better sound then my aux does..

it is probably the cable. I have gone through a few of them some better than others. The connections are not that great on some which cause the poor sound quality.

I don't have that package but I did put in a new stereo with aux jack for my mp3(Sansa Clip).I just had to replace the cable because I was getting no sound from either Clip(I have two),but the cable works fine on my computer speakers.I got a new generic cable and it sounds great now.Are you sure you have the volume all the way up on your Fuse?I have to have it that way on my Clip and I really like the sound on my stock speakers even.Granted the CD player is a bit louder but not much.

It could be the DAC (Digital to Analog Converter) in the factory radio. I can understand the the Aux not sounding better then the CD. Try to put something on the Sansa in a loss-less format from a cd that you listen to regularly. The part I don't get is why the XMs sound quality is higher then the Sansa. I cant remember what kbps XM is streamed at but I know it isn't great and it is also channel dependent, meaning that the most listened to channels get a higher stream rate.Anyone know if the CD transport and the Aux input share the same DAC chip? A better cable will make some difference but shouldn't be a huge night and day difference as there shouldn't be that much signal loss in a 2-3ft cable. Also try to play with the volume on the Sansa, if the volume is cranked all the way up it could be sending a clipped signal to the Aux, though that would make it sound more distorted then tinny.AronQuote, originally posted by audiovibe »I can understand the the Aux not sounding better then the CD.Whoops I ment for it to come out as the Aux not sounding as good as the CD

Quote, originally posted by audiovibe »I can understand the the Aux not sounding better then the CD... The part I don't get is why the XMs sound quality is higher then the Sansa. Right, exactly why I thought it was weird. CDs are going to sound best, and XM sounds nearly as good (good enough for me, anyway) which is how I figured the mp3 player would sound... we've played with the volume and the different EQ settings on both the Vibe and the Sansa... it sounds hollow, tinny (you can hear it really bad in the cymbal crashes) and with no bass... like a bad sound file on bad speakers.

Sounds most likely like a bad cable if it isn't the aux in or Mp3 out... Have you tried another portable device plugged in to the Aux input? That should be your first step if not trying another cable. Also this may sound elementary, but make sure both ends of the cable are plugged in completely. Sometimes if your Mp3 player has a case or cover it can cause the plug not to seat completely. If that happens you will get the sound you are describing. A better cable could help but I don't think that it would make a night and day difference either, especially considering the sound limitations of a 3.5mm stereo cable to begin with. Just a couple things to think about. Hope you get it figured out! I've got an '09 without S&S and while I do notice a difference in aux quality it's not like you mentioned.

Quote, originally posted by BlueVibe09 »Sounds most likely like a bad cable if it isn't the aux in or Mp3 out... Have you tried another portable device plugged in to the Aux input? That should be your first step if not trying another cable. Also this may sound elementary, but make sure both ends of the cable are plugged in completely. Sometimes if your Mp3 player has a case or cover it can cause the plug not to seat completely. If that happens you will get the sound you are describing. A better cable could help but I don't think that it would make a night and day difference either, especially considering the sound limitations of a 3.5mm stereo cable to begin with. Just a couple things to think about. Hope you get it figured out! I've got an '09 without S&S and while I do notice a difference in aux quality it's not like you mentioned. Thanks! We have tried two different Sansa players (my husband and I each have one) and we're going to try a new cable anyway because we wanted to buy a retractable one. I am also going to hook up our mp3 player to some of our good speakers indoors and see if I notice a sound quality difference (I have so far only listened through earbud headphones which is a pretty different experience).If it's going to sound worse, then it's going to sound worse... it's just a pity to have the upgraded sound system and not be able to enjoy it with all of our music!

I'm also going to recommend a different cable...I use my Sansa Clip with the aux input all the time and it sounds pretty decent. Not as good as a CD or XM, but it's good enough to be enjoyable.

I would also have to say check the cable and get a new one. I can look at it if you want.

rip your mp3's to cd's and you will throw away your mp3 player! seems counter productive to have an AUX in that doesn't produce but I've found that the AUX in on my 09 Vibe and my Harley are not worth the trouble. It's not your cable, it's the head unit!! Search genvibe and you'll find that replacing the head unit is no walk in the park either.

Quote, originally posted by baggermanmcp »rip your mp3's to cd's and you will throw away your mp3 player! seems counter productive to have an AUX in that doesn't produce but I've found that the AUX in on my 09 Vibe and my Harley are not worth the trouble. It's not your cable, it's the head unit!! Search genvibe and you'll find that replacing the head unit is no walk in the park either.Ah ok, this is the sort of thing I was wondering. I actually rarely listen to the mp3 player in the car b/c I have XM and CDs, but I was just curious if the bad sound quality was because of me, or because of the AUX input itself.

Concerning the MP3 player's sound quality on the '09 aux input. Please check if you have an sound equalization mode in the MP3 player. You may be able to change EQ from Normal, Rock, Jazz, Classical, Talk, etc. Listen to how the music sounds with your earphones. With my cheap MP3 player, "normal" mode sounds the best with no distortion. Rock mode had a lot of distortion. Today I just try it in my '09 vibe and the music sounded clear and clean. However, with the MP3 volume up fully, I MUST also jack the car radio's volume up to near full!! This was just the second time I bothered to use the MP3 player in the car. Finally remember to lower the volume down before you remove the wire/plug. Or, you will blow your speakers out. Is anyone using an Apple Ipod and how does it sound? Does it have high output?