Lucid Air Stereo "Surreal Sound" Test Impressions

[Cosmo Cruz]

RE: hi-end audio in a dedicated room. One day I discovered that a builder of cost-no-object turntables lived down the road from me. I made contact and he invited me to his listening room. He had a pair of (humble by audiophile standards) floor-standing Merlins well out into the room...maybe 1/3 of the way out... Just a stereo.

If you have never felt the hairs stand up on your neck and cold sweat pool at the top of your butt crack you have never heard high-end.
There is no way you could convince me that a live singer was not in the room. In the room. Involuntarily stood up with my mouth agape.

This was all tube / vinyl stereo. The amount of information on an analog vinyl disc is astounding...you just have to know how to get it out. I have never heard anything even close to that. Unfortunately this was decades ago so I never will hear anything like that again.

Looks like he's retired. He's schooled a lot of people on what a good stereo can do. I will look for the photo I took of his rig that night.

https://walkeraudio.com/proscenium-black-diamond-v/

just an example of how sick audiophiles are.

 

[LucidvsTeslaS]

I would have never thought Devialet was better than A500. I spent less, though. The most I besides A700 is $ 3000 for Tekton double impact and 2500 for PB16 sub.
Dirac, please make some software so I can improve my Lucid

I'm curious. Are your comments based on listening in your own car or ?? Also, are you listening to Tidal Hi-Fi Plus Dolby Atmos tracks, and if so which ones have you tried?

Yes. I own Lucid Touring and Tesla Model S. People glorifying the Lucid sound system on this thread should listen to different systems. Tesla bass sounds fuller/deeper. Lucid breaks apart at high volumes. The bass is not as deep, and it sounds somewhat not as well integrated with the other speakers compared to the Tesla. The lucid sound is simply missing something. Many comments suggest that Lucid Atmos is the best thing since sliced bread. There are a few Atmos tracks on Tidal. Everything else is up-converted to Dolby surround when you listen to music on Lucid. As I stated before, Lucid has SMALL mid-woofers compared to the Tesla. There is no replacement for displacement. Lucid sounds clear but not good enough for a 120k car. Compare sub-plus small 3-4-inch satellites vs. sub-plus 6-inch speakers at home, and then you will understand.

It is like listening to a high-end soundbar, being blown away, and then you listen to separates with bigger drivers, and you realize that the soundbar is nice but not as good as the real deal.

Tesla is far from perfect, but it has better sound than Lucid.
Lucid looks better. Tesla autopilot is ten years ahead of the pathetic Lucid dream Drive PRO, which is more like a nightmare drive. I do not regret buying the Lucid, but if I could only have a car, I would even have a Model 3 with Autopilot over Lucid with DreamDrive Pro. Safety and accident prevention are more critical than head-turning designs to me.

I can only hope that Lucid will develop excellent software within a few years for the 9000 I paid for the dream Drive Pro ( I had the old price before the increase, I just got the car). Lucid has a 360-degree view when backing up, which is very good; Tesla does not have it.

I will park the cars next to each other and listen more, side by side.

I wish Amir could measure both Lucid and Tesla. He would be horrified by both audio systems but more horrified by the Lucid.

Articles, Reviews and Measurements of Audio Products

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www.audiosciencereview.com

 

[LucidvsTeslaS]

View attachment 8140

RE: hi-end audio in a dedicated room. One day I discovered that a builder of cost-no-object turntables lived down the road from me. I made contact and he invited me to his listening room. He had a pair of (humble by audiophile standards) floor-standing Merlins well out into the room...maybe 1/3 of the way out... Just a stereo.

If you have never felt the hairs stand up on your neck and cold sweat pool at the top of your butt crack you have never heard high-end.
There is no way you could convince me that a live singer was not in the room. In the room. Involuntarily stood up with my mouth agape.

This was all tube / vinyl stereo. The amount of information on an analog vinyl disc is astounding...you just have to know how to get it out. I have never heard anything even close to that. Unfortunately this was decades ago so I never will hear anything like that again.

Looks like he's retired. He's schooled a lot of people on what a good stereo can do. I will look for the photo I took of his rig that night.

https://walkeraudio.com/proscenium-black-diamond-v/

just an example of how sick audiophiles are.

I believe that Class D, which has improved a lot, plus DSP crossovers, can achieve much more than Analog is capable of. I am a fan of the full digital path. Not to say that Analog could not sound impressive. But if I had 100k, I would buy a 3rd car and a 500-dollar class d amp instead of spending 100k on a tube amp. DSP can correct the phase, but it is debatable if the human ear can perceive the difference

I hear "reviewers " raving about 200k dollar tube amps with 5 % THD at 30 watts, while Purify has 0.00001, and it makes me wonder if some audiophiles are delusional...

 

[joec]

Yes. I own Lucid Touring and Tesla Model S. People glorifying the Lucid sound system on this thread should listen to different systems. Tesla bass sounds fuller/deeper. Lucid breaks apart at high volumes. The bass is not as deep, and it sounds somewhat not as well integrated with the other speakers compared to the Tesla. The lucid sound is simply missing

Many, many, many of us either own or previously owned Teslas. It’s not wise to make assumptions about a group of people who you’ve never met, who have been on this forum for more than a year.

It’s perfectly fine if you prefer your Tesla’s sound system. I greatly prefer the Lucid’s. See? The world didn’t end. We’re allowed to disagree.

When you walk into a room and take a dump all over something other people like just to make yourself sound smart, that generally isn’t a strategy for getting along well with the community. Like I said, preferences are fine. Even explaining some of the technical stuff can be cool for many of us who don’t live and breathe this stuff. Just try to take a moment to think about how comments like the above are going to be received. Might make it easier to understand the responses you are getting.

 

[SaratogaLefty]

Yes. I own Lucid Touring and Tesla Model S. People glorifying the Lucid sound system on this thread should listen to different systems. Tesla bass sounds fuller/deeper. Lucid breaks apart at high volumes. The bass is not as deep, and it sounds somewhat not as well integrated with the other speakers compared to the Tesla. The lucid sound is simply missing something. Many comments suggest that Lucid Atmos is the best thing since sliced bread. There are a few Atmos tracks on Tidal. Everything else is up-converted to Dolby surround when you listen to music on Lucid. As I stated before, Lucid has SMALL mid-woofers compared to the Tesla. There is no replacement for displacement. Lucid sounds clear but not good enough for a 120k car. Compare sub-plus small 3-4-inch satellites vs. sub-plus 6-inch speakers at home, and then you will understand.

It is like listening to a high-end soundbar, being blown away, and then you listen to separates with bigger drivers, and you realize that the soundbar is nice but not as good as the real deal.

Tesla is far from perfect, but it has better sound than Lucid.
Lucid looks better. Tesla autopilot is ten years ahead of the pathetic Lucid dream Drive PRO, which is more like a nightmare drive. I do not regret buying the Lucid, but if I could only have a car, I would even have a Model 3 with Autopilot over Lucid with DreamDrive Pro. Safety and accident prevention are more critical than head-turning designs to me.

I can only hope that Lucid will develop excellent software within a few years for the 9000 I paid for the dream Drive Pro ( I had the old price before the increase, I just got the car). Lucid has a 360-degree view when backing up, which is very good; Tesla does not have it.

I will park the cars next to each other and listen more, side by side.

I wish Amir could measure both Lucid and Tesla. He would be horrified by both audio systems but more horrified by the Lucid.

Articles, Reviews and Measurements of Audio Products

Audio Hifi Equipment Reviews Stereo

www.audiosciencereview.com

When you have them parked "next to each other so you can listen more, side by side" could you post a photo? My son has a brand new Tesla Model 3 Performance and his sound system is nice but doesn't compare to my Lucid. And there are way more than "a few" originally recorded (not remastered) Dolby Atmos tracks available with Tidal Hi-Fi Plus.

 

[dawktah LucidGT]

When you have them parked "next to each other so you can listen more, side by side" could you post a photo? My son has a brand new Tesla Model 3 Performance and his sound system is nice but doesn't compare to my Lucid. And there are way more than "a few" originally recorded (not remastered) Dolby Atmos tracks available with Tidal Hi-Fi Plus.

@LucidvsTeslaS I have multiple Dolby Atmos playlists, of which two were Christmas music.

I need to know what you consider loud? SPL level please.

 

[dawktah LucidGT]

@LucidvsTeslaS What is a SMALL mid-woofer?

 

[LucidvsTeslaS]

When you have them parked "next to each other so you can listen more, side by side" could you post a photo? My son has a brand new Tesla Model 3 Performance and his sound system is nice but doesn't compare to my Lucid. And there are way more than "a few" originally recorded (not remastered) Dolby Atmos tracks available with Tidal Hi-Fi Plus.

i am new to Tidal. That is a good thing.

 

[LucidvsTeslaS]

Many, many, many of us either own or previously owned Teslas. It’s not wise to make assumptions about a group of people who you’ve never met, who have been on this forum for more than a year.

It’s perfectly fine if you prefer your Tesla’s sound system. I greatly prefer the Lucid’s. See? The world didn’t end. We’re allowed to disagree.

When you walk into a room and take a dump all over something other people like just to make yourself sound smart, that generally isn’t a strategy for getting along well with the community. Like I said, preferences are fine. Even explaining some of the technical stuff can be cool for many of us who don’t live and breathe this stuff. Just try to take a moment to think about how comments like the above are going to be received. Might make it easier to understand the responses you are getting.

I am not trying to look smart. Or take a dump all over what other people said. I love the car except for the sound system and the Dream Drive Pro. Lucid has many great features Tesla does not have. Constructive criticism from consumers and competition among car manufacturers work for the consumers. Listening to Lucid, Tesla, and many other car sound systems is best. I believe that Lucid will not come on top for many people after all the listening to multiple systems. Even the person who measured it stated it lacks deep bass. The frequency response is not flat; it is up and down all over the frequency range. I am not on this forum to advertise Tesla

 

[abbas2099]

Yes. I own Lucid Touring and Tesla Model S. People glorifying the Lucid sound system on this thread should listen to different systems. Tesla bass sounds fuller/deeper. Lucid breaks apart at high volumes. The bass is not as deep, and it sounds somewhat not as well integrated with the other speakers compared to the Tesla. The lucid sound is simply missing something. Many comments suggest that Lucid Atmos is the best thing since sliced bread. There are a few Atmos tracks on Tidal. Everything else is up-converted to Dolby surround when you listen to music on Lucid. As I stated before, Lucid has SMALL mid-woofers compared to the Tesla. There is no replacement for displacement. Lucid sounds clear but not good enough for a 120k car. Compare sub-plus small 3-4-inch satellites vs. sub-plus 6-inch speakers at home, and then you will understand.

It is like listening to a high-end soundbar, being blown away, and then you listen to separates with bigger drivers, and you realize that the soundbar is nice but not as good as the real deal.

Tesla is far from perfect, but it has better sound than Lucid.
Lucid looks better. Tesla autopilot is ten years ahead of the pathetic Lucid dream Drive PRO, which is more like a nightmare drive. I do not regret buying the Lucid, but if I could only have a car, I would even have a Model 3 with Autopilot over Lucid with DreamDrive Pro. Safety and accident prevention are more critical than head-turning designs to me.

I can only hope that Lucid will develop excellent software within a few years for the 9000 I paid for the dream Drive Pro ( I had the old price before the increase, I just got the car). Lucid has a 360-degree view when backing up, which is very good; Tesla does not have it.

I will park the cars next to each other and listen more, side by side.

I wish Amir could measure both Lucid and Tesla. He would be horrified by both audio systems but more horrified by the Lucid.

Articles, Reviews and Measurements of Audio Products

Audio Hifi Equipment Reviews Stereo

www.audiosciencereview.com

I have owned two Model S in the past and Tesla had a descent sound system but wasn’t the best. I will say Lucid’s sound , ATMOS , with the latest firmware update sounds AMAZING ! To my ears , before the last updates , the ATMOS sounded like the regular music but now, I keep chasing the ATMOS titles and turning up the music in the car. Highly recommend you listen to The Motto by Tiesto in ATMOS ( make sure the car is set to Tidal Hifi Plus). Setup a playlist from your PC , iPad, iPhone and add Atmos songs then access the playlist from the car.

 

[abbas2099]

I am not trying to look smart. Or take a dump all over what other people said. I love the car except for the sound system and the Dream Drive Pro. Lucid has many great features Tesla does not have. Constructive criticism from consumers and competition among car manufacturers work for the consumers. Listening to Lucid, Tesla, and many other car sound systems is best. I believe that Lucid will not come on top for many people after all the listening to multiple systems. Even the person who measured it stated it lacks deep bass. The frequency response is not flat; it is up and down all over the frequency range. I am not on this forum to advertise Tesla

DreamDrive will take time just like autopilot did! I remember the Tesla forums back in 2017 when people would complain and Elon kept saying it drives ‘ silky smooth’ and it didn’t . No use complaining…. Just have to waited it out!

 

[dawktah LucidGT]

I am not trying to look smart. Or take a dump all over what other people said. I love the car except for the sound system and the Dream Drive Pro. Lucid has many great features Tesla does not have. Constructive criticism from consumers and competition among car manufacturers work for the consumers. Listening to Lucid, Tesla, and many other car sound systems is best. I believe that Lucid will not come on top for many people after all the listening to multiple systems. Even the person who measured it stated it lacks deep bass. The frequency response is not flat; it is up and down all over the frequency range. I am not on this forum to advertise Tesla

I just don't find what you are saying as constructive criticism. Looks more like trolling. A is better than B vs. The system needs a better low end. There's a big difference there.

Some people like distorted bass signals and interpret it as sounding better. I'm old enough to remember systems before sub-woofers added unnecessary bottom end.

 

[LucidvsTeslaS]

@LucidvsTeslaS What is a SMALL mid-woofer?View attachment 8143

I have owned two Model S in the past and Tesla had a descent sound system but wasn’t the best. I will say Lucid’s sound , ATMOS , with the latest firmware update sounds AMAZING ! To my ears , before the last updates , the ATMOS sounded like the regular music but now, I keep chasing the ATMOS titles and turning up the music in the car. Highly recommend you listen to The Motto by Tiesto in ATMOS ( make sure the car is set to Tidal Hifi Plus). Setup a playlist from your PC , iPad, iPhone and add Atmos songs then access the playlist from the car.

I just got the Lucid car. I will check to see if it has the latest update. Which model S you had? The old ones had lousy sound systems. I got mine for four years, and it came with premium audio as a standard option, not an extra. . The old model S without premium sound did not have a sub and sounded mediocre. Maybe that is why some people disagree with my comments; maybe they listened to an old tesla model S

 

[Bobby]

I am not trying to look smart. Or take a dump all over what other people said. I love the car except for the sound system and the Dream Drive Pro. Lucid has many great features Tesla does not have. Constructive criticism from consumers and competition among car manufacturers work for the consumers. Listening to Lucid, Tesla, and many other car sound systems is best. I believe that Lucid will not come on top for many people after all the listening to multiple systems. Even the person who measured it stated it lacks deep bass. The frequency response is not flat; it is up and down all over the frequency range. I am not on this forum to advertise Tesla

You have made your point. You like your Tesla sound better. Let’s move on now.

 

[dawktah LucidGT]

I just got the Lucid car. I will check to see if it has the latest update. Which model S you had? The old ones had lousy sound systems. I got mine for four years, and it came with premium audio as a standard option, not an extra. . The old model S without premium sound did not have a sub and sounded mediocre. Maybe that is why some people disagree with my comments; maybe they listened to an old tesla model S

Please post pictures of your two cars. Side by side.

Thanks

 

[LucidvsTeslaS]

DreamDrive will take time just like autopilot did! I remember the Tesla forums back in 2017 when people would complain and Elon kept saying it drives ‘ silky smooth’ and it didn’t . No use complaining…. Just have to waited it out!

True. In the beginning, my model S was very "hesitant" about auto lane change. It has improved a lot over years. Let's hope Dream Drive Pro will be released soon and will be as good

 

[Cosmo Cruz]

I hear "reviewers " raving about 200k dollar tube amps with 5 % THD at 30 watts, while Purify has 0.00001, and it makes me wonder if some audiophiles are delusional...

Not some. I didn't come to my senses until I took a hearing test. That ended that. Cold smack of reality. What I learned in the hobby was acoustically treating the room. Now anywhere I go I listen to the space. Lucid space is pretty darn awesome.

 

[Bunnylebowski]

As I stated before, Lucid has SMALL mid-woofers compared to the Tesla. There is no replacement for displacement. Lucid sounds clear but not good enough for a 120k car. Compare sub-plus small 3-4-inch satellites vs. sub-plus 6-inch speakers at home, and then you will understand.

I’m sorry, honest question, but how do you know these speaker sizes in the Lucid and which specific ones are you referring to? The ones in the dash behind the cockpit under the windshield? The subs in the trunk? The floor well woofers? Having seen pics of the floor well speakers with the floor taken apart, they appear to be Kevlar cone/forged metal 8” I believe with a tunnel to channel some of the low frequencies. The smaller ones you’re referring to as 3-4” satellites are more for height channels for Atmos.

It is like listening to a high-end soundbar, being blown away, and then you listen to separates with bigger drivers, and you realize that the soundbar is nice but not as good as the real deal.

Here’s how I can state the Lucid is the real deal. I apologize and I hope this doesn’t sound too obnoxious or name droppy (as I’ve mentioned it before when a few people have said how disappointing the car’s audio is), but in my prior career for 9 years I worked as an assistant sound editor/supervising sound editor/mixer/sound designer (depending on the project) for many films and a few TV commercials, some of which I’m sure you’ve seen. So I’ve been in the mixing studio and either heard or created myself the final product you listened to, and have heard and re-heard the film scores, source music/soundtrack songs, and sound effects and dialog for months on end, which by defacto is the ultimate resolution in terms of fidelity (IE it doesnt matter if you played back one of our 24bit/96khz mixes at 192khz because you’re limited by the fidelity of the original). While there are many good car audio systems, and I have not heard Tesla’s so cannot comment on them specifically, I’ve heard many other great car audio setups, and the Lucid’s is more accurate overall, including bass reproduction as it was intended in the original mix. I think the top end Burmeister in Mercedes is also outstanding with Tidal MQA format, but the Lucid’s is the most accurate overall. It’s literally the only system I’ve heard where I was immediately surprised by, because for one the volume knob is calibrated like a fader you’ll find in the studio (79dB = zero on the fader and you’ve got 12-16 more dB to go until max), and also more importantly I was surprised as it literally felt like I was back in the studio hearing what I heard during the mix. While the system is not perfect (the bass is fine but the highest high frequencies seem to lose a little separation and clarity probably because of the limitations of the glass cockpit and materials in the car), it’s closer to what I would consider professional grade accurate than any other car. The caveat being that the audio source must be high resolution, aka Tidal HiFi Plus MQA or Atmos. There are many tracks on Tidal that are not in Master quality format, and they still sound very good but not studio grade accurate. So I very much begin to wonder, knowing the source material very well, whether those who are disappointed with the car’s sound are either listening with the wrong format, the wrong volume, or have just had their ears retrained by hyped inaccurate car audio.

I wish Amir could measure both Lucid and Tesla. He would be horrified by both audio systems but more horrified by the Lucid.

Articles, Reviews and Measurements of Audio Products

Audio Hifi Equipment Reviews Stereo

www.audiosciencereview.com

A car cannot be an audiophile environment. It’s not an isolation chamber, it’s got too many surfaces an acoustician would find limiting. So when I sit in the Lucid with the severe angle of the glass roof and all these angled absorptive surfaces combined with the reflective surfaces of the dashboard and windshield, I think it’s an car audio marvel that it sounds as accurate as it does. Again, it’s not flawless, but I’m convinced a lot of this criticism is due to wrong format/wrong point of reference.

 

[LucidvsTeslaS]

I’m sorry, honest question, but how do you know these speaker sizes in the Lucid and which specific ones are you referring to? The ones in the dash behind the cockpit under the windshield? The subs in the trunk? The floor well woofers? Having seen pics of the floor well speakers with the floor taken apart, they appear to be Kevlar cone/forged metal 8” I believe with a tunnel to channel some of the low frequencies. The smaller ones you’re referring to as 3-4” satellites are more for height channels for Atmos.


Here’s how I can state the Lucid is the real deal. I apologize and I hope this doesn’t sound too obnoxious or name droppy (as I’ve mentioned it before when a few people have said how disappointing the car’s audio is), but in my prior career for 9 years I worked as an assistant sound editor/supervising sound editor/mixer/sound designer (depending on the project) for many films and a few TV commercials, some of which I’m sure you’ve seen. So I’ve been in the mixing studio and either heard or created myself the final product you listened to, and have heard and re-heard the film scores, source music/soundtrack songs, and sound effects and dialog for months on end, which by defacto is the ultimate resolution in terms of fidelity (IE it doesnt matter if you played back one of our 24bit/96khz mixes at 192khz because you’re limited by the fidelity of the original). While there are many good car audio systems, and I have not heard Tesla’s so cannot comment on them specifically, I’ve heard many other great car audio setups, and the Lucid’s is more accurate overall, including bass reproduction as it was intended in the original mix. I think the top end Burmeister in Mercedes is also outstanding with Tidal MQA format, but the Lucid’s is the most accurate overall. It’s literally the only system I’ve heard where I was immediately surprised by, because for one the volume knob is calibrated like a fader you’ll find in the studio (79dB = zero on the fader and you’ve got 12-16 more dB to go until max), and also more importantly I was surprised as it literally felt like I was back in the studio hearing what I heard during the mix. While the system is not perfect (the bass is fine but the highest high frequencies seem to lose a little separation and clarity probably because of the limitations of the glass cockpit and materials in the car), it’s closer to what I would consider professional grade accurate than any other car. The caveat being that the audio source must be high resolution, aka Tidal HiFi Plus MQA or Atmos. There are many tracks on Tidal that are not in Master quality format, and they still sound very good but not studio grade accurate. So I very much begin to wonder, knowing the source material very well, whether those who are disappointed with the car’s sound are either listening with the wrong format, the wrong volume, or have just had their ears retrained by hyped inaccurate car audio.



A car cannot be an audiophile environment. It’s not an isolation chamber, it’s got too many surfaces an acoustician would find limiting. So when I sit in the Lucid with the severe angle of the glass roof and all these angled absorptive surfaces combined with the reflective surfaces of the dashboard and windshield, I think it’s an car audio marvel that it sounds as accurate as it does. Again, it’s not flawless, but I’m convinced a lot of this criticism is due to wrong format/wrong point of reference.

Thank you for the post. The cars have resonances; you are right. Lucid is very well built; I do not hear rattling when turning up the volume. I am trying to understand the schematics. Where are the 8-inch woofers? An 8-inch woofer, in addition to a sub, should make it sound FANTASTIC... And 21 speakers? Maybe I do not have the latest software. I will check; do you have a link showing speaker placement, diameter, etc., in the Lucid? Tesla S looks like this https://www.teslarati.com/tesla-model-s-sound-system/model-s-speaker-placement/ . Maybe AptX codec would allow higher resolution, but I only see SBC and AptX supported. Why does the volume on the car not move when I change it on the phone and vice-versa, like other cars or blue tooth devices?
I am afraid that the AAC stream is decoded in my phone and reconverted instead of sending the original bitstream to the car, where conversion takes place.MQA is controversial...

I miss the detailed highs from the BMW 840i I rented in Miami recently. Neither Tesla nor Lucid's come even close in that department.

 

[LucidvsTeslaS]

I also listened to Tidal Atmos in my Lucid; sounds great. I will play the same songs from my phone through Bluetooth on tesla (it does not have Tidal, I think ); I know I will lose resolution, and see what happens, which one sounds better. By the way, in my home theater, I cannot get ATMOS by playing Tidal from my PC, whether using a browser or the desktop app; I get it only from my Nvidia Shield connected to the Atmos Receiver. Hard to get Amazon Prime, Tidal, paramount, etc., playing in surround while using the PC, not a smart TV or an external player with HDMI connected to the receiver.

Is any browser supporting surround out there?