Gravity Audio Mods?

[J-Dub]

Has anyone played with modifying the Gravity stereo/speaker setup? I have the SSP option and while overall is seems fine, I have always felt it really lacks lower end (sub 80hz) presence. For my liking anyway. I have been waiting the last year hoping they will release an OTA that gives more user eq adjustments and boost in this area but nothing really so far.
I was thinking about adding an additional amp and sub in one (or both) of the rear storage bin areas.
I am wondering if anyone has done something similar and ran into any gotchas (messing with dolby atmos performance, existing noise canceling, etc).

 

[nelslens]

First I'd suggest making sure that your input is maxxed before enhancing output.

E.G. I found that there was no file format I could load onto a USB stick that could compare with Tidal's max-quality ATMOS stream; it's night & day -- not just in the surround aspect but presence, fidelity, and gut-whomp.

I wasn't aware there was any active noise cancelling in the audio system? Just passive stuff (which is incredibly effective w/ Comfort/Convenience spec) in the cabin from the glass and sound-dampening.

 

[segbrk]

E.G. I found that there was no file format I could load onto a USB stick that could compare with Tidal's max-quality ATMOS stream; it's night & day -- not just in the surround aspect but presence, fidelity, and gut-whomp.

There is, it's Atmos MP4/M4A, also called Dolby Digital Plus. Most labels just don't release in that format for download. https://immersiveaudioalbum.com/shop/?format=Dolby+Atmos#search is one of the few places I know of to reliably find that music, and it's not a large catalog.

I wasn't aware there was any active noise cancelling in the audio system? Just passive stuff (which is incredibly effective w/ Comfort/Convenience spec) in the cabin from the glass and sound-dampening.

Correct, there is no ANC.

 

[J-Dub]

First I'd suggest making sure that your input is maxxed before enhancing output.

E.G. I found that there was no file format I could load onto a USB stick that could compare with Tidal's max-quality ATMOS stream; it's night & day -- not just in the surround aspect but presence, fidelity, and gut-whomp.

I wasn't aware there was any active noise cancelling in the audio system? Just passive stuff (which is incredibly effective w/ Comfort/Convenience spec) in the cabin from the glass and sound-dampening.

Yes, I am using tidal for the most part but still don't notice much, if any, sub ~70hz content. I believe the subs may be located in the front driver footwear areas and not sure their diameter or design specs. I do notice a lot of, almost too much at times, 80-200hz mid bass so maybe they are tuned for higher and/or just not capable of driving lower frequencies at volume because of their size. They could be too much at times since I probably have the bass eq setting too high hoping I'd get more low frequency response.
I beleive there is ANC as part of the car itself to help with cabin noise. These are typically tuned with the sound profile known. Adding in a sub woofer can very often throw these off as they try and fight/counterbalance the unexpected frequencies (seen as noise). Often times an undesired side affect of adding a subwoofer is having to disable the anc microphones in the car. Not sure how much they are responsible for helping the very quiet cabin or if most of this is from mechanical design, sound dampening materials, dual pane glass, etc. If this is not a feature included in the audio system, then this may make part of my install easier.

 

[exxxviii]

Yes, I am using tidal for the most part but still don't notice much, if any, sub ~70hz content. I believe the subs may be located in the front driver footwear areas and not sure their diameter or design specs. I do notice a lot of, almost too much at times, 80-200hz mid bass so maybe they are tuned for higher and/or just not capable of driving lower frequencies at volume because of their size.

That was my take when I did my audio system “test drive,” except I thought it fell off in the 100 Hz to 120 Hz range. To me, the SSP lost most kick bass, bass guitar, timpani, and low piano notes. The system has about half the power of the class-leading ultra premium systems, so it is probably losing the bottom ~2.5 octaves. If you are comparing it to a BMW iX B&W, you will probably need to add at least 500W dedicated to sub and low-mid ranges.

 

[dadwithagrav]

Yes, I am using tidal for the most part but still don't notice much, if any, sub ~70hz content. I believe the subs may be located in the front driver footwear areas and not sure their diameter or design specs. I do notice a lot of, almost too much at times, 80-200hz mid bass so maybe they are tuned for higher and/or just not capable of driving lower frequencies at volume because of their size. They could be too much at times since I probably have the bass eq setting too high hoping I'd get more low frequency response.
I beleive there is ANC as part of the car itself to help with cabin noise. These are typically tuned with the sound profile known. Adding in a sub woofer can very often throw these off as they try and fight/counterbalance the unexpected frequencies (seen as noise). Often times an undesired side affect of adding a subwoofer is having to disable the anc microphones in the car. Not sure how much they are responsible for helping the very quiet cabin or if most of this is from mechanical design, sound dampening materials, dual pane glass, etc. If this is not a feature included in the audio system, then this may make part of my install easier.

Just finding this thread. I have the base SS, may or may not have seen in a service manual that among extra speakers and an amp, SSP adds a second woofer (not subwoofer). It's supposedly force-canceling, which makes me think it's matched, maybe a little punchier but not adding a ton more frequency response down low.

I also notice the lack of an actual sub and wonder about ANC conflicts. I can hear some lower (<60Hz?) notes but they seem far below the -3dB point, meanwhile the mid-bass is borderline overbearing even on the single SS woofer. Having two seems overkill!

So now I'm debating: if I buy out the lease, do I throw the $2900 saved towards something custom aftermarket?
I called a local shop, who concluded that since there's not much data on the Gravity, it'd be about $800-$1200 to investigate, which could be put towards a better system in the upper-4-figure range. They're confident they can add a nice sub and upgrade the stock drivers, but I suspect we'd run into issues with storage space (I doubt there's much room given how efficiently the Gravity was packaged), the amp situation on SS, fighting ANC with the custom DSP, and more.

I've never done car audio before, and can't really rationalize these amounts. For home theater it cost just $700 for an SVS sub to rattle the house!

Or maybe by the time the lease is up they'll invent a surreal sound pro max package with a sub! I would sign a new lease for that! For now I'll continue peeking at these forums searching for anyone braver than me...

 

[socktucker]

Just finding this thread. I have the base SS, may or may not have seen in a service manual that among extra speakers and an amp, SSP adds a second woofer (not subwoofer). It's supposedly force-canceling, which makes me think it's matched, maybe a little punchier but not adding a ton more frequency response down low.

I also notice the lack of an actual sub and wonder about ANC conflicts. I can hear some lower (<60Hz?) notes but they seem far below the -3dB point, meanwhile the mid-bass is borderline overbearing even on the single SS woofer. Having two seems overkill!

So now I'm debating: if I buy out the lease, do I throw the $2900 saved towards something custom aftermarket?
I called a local shop, who concluded that since there's not much data on the Gravity, it'd be about $800-$1200 to investigate, which could be put towards a better system in the upper-4-figure range. They're confident they can add a nice sub and upgrade the stock drivers, but I suspect we'd run into issues with storage space (I doubt there's much room given how efficiently the Gravity was packaged), the amp situation on SS, fighting ANC with the custom DSP, and more.

I've never done car audio before, and can't really rationalize these amounts. For home theater it cost just $700 for an SVS sub to rattle the house!

Or maybe by the time the lease is up they'll invent a surreal sound pro max package with a sub! I would sign a new lease for that! For now I'll continue peeking at these forums searching for anyone braver than me...

I wanna say @hmp10 spent like 20k on his audio upgrade on one of his GGTs? Or like 10k or full radar. This guy would know.

 

[J-Dub]

Just finding this thread. I have the base SS, may or may not have seen in a service manual that among extra speakers and an amp, SSP adds a second woofer (not subwoofer). It's supposedly force-canceling, which makes me think it's matched, maybe a little punchier but not adding a ton more frequency response down low.

I also notice the lack of an actual sub and wonder about ANC conflicts. I can hear some lower (<60Hz?) notes but they seem far below the -3dB point, meanwhile the mid-bass is borderline overbearing even on the single SS woofer. Having two seems overkill!

So now I'm debating: if I buy out the lease, do I throw the $2900 saved towards something custom aftermarket?
I called a local shop, who concluded that since there's not much data on the Gravity, it'd be about $800-$1200 to investigate, which could be put towards a better system in the upper-4-figure range. They're confident they can add a nice sub and upgrade the stock drivers, but I suspect we'd run into issues with storage space (I doubt there's much room given how efficiently the Gravity was packaged), the amp situation on SS, fighting ANC with the custom DSP, and more.

I've never done car audio before, and can't really rationalize these amounts. For home theater it cost just $700 for an SVS sub to rattle the house!

Or maybe by the time the lease is up they'll invent a surreal sound pro max package with a sub! I would sign a new lease for that! For now I'll continue peeking at these forums searching for anyone braver than me...

The problem I'm running into now is the Gravity 12V accessory voltage domain. There are apparently (2) 12V batteries in the Gravity but they are only 18Ah. I'm not sure if they can both be accessed as a total bank either or if there are 2 more for redundancy. Either way, that more than likely doesn't leave enough room for a sub amp that can output any real power, i.e. 300-500W+.
I think some of the other EVs, especially those from legacy auto makers, use a "regular car" battery which would help a lot.
I have a question out to lucid about this issue and what sort of load I can safely add to the 12V Acc but not sure if/when I'll get a response. I will update this post as soon as I hear anything and outline my decision on how I move forward.

 

[TahoeMichael]

The problem I'm running into now is the Gravity 12V accessory voltage domain. There are apparently (2) 12V batteries in the Gravity but they are only 18Ah. I'm not sure if they can both be accessed as a total bank either or if there are 2 more for redundancy. Either way, that more than likely doesn't leave enough room for a sub amp that can output any real power, i.e. 300-500W+.
I think some of the other EVs, especially those from legacy auto makers, use a "regular car" battery which would help a lot.
I have a question out to lucid about this issue and what sort of load I can safely add to the 12V Acc but not sure if/when I'll get a response. I will update this post as soon as I hear anything and outline my decision on how I move forward.

This don't know details of Lucid's design, but I wouldn't expect that the 12V system is normally powered from the 12V battery. Rather, I'd expect there to be a DC-to-DC converter powered by the high voltage battery, and you'd only be drawing power from the 12V battery in less common situations when the DC converter is off. At least, that's how other systems I've engineered work, and it's a pretty standard electrical architecture.

 

[hmp10]

I wanna say @hmp10 spent like 20k on his audio upgrade on one of his GGTs? Or like 10k or full radar. This guy would know.

Nope, haven't done any audio upgrades in our Lucids. I think the Surreal Sound Pro audio systems are quite good as they are. I have installed radar/laser detectors In all of them, however.

 

[J-Dub]

This don't know details of Lucid's design, but I wouldn't expect that the 12V system is normally powered from the 12V battery. Rather, I'd expect there to be a DC-to-DC converter powered by the high voltage battery, and you'd only be drawing power from the 12V battery in less common situations when the DC converter is off. At least, that's how other systems I've engineered work, and it's a pretty standard electrical architecture.

Yes. This is another possible scenario. Hopefully they can provide the max load on the dc-dc, if this is the case. There could be use cases where the stereo is powered only from the battery(s) though and not the dc-dc, even if its rare. This would not be good if a very large sub amp was added to the load. Sort of the case like in ICE cars when they are in ACC mode and you dont have the alternator to keep the battery voltage up. I dont want to get in a situation where I have a dead 12v battery in the Gravity.

 

[The_Don]

I have SSP on the Gravity and I don't get the hype. It's clearly lacking low end bass but has the classic bandaid of boosting the mid bass to compensate. It makes music sound boomy in an unpleasant way. My Air with SSP was similar, but worse.

Edit: and if we're being nit-picky, the tweeters sound too bright when the volume is dialed up. It's overall a very average system. I think I just get frustrated when I think about how much better a similarly priced stereo system system would sound, but I understand the two aren't really comparable.

 

[dadwithagrav]

The problem I'm running into now is the Gravity 12V accessory voltage domain. There are apparently (2) 12V batteries in the Gravity but they are only 18Ah. I'm not sure if they can both be accessed as a total bank either or if there are 2 more for redundancy. Either way, that more than likely doesn't leave enough room for a sub amp that can output any real power, i.e. 300-500W+.
I think some of the other EVs, especially those from legacy auto makers, use a "regular car" battery which would help a lot.
I have a question out to lucid about this issue and what sort of load I can safely add to the 12V Acc but not sure if/when I'll get a response. I will update this post as soon as I hear anything and outline my decision on how I move forward.

I asked about this during my service call and apparently they’re two in parallel behind the frunk liner (cabin air filters are nearby too). Care has to be taken to disconnect/reconnect them independently without accidentally touching a live positive wire to the frame etc.

This don't know details of Lucid's design, but I wouldn't expect that the 12V system is normally powered from the 12V battery. Rather, I'd expect there to be a DC-to-DC converter powered by the high voltage battery, and you'd only be drawing power from the 12V battery in less common situations when the DC converter is off. At least, that's how other systems I've engineered work, and it's a pretty standard electrical architecture.

Agree with this