Radio is louder with engine off?
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Joined: Mar 2019
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From: PENNSYLVANIA
Radio is louder with engine off?
Anyone have an idea how to fix this? Or link to the posts on here about it. I have done several searches on here and came up with 1 post that does not say much about this issue. 2015 sgs. Factory radio. It kind of annoys me that the volume decreases when engine is started. Had I known this I would not have added an amp.
Road Warrior
Joined: Feb 2016
Posts: 1,354
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From: Vancouver, BC
Do you actually see a difference in the volume bars on the radio? If so that would indicate a different output level. If not it may just be the running flash bin file. It's well known that there are different EQ settings for when the bike is running and not but I've never heard that there was any difference in master output level between the stock bin files. Did you have the radio flashed when you added the amp? If so which flash?
Last edited by hamah; Apr 22, 2022 at 01:58 PM.
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From: High Point, NC.
Anyone have an idea how to fix this? Or link to the posts on here about it. I have done several searches on here and came up with 1 post that does not say much about this issue. 2015 sgs. Factory radio. It kind of annoys me that the volume decreases when engine is started. Had I known this I would not have added an amp.
Road Warrior
Joined: Feb 2016
Posts: 1,354
Likes: 399
From: Vancouver, BC
if any difference I think it would be louder with the bike running and the amp getting higher voltage. I know the stock off bin sounds much more dynamic than the stock on bin. I'm going to go out on a limb with a WAG but I bet it's not that it's less volume but just doesn't sound as "full" (almost like turning off the "Loud" button)
Last edited by hamah; Apr 22, 2022 at 01:47 PM.
Seasoned HDF Member
Joined: Jul 2017
Posts: 5,749
Likes: 1,603
From: High Point, NC.
if any difference I think it would be louder with the bike running and the amp getting higher voltage. I know the stock off bin sounds much more dynamic than the stock on bin. I'm going to go out on a limb with a WAG but I bet it's not that it's less volume but just doesn't sound as "full" (almost like turning off the "Loud" button)
Thread Starter
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Advanced
Joined: Mar 2019
Posts: 78
Likes: 5
From: PENNSYLVANIA
Do you actually see a difference in the volume bars on the radio? If so that would indicate a different output level. If not it may just be the running flash bin file. It's well known that there are different EQ settings for when the bike is running and not but I've never heard that there was any difference in master output level between the stock bin files. Did you have the radio flashed when you added the amp? If so which flash?
Thread Starter
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Advanced
Joined: Mar 2019
Posts: 78
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From: PENNSYLVANIA
Yes all gains were set using 1khz test tone, using a multimeter on outputs of amp.
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Thread Starter
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Joined: Mar 2019
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From: PENNSYLVANIA
if any difference I think it would be louder with the bike running and the amp getting higher voltage. I know the stock off bin sounds much more dynamic than the stock on bin. I'm going to go out on a limb with a WAG but I bet it's not that it's less volume but just doesn't sound as "full" (almost like turning off the "Loud" button)
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Road Warrior
Joined: Feb 2016
Posts: 1,354
Likes: 399
From: Vancouver, BC
As the volume bars (master volume) don't change I'm almost certain what you are experiencing is simply the difference in bin files being loaded by the radio. Yes, generally speaking, you do want to flash the HU if adding aftermarket amps and that will help with this issue. There are a number of flashes that are good (RF, Harley 8 speaker/2 amp are 2 of the most popular used here). The radio is on the CAN bus and that's how it knows which bin file to load. No, there is no wire to cut to get around this. No, aftermarket HUs do not do the same thing as they are not on the CAN bus and flashed in that manner.
You could do some reading on this issue but you aren't seeing lower voltages across the board with the motor running. You are seeing attenuation in certain frequency bands. Supposedly this is to protect the audio system from blowing speakers when you crank up the volume at highway speed. IMO it's more likely that this is to make the crap stock Boom! audio system sound as good as possible when standing still. There is really not much you can do to make it sound great under speed. Some people will disagree and are perfectly happy with the stock audio system so there you go (but they don't typically hang out on this forum for obvious reasons).
You could do some reading on this issue but you aren't seeing lower voltages across the board with the motor running. You are seeing attenuation in certain frequency bands. Supposedly this is to protect the audio system from blowing speakers when you crank up the volume at highway speed. IMO it's more likely that this is to make the crap stock Boom! audio system sound as good as possible when standing still. There is really not much you can do to make it sound great under speed. Some people will disagree and are perfectly happy with the stock audio system so there you go (but they don't typically hang out on this forum for obvious reasons).
Last edited by hamah; Apr 22, 2022 at 05:52 PM.