Newbie...ghost in the stereo

[surferdog]

Hello all...new M5 owner here...love the little bugger!
Does anyone else have a strange issue where the cd/stereo will randomly increase in volume? It's not like it increases a ton...just a little....not only that but it will also play some mp3s, but not all...strange. (uhm)

 

[surferdog]

I should have added it's only the single CD stereo and not the 6 stacker/mp3

 

[HotRodSaint]

The radio can be set to automatically increase in volume (it has two settings) or it can be set to not increase in volume.

Press the right knob until you see this feature and select which setting you prefer.

 

[SuperStretch18]

All newer mazdas have this feature. It is to compensate for road noise when you increase speed...

 

[surferdog]

Great stuff...thanks guys....my wife thought I was going insane.

 

[coolmazda5]

Hi surferdog. Strange... never seen it before...

. No, just kidding. It is called ALC (Automatic Level Control). Check on your owner's manual, you can disable the feature if you want.

I disabled it since new as, although it sounds useful, it is kinda of annoying after some highway rides (yeah, the 3 levels), IMO.

 

[Zoom5Zoom]

All newer mazdas have this feature. It is to compensate for road noise when you increase speed...

ALC - Auto Loudness Control (or level control)

This feature sences speed and will automatically increase your stereo volume (even on FM or AM settings).

I have set mine to ALC 2 and all is cool not too abrupt auto increase on the highways

 

[jandree22]

I like the feature. The reason I don't use mine is that I tend to listen to the stock radio at the loudest I can get it with good, punchy clean bass. With ALC on I get up to highway speeds and the speakers begin to distort. I'd rather have the wind noise drown out the volume than it sounding like crap.

 

[opus]

Surferdog,
It drove me bonkers the first couple of days of ownership too. It is just subtle enough for you to question whether or not it is actually happening. I just turned mine off and have been happy ever since.

 

[kyoshiro]

mine has been off since i had the car, prob wont turn it on lol

 

[DeadGeneration]

I have that same thing in my stereo. It's really annoying because I am not sure what it's sensing, but it definitely over does it.

 

[jandree22]

One of those "Well, it looked good on paper..." type ideas it seems.

 

[mazdadude]

To be honest, since I upgraded from the factory 6CD, I miss the ALC.

Now when I come to a stoplight after being on the freeway, I have to turn my music down. Whereas with the factory unit, I did not have to adjust as often. You would think that my new radio GPS would also have some sort of speed-sensing level control. It does not.(dunno)

 

[bstad1]

I am finding that the ALC is more handy as the car gets older. The road noise becomes more pronounced as the seals wear, and there's a bigger difference in noise driving different speeds than when new.