Can't hear nav voice over stereo

[cpatch]

I'm starting this thread mainly so I can add this problem to the list of 2010 issues. The nav voice does not knock down the volume of the stereo enough for it to be heard. The only solution is to keep the stereo volume very low or turn the nav voice up so high that it is obnoxious at lower speeds. The volume of the nav voice should adjust automatically based on car speed and should also knock down the stereo volume more than it does now.

Is anyone else having this problem?

[Bobsprius]

Check in your Navigation Manual, Page 243. It has the setup page for Voice and Volume. In there is an option to enable/disable volume during audio system use. There are many other options as well you may wish to check out in this section for customization.

Let me know if that helps...

Good Luck

[jay_man2]

Originally Posted by Bobsprius

Check in your Navigation Manual, Page 243. It has the setup page for Voice and Volume. In there is an option to enable/disable volume during audio system use. There are many other options as well you may wish to check out in this section for customization.

Let me know if that helps...

Good Luck

Seems like cpatch knows how to adjust the voice volume, but has issues because it is one setting, versus being adaptable to the then-present sound environment.

I have the same issue, and noted that the system doesn't have another menu setting that my '08 Highlander Hybrid had - you could select a volume level and select another button that makes the voice sound level adaptive to the sound level overall. The Prius is just a static volume setting.

[cpatch]

Originally Posted by jay_man2

Seems like cpatch knows how to adjust the voice volume, but has issues because it is one setting, versus being adaptable to the then-present sound environment.

Exactly.

[mikepaul]

Same problem as always I guess: to this day it still works that way for me. While under guidance you can't enjoy the stereo much. Must be if people DID complain Toyota thought they should just turn down the volume...

[Postea]

Originally Posted by cpatch

I'm starting this thread mainly so I can add this problem to the list of 2010 issues. The nav voice does not knock down the volume of the stereo enough for it to be heard. The only solution is to keep the stereo volume very low or turn the nav voice up so high that it is obnoxious at lower speeds. The volume of the nav voice should adjust automatically based on car speed and should also knock down the stereo volume more than it does now.

Is anyone else having this problem?

My 2010 Prius was delivered with the "Automatic Sound Levelizer" set to "Off". After I turned it on, the navigation voice is much better. There are 3 factors here. The volume of the stereo, the volume setting of the navigation voice and whether ASL is turned on. Personally, I like the option of controlling all three without Toyota forcing me into any setting combo. I would suggest first verifying if ASL is on. Press Setup on the console, touch screen Audio, touch Sound Settings, touch the tab DSP, set Automatic Sound Levelizer to "On". I find that if the Voice volume is set at a normal listening level, then when Nav talks to me, it is easily understandable.

[cpatch]

Originally Posted by Postea

My 2010 Prius was delivered with the "Automatic Sound Levelizer" set to "Off". After I turned it on, the navigation voice is much better. There are 3 factors here. The volume of the stereo, the volume setting of the navigation voice and whether ASL is turned on. Personally, I like the option of controlling all three without Toyota forcing me into any setting combo. I would suggest first verifying if ASL is on. Press Setup on the console, touch screen Audio, touch Sound Settings, touch the tab DSP, set Automatic Sound Levelizer to "On". I find that if the Voice volume is set at a normal listening level, then when Nav talks to me, it is easily understandable.

Tried it with ASL on and off, nav voice high and low, stereo loud and soft. There is no combination that allows me to hear the navigation voice with the stereo at a loud but reasonable volume without the voice being way too loud when the stereo is off or turned down. If it works for you, great. It doesn't work for others so the bottom line is that the system needs an additional setting that allows you to control how much the stereo is turned down when the voice is speaking.

[octavia]

I've noticed the same thing. Last night that the front driver-side speaker converts to the nav when the stereo is on but the sound just garbles with the stereo if it's on with an level of volume at all. It's particulary annoying on the freeway. I have to have the volume up because of road noise.

[web1b]

Sometimes you listen to the radio and low volume and sometimes you may want to play it loud. It's easy to do with just tapping the volume up and down buttons. However the navigation volume stays the same and is either too loud for quiet conditions around town or not loud enough in comparison to the radio volume level when the radio is turned up loud. Changing the volume of the nav is very clunky since you have to go into the settings menus to change it. So, it's only practical to pick one navigation voice volume level and try to live with it all the time. You could try turning up to the max level, but even at the max level, it isn't loud enough to be heard when the stereo is up high. So you are blasted with the nav voice when the stereo is low and STILL can't hear it when the stereo is high.

This is a really thoughtless oversight. It's as if they never tested the car with the radio at varying sound levels. It would make sense for the nav voice to adjust up and down with the volume level set on the radio so you don't have to keep digging levels deep into the menu to raise and lower the navigation voice. If this is too sophisticated, then Toyota should have just made it do a dumb 100% mute of the radio so they don't compete with each other instead of trying and failing to be slick by having the radio still playing in the background while the navigation system is reading you the name of the next street to turn on.

Seems like it only lowers the stereo volume about 80% and that isn't always enough.

Is there any way to do a mod that 100% mutes the radio when the nav talks (just as the radio is muted when you do a handsfree phone call)?

[GDB]

I also have this issue on a UK version. Not sure of the build date but it arrived in the country around the end of February 2010.
I expect to be able to hear the navigation guideance above all else. It seems that the best option is to mute the radio/cd/hdd when getting navigation information. It does a good job of stopping the HDD when there is a traffic anouncement so it can't be that difficult to change !!
If some people like it as it is then just add an option in navigation settup to mute or not.