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      06-03-2013, 01:11 AM   #1
kvanoman
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Volume Level Display

On my X1 (Ultimate Package) I can't find a volume level display anywhere on the main display, while playing from my Ipod. I'm in split screen mode. Would that factor into it?
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      06-03-2013, 05:54 AM   #2
vbbuilt
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I too have the Ultimate and use my iPhone via the USB port. Unfortunately, there is no volume level display.

Vince.
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      06-03-2013, 07:04 AM   #3
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I don't think there's a volume level meter in the car at all, no matter what the sound source. There might be a gauge value readable through the OBD 2 port, but otherwise, no.

With the NAV system, I wish I could control ze lady in ze box, and see the volume setting. For music, I've taken to twisting the volume knob a couple of full spins to get top volume, and then count clicks backwards.
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      06-03-2013, 11:32 AM   #4
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I was a little disconcerted about the lack of volume display at first, but I don't miss it at all. I even now wonder what the point is. I tune music to the volume I want. It's not a number.

This is especially true for me because I like a lot of different music (through an IPod on random), and different music is recorded at varying sound levels. Classical music in particular is often recorded at low levels, requiring raising the volume. Then if a rock track comes on next...WOAH. I can be blasted. So I hit the volume down on the steering wheel. Why do I need to look at a number?

I don't know if anyone knows the Richard Strauss opera "Elektra." In my IS250 I had no IPod display, so I would have to look at my Ipod to know what track was playing, it it was obscure even in my playlist. And I avoided looking at my IPod, as I am kind of finicky about keeping my eyes on the road. So early one morning a track ends and several seconds of silence ensue. I turn the volume way up. I just hear a light humming. It turns out this is the "murder" scene in Elektra, which is almost silent until there is a hideous scream. By the time that scream came, I had the volume quite high. I came very close to driving into the next lane and causing an accident. Luckily it was quite early and all I did was scare myself. Seeing the volume level didn't help me there!
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      06-03-2013, 12:28 PM   #5
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I'm torn on no volume level. On my non iDrive I looked for it straight away when I got in to get a bearing on what is a good level. I don't know if it's my ears or what but in my old car as I drove on noisy roads the volume would always creep up as my ears blocked out the road noise. It's kind of the rock concert scenario where you find yourself yelling even after the show because your ears adjusted to the louder sounds.

I have a specific volume level I liked to set my old car at as I knew what to expect at that volume so after I got off noisy roads I'd set it to that volume and wait for my ears to adjust back.

Hopefully in the X1 this won't be an issue because it should be quieter as well as it has the speed level adjustment but I found myself still changing the volume on every song I played back from my usb storage device which does concern me about not being able to leave it at one visually known level.

As for being available on the ODB2 port, I took my bluetooth ODB2 dongle with me on my ED trip to use for recording data on the 'ring but I never saw that particular data point but maybe it's not listed or available in the torque app I was using.
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      06-03-2013, 05:52 PM   #6
Grovsnus
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Quote:
Originally Posted by mullini View Post
I was a little disconcerted about the lack of volume display at first, but I don't miss it at all. I even now wonder what the point is. I tune music to the volume I want. It's not a number.

This is especially true for me because I like a lot of different music (through an IPod on random), and different music is recorded at varying sound levels.
That's exactly why I want a volume meter. I listen to music that has full dynamics, often with low volume intros, followed by much louder parts. I cannot adjust the volume based on the first part, because then it will be too loud.
But if I could set the volume to, say -15 dB, I would know that it wouldn't be too loud.

Last edited by Grovsnus; 06-03-2013 at 05:59 PM..
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      06-03-2013, 05:59 PM   #7
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Quote:
Originally Posted by edx1 View Post
but I found myself still changing the volume on every song I played back from my usb storage device which does concern me about not being able to leave it at one visually known level.
Part of that is the software not honoring ReplayGain information, so if you normalize tracks so they sound the same loudness on your PC and dedicated players, they won't play back volume-adjusted in the BMW software.
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      06-04-2013, 12:30 AM   #8
kvanoman
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Thanks for all the great responses, nevertheless I would have liked a volume meter. Not that it would have factored into my buying decision. I did upgrade to the HK system and find it adequate. 0nce I have time I'll tweak with the equalizer.
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      06-04-2013, 07:49 AM   #9
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Don't have it in either car and don't miss it in the least.
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      06-04-2013, 11:31 AM   #10
mullini
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Grovsnus View Post
That's exactly why I want a volume meter. I listen to music that has full dynamics, often with low volume intros, followed by much louder parts. I cannot adjust the volume based on the first part, because then it will be too loud.
But if I could set the volume to, say -15 dB, I would know that it wouldn't be too loud.
I'm not techie enough to get this. For me, it works like this - if I have the volume set for a rock track, and the next track is a Chopin prelude, I might not even hear anything for a minute. The I have to turn the Chopin up. Then another rock track comes on...


In other words, there's not going to be one perfect setting for me. I am hitting that steering wheel volume control a lot.
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