[nachob]

Originally Posted by Chez

TL;DR.

Just code it off.

As someone who drives one of these "fake sound" cars (initially with ASD on and now with it off), I can say that had BMW not put ASD in, people would be complaining that the car is too quiet, as the cabin is a much quieter place than previous gen cars.

Thanks but this thread was from two years ago. At the time if you disconnected it you lost the stereo. Even Car and Driver had that issue. NOW it appears you can code it off without losing radio but I have moved on already and gotten another 1M. I had sold my first and was looking at M3 and M2 but little things Bmw was doing turned me off and I bought another 1M again. If it got hit by a meteor and considered it I would code it off for sure. Also the M2 sounds amazing stock in the outside so coding it would really make sense. Anyway, I think the guys that are coding it off are way cool and thumbs up to them!

[SakhirM4]

Originally Posted by nachob

Anyway, I think the guys that are coding it off are way cool and thumbs up to them!

So the guys that don't code it off are not cool and thumbs down

[Msmall143]

just code it out

Originally Posted by nachob

I know that "real car guys" are a diminishing breed and some may just prefer to call us "old school" but fake engine sound is the last straw that shows the BMWs lack of caring for real car guys. I must admit that they grudgingly put manual transmissions in their cars for us but deep down BMW resents it. Life would be much simpler for them with just an automatic that lets you "shift" or drive in full auto but at least they do it and I still own a BMW for that reason.

Lexus on the other hand doesn't do it on their IS 350 and I will not buy one because of it BUT after having read that Active Sound is mandatory on the new M cars.......I am puzzled and seriously saddened by it.

This is the new height of poserdom. I cannot buy a car with fake engine sound and to make matters worse you cannot disable it without disabling the stereo system. I have been seriously holding out of M235 or M2 but I don't know if I can overcome this. I would be embarrassed if other car guys found out I was driving with fake engine sound track.

Not only is there the embarrassment but more importantly the it is one more loss of connection to car. I listen to my engine! As some have called it, I have "mechanical empathy" and I listen to it. Every ping when accidentally lugged, every VANOS rattle when the idle drops to low and the crescendo of mechanical music when making serious power. Even turbos and wastegates are part of the "rhythm" when you are autocrossing or cruising on a mountain road. That is a another connection lost. With automatics, you do not control or manage the engagement so you lose that connection, then the new steering racks further detach you from the road feel and now you cannot "really" listen to the engine.

Sad. I know most of you don't feel the same way, I understand, since you grow up with iPhones that are set to the "old" analog phone ringer and think it's quaint.

I was just wondering if there were any of you out there that are also sad about fake engine sound?

[nachob]

Originally Posted by SakhirM4

So the guys that don't code it off are not cool and thumbs down

Just thumbs up to those that are going the extra step. No thumbs down for those that don't care. I was expressing my respect for those that found a workaround . My issues are with the direction BMW has taken. So I got over it and bought a car with no fake sound, a temp gauge and no iPad display on top of dash. It works for me. Unfortunately people think I am expressing that now.

By the way I love SO on M3! That doesn't mean thumbs down to Sulverstone which looks great. Just think SO is striking so I would thumbs up an SO M3.

[SakhirM4]

Originally Posted by nachob

By the way I love SO on M3! That doesn't mean thumbs down to Sulverstone which looks great. Just think SO is striking so I would thumbs up an SO M3.

And I love my SO M4

[mccoj3]

if you google 'deactivate ASD' or something like that there is a tutorial to remove your trunk liner and disconnect the amp for ASD. I called my local dealer in Chicago and they told me no chance will they touch anything regarding coding [sounds like either you have to go through a performance shop or know someone who will do it, or live in Europe]. it was pretty easy, took me less than an hour start to finish. I prefer the sound without, can actually hear turbo spool [I grew up in the high rev turbo Japanese tuner days] so for me I like the sound vs something incredibly throaty. personal preference. but there is a noticeable sound difference.

[nachob]

Originally Posted by mccoj3

if you google 'deactivate ASD' or something like that there is a tutorial to remove your trunk liner and disconnect the amp for ASD. I called my local dealer in Chicago and they told me no chance will they touch anything regarding coding [sounds like either you have to go through a performance shop or know someone who will do it, or live in Europe]. it was pretty easy, took me less than an hour start to finish. I prefer the sound without, can actually hear turbo spool [I grew up in the high rev turbo Japanese tuner days] so for me I like the sound vs something incredibly throaty. personal preference. but there is a noticeable sound difference.

Yeah. I totally get it. I love that sound too. I worked in the test department for an IMSA gto factory team breaking in and testing 900 hp motors on the dynos where you could see and hear everything! It was awesome. Every sound, whistle, whirr and glowing inconel headers. Loved it!

[Chez]

Originally Posted by mccoj3

if you google 'deactivate ASD' or something like that there is a tutorial to remove your trunk liner and disconnect the amp for ASD. I called my local dealer in Chicago and they told me no chance will they touch anything regarding coding [sounds like either you have to go through a performance shop or know someone who will do it, or live in Europe]. it was pretty easy, took me less than an hour start to finish. I prefer the sound without, can actually hear turbo spool [I grew up in the high rev turbo Japanese tuner days] so for me I like the sound vs something incredibly throaty. personal preference. but there is a noticeable sound difference.

Coding it off is really simple.. you just need a laptop, a $15 cable and to read a few threads on here.

[R3dliner]

BMW should have done what Subaru did and just put a sound tube linked to the firewall.

[wdb]

Originally Posted by R3dliner

BMW should have done what Subaru did and just put a sound tube linked to the firewall.

My zed has one of those. It has two pieces of foam rubber in it, which people play around with to change the sound. It's only intake noise though.

[R3dliner]

Originally Posted by wdb

My zed has one of those. It has two pieces of foam rubber in it, which people play around with to change the sound. It's only intake noise though.

Most subie drivers take it out anyways. Useless piece

[Chez]

Originally Posted by R3dliner

BMW should have done what Subaru did and just put a sound tube linked to the firewall.

New GTIs have them. It's still noise being piped in, which shouldn't be.

[fecurtis]

Originally Posted by R3dliner

BMW should have done what Subaru did and just put a sound tube linked to the firewall.

Why? What's the difference? It's literally the same thing conceptually.

[R3dliner]

Originally Posted by fecurtis

Why? What's the difference? It's literally the same thing conceptually.

agreed but with the subie you can physically go remove it. The bimmers you can only turn it off by coding it.

[fecurtis]

Originally Posted by R3dliner

agreed but with the subie you can physically go remove it. The bimmers you can only turn it off by coding it.

Either one requires some level of effort, I'd argue the roughly the same, unless spending $10 on a cable is a large purchase.

[wdb]

Originally Posted by fecurtis

Why? What's the difference? It's literally the same thing conceptually.

No no no nonononono. Inventing a soundtrack is nothing whatsoever like bringing the actual engine sounds into the interior. The I8 makes noises like a V8 through the speakers even though there ain't no V8 anywhere near the car.

[Chez]

Originally Posted by wdb

No no no nonononono. Inventing a soundtrack is nothing whatsoever like bringing the actual engine sounds into the interior. The I8 makes noises like a V8 through the speakers even though there ain't no V8 anywhere near the car.

Conceptually it's the same. You are introducing noises into the cabin which have no place being in the cabin and are, therefore, artificial.

IMO.

[yousefnjr]

^^ engine noise DOES have a place in the cabin of a sports car, particularly the induction noise, that's why they make the effort

The Z's literally have a hole in the firewall, with a sound tube going from the intake to the cabin. You hear and feel everything like it's next to you. It's not the same as a recording through speakers, not unlike live music vs well... a recording

[nachob]

Originally Posted by yousefnjr

^^ engine noise DOES have a place in the cabin of a sports car, particularly the induction noise, that's why they make the effort

The Z's literally have a hole in the firewall, with a sound tube going from the intake to the cabin. You hear and feel everything like it's next to you. It's not the same as a recording through speakers, not unlike live music vs well... a recording

I don't mind tubes etc. I draw the line at digital.

[Redd]

It's like having sex with a supermodel while wearing headphones and listening to a pre-recorded track of her moaning.

Yes, Active Sound is as stupid as that example above.

[Chez]

Originally Posted by yousefnjr

^^ engine noise DOES have a place in the cabin of a sports car, particularly the induction noise, that's why they make the effort

The Z's literally have a hole in the firewall, with a sound tube going from the intake to the cabin. You hear and feel everything like it's next to you. It's not the same as a recording through speakers, not unlike live music vs well... a recording

So, you're saying that if one were to put a good enough audio system in the car, ASD would be acceptable?

Because I have owned and heard home systems that are like listening live.

Originally Posted by Redd

It's like having sex with a supermodel while wearing headphones and listening to a pre-recorded track of her moaning.

Yes, Active Sound is as stupid as that example above.

Likewise, there are headphones available which can reproduce audio so well that it's like being in the room where it was recorded.

On the other hand, if you've heard most supermodels speak.. the headphones may be better utilized by listening to music.

[Sassicaia]

Originally Posted by Redd

It's like having sex with a supermodel while wearing headphones and listening to a pre-recorded track of her moaning.

Yes, Active Sound is as stupid as that example above.

Remove the headphones instead of kicking her out of your bed.