3 weeks into my Lucid Air Touring Ownership Experience – love the car, absolutely hate the stereo.

[joec]

Loved this post!! And, yes, I have cured myself of both audiophilia AND oenophilia!! My wife and financial advisor appreciate both!!

I know few musicians who are audiophiles. Most of us have blown our ears out so bad on stage we can't really hear the finer details, anyway.

 

[fisheral]

The tech came out and replaced the woofer again (base SS). He told me they've been seeing many of these issues recently (8 in the last two weeks). The engineers told him they are investigating a software issue with audio clipping causing buzzing/crackling issues in the woofer.

 

[Blue Lectroid]

I know few musicians who are audiophiles. Most of us have blown our ears out so bad on stage we can't really hear the finer details, anyway.

I wore ear protection specifically because I was an audiophile. My least hearing check was at 55 (two years ago) and was still “normal.”

 

[joec]

I wore ear protection specifically because I was an audiophile. My least hearing check was at 55 (two years ago) and was still “normal.”

Good for you. My tinnitus is luckily easy to live with so far. But it gets a bit louder every year.

 

[Blue Lectroid]

I am so sorry about that…

 

[borski]

Good for you. My tinnitus is luckily easy to live with so far. But it gets a bit louder every year.

I didn’t start wearing high fidelity earplugs until well after college, and I wish I had started sooner. Luckily no tinnitus yet, but… do you have any? If not, I can make some recs. They are *super* helpful.

Also, there are a bunch of websites / sound files to help mask tinnitus, and modern hearing aids (and AirPods!) have features for tinnitus too…

(Source: I just got my dad a hearing aid, finally after like a decade, because “big bad Ukrainian man don’t need no hearing help” and whatnot, so I happen to have recently learned a bunch about this heh)

 

[AirPlur]

At surface street speeds I am quite happy with the sound. However, at freeway speeds the low-mids disappear. Since my test drive was mostly on surface streets I didn't notice the bass drop off.

Software Update Version 2.5.5: Increase robustness of Fletcher-Munson curve

 

[FA14]

I’ve been driving my Lucid Air Touring for about three weeks now, and I have to say, this car is an absolute game changer in so many ways. This is my first electric car, and transitioning from an Audi RS7 which I absolutely loved has been an exciting journey. There are so many things I adore about this car:

• The tech is cutting-edge and truly futuristic.
• The power delivery is instant and exhilarating nothing compares to how smooth and quick it is.
• The regenerative braking and essentially one-pedal driving make every trip feel seamless and engaging.
• The cool factor of the car is undeniable it turns heads everywhere I go and that's coming from a Daytona Grey matte RS7.
• The simplistic yet luxurious interior feels like stepping into the future while still being incredibly comfortable.
• Overall, the driving experience is unmatched it’s smooth, powerful, and just fun.

On top of that, Lucid’s service has been amazing. I had an issue with the heater, and a mobile tech (Winston, you're freaking amazing !) came to my driveway and resolved it immediately. That level of convenience and care reinforced how much Lucid values their customers.

That’s why it’s so frustrating that there’s one glaring issue that takes away from the joy of this otherwise phenomenal car: the audio system. For a vehicle at this price point, it’s beyond disappointing that the Touring model (and the Pure, as I’ve learned) comes with a base stereo that’s completely subpar.

Music is such an integral part of the driving experience for me, and I expected a car as advanced and luxurious as the Lucid Air to deliver premium sound by default. It feels unacceptable that a car with so much innovation and cool tech would be paired with a sound system that doesn’t match the rest of the experience.

I recently found out during a service appointment that Lucid offers premium audio as an à la carte option. While I understand the approach to customization, installing such a basic system in a car of this caliber feels like a major oversight.

How do other Lucid owners feel about their audio system? Does anyone else have the basic stereo, and how does it compare to your expectations? What's the best way to get this feedback to Lucid for a response?

Enjoy the new car….. didn’t you check out the stereo system quality prior to buying the car or during test drive? Just wondering

 

[Lucken]

Good for you. My tinnitus is luckily easy to live with so far. But it gets a bit louder every year.

What’d you say? I have it too.

 

[Judd]

I’ve been driving my Lucid Air Touring for about three weeks now, and I have to say, this car is an absolute game changer in so many ways. This is my first electric car, and transitioning from an Audi RS7 which I absolutely loved has been an exciting journey. There are so many things I adore about this car:

• The tech is cutting-edge and truly futuristic.
• The power delivery is instant and exhilarating nothing compares to how smooth and quick it is.
• The regenerative braking and essentially one-pedal driving make every trip feel seamless and engaging.
• The cool factor of the car is undeniable it turns heads everywhere I go and that's coming from a Daytona Grey matte RS7.
• The simplistic yet luxurious interior feels like stepping into the future while still being incredibly comfortable.
• Overall, the driving experience is unmatched it’s smooth, powerful, and just fun.

On top of that, Lucid’s service has been amazing. I had an issue with the heater, and a mobile tech (Winston, you're freaking amazing !) came to my driveway and resolved it immediately. That level of convenience and care reinforced how much Lucid values their customers.

That’s why it’s so frustrating that there’s one glaring issue that takes away from the joy of this otherwise phenomenal car: the audio system. For a vehicle at this price point, it’s beyond disappointing that the Touring model (and the Pure, as I’ve learned) comes with a base stereo that’s completely subpar.

Music is such an integral part of the driving experience for me, and I expected a car as advanced and luxurious as the Lucid Air to deliver premium sound by default. It feels unacceptable that a car with so much innovation and cool tech would be paired with a sound system that doesn’t match the rest of the experience.

I recently found out during a service appointment that Lucid offers premium audio as an à la carte option. While I understand the approach to customization, installing such a basic system in a car of this caliber feels like a major oversight.

How do other Lucid owners feel about their audio system? Does anyone else have the basic stereo, and how does it compare to your expectations? What's the best way to get this feedback to Lucid for a response?

I agree with everything you said and I bought the upgraded sound system. It's absolute trash for a car of this caliber and I honestly haven't had a worse sound system in a car for at least 20 years. Even Lucid staff are aware of it and will tell you to look on forums for upgrades that have been done but for the $4k price of the upgrade I think it's ridiculous to even consider modifying it. You are just stuck with it.

 

[Blue Lectroid]

My wife has always said that some of my taste is “trashy.” I love the sound system in my 2025 AGT (SSP). To each their own, right?

 

[kaz3320]

My wife has always said that some of my taste is “trashy.” I love the sound system in my 2025 AGT (SSP). To each their own, right?

The wife's job is to keep their husbands down a notch.

 

[newlucidguy]

SSP, just 6 weeks in. Sounds great.

 

[timgorin]

I’ve been driving my Lucid Air Touring for about three weeks now, and I have to say, this car is an absolute game changer in so many ways. This is my first electric car, and transitioning from an Audi RS7 which I absolutely loved has been an exciting journey. There are so many things I adore about this car:

• The tech is cutting-edge and truly futuristic.
• The power delivery is instant and exhilarating nothing compares to how smooth and quick it is.
• The regenerative braking and essentially one-pedal driving make every trip feel seamless and engaging.
• The cool factor of the car is undeniable it turns heads everywhere I go and that's coming from a Daytona Grey matte RS7.
• The simplistic yet luxurious interior feels like stepping into the future while still being incredibly comfortable.
• Overall, the driving experience is unmatched it’s smooth, powerful, and just fun.

On top of that, Lucid’s service has been amazing. I had an issue with the heater, and a mobile tech (Winston, you're freaking amazing !) came to my driveway and resolved it immediately. That level of convenience and care reinforced how much Lucid values their customers.

That’s why it’s so frustrating that there’s one glaring issue that takes away from the joy of this otherwise phenomenal car: the audio system. For a vehicle at this price point, it’s beyond disappointing that the Touring model (and the Pure, as I’ve learned) comes with a base stereo that’s completely subpar.

Music is such an integral part of the driving experience for me, and I expected a car as advanced and luxurious as the Lucid Air to deliver premium sound by default. It feels unacceptable that a car with so much innovation and cool tech would be paired with a sound system that doesn’t match the rest of the experience.

I recently found out during a service appointment that Lucid offers premium audio as an à la carte option. While I understand the approach to customization, installing such a basic system in a car of this caliber feels like a major oversight.

How do other Lucid owners feel about their audio system? Does anyone else have the basic stereo, and how does it compare to your expectations? What's the best way to get this feedback to Lucid for a response?

I have a 2025 Touring that I got in December and I completely agree the stereo is sub-par for this price point and I have the upgraded system, Surreal Sound Pro. I too had an Audi - an S5 - prior to my Lucid, and there is no comparison with the sound system. The Lucid stereo is also buggy which only makes matters worse. Each time I get in the car the balance is totally off and sometimes the rear speakers don't engage.

 

[Stevegross]

I’ve been driving my Lucid Air Touring for about three weeks now, and I have to say, this car is an absolute game changer in so many ways. This is my first electric car, and transitioning from an Audi RS7 which I absolutely loved has been an exciting journey. There are so many things I adore about this car:

• The tech is cutting-edge and truly futuristic.
• The power delivery is instant and exhilarating nothing compares to how smooth and quick it is.
• The regenerative braking and essentially one-pedal driving make every trip feel seamless and engaging.
• The cool factor of the car is undeniable it turns heads everywhere I go and that's coming from a Daytona Grey matte RS7.
• The simplistic yet luxurious interior feels like stepping into the future while still being incredibly comfortable.
• Overall, the driving experience is unmatched it’s smooth, powerful, and just fun.

On top of that, Lucid’s service has been amazing. I had an issue with the heater, and a mobile tech (Winston, you're freaking amazing !) came to my driveway and resolved it immediately. That level of convenience and care reinforced how much Lucid values their customers.

That’s why it’s so frustrating that there’s one glaring issue that takes away from the joy of this otherwise phenomenal car: the audio system. For a vehicle at this price point, it’s beyond disappointing that the Touring model (and the Pure, as I’ve learned) comes with a base stereo that’s completely subpar.

Music is such an integral part of the driving experience for me, and I expected a car as advanced and luxurious as the Lucid Air to deliver premium sound by default. It feels unacceptable that a car with so much innovation and cool tech would be paired with a sound system that doesn’t match the rest of the experience.

I recently found out during a service appointment that Lucid offers premium audio as an à la carte option. While I understand the approach to customization, installing such a basic system in a car of this caliber feels like a major oversight.

How do other Lucid owners feel about their audio system? Does anyone else have the basic stereo, and how does it compare to your expectations? What's the best way to get this feedback to Lucid for a response?

Have a 22 GT w/30k miles and am very happy. Excellent sound system. Did not know other models had less. Overall love my experience.

 

[Green G]

You can. Rip them to FLAC, put them on a USB drive. Stick that in the USB port inside the armrest and the car will play them.

The car does not have native Qobuz, sorry.

Suffering audiophile with the SSP system. I am admittedly crazy for admitting this but I subscribe to three streaming services: Spotify (because my kids demand that), Qobuz (because they have the best sound) and recently re-subscribed to Tidal for the Atmos albums through the native app in the car.

90% of the time, I stream through Qobuz hardwired through my iPhone into CarPlay. This gives me the highest resolution and quality of sound. Regardless of whether you have SS/SSP, this may be one option to try to see if your sound is acceptable. I have done many comparisons and do not find the quality of the same non-Atmos album identical when I stream through the native Tidal app vs the Qobuz service: the latter is far superior IMO.

What I do wonder is whether one can truly enjoy Atmos for what it is supposed to bring from a driver’s, eccentric, seat position. I think that Lucid would have to change the volume in various speakers to balance out the driver making her/him more in the center of the sound stage. Currently I find myself turning my head to listen to what’s going on in the back speakers. I hope to ask the audio team on March 11 at the AMA.

 

[iwilltravel2@yah]

I’ve been driving my Lucid Air Touring for about three weeks now, and I have to say, this car is an absolute game changer in so many ways. This is my first electric car, and transitioning from an Audi RS7 which I absolutely loved has been an exciting journey. There are so many things I adore about this car:

• The tech is cutting-edge and truly futuristic.
• The power delivery is instant and exhilarating nothing compares to how smooth and quick it is.
• The regenerative braking and essentially one-pedal driving make every trip feel seamless and engaging.
• The cool factor of the car is undeniable it turns heads everywhere I go and that's coming from a Daytona Grey matte RS7.
• The simplistic yet luxurious interior feels like stepping into the future while still being incredibly comfortable.
• Overall, the driving experience is unmatched it’s smooth, powerful, and just fun.

On top of that, Lucid’s service has been amazing. I had an issue with the heater, and a mobile tech (Winston, you're freaking amazing !) came to my driveway and resolved it immediately. That level of convenience and care reinforced how much Lucid values their customers.

That’s why it’s so frustrating that there’s one glaring issue that takes away from the joy of this otherwise phenomenal car: the audio system. For a vehicle at this price point, it’s beyond disappointing that the Touring model (and the Pure, as I’ve learned) comes with a base stereo that’s completely subpar.

Music is such an integral part of the driving experience for me, and I expected a car as advanced and luxurious as the Lucid Air to deliver premium sound by default. It feels unacceptable that a car with so much innovation and cool tech would be paired with a sound system that doesn’t match the rest of the experience.

I recently found out during a service appointment that Lucid offers premium audio as an à la carte option. While I understand the approach to customization, installing such a basic system in a car of this caliber feels like a major oversight.

How do other Lucid owners feel about their audio system? Does anyone else have the basic stereo, and how does it compare to your expectations? What's the best way to get this feedback to Lucid for a response?

All your point are well taken NYRICAN. The last three cars I have owned had a better sound system and better FM radio reception. I would like to change out if possible.
Also, mapping and lack of Android Auto is an issue.