Swapped my Phatbox from my 2000 Audi S4 to my new 2004 Audi S4, no bass...

[psyct1]

Basically the title is exactly my problem...

I had the Phatbox installed in my 2000 S4 for a year...  Had ZERO issues with it after install (well, except when I tried to do a firmware update but, thanks to this forum, that was fixed in a few hours)...  Sound output from the Phatbox was perfect...  Everything was fine...

I recently bought a new S4 and I installed the phatbox into this car (thanks to a few do-it-yourself links posted on Audiworld) and got the Phatbox working...

Everything seems to be fine, Changed the Stereo Type to "O" and we were up and running...  Played a song and it seems like the volume was WAAAAAAAY low, with a very faint sign of bass...  So I burned a CD from the music I have on the DMS, and compared the output from both the Phatbox and the CD...  Phatbox sound output is not accurate, and the exact same song, from the MP3 has little to no bass...  I tried adjusting the EQ with no luck...  I removed the stereo and checked all connections, triple checked with instructions I had for wiring the phatbox into my car and everything was good...

Anyone have ANY idea what this can be?

[sbingner]

I'm afraid I've never heard of 'no bass' -- my only thought would have been connections... but tthat should have been no sound at all.

Can you try it in the old car again?

[psyct1]

unfortunately no...  i traded the car in

its not so much "no bass" as it is attenuated...  usually when I'm listening to a CD, i have my volume set at 15 or so, and its pretty loud...  with the phatbox, I have to set it at around 20-23 to get a sound volume any where NEAR as loud as the CD/AM-FM/XM...  and as the volume gets turned out, sound quality goes out the window...

I just had a response to a thread I started over on audiworld.com .  I guess its a common problem (one I NEVER came across over the last 2 months while I was awaiting the cables and pins I needed to be shipped to me...

[sbingner]

It is actually possible to change the volume out of the phatbox... but I don't recall how.  I think there was a thread on it a while back?  I think it's either that the firmware sets it, or it's an option in an ini file on PHTSYS

[S80_UK]

My guess would be that there is some break in part of the audio cable - possibly a ground connection somewhere.  This could result in a weak, distorted signal with little bass.  It may be worth pulling and reconnecting all cables between the box and the head unit.

[psyct1]

My guess would be that there is some break in part of the audio cable - possibly a ground connection somewhere.  This could result in a weak, distorted signal with little bass.  It may be worth pulling and reconnecting all cables between the box and the head unit.

Took your advice...  Checked, double checked and triple checked all connections...  totally removed the system from the car and reinstalled it...  Did not work, still having the same problem... 

I'm lost...  I'm interested in the volume leveling via INI file on the PHSYS directory...  I'll search around but, if someone else has info...  Please post it here, thank you!!

[sbingner]

It's not supposed to be changed that way - it's set at a specific level for specific head units...  but I think there was a post about it here

[psyct1]

It's not supposed to be changed that way - it's set at a specific level for specific head units...  but I think there was a post about it here

Yeah, I just searched and found a few that said the same thing, that they are set to each specific headunit...

with now knowing that, could it be possible I have the Phatbox set for the wrong "radio type"?  Right now I have it set as "Radio Type O"...  I tried changing it to both "N" and "P" and it wasn't changed...  I'm half tempted to see what would happen if I decided to remove the XM Inputs all together and try just the Phatbox inputs. 

Guys on Audiworld are saying its because the 3 shared pins going to the back of the connector to the headunit are spliced together that the phatnoise is losing its signal...  but if that were the case, wouldn't the XM also have a weak signal?

I'm still lost but, if I find answers or fix the problem...  I'll post back up on here...