Starting to get interested and reading a bunch

[YoYoMa]

New to EV
New to Rivian

Likes the R1S a lot...

I am curious how the sound system is ... I think its Meridian but wanted to hear from owners on it...I value the sound system pretty high in any car I buy...

Also in NJ...Those in NJ - Are you hearing any confirmed locations for Service Centers? I know Mahwah and read about maybe Trenton/Edison etc but not confirmed...Thanks!

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[jjswan33]

It's an R1S not RS1.

Meridian audio is a thing of the past for R1S they switched to an in house sound system and if you search you can get plenty of opinions on the matter. Also some reports of upgraded aftermarket systems.

 

[COdogman]

The Rivian sound system is now an in-house design, called “Elevation”, although the hardware is meridian branded when people open up the speaker covers, etc…

If that is a high value feature for you I’m not sure how happy you will be with it. Automotive audio is so subjective. I have the original Meridian system in my truck and recently had a loaner with the Elevation system so I had some time to play with it. I think they are pretty close. The Elevation system is much louder but maybe not as accurate? It seems to be differences in tuning.

I would suggest scheduling a test drive and get some time driving it and play with the stereo.

 

[DuoRivians]

The new refresh is rumored to have a Premium trim above the Adventure package. It might have a better sound package

 

[YoYoMa]

Got it and yes R1S...Planning on driving it and appreciate the input

 

[shamoo]

As someone above said, audio quality is very subjective.

Are you an audiophile? What level? To someone who is an enthusiast, there is probably no automaker who makes a good stereo system, even if you're looking at a Rolls Royce.

I think the best way is to test drive one or find someone with a vehicle you can listen to for a while. There are some basic EQ settings you can do.

*Generally* an aftermarket solution is always better than a factory setup. Factory solutions are there to satisfy the average consumer and be budget friendly.

Anectocally/personally, I don't find my Rivian R1S system (non-Meridian) very impressive at all. I don't care that much (yet). When I was younger, I would always change it out to something else (aftermarket amplifier, speakers, sound processor, etc) and it would be 100X better than anything. There are some folks here who did some of that work in the Rivian for a bit of money. That's an option too. My advice, don't discount the vehicle for what you may think of the audio system. You can always change that.

 

[tate16t]

If the sound system is important to you there are tons of aftermarket options to choose from and you’re better off focusing on other aspects of the Rivian, especially being new to EVs.

 

[YoYoMa]

Thanks! Plan on leasing so after market not an option...I wouldn't let the system dictate purchase...Just curious if it was something people liked for the most part...I know its subjective...Thanks for the input...

 

[shamoo]

Thanks! Plan on leasing so after market not an option...I wouldn't let the system dictate purchase...Just curious if it was something people liked for the most part...I know its subjective...Thanks for the input...

What would your level of "audio enthusiasm" be? What vehicles have you listened to and been impressed with?

I'm a semi audiophile and I am not impressed with it at all. It is relatively flat, not much bass, and sounds like the stereo system of a generic car. Nothing special. Frankly I wonder what others here who have said things like "It's AMAZING!" have experienced in their lives to think a Rivian sound system is impressive. Maybe its just me haha.

 

[YoYoMa]

What would your level of "audio enthusiasm" be? What vehicles have you listened to and been impressed with?

I'm a semi audiophile and I am not impressed with it at all. It is relatively flat, not much bass, and sounds like the stereo system of a generic car. Nothing special. Frankly I wonder what others here who have said things like "It's AMAZING!" have experienced in their lives to think a Rivian sound system is impressive. Maybe its just me haha.

Definitely not an audiophile...Liked my Meridian System in a Range Rover I had and like the B&O system in my Audi but lacks low end...I'm sure its as good as both of this but was just curious...

 

[shamoo]

Definitely not an audiophile...Liked my Meridian System in a Range Rover I had and like the B&O system in my Audi but lacks low end...I'm sure its as good as both of this but was just curious...

I believe the Rivian system will not be as good as those. I know the RR is very quiet inside which helps. Rivian has more wind noise than I'd expect. Audi B&O systems I've heard only the new ones and they are surprisingly impressive. The older ones are meh.

Most factory systems will lack low end since you generally want at least a 10-12" dedicated woofer in there and even an additional 8-10" for the punch, and most don't have that.

 

[DaveA]

Its a solid system if settings are right and I enjoy it more now that my wind noise issues have been almost eliminated.

 

[Electron]

New to EV
New to Rivian

Likes the R1S a lot...

I am curious how the sound system is ... I think its Meridian but wanted to hear from owners on it...I value the sound system pretty high in any car I buy...

Also in NJ...Those in NJ - Are you hearing any confirmed locations for Service Centers? I know Mahwah and read about maybe Trenton/Edison etc but not confirmed...Thanks!

It's refreshing to see a lot of honest input here. I was afraid that a lot would go off on saying that the R1S system was good. It's not.

Car audio may be subjective, but in a way I disagree. A bad sounding car audio system (not talking about the Rivian) is bad regardless and even if an odd ball says that they like it doesn't make it good by any means. The Rivian isn't terrible, but it's not great.

I've spent a lot of time in the R1S and car audio is very important to me as well. In fact, the first thing that I did in the first R1S that I test drove was to test the Meridian sound system. In short here's my summary:

• The sound stage is a wreck and very unbalanced.
• Decent Highs with good clarity. Very crisp.
• Decent Mids with the 3D Surround Sound off.
• Severely lacking on the Low end. If you like Bass you'll be disappointed.
• Must keep the 3D Surround Sound toggled OFF. It's a hot mess.

Since your coming from the Meridian in your RR and B&O in your Audi, it may not be much of a contrast going into the Rivian? Do note that even though the RR has the same brand system, they're not all created equal. I'm very familiar with the Meridian system in the "Land Rover," which sounds a lot more tuned than the Rivian. Chances are you may find your RR to be better than the Rivian. As @Oldsmobile_Mike noted there are threads that go over some EQ settings to get the most out of the stock system.

For some context, the sound system in a Tesla Model S and X is far superior than what's in the Rivian. Tesla actually has very decent stock systems, surprisingly. Another great sounding system is the Lexicon found in the Genesis (only other car being the Rolls Royce that has Lexicon from what I recall). It excels at many levels and well tuned.

I have completely upgraded every speaker, sub and added an additional amp in my Model 3P (daily driver) and it's phenomenal so my standards are very high when it comes to car audio. Only if you were closer, I would gladly meet up so that you can experience it, but then that might not be a good idea as it'd raise the bar on your expectations to high My daily driver headphones are the HD800S Senn's and I have a few Focals.

If you don't want to be disappointed with the Rivian system, half joking, but I would go listen to a base system in a cheaper car first so that you won't get too dissapointed. It's good that Rivian is addressing this issue in offering something better in the new refreshed model. Fingers crossed.

At the end of the day, don't let the audio system deter you from a fantatsic vehicle. You can always go the aftermarket route and have an incredible system that's fit to your liking.

The R1S is incredible and I'm confidient that it'll meet or exceed your expectations in pretty much every other category. The level of luxury, attention to detail, fit and finish and passion that Rivian has makes it truely remarkable. Nothing comes close in this segment.

Welcome to the EV world.

 

[Oldsmobile_Mike]

You've received a ton of good suggestions already. I didn't notice this one linked, but as some people mention "tuning" the audio, there's a few folks on here who've done that. You might be interested in their methods in this link:

https://www.rivianforums.com/forum/...anges-equipment-measured-tests-results.24034/

 

[YoYoMa]

Thanks all. Really good information.

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