2015 Elantra SE Stock Stereo - Polarity Issue

[RidingOnRailz]

2015 ELantra SE - Stock Stereo(non Blue Tooth)- Polarity Issue:

Posted here because nobody in the Hyundai Forums seems to know what I'm talking about:

After several months of driving this vehicle, I noticed that sound from the stereo seemed kind of thin and vague, and placement of stereo effects was hard to hear. So I loaded a test CD, and played some "in-phase"-"out-of-phase" test tones. I made wavs of those same test tones, and played them through the Aux Input in the dash. Same results. The "out-of-phase" portions sounded centered and solid, while the in-phase sounded tinny and diffused.

BUT: Sound from monaural sources on the AM/FM tuner sound solidly from the center.

Conclusion: This polarity issue affects only external sources: CDs and line-input sources(phones, mp3 players).


What can be done other than simply having the head unit replaced? And - would a service rep even know what I'm talking about, and what to listen for? I'm in the audio business, so I know phase/polarity issues when I hear them.

[PaulD]

Out of phase tuning is often done when T/A is not available, it was a common trick in the 80's/early 90's. You could quickly rewire one side and would fix it. AM is a mono source so it shouldn't be affected.

[RidingOnRailz]

Originally Posted by PaulD

Out of phase tuning is often done when T/A is not available, it was a common trick in the 80's/early 90's. You could quickly rewire one side and would fix it. AM is a mono source so it shouldn't be affected.

Thanks for your reply. Again, this issue does not effect AM or FM, only CD and Aux. Both AM and FM have announcers speaking, and their voices are focused and clearly centered when I lean over the center console to hear both speakers equally.

Audio from the CD and Aux is thin and diffused, a condition typically experienced with out-of-polarity speakers. But I know it's not the speakers because the tuner sounds fine. And what is "T/A"?

[PaulD]

T/A = time alignment

[RidingOnRailz]

Originally Posted by PaulD

T/A = time alignment

Thanks. Acronyms elude(that is, annoy) me.

[PaulD]

is it possible to wire one channel of the Aux connector wire out of phase ?

[RidingOnRailz]

Originally Posted by PaulD

is it possible to wire one channel of the Aux connector wire out of phase ?

Out of polarity? Yes. I could even build a wire with polarity reversed on one side, although wires inside a cable are kind of tiny. Better off building my own stereo male mini to mini wire with polarity reversed to one side.

[PaulD]

I would try that and see how it sounds

[RidingOnRailz]

Originally Posted by PaulD

I would try that and see how it sounds

I already know how it's *going* to sound because this issue does not affect the tuner. Loud, powerful sound that I know this stock unit is capable of. Tell you what: It's gonna be the UGLIEST 1meter aux cable you ever saw, because my splices are the size of golf balls, lol!

[PaulD]

you do enough of them, and they will look all nice pretty. Try putting a small piece of heat shrink over one side of each wire pair before starting, then bend each of stripped wires all the way over into a hook. Put the hooks into each other pull tight, then solder that - then put the heat shrink over it.