[Dave2017H]

Several times over the past month I've had to turn off the surround sound speaker. The setting keeps resetting back to on. I read an older post here describing the same problem but with no resolution. Does anyone know what might be causing the setting to revert back to on? Is there a solution?

 

[Dave2017H]

So I've been experimenting with Entune trying to narrow down the conditions for when the surround sound setting keeps returning to the on selection. For any input source mode, if the vehicle is turned off and back on, the surround sound checkbox will once again be checked on and the center channel speaker on. I've also tried unchecking the surround sound mode, turn off Entune, drive for awhile, shut the engine off, and turn it back on. This also causes the surround sound to return to the on selection. The other sound settings are maintained. I've reset my Entune personal settings multiple times but it hasn't helped.

Anyone else having this problem with Entune? Here are my Entune software versions. If would be interesting to know if there's a later version for some of these modules. This information can be found under Apps/General Settings/Software Information/Software Update. Thanks.

Audio: 010187
Audio System: 000099
Dsp Module: A10010
Sub: 010001
Can: 130209

 

[THawk43]

I feel your pain. Same thing in my 2015 H/L although not a frequent as your situation. I found several posts here describing how to get the best sound out of the crap JBL system. For myself, I went into the Setup-Audio screen and reset the Balance and Fade to where the center of the sound is just behind the driver's seat. Then I adjusted the Treble & Base up or down for best sound. Finally, I unchecked the Surround box. That's about the best you can do for this (again)crap system short of swapping out speakers. Every once in awhile I have to go back into Setup and uncheck the Surround box again. It's a pain.

 

[2017Highlander]

unplug the center speaker

 

[Jon1972s]

You cant unplug the center speaker. The radio needs to know that you turned off the setting or it will not sound correct.

 

[2017Highlander]

You cant unplug the center speaker.

You absolutely can. There is a detailed thread here with pics of people removing the front dash speakers (all three of them) and installing JBL speakers from the aftermarket. Pretty simple; remove grill, remove speaker, unplug harness from speaker, reinstall speaker, and reinstall grill.

What will it sound like? You don't know anymore than I do.

I personally would no go through all the trouble when I can just turn surround off since it takes very little effort to do so. I guess if it got my panties all in a bunch because I have to turn it off again every once in a while, I'd unplug the speaker. If I didn't like the way it sounded unplugged, I would yank the entire system and install $4000 of aftermarket gear or just trade it for a Dodge.

:x

 

[Jon1972s]

If you have a surround sound stereo at home, turn it on surround sound and disconnect the center ch. it will absolutely sound like shit. Go to JBL web page for Toyota and they even tell you that it is designed around surround sound. So ya i do know it will sound like shit because during surround the voice will mostly come from the center ch. at least it is supposed to. By turning off the surround you go to regular 2 channel speaker set up, Left and right. Of course youncan replace speakers with after market and im sure there is a thread for it.

 

[2017Highlander]

Comparing a 2ch and processing the crap (sound pun here!) of it to appear as 7.1 surround (simulated) like the TOY JBL and a 5.1 or even 7.1 audio track feeding through a real surround sound system at home are like comparing apples and oranges. You are assuming nearly all of the vocals are coming out of the front center driver on the HL. Are they in yours?

 

[wth]

Several times over the past month I've had to turn off the surround sound speaker. The setting keeps resetting back to on.

Same problem here, and for me the surround sound setting goes back to on "checked" EVERYTIME I turn the ignition off. The setting will not stay "unchecked" after you turn the ignition off. It's ALWAYS "checked" on after every restart of the vehicle. I used to have multiple settings change, like bass & treble would reset to the middle, and on the navi system, the "voice" would return to the loud #4 setting, the navi "pointer/screen would revert to default where the pointer moved (rotated), but not the map. But everything was fixed with an update about 3-4 months ago except the surround sound problem.
Time to visit the dealers shop again for another update.

 

[Dave2017H]

For someone that doesn't have this persistent surround sound speaker problem, can you please post your software version numbers? It would be helpful to know if an older release might not have the problem, or maybe the problem exists only in the most current version. One thing in my favor is that this happens every time my Highlander is restarted so I can easily duplicate the condition for the dealer. I stopped at my dealer last week to see what happens with another Limited with the Premium JBL but the dealer did not have any Limited models to compare. I'm waiting for my 5000 mile service to bring in the Highlander and have this looked at.

Someday I'll probably replace the 3 dash speakers but for now I can live with the sound quality as long as it's not in surround mode. I thought about disconnecting the surround speaker but as Jon1972s pointed out, the quality or frequency range of the left and right dash speakers seem to change for the worse when putting Entune in the surround mode.

 

[THawk43]

Surround Sound Reset

I wonder if it has to do with the fact that the system tries to hold settings for different sound sources, ie, FM, XM, Bluetooth, iPod, etc. Maybe the system is over stressed when the sound sources go from one source to another and it resets itself to factory settings. Just a quess. If so, JBL/Toyota obviously went the cheap route with an inadequate system.
Anyway, it's easy to uncheck the Surround box but it sure is a pain. My '04 Grand Cherokee Infinity system blows this crap system in the weeds and it's 13 years old.

 

[2017Highlander]

There is probably some program that makes a bunch of things get reset when the engine is turned off. Besides surround, there is auto stop, power mode and prolly a few other things that I can't think of off the top of my head. Why these things aren't by the owner or someone with a techstream is kinda really dumb and stupid.

 

[wth]

As stated above, our unit defaults back to surround sound every time you start the car.
2016 Limited built in 2/16


Audio: 010187
Audio System: 000095
Dsp Module: A10010
Sub: 010001
Can: 130209
Model ID 13TDANNA-DA11
Hard No 86100-0E281

 

[Dave2017H]

As stated above, our unit defaults back to surround sound every time you start the car.
2016 Limited built in 2/16


Audio: 010187
Audio System: 000095
Dsp Module: A10010
Sub: 010001
Can: 130209
Model ID 13TDANNA-DA11
Hard No 86100-0E281

Thanks for posting your software versions. Looks like my Audio System at 000099 might be a later version and everything else is the same. I'm hoping someone without the problem will post their versions.

 

[Dave2017H]

Hooray! Toyota finally fixed this surround sound problem. I had my Entune w/JBL updated to Audio 10192 (latest version) and the surround sound check box stays unchecked upon turning the car off and on. Also fixed the weird operation of the check box seeming like it had 3 operating modes. The TSB is T-SB-0279-17.