CarPlay Update - Post Dealership Info

[Gandalfthegrey]

Hey all, I know there have been a few threads on this damn CarPlay issue with GM but I through my hands up yesterday and called my sales guy, and neighbor, and told him I'm bringing my truck in. There should be no reason that my BOSE system sounds like shit and a BRAND new truck sounds worse, clarity wise, then a 3 year old Tahoe - which my wife has. The sound quality is terrible.

Fast forward to meeting with the service tech, who was great, asking me to come out to where my truck was in the bays and asking me to connect to my truck. We turned on some tunes and immediately he gave me the looks of "yeeeppppp" and I knew something was up. He walked me to his ZR2, which is a 23, we connected my phone to his truck and it sounds the exact same - washed out, no mids/bass or really anything outside of what a phone sounds like on speaker phone.

THEN I walk over to my neighbor and tell him what's going on to which he walks me to his 25 2500HD Trail Boss (with standard speakers-not BOSE) and we connect my phone into his and its sounds GREAT! WTAF!

Long story as short as I can because I'm pissed is that GM has known of this issue for years! Looks like they have the means to fix it but they won't throw an update out or whatever. The service tech doesn't care for CarPlay or Android Auto so he doesn't care too much. I care because well....I do...And I like music and all those things.

God dammit I'm pissed. I know it's not the dealerships fault so I don't want to throw them any grief but what can be done? Ive done all recommended resets/ reboots/ disconnects / forgets and what the hells.

80k for a damn cellphone speaker phone is not a good look.

 

[KLA]

I agree with you 100%. My ZR2s Bose system sounds terrible. And I don't think we can blame it all on Bose. My wife's 2024 Hyundai Santa Fe Caligraphy Edition has a Bose system and it sounds great. Better than the Harmon Kardon system in her older 2022 Santa Fe. I just don't know why the Bose system in our trucks sound so bad.

 

[Gandalfthegrey]

I agree with you 100%. My ZR2s Bose system sounds terrible. And I don't think we can blame it all on Bose. My wife's 2024 Hyundai Santa Fe Caligraphy Edition has a Bose system and it sounds great. Better than the Harmon Kardon system in her older 2022 Santa Fe. I just don't know why the Bose system in our trucks sound so bad.

It's the communications between CarPlay/android auto and GM. Because they have an android(google)OS I feel they want us all the merge everything to their platform. IDK. Its bullshit.

 

[AXE]

Same experience i have! My 22 ZR2 is just ok sound, but missing decent bass. My wife's 23 Tahoe HC sounds pretty good, but it has a center channel speaker. My 24 2500HD ZR2 sounds pretty good and bass is noticeably better. I mostly listen to SiriusXM, which I think sounds better than my Android auto in all three vehicles. My wife listens to Apple Car play and it seems OK to me.

As far as I know it's all the same head units and speakers. I sort of think there are some bad subs or amps in some trucks. Maybe bad wires or connections.

 

[geddyflea]

The stereo in my 22 sounded like crap. I listen to all of my music on Amazon Music through Android Auto on my phone (Galaxy S20 Ultra but this should work on Apple phones / CarPlay too), not the Amazon Music version native to the truck. I use the EQ on my phone to kind of get the sound I want. It's not perfect, but a lot better. I've attached a screen shot of my EQ curve if anyone would like to give it a shot to see if it helps. I also use the phone setting to boost mid and high range sounds as well. In addition I've got the trucks EQ settings pegged at their highest levels.

 

[AXE]

The stereo in my 22 sounded like crap also. I listen to all of my music on Amazon Music through Android Auto on my phone (Galaxy S20 Ultra), not the Amazon Music version native to the truck. I use the EQ on my phone to kind of get the sound I want. It's not perfect, but a lot better. I've attached a screen shot of my EQ curve if anyone would like to give it a shot to see if it helps. I also use the phone setting to boost mid and high range sounds as well. In addition I've got the trucks EQ settings pegged at their highest levels.

You know if this can be done with the SiriusXM app on your phone?

 

[geddyflea]

You know if this can be done with the SiriusXM app on your phone?

It should work. It's kind of like using your phone as a Bluetooth connected equalizer.
It's a shame you have to use a work-a-round to make the stereo sound halfway decent, but I guess it is what it is.

 

[AXE]

It should work. It's kind of like using your phone as a Bluetooth connected equalizer.
It's a shame you have to use a work-a-round to make the stereo sound halfway decent, but I guess it is what it is.

I might give it a try, not sure it's something is use all the time, cause it would be a PIA to fire it up and charge channels.

 

[geddyflea]

I might give it a try, not sure it's something is use all the time, cause it would be a PIA to fire it up and charge channels.

It would be an absolute PIA using it with SiriusXM, I wouldn't blame you a bit for not using it. But, if you do try it, let me know what you think.

 

[Gandalfthegrey]

It would be an absolute PIA using it with SiriusXM, I wouldn't blame you a bit for not using it. But, if you do try it, let me know what you think.

If integrations are this difficult GM needs to own it and give us a fix. Plan and simple.

 

[geddyflea]

If integrations are this difficult GM needs to own it and give us a fix. Plan and simple.

Can't argue with that. This is just a work-a-round because Chevy isn't doing jack shit to fix it.

 

[pjwest67]

I agree it is a PIA but I just worked around CarPlay by turning it off and using Bluetooth setting. Since then the sound quality is better and I don’t have any of the random fade in and outs like I had before.

 

[geddyflea]

I agree it is a PIA but I just worked around CarPlay by turning it off and using Bluetooth setting. Since then the sound quality is better and I don’t have any of the random fade in and outs like I had before.

If you're using a music source from your phone and connecting to your truck with Bluetooth, your still using the phones EQ settings. Next time you are listening to something through Bluetooth mess with your EQ on the phone and listen to how the sound changes in the truck.

 

[Gandalfthegrey]

Update: Have been on the phone with GM for over an hour through there warranty department. I am being advised to have my local dealers service center write up a service report for what is wrong and have it filed away onto my VIN then call GM back through their warranty department and ask for a replacement. It sounds hopeful that they have something in the works for customers that are yelling...like me.