automatic sound level

There have been a couple of other threads on this subject. The ASL works on speed, not on ambient sound levels. I personally don't think mine works at all, while others here on PC report that they do notice a difference although only slight.

 

The ASL works, if barley. It will increase the sound (with speed it seems) but it's barley noticable. I would prefer to have a stronger ASL but I also find it nice that I don't (often) notice the increase.

/Robert

 

I haven't really tried to see what the ASL does for me in terms of increasing the volume as i go faster... however, i did toggle it on and off a few times when i first got the car, and didn't so much like what it did to the sound. It may have been my imagination, but it seemed to flatten everything a bit, which for an audiophile like myself is simply unacceptable :-p. besides, the car is quite enough that it doesn't need too much adjustment for different speeds/driving conditions, and with the controls on the wheel where they are, it's not really a hassle to change them when merging on the highway

 

Interesting. I haven't tried without ASL for sound quality. Don't really see how it should/could affect the quality as it should only a signal to the amplifier but I will have to test this now.

 

On the audio page on the MFD there is a ASL symbol that you can turn on/off. I think it's new for 06 (but not 100% sure)

 

I use the ASL all the time. I have noticed the changes it makes to the level of the sound to the point that I don't use anything but the low setting because I don't want to blow the speakers. However, I have not noticed any change in quality. I really have not even tried not having it on but I think I will be playing with that the next couple of days.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(TonyPSchaefer @ Jul 14 2006, 12:47 PM) [snapback]286248[/snapback]</div>

Don't bother. In my opinion the volumne change is so slight that it has little if any utility on the 06.

 

The way ASL is designed to work is so you don't know when it is working. There are (I think) 3 stages of ASL. Each a little higher than the last depending on the speed your traveling.

If you want to see if it is working go on the freeway at 65mph and then hit the ASL to off. Suddenly you will hear the difference. Because the amount of background noise increases without any notice to you the amount of increase in radio volume is compensated for without much notice at all. In fact, if you are not moving and you click the ASL button you will hear absolutely no change in audio level. But on the freeway you will hear a difference. Another clue is to carefully watch (best from the passenger seat) the little guage next to the ASL button. As the speed increases the guage will show ever increasing levels of ASL. Neat eh?

Oh, it is my understanding this is only on the 06 Prius.

 

Well jeez...I have NOT been able to figure out what that ASL meant--I knew the car wasn't signing to me--but I sure have not been able to HEAR what it does. I guess that's because, when I'm going 65 and I have no passenger, which is most of the time, nothing DOES happen. Guess I'll have to find a volunteer to drive along with me so I can check it out!

 

So does that mean when you are going faster, you have to turn up the volume to get the same perceived sound volume, or are you expecting it to get louder by itself? The ASL is supposed to maintain the perceived sound level to be the same. If you are expecting higher volume at higher speeds, then I wouldn't expect a difference with the ASL because you would basically be, in effect, expecting the system's setpoint to increase. It may be that you are accustomed to "cranking" the stereo at higher speeds, so you are used to a relatively louder volume when there is more backgound noise rather than just getting the same relative volume. (Does that make sense?)

In other words, if you don't notice it, it's working.

- Doug


<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(captnslur @ Jul 14 2006, 09:38 AM) [snapback]286173[/snapback]</div>

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(unruhly @ Jul 14 2006, 10:06 AM) [snapback]286180[/snapback]</div>

My old car had that feature and I never noticed any effect from it. I hadn't realized that my new Prius has that feature - I still need to crank up my voume manually at higher speeds.

 

Hi All,

I have a package 1 2006 Prius (standard Radio/CD). No ASL icon here. Seems like ASL is for verbal audio outputs, not the Radio/CD player.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(donee @ Jul 15 2006, 06:25 AM) [snapback]286691[/snapback]</div>

I have pkg 3, which I didn't think had any upgrade on radio/cd. I KNOW I have no verbal stuff--that's all NAV pkg. I definitely have the ASL...it's kinda hidden, but it's there. Sorry, but I'm not going out to look at the car now...especially as I just KNOW someone else knows this like in their sleep...but...ok, I COULD look it up...IS the pkg 3 audio different from base?

 

(waking from sleep) hehe

When you have your radio on push the audio button on the MFD. This will bring up the audio screen. Down at the bottom you will see the letters ASL if you have it. (lower left) If you don't, well then you don't (how profound is that?)

Next, click your finger on the letters ASL. This will toggle it on and off. If it is turned on then the letters will be backlit and if it is off it won't be backlit. I am sharing this in the off chance that maybe a few of you may not have this feature turned on and therefore wouldn't hear any difference.

Now that the feature is turned on, take a ride on the freeway. Go say 60mph. Bring up the radio volume level to a comfortable setting. Now click on the letters ASL again. You will hear the volume go down. Click on the ASL again and the volume will come back up. The difference in volume is the amount required to make up for the additional background noise created when travelling at high speed versus a lower speed or standing still. If you still require more volume (by manually increasing the volume) than what ASL provides it is because the environment you are currently in has more background noise than what the car is generating by traveling. Examples would be a truck next to you on the freeway is more noisy than with you travelling down the freeway alone, etc.

Hope this helps a bit more. My background as a broadcast engineer may have had something to do with my understanding of this stuff.

Cheers

 

I'm wondering if the ASL gets its input for sound level from the mic for the voice commands to sense the ambient sound level... I do not know, perhaps someone with more intimate knowledge of the car can let us know.

BTW - 06 Prius w/package #8

 

Hi_Yo_Silver:

No, it does not sample ambient sound levels from the car. It works strickly on the speed of the car. The faster you are going the louder the radio/cd etc will get. A few posts up I provided 2 additional posts on that.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Hi_Yo_Silver @ Jul 15 2006, 07:24 AM) [snapback]286716[/snapback]</div>

OOOHHHH...intimate knowledge of a Prius...isn't that illegal in Arkansas and Alabama?