Roadster volume control

No, the JVC doesn't adjust music volume based on anything - it's annoying, I'm constantly fiddling with the volume between the freeway and city streets (especially when the navigation side of things has a speed-based volume adjust!). I haven't noticed any strange volume happenings. Note that if you've got MP3s at different levels, but had iTunes 'sound check' them into level, the JVC does not pay attention to that - it's just a piece of metadata held in the IDv2.x tags.

(I've been intended to re-rip my collection using Media Monkey into FLAC w/ volume leveling at the rip point and get away from using the nasty iTunes as the center of my collection - tired of constantly having to re-fix messed up metadata).

Is there any new information on this unwanted volume change problem?

I have the JVC unit in my 1.5 and do not have the issue. Like others have said make sure navigation is turned off as it will mess with the volume.

2.0 w/JVC - no issue

Talk to Tesla Service - this is a known issue with some of the JVC amps. It sounds like you've got one of the bad ones.

I wish the JVC had speed-volume fade. The constant fiddling bugs me too.

Alpine unit on 2.5 is just as bad..... Volume increase for about 20 sec then fade back to normal for no good reason. Generally happens when volume is high like when top is down. Not so much at lower volume.

I thought I was the only person having this problem. For a while I thought it was just me - a possibility because I'm hearing impaired but I've had passengers notice it too. Botbldr45 described it perfectly. It's usually when I'm listening to satellite radio at higher volumes, happens for 15 - 20 sec then fades back down. I have a 2.5 with the Alpine unit.

My Alpine unit also crashes often on start-up. The only solution is to power it down and turn it on again.

It is the amp. Even after changing my head unit to a Pioneer, it still does that. Might contact someone at service sometime if it -really- starts to bug me.

We had the same issue until the head unit was replaced & firmware upgraded at our last service. Now it only does it occasionally.

Interesting. Who supplied the amp? Tesla or Alpine?

W.Petefish said:

It is the amp. Even after changing my head unit to a Pioneer, it still does that. Might contact someone at service sometime if it -really- starts to bug me.

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Its gotta be the amp. I changed out the Alpine head unit to a Kenwood DNX-6990HD (so much better than the Alpine!). I still have the occasional substantial volume increase. Happens with the top down (sure that has nothing to do with it) but at a high volume from the head unit either with satellite radio or a USB source.

I suspect it is a change in voltage to the amp. My theory is that the amp is drawing power from the auxiliary 12 volt battery, that 12 volt battery discharges to a lower level due to the high volume level being asked of it by the amp, and the main battery pack kicks in with a periodic higher voltage to charge back up the 12 volt battery. This higher voltage has the effect of a corresponding pumping up of the volume through the amp. That's my theory.

Is the volume increase annoying? Yes. Is it easily remedied? Yes, particularly with my replacement Kenwood which has a volume knob that can be quickly and easily adjusted, so it does not bother me too much anymore. If my theory is correct, the fix might be some kind of voltage control circuit on the amp power supply wire.

hcsharp said:

Interesting. Who supplied the amp? Tesla or Alpine?

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I believe it is an Alpine Amp... I could be wrong though. I took a measure this afternoon and found a 4-10db jump. I might explore an option for correcting this... I'll contact one of the rangers and ask his opinion.

JohnGarziglia said:

I suspect it is a change in voltage to the amp. My theory is that the amp is drawing power from the auxiliary 12 volt battery, that 12 volt battery discharges to a lower level due to the high volume level being asked of it by the amp, and the main battery pack kicks in with a periodic higher voltage to charge back up the 12 volt battery. This higher voltage has the effect of a corresponding pumping up of the volume through the amp. That's my theory.

If my theory is correct, the fix might be some kind of voltage control circuit on the amp power supply wire.

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Yes and no. A linear Vreg won't have the power handeling ability for 15A. (at least most won't) You'd need something more along the lines of a DC-DC converter. I'd still be interested in scoping the power line signal or using a data logger in the power circuit. BTW I replaced the Alpine HU with a Pioneer Z130BT a little over a year ago. (and I gotta say, I love the thing.)

I had mine replaced as well (spring 2012) ...works fine now...no issue at all :smile:

Nvbob said:

We had the same issue until the head unit was replaced & firmware upgraded at our last service. Now it only does it occasionally.

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