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Listening to your favourite songs while embarking on long road trips is a fun leisure activity that you can enjoy for hours. However, when driving at high speeds, the noise from wind and road rash may hinder the experience a bit.
Fortunately, modern-day cars are equipped with features like Speed Compensated Volume that help you prevent distortion in sound while driving. This particular feature works in synergy with the sound system of your vehicle to tackle the noise.
Let’s take a look at the Speed Compensated Volume feature in detail in this blog post:
Speed Compensated Volume – What Exactly Is It?
The speed compensated volume is a feature provided in the stereo of your car that automatically adjusts the volume of the media playing based on the speed of your vehicle. It modifies the sound output depending on your vehicle’s speed to prevent any distortion.
As your vehicle moves at a faster speed, the background noise also increases. In that case, you’d have to increase the volume of your stereo manually if this feature isn’t available. Likewise, when you drive your vehicle at slow speeds, you may need to reduce the volume to drive responsibly.
With speed compensated volume, the sound of your stereo is automatically adjusted in both cases, thereby eliminating manual interference completely.
How Does Speed Compensated Volume Feature Work?
The speed compensated volume feature senses the various ambient voices that originate from the road, such as engine, wind, road, and so on. After sensing the noise, it monitors the level of sound from your stereo and makes the necessary adjustments.
Through this process, you’re able to hear the media from your stereo clearly. Cars equipped with this feature have an indicator button on the audio system’s interface. When turned on, all the audio levels, like the bass, treble, and sound, are adjusted automatically with your car’s speed.
Speed Compensated Volume Vs Automatic Sound Leveling
Both the speed compensated volume and automatic sound levelling serve quite the same purpose. The latter ensures that the audio track playing on your car’s stereo is consistent, louder, or softer enough to help you hear everything properly.
Specifically, in Toyota cars, there’s a JBL infotainment system that consists of the ASL feature. It utilizes three microphones (two in the rear and one in the front) to detect the noise levels inside and outside of the car and adjust the sound system’s volume accordingly.
Different Settings of Speed Compensated Volume – Low, Mild, and High
There are three different settings for the speed compensated volume in cars. Let’s take a look at each of these in brief:
- The low setting is mostly used in quiet environments, such as when driving in the city with very minimal noise
- The mild setting is generally used for moderate levels of noise, such as when driving on a highway
- The high setting, which is used for a high level of noise, such as when driving in traffic
You can easily adjust the speed volume settings as per the surrounding noise.
Adjusting The Speed Compensated Volume – Step-by-Step
While the feature adjusts the volume of your car’s stereo system automatically, you can still choose to modify the sensitivity of the system by following the steps given below:
- Firstly, press the menu button on your car’s stereo system
- Use the up/down control buttons to select the Audio Settings option
- Then, choose the Speed Compensated Volume option
- Lastly, just choose your desired setting and press the ok button to finish
How To Disable Speed Compensated Volume?
To turn off the speed compensated volume feature on your car, follow the steps given below:
- Press the Setup button on your car’s stereo system
- Then, rotate the volume knob to choose the “Main” option and press the enter button
- Now, rotate the volume knob to choose the SDVC option
- Lastly, just choose the “Off” option and press the enter button
Speed Compensated Volume Not Adjusting – What to Do?
If the speed compensated volume feature isn’t working on your car, there can be two major reasons for it – either your car doesn’t have that particular feature, or it doesn’t allow you to operate or modify it manually.
It also might be likely that the feature is turned off in your car. In that case, you may have to turn the feature on again. Talking about non-adjustable speed control volume, this issue can occur due to several reasons, such as a bd module, operational errors, or a dysfunctional volume speed control.
Solving these issues requires you to diagnose your ACM modules and identify the component that’s not working properly. Then, you’ll have to get the particular function reprogrammed or repaired the particular function according to the issue from a professional mechanic.
Speed Compensated Volume – Benefits and Drawbacks
Speed compensated volume (SCV) is a feature in some car audio systems that automatically adjusts the volume of the audio output based on the speed of the vehicle. The goal of SCV is to maintain a consistent volume level as the car’s speed changes.
Benefits of SCV include:
- Improved driver safety: SCV can help reduce the need for the driver to manually adjust the volume while driving, which can be a distraction.
- Enhanced listening experience: SCV can help maintain a consistent volume level even as external noise levels change, such as when driving on a highway or in a busy city.
- Customization: Some car audio systems allow the user to set the desired volume level, and SCV will adjust the volume based on that setting.
Drawbacks of SCV include:
- Limited control: The SCV feature may not always adjust the volume to the user’s desired level, particularly if the user’s preferred volume is significantly higher or lower than the default setting.
- Possible delay: There may be a delay in the SCV adjusting the volume, which can be noticeable if the vehicle’s speed changes rapidly.
- Limited availability: SCV is not available in all car audio systems and may not be offered as a standard feature in some models.
Final Words
It’s a no-brainer that blowing the stereo on long car rides is a splendid experience. With the innovative utilization of the speed compensated volume feature, you can make the most out of this experience by getting rid of the environmental hindrances. We hope you found the information stated above helpful in knowing more about this feature.
