Active Sound - pretentious frivolity or must-have enhancement?

[Royston]

I saw this post about the active sound enhancement on a BMW M135i, whereby the engine sound is amplified into the cabin via the car's audio system.

You can certainly tell the difference in the videos. For me, the sound of the engine is part of the driving experience, and I welcome technology like this. In fact I'd go so far as saying it would be even better if you could control the sound of the engine depending on your type of journey. A blat through the countryside on a Sunday morning - engine sound turned up to 11.

Long journey to Cornwall with kids in the back - engine turned down to 2.

Or even Fabia Mk 1 vRS with the sound of an Aston Martin AMV8 piped into the cabin. Everyones's a winner!

http://f20.1addicts.com/forums/showthread.php?t=786318

[TriggerFish]

I saw this on another site and there were comparing a few different systems and how they work.

One of the simplest worse Porches' where there's essentially a hole in the bulkhead or something!

Wish I had this though - wouldn't have to but up with such a tedious noise! That said, if I had a car with a decent engine noise I wouldn't want it to be electronically replicated - I'd rather it was the original note amplified (like the Porsche system).

Found it! http://www.caranddriver.com/features/faking-it-engine-sound-enhancement-explained-tech-dept

[grr666]

The S3 sounds a bit crap unless you are really thrashing it.

It has a valve in the left exhaust pipe that is closed until you are

in the 4k upwards zone.

Pics nicked from Audisport

Here's the flap.

Here's the lever that moves it.

And here's the pikey mod to keep it permanently open

The mod apparently makes the car louder at lower revs.

I'm thinking of getting mine Milltek'd up instead.

No flap on one of those

[J18VRS]

Jaguars and landrovers use some fancy pipework that comes from the intake and is piped to a baffle on the bulkhead that kicks in when giving it the old heavy right foot treatment.

[@Lee]

Wind window down, turn stereo off. Press accelerator pedal, job done.

[J18VRS]

HA thats much easier wonder why car companies spend thousands on doing it a difficult way

[Scribbler]

I prefer the induction noise to the exhaust, i'd be happy to have no burble from the exhaust and just have the wraspy roar of the engine sucking air in . Not so nice in the diesel but the petrol one sounds good seeing as ive replaced the oem filter with a foam one. Best noise ever was on one of my cliosports which had an enclosed Pipercross Viper sounded raw begged you to use the full rev range. I don't agree with the electronic amplification though its the same principle as women and padded bra's its false advertising.

[Royston]

I agree with the induction noise, I used to have a carbon fibre induction pipe on my old Octy mk 1 with a dump valve. I was forever racing round meadowhall underground carpark with the windows down. Vvvvrooom Tschhhh etc.

The flap that Grr666 posted up is very similar to the sytem used by the Aston Martin AMV8, sounds like thunder when the accelerator pedal is buried.

[RobClubley]

I love the turbo whistle, dump noises my car makes, but the exhaust sounds awesome when pressing on!

But it would be nice to be able to make it temporarily quieter sometimes.

[J18VRS]

most high performance modern cars have both now induction and exhaust enhancement

[J18VRS]

mothing can beat the noise of a superchager whine tho

[Royston]

I disagree. The supercharger makes a sound like KITT off Knightrider. Give me a naturally aspirated V8 every time.

[J18VRS]

dont get me wrong an aston or ferrari sound amazing to be fair if it has a nice tuned exhaust prety much any car can sound awesome whithin reason a 1.2 corsa with a big bore anint going to

win any competions

[silver1011]

You all need one of these

http://www.soundracer.se/?p=98

[Dark_Hero]

I once saw a pimp my ride where they fitted a sound box which played various performance cars when you accelerated

[Soot1e]

You all need one of these

http://www.soundracer.se/?p=98

I would have one but no lighter socket in the Westy, actually no stereo either and if I did have one I wouldn't hear it over he induction noise.

[trebormint]

The new Seat Leon 2.0tdi has a speaker that alters the engine note being played into the cabin!

So you can pretend to be in a golf gti apparently!

[Jockdooshbag]

I was kinda hoping there would be an electronic gizmo to make your diesel sound like a V8. At least inside the cabin anyway. Man i would love that.

I remember in my old ford escourt the radio sometimes would play up or pick up interference or whatever it was but when you revved it up the distortion on the radio amplified it somehow. From memory i think we had to tune the radio to a station with nothing but white noise but im still not sure how it was possible to mimick and respond to the revs.

It was this phenomenon that started me longing for a trick soundtrack option that you could play through the car stereo but have it linked to the throttle. You could select V6, V6, supercharger or whatever you liked.

Not quite on topic im afraid but this thread reminded me of this old escourt. Great fun.

[ScoobyChris]

It was this phenomenon that started me longing for a trick soundtrack option that you could play through the car stereo but have it linked to the throttle. You could select V6, V6, supercharger or whatever you liked.

No personal experience, but I did stumble across this the other day on the Android market -> https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.tfiver.obd2sound&hl=en

Chris

[grr666]

You all need one of these

http://www.soundracer.se/?p=98

Sod it... I'm getting one for my Kangoo Lololol.

[Jockdooshbag]

No personal experience, but I did stumble across this the other day on the Android market -> https://play.google....obd2sound&hl=en

Chris

Oh my god im getting it. Do i need to plug it into the OBD port though while driving?? Hope not.

[Jockdooshbag]

Oh my god im getting it. Do i need to plug it into the OBD port though while driving?? Hope not.

Just read the reviews seems i need an obd port bluetooth adapter. Amazon have some for under a tenner. Cant wait.

[Jockdooshbag]

Order placed at amazon for OBD port bluetooth adapter. Delivery estimate is Thursday. If this works i will be amazed but very happy. Diesel economy with V8 soundtrack - i have only been waiting nearly 22 years for this so its about time.

[ScoobyChris]

Order placed at amazon for OBD port bluetooth adapter. Delivery estimate is Thursday. If this works i will be amazed but very happy. Diesel economy with V8 soundtrack - i have only been waiting nearly 22 years for this so its about time.

Will be interested to hear how you get on with it, although more for the novelty than using it regularly. Just hope they apply a multiplier to the diesel rev range when they map it to the petrol sound

Btw, once you get your OBD adapter, you might also want to download the Torque app too...

Chris

[Jockdooshbag]

Will be interested to hear how you get on with it, although more for the novelty than using it regularly. Just hope they apply a multiplier to the diesel rev range when they map it to the petrol sound

Btw, once you get your OBD adapter, you might also want to download the Torque app too...

Chris

Im trying not to get my hopes up too much but id be lying if i said i wasnt a wee bit excited.

The fact that the radio cant be on means it will be only used on rare occasions. I'll probably hook it up when i have mates in the car but wont tell them what ive done. Ill merely explain that it is a VRS after all so what were they expecting.