# Eos radio problems



## GWMotley (Dec 31, 2006)

I too, have had problems with the OEM radio's volume fading in and out. Already took it in for the software update. However, i still find that the bass effect booms then returns to normal at times. Also, can any of you tell me if the scrolling text really works? My radio will provide some info in a page format, but does not scoll. And, yes, I have set up the proper switch options on the radio panel.


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## grubber (Aug 19, 2006)

*Re: Eos radio problems (GWMotley)*

I still get the booming as well from time to time
and I did the software update as well


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## just4fun (Oct 29, 2006)

*Re: Eos radio problems (grubber)*

Do you have the Dynaudio or the standard audio system?
Kevin


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## Canadian Lurker (Nov 11, 2006)

*Re: Eos radio problems (grubber)*

I had the software update too, about two weeks ago. I used to have the bass seeming to be "over-boosted" and the treble seeming to be totally flattened. I had thought that both issues were totally cured, however, just last night the bass issue re-appeared briefly.








JJ


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## cistearns (Nov 8, 2006)

*Re: Eos radio problems (Canadian Lurker)*

I am also sometimes seeing the bass problem, but it is much more rare now that I have the software updates. I have the Dynaudio system.


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## mark_d_drake (Aug 17, 2006)

*Re: Eos radio problems (cistearns)*

So that 2.5 bay area EOS owners then


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## PanEuropean (Nov 3, 2001)

*Re: Eos radio problems (GWMotley)*


_Quote, originally posted by *GWMotley* »_...can any of you tell me if the scrolling text really works?

I think you are referring to RDBS (Radio Data Broadcast Service). Normally the display of dynamic text (scrolling text) is suppressed in North American vehicles, but the display of the 8 character static text is supported. There is more information about this subject here:
Sound System - Why don't I see dynamic updating of RDS/RBDS text? (North American problem only)
Sound System - Why don't the names of the AM stations appear, like the FM station names do?
These are Phaeton discussions, but the concepts carry over to all radios.
Michael


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## gilesrulz (Nov 2, 2006)

*Re: Eos radio problems (PanEuropean)*

Except that at least the Dynaudio radio (panasonic premium) has, both in the instruction manual, and on the radio a specific feature that is supposed to enable scrolling text. Although I have never gotten that particular function to work.


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## minnvw (Oct 16, 2006)

i have the premium radio , had the flash update few wks ago and so far so good, it works fine,, and no there is no scroll, not available


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## GWMotley (Dec 31, 2006)

Thanks everyone for the information, at least I know why the "scroll" doesn't work.


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## neweosowner (Nov 25, 2006)

*Re: Eos radio problems (Canadian Lurker)*

I'm no expert on the FM HiCut technology, but in reading through the technical bulletin it appears that they've "tuned" the technology, not disabled it. 
"Panasonic Premium Sound System Software level (0021) update to reduce/remove the current level of the FM Hicut in Panasonic radios."
http://forums.vwvortex.com/zerothread?id=2907580 
So when my radio finally gets flashed tomorrow, I expect to notice the problem less, but not have it completely eliminated. If anything...I'm glad to hear that it didn't (noticeably) reappear for a couple of weeks.


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## PanEuropean (Nov 3, 2001)

*Re: Eos radio problems (gilesrulz)*


_Quote, originally posted by *gilesrulz* »_Except that at least the Dynaudio radio (panasonic premium) has, both in the instruction manual, and on the radio a specific feature that is supposed to enable scrolling text. Although I have never gotten that particular function to work.

Hi Giles: 
That may be due to the radio stations in North America not fully supporting (or complying with) the RDBS standards for the implementation of dynamic - as opposed to static - text. The radio in my Phaeton supports dynamic text (I have a European radio unit in my car), but I have only seen one station in the USA that actually uses dynamic text. This was during a trip from Toronto to Florida and back a few months ago.
What many of the US radio stations do (in clear contravention of the RDBS standard) is to replace the static message content frequently - perhaps every 10 seconds - in order to give the effect of dynamic text. However, the FCC does not enforce conformity with the RDBS standard, so there is no sanction for doing this. The lack of enforcement of the standard may also be a good part of the reason why many broadcasters are reluctant to spend the money to implement RDBS services beyond just the 8 character static ID.
Michael


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## PanEuropean (Nov 3, 2001)

*Re: Eos radio problems (neweosowner)*


_Quote, originally posted by *neweosowner* »_So when my radio finally gets flashed tomorrow, I expect to notice the problem less, but not have it completely eliminated. 

Arylnn:
I think that in the geographic area you are in - prairie, basically - you won't have problems with FM reception after the update is applied. I believe that the problems tend to be associated with urban canyon areas where you get a lot of FM multipath reflection. That is not too likely in Alberta, with the possible exception of a few streets in downtown Calgary.
Michael


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## gilesrulz (Nov 2, 2006)

*Re: Eos radio problems (PanEuropean)*

While the TSB seems to indicate otherwise, it is my belief that the bass issues with this radio have nothing to do with radio reception. 
The reason I can say this with the utmost certainty, is that I don't listen to AM or FM radio. I listen to Sat radio, but the reception dynamics are very different than those of standard radio. The issue also pops up whether I'm listening to Sat radio, the CD, or my iPod. I think the TSB actually addresses a different problem than the one we're presenting, but it reduces the frequecy of occurances enough that the engineers thought they had this problem licked as well.


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## PanEuropean (Nov 3, 2001)

*Re: Eos radio problems (gilesrulz)*

That is an interesting thought.
I know that some of the Eos technical support team members at VW lurk here on the forum, I am sure that they will appreciate you sharing that information.
Just out of curiosity, what are the 'settings' that you use for bass and treble (as well as any other settings that might be specific to the fancy Eos radio) when you encounter the bass problem? Maybe there might be a clue there.
Michael


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## gilesrulz (Nov 2, 2006)

*Re: Eos radio problems (PanEuropean)*

There really aren't any setting per se for bass and treble, just small knobs for adjustment. The only setting that anyone has related to the problem, is the setting that adjusts the radio volume according to how fast you are driving. 
It has occured to me, however, this may be a 'smart' function gone awry. When you let the top down on a convertable, your bass literally goes out the window. If there is a function in the car that tells the radio to goose the bass in response to the roof going down, that may be the culprit.


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## neweosowner (Nov 25, 2006)

*Re: Eos radio problems (PanEuropean)*

While your analysis is almost correct, I have a special hiding place in Edmonton that acts as home. I'm in the River Valley just south of downtown, and I can reproduce the problem at-will driving down a 11% grade hill to reach "civilization". Otherwise, the problem is rather infrequent and will hopefully almost disappear once the upgrade gets applied.
Now why my dealership doesn't have the CD to perform the upgrade three months after its release is a puzzle to me. I'll find out in about 15 minutes what comments the dealership has this afternoon....
P.S. - Great thing about living at the bottom of the hill is that my street is the first in the city to get sanded/graded.


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## PanEuropean (Nov 3, 2001)

*Re: Eos radio problems (gilesrulz)*


_Quote, originally posted by *gilesrulz* »_The only setting that anyone has related to the problem, is the setting that adjusts the radio volume according to how fast you are driving. 

That function - GALA, or speed adjusted volume - will be innocent. All it does is slightly goose or turn down the volume based on speed increase. But, you raise an interesting thought. Perhaps try turning the GALA off for a few days, and see if your 'bass' concern goes away. What might be happening - this is a guess, strictly a guess - is that you may be noticing a sudden increase in the presence of the bass as a result of the GALA goosing up the overall volume. Give it a try (turning GALA off for a while) anyway, just to eliminate one more variable.
Another variable you might want to look at is whether you notice the bass problem with/without windows up, with/without the sunroof open. Both of these configuration changes will make a big impact on the sound characteristics of the cabin.

_Quote, originally posted by *gilesrulz* »_ When you let the top down on a convert able, your bass literally goes out the window. If there is a function in the car that tells the radio to goose the bass in response to the roof going down, that may be the culprit.

I doubt very much if the car adjusts bass or treble functions as a result of vehicle configuration changes (roof up or down). To get any significant improvement in sound as a result of taking away the 'closed box' environment that cars normally have, VW would have had to provide a Digital Signal Processor (DSP). I have one of these in my Phaeton, which has the high-end sound system with DSP, and it was a $1,000 option. It works great, I can make the car sound like a concert hall, an outdoor bandshell, whatever - but the DSP needs 12 different audio channels, not to mention 12 different speakers to pull this trick off.
Michael


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## neweosowner (Nov 25, 2006)

*Re: Eos radio problems (PanEuropean)*


_Quote, originally posted by *PanEuropean* »_Perhaps try turning the GALA off for a few days, and see if your 'bass' concern goes away. What might be happening - this is a guess, strictly a guess - is that you may be noticing a sudden increase in the presence of the bass as a result of the GALA goosing up the overall volume. Give it a try (turning GALA off for a while) anyway, just to eliminate one more variable.


I tried that, and it did not change the problem observed w/ the apparent increase in bass. I also turned it back on (two months later







) to see if it affected CD play - it hasn't so far.


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## WolfinPR (Aug 18, 2006)

*Re: Eos radio problems (GWMotley)*

I have had Sirius radio in other cars as well as home units and they seem to support the scrolling text. I don't know why my NAV unit will not scroll the text. The sound systems also sounds a bit hollow and tinny. I have been trying to adjust the treble, mid-level and bass but it doesn't seem to make much difference.
I am really disappoint with this NAV / Radio unit.
a) No Scrolling test, even though it has it as an option
b) No tune info for VW installed ipod adapters
c) Why no touch screen for control of the unit?
d) Dynaudio was supposed to be installed and wasn't


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## sydeos (Dec 30, 2006)

*Re: Eos radio problems (PanEuropean)*


_Quote, originally posted by *PanEuropean* »_
I doubt very much if the car adjusts bass or treble functions as a result of vehicle configuration changes (roof up or down). To get any significant improvement in sound as a result of taking away the 'closed box' environment that cars normally have, VW would have had to provide a Digital Signal Processor (DSP). I have one of these in my Phaeton, which has the high-end sound system with DSP, and it was a $1,000 option. It works great, I can make the car sound like a concert hall, an outdoor bandshell, whatever - but the DSP needs 12 different audio channels, not to mention 12 different speakers to pull this trick off.
Michael


I quote from the information on the Dynaudio website for the VW Eos -
"Open Air Sound. 
The Dynaudio engineers were closely involved from the earliest development stages of the Eos to ensure perfect interior integration of all loudspeakers. The discreet Dynaudio badges are the only visible clues that the Eos is fitted with something special. 
By intelligent use of Digital Signal Processing (DSP), the Dynaudio Sound System is tailored perfectly to suit either situation without requiring changes to any of the settings of the system."
So it would appear that the Dynaudio option provides this feature, however with only 10 speakers as against the 12 in your Phaeton.








The url for the site is - 
http://www.dynaudio.com/eng/auto/eos.php


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## GWMotley (Dec 31, 2006)

I don't know if this applies, but, my home Yamaha system has a DSP and only requires 5 channels.


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## gilesrulz (Nov 2, 2006)

*Re: (GWMotley)*

If we're getting back into this discussion, I've noticed that the bass craziness only happens for me at slow speeds, say less that 15 mph, and usually when decelerating.
Also the car manual specifically say that it adjusts the sound for top up/down.


_Modified by gilesrulz at 7:50 PM 2-16-2007_


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## sydeos (Dec 30, 2006)

*Re: (GWMotley)*


_Quote, originally posted by *GWMotley* »_I don't know if this applies, but, my home Yamaha system has a DSP and only requires 5 channels.

You can have as many channels as you need but you need at least 1 speaker for each channel. Your home System has 5 channels -
1xCenter Front
1xLeft Front
1xRight Front
1xLeft Rear
1XRight Rear
The Dynaudio System System is a 10 Channel 10 Speaker system in both the Eos and Passat.


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## PanEuropean (Nov 3, 2001)

*Re: (sydeos)*

Leigh has the answer 'spot on'.
It's much easier to control sound in a residential sound system, because the acoustics of a square or rectangular room are so much simpler than the acoustics of an automobile interior.
VW has discovered that if they want to get really awesome sound from a vehicle sound system, they need to have one DSP processor channel available for each speaker - hence the 10 channel, 10 speaker Dynaudio system, or the 12 channel, 12 speaker DSP I have in my Phaeton.
Michael
*PS to Leigh:* I'm in the same industry as you, and we have another forum member from South Africa (Gunship) also in aviation - what do you fly?


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## sydeos (Dec 30, 2006)

*Re: (PanEuropean)*

Hey Michael
The current company vehicle is the B767-300 ..... has been for about 11 years before that the B747-300 for about 6 years. Prior to that I was in General Aviation, instructing in singles and light twins.


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## PanEuropean (Nov 3, 2001)

*Re: (sydeos)*

Hi Leigh:
Ah. I'm a de Havilland / Bombardier guy myself - wrote all the training manuals, checklists, etc. for the DHC-6, and have edited the AFM revisions and updates in the past. Now, I'm mostly aviation safety in 'lesser developed' regions (Africa, etc.), and a TRE in Europe.
Michael


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## Canadian Lurker (Nov 11, 2006)

*Re: (PanEuropean)*

So, I finally got around to loading up a bunch of MP3's onto CD and have been listening to CD instead of the Radio. Sure enough, twice now in the past couple of days I've had the dramatic bass over-boost issue kick in. Once with windows down and sunroof open and just today with the top down. Both times I was listening to a CD and not the radio.
My strong suspicion now is that this is not with the hi-cut on the tuner/antenna side of things but rather must have something to do with the speed volume control. Is it strictly related to vehicle speed or is it able to detect ambient noise? If it reacting to ambient noise then in a more open environment it might be more likely to get confused and over-react? Either way, I think that it is not a reception issue.
Anyone else?








JJ


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## chocoholic_too (Jan 2, 2007)

*Re: (Canadian Lurker)*

I just got my EOS yesterday and it was built in March. Today going about 70 mph on the highway when I noticed this thing with the bass going crazy. I was listening to SAT radio and the same song changed suddenly when I was going fast. I tried turning down the bass and raising the trebble but nothing changed.
Then I reached my exit as the same song was still playing and as I slowed down to a stop the bass went normal again. 
I had the top up as it was raining and I also do not have the Dynaudio.
If it was a software update problem I would think with a built date of 3/8/07 it shouldn't still be an issue if in fact it was software related?


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## minnvw (Oct 16, 2006)

choc, mine did that too, could be a radio they built with mine? take it to the dealer they do a " flash" on it, takes 5 mins, doug


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## solarflare (Mar 28, 2007)

*Re: (chocoholic_too)*

My radio does this too! I have the upgraded radio that comes with the Lux Option. I thought it was my imagination. It doesn't do this much, I think I noticed it twice. The last time I was sitting in my driveway, top up, listening to SAT so I don't think it's a speed thing. 
Is this a Panasonic radio? I notice there is no VW symbol on the radio. I find the speed adaptive volume not as good as in my previous Passat. I have the sensitivity set to 3 and still find myself adjusting the volume with vehicle speed which I never had to with the Passat. I also notice that the radio doesn't remember the volume level for each source like the Passat did. That's a nice feature to have. However, the sound from this radio blows away the sound from the radio in the Passat. In fact, this is the best sounding stock radio that I've ever owned!


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## Timokreon (Nov 13, 2006)

*Re: (solarflare)*

I've also had this problem, mainly listening to CD's. I'll be driving along, and BOOM, talking about bass








As for speed sensitive settings? I haven't a clue if I have this enabled or not. How does one check for this, and how does one change the settings?
Thanks all,


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## jgermuga (Jan 11, 2007)

*Re: (Timokreon)*

Press and hold down the tuning knob on the right hand side of the radio. After a few seconds, some menu options will come up. The owners manual will give you a run down of what all the options do.


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## Canadian Lurker (Nov 11, 2006)

*Re: (minnvw)*

Mine had a flash update about 3 moths ago and the recent build dates quoted above it sounds like they still haven't got it all figured out.








At least it doesn't happen as often as when I first got it.








JJ


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