F10 M5 Active Sound Disabled (DIY and Audio Clips)

[Thud]

Active Sound Design definitely adds a new overtone that's not there in the original engine sound. It's electronically generated.

[TonyMeister]

The engine not is the same, except it sounds louder with Active Sound on. So it's not like BMW is pipping a fake engine note into the interior. But if you guys think Active Sound is bad, you should say what Audi is up to with the R8 E-tron...

Yeah... With the electrification of the automobile being inevitable, get used to cars that sound creepy like that.

[Tupapison]

Sounds the same. I wouldn't mess with the fuses of a brand new car for something so trivial as the Active Sound, since its barely noticeable as is.

[Brennan]

i guess its cheating then, bmw are keeping in line with sound regulations without letting on to the customer

[mdh]

Originally Posted by shenglin

Dear haters of the AS, I understand personally from your stand that as a BMW owner or enthusiast, you wish to have a choice or have various opinions on the system itself.

Perhaps you may even feel that BMW has diverge from its path of "Ultimate Driving Machine" and fell into the cult of "fake noise" generation.

However, please, I would like to urge you guys to spare a little thought to the hard work that the BMW and M-division Engineers. They try their every means to bring out the best to us and spent so much time to fine tune the little details for the vehicles out on the roads.

For those who question about "noise insulation", and why on earth should BMW drown out the noise from the outside and muffle the noise of the engine as well. Sit down, have a cup of coffee and think about why M-cars were developed in the first place. Under what category does the M5 fall in? I'm not sure if your answer's a Premium luxury sedan that can function as a track vehicle on weekends. But for the latter, it has to under go stringent engineering development in a field called "Noise Vibration Harshness".

In a nutshell, the engineers of this field goes through many hours to fine tune the tactile response for your seat, drive wheel and vibrations of your vehicle; as well as acoustic response for you and your passengers' ears. They are people who spent many years just to learn the art of doing so. And trust me, its one of the hardest department and a silent workhorse in the automotive industry.

The M5, in order to be luxury in its own right, has to be properly insulated from outside noise to a certain extend. Its targeted to customers who want to enjoy comfort as well as greater performance out of an normal F10 5 series. They are people who wishes to pay premium pricing to enjoy both side of the coins.

Indeed, BMW didn't admit to the fact that there is AS, but I guess its all for marketing purpose. For the purist, I guess you people just wish for them to be honest about it and be able to shut it off. Fair enough.

But I hope that the haters out there can just calm down a little and stop making a huge deal out of the matter. As smaller and economical engines hit the roads, we all have to get used to lesser engine audio. Want some hot rod V8 power? Get a different car. Everyone have a choice. If you wish to have a car that pleases you in terms of noise and harshness and produce the same amount of power, get the GTR or any close models that you can think of. Or you can remove the engine insulation at the front of your dashboard all together.

A car design can only please so many people. If it doesn't suit you, you can always check out the store next door. Just don't hate the car for not being suitable to your taste.

And artificial car sound is coming to town, we can't stop it. Even Audi has an audio department making exhaust sounds for the e-tron. Its the future of matters and if its hard to swallow, I wish to give you a pat on the shoulders.

Here's the deal. I'm not a hater, I'm a BMW enthusiast. I've put close to 200,000 miles on BMW's and had extensive track time. I'm also an engineer, and have done work for some of the major auto manufacturers. I know how engineers work, and I think BMW has some of the best engineers in the business. I love their cars.

But people that simply accept whatever BMW does, and make excuses for their mistakes are much, much worse than 'haters'. The reason is that car manufacturers depend on their enthusiast users for real feedback, and if everyone is a fanboy, there's no motivation for BMW to change something that isn't right. Honest, unbiased customer feedback is the most important input companies get to improve their product.

Active Sound is a mistake, and is something that BMW did to solve a problem quickly and inexpensively. It's similar to the SMG transmissions - something that should be looked at as a 'stopgap' measure, but BMW can do much, much better. Porsche solved the problem by incorporating valves into the exhaust, and valved intake tubes routed into the passenger compartment.

As an interim measure, BMW needs to make Active Sound configurable/disabled via Idrive. Then they need to focus on how to get the real sound of the engine/exhaust into the passenger cabin.

Maybe electric cars with F1 soundtracks are the future of autos. But by then the car will be driving itself, so who cares.

[Sandye90m3]

you can clearly hear the difference... One has a deeper and higher tone to it while the other sounds tiny.

I can't believe BMW is reverting to 'sound enhancing' techniques because the engine can provide enough acoustic satisfaction.

[feaganszhp]

Originally Posted by E90Fleet

I think there is a simple fix for BMW on this, leave the system in the M5 and all the next ones they have it lines up for, but put a option in Idrive to disable it.

Will make everyone happy.

+1

[Tallest]

sounds bad without it, whiney and stuff. I like it with AS on.

Some bmw owners are way too anal about their cars.

[JasonCSU]

Originally Posted by SkipSauls

In a few years when every car is full electric, or electric with a range extender, technologies such as this will be commonplace. That BMW is pioneering it now is a good thing, and the result is that by the time we no longer have V8s or V10s to enjoy, we likely won't be able to tell.

I'm as much a "petrol head" as many on these boards, but I just don't see how we'll continue with our love of these engines. After driving lots of high-torque and low RPM engines, including everything from the 3.0 liter diesel in my X5 to an 8 liter V10 in a Viper Competition Coupe, I think that the instant torque of an electric motor is going to be great once the battery energy density issues are worked out, and they will be. Being able to have the car sound (and likely "feel" via resonators, etc.) like a V8, V10, V12, or whatever, will be great. Sure, it's "videogame" like, but most cars are and have been for a while now.

If you're not ready to embrace the future, there are always classic cars that you can buy, drive, and enjoy.

While the instant torque of an electric motor will make driving fully electric cars fun, I disagree with adding the soundtrack of a petrol engine to it. Doing so means the car is pretending to be something it is not, which is what I don't like. I don't want my car to be a "poser". If I'm driving an electric car, I would prefer it just sound electric. Of course, there is the problem of electric cars and motorcycles being too quiet which causes a pedestrian safety concern as well.

I agree though, those of us who enjoy the sounds of non-sound enhanced petrol cars should look at keeping a "classic" car around for the long haul. That goes for those of us who prefer to drive manual transmission cars as well. I last I read is that only 4% of new cars sold have a manual.

[DrewBert]

Get rid of the factory airbox and put a cold air intake on an I bet it will drown out the AS with the turbo howl and engine noise!

[praxis219]

After watching the clip, the AS doesn't sound that bad at all. It merely enhances the overall effect rather than making it sound like I'm playing Need for Speed.

[aantar]

i think with and without AS the engine sounds the same but a bit higher/louder ... i think this might be an advantage for someone who drives with a high volume stereo ... he will always be aware of the engine sound and rpm regardless of the stereo volume whether high or low ( considering the AS gets louder as the stereo volume increases)

[ALPINE6SPD]

Originally Posted by Mista_Vanquish

The point is, BMW can't just FORCE this on the customer. Did BMW conduct a customer survey asking if more engine sound was needed in future vehicles? NO. It seems the designer of the M5 just decided, based on personal preference, that the F10 M5 needed additional engine noise in the cabin. There is no way you make a design decision like this on behalf of the consumer and make them live with it.

Sort of like what Nissan did with the GT-R and not offering a manual transmission?

[Mr. ///M3 RD]

To me this is some crazy idea ... I think the ///M Team let the idiot participate again in the dicission making that said a few years back

"Hey let us eliminate the engine oil dip stick"

They must have let him back in the room and he said ...

"Let's make them all happy and pump the exhaust sound into the cabin"

What a stupid idea ... what's next BMW ... don't tell me you will go back to a spare

[clar]

Originally Posted by Alter Peter

To me this is some crazy idea ... I think the ///M Team let the idiot participate again in the dicission making that said a few years back

"Hey let us eliminate the engine oil dip stick"

They must have let him back in the room and he said ...

"Let's make them all happy and pump the exhaust sound into the cabin"

What a stupid idea ... what's next BMW ... don't tell me you will go back to a spare

It should be: "Let's make them all happy and pump the engine sound into the cabin"

[mdh]

Here's what this is coming to:

Give it a voice.
That’s what the Domino’s Pizza franchise in Amsterdam has done to one of its electric delivery scooters…literally.
In a move that’s part protective and part promotional, the “Safe Sound’ scooter plays an amplified recording of someone making a fake engine noise to warn other motorists and pedestrians that it is approaching, with the words “Domino’s” and “Pizza” peppered in for a laugh.


Pretty funny actually.

[bluexmaslights]

I'm sorry, active sound is plain old stupid. Can't wait till it malfunctions and it sounds like you are accelerating every time you change the radio station or when your phone rings.

[AlexK]

I have good, properly calibrated speaker system connected to my PC - I notice huge difference in that video with AS and with it disabled. Such a shame that BMW now thinks that "electronics will compensate for EVERYTHING!!!111". As for people who "don't care" - I guess you also don't care if your girlfriend or wife will use a stereo system in your bedroom for fake moaning/orgasm sounds instead of more "natural" way of producing them

Originally Posted by Singletrack

BMW should just make this configurable via idrive.

Yes, yes, they should also add an option of purchasing an optional "ringtones", or "///M-tones", directly from a BMW so, for example, some people could load and use something like that instead of "stock" fake engine sound:

[No12c]

I heard less wind noise with system on, its more noticeable at the lower speed when it was off.

[doc19]

I think its reasonable to be able to turn the active sound off. You can set just about everything else on the i-drive, why not that?

I'm not sure how I feel about it though... I do know that I hope the m3 does not need such a system.

Originally Posted by JasonCSU

I agree though, those of us who enjoy the sounds of non-sound enhanced petrol cars should look at keeping a "classic" car around for the long haul. That goes for those of us who prefer to drive manual transmission cars as well. I last I read is that only 4% of new cars sold have a manual.

Yeah, we all know where the industry is headed... more fuel efficient cars (less cylinders, turbos, electrics) with more efficient systems (electric steering, stop/start, etc). I feel like I picked up my m3 just at the right time... and I think I may be holding onto her for quite sometime.

[Propagator]

Can a really good masturbation be better than a bad sex?

Maybe.

But when you are paying this much, do you not deserve a really good sex?

Absolutely.

[Pentium]

is it only me or what? I didn't notice that difference on the video on both cases? I think I need to hear it live on the real world