Disable RDX Active Sound Control (ASC)
#1
Racer
Thread Starter
Disable RDX Active Sound Control (ASC)
I searched and found no thread. Sorry if this common knowledge. As one who prefers to NOT hear fake engine noise piped into the cabin, I disabled my active sound control. The process was easy and I wanted to share. The ASC unit is found under the center console. To access it, pull off the black, plastic, side panel located next to the gas pedal. Gently pull at all corners until it comes off. Once loose, I then bent the plastic as shown in the first photo. The second photo shows a metal box with a P/N number, serial number, and 5F. That’s the ASC unit. Just unplug it. The panel easily snaps back into place. Done. I still hear engine noise when accelerating, but it is at a lower volume and sounds cleaner.
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#2
Yep, its been done, but IMO it is such a worthwhile mod that it bears repeating.
I shouldn't be so judgemental but I've never understood the appeal of pushing artificial engine noise into an otherwise serene cabin. It reminds me of a five year old placing playing cards into the spokes of his bike. Vroom vroom!!
Whatever floats your boat I suppose. Acura should have made it more easily adjustable, including a total off setting.....not just indexing it to the drive mode as they did.
This device does more than just synthesize vroom vroom noises. There is also active noise cancellation to reduce road, wind noise etc. Unfortunately by unplugging the whole thing, this noise reduction is probably lost. Did you notice any increase in road, wind noise?
I shouldn't be so judgemental but I've never understood the appeal of pushing artificial engine noise into an otherwise serene cabin. It reminds me of a five year old placing playing cards into the spokes of his bike. Vroom vroom!!
Whatever floats your boat I suppose. Acura should have made it more easily adjustable, including a total off setting.....not just indexing it to the drive mode as they did.
This device does more than just synthesize vroom vroom noises. There is also active noise cancellation to reduce road, wind noise etc. Unfortunately by unplugging the whole thing, this noise reduction is probably lost. Did you notice any increase in road, wind noise?
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reggieburris (04-25-2023)
#3
Racer
Thread Starter
Yep, its been done, but IMO it is such a worthwhile mod that it bears repeating.
I shouldn't be so judgemental but I've never understood the appeal of pushing artificial engine noise into an otherwise serene cabin. It reminds me of a five year old placing playing cards into the spokes of his bike. Vroom vroom!!
Whatever floats your boat I suppose. Acura should have made it more easily adjustable, including a total off setting.....not just indexing it to the drive mode as they did.
This device does more than just synthesize vroom vroom noises. There is also active noise cancellation to reduce road, wind noise etc. Unfortunately by unplugging the whole thing, this noise reduction is probably lost. Did you notice any increase in road, wind noise?
I shouldn't be so judgemental but I've never understood the appeal of pushing artificial engine noise into an otherwise serene cabin. It reminds me of a five year old placing playing cards into the spokes of his bike. Vroom vroom!!
Whatever floats your boat I suppose. Acura should have made it more easily adjustable, including a total off setting.....not just indexing it to the drive mode as they did.
This device does more than just synthesize vroom vroom noises. There is also active noise cancellation to reduce road, wind noise etc. Unfortunately by unplugging the whole thing, this noise reduction is probably lost. Did you notice any increase in road, wind noise?
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JDMaccord3.5 (05-03-2021)
#6
I searched and found no thread. Sorry if this common knowledge. As one who prefers to NOT hear fake engine noise piped into the cabin, I disabled my active sound control. The process was easy and I wanted to share. The ASC unit is found under the center console. To access it, pull off the black, plastic, side panel located next to the gas pedal. Gently pull at all corners until it comes off. Once loose, I then bent the plastic as shown in the first photo. The second photo shows a metal box with a P/N number, serial number, and 5F. That’s the ASC unit. Just unplug it. The panel easily snaps back into place. Done. I still hear engine noise when accelerating, but it is at a lower volume and sounds cleaner.
just wondering how many miles you’ve logged since making the change. This seems too easy not to do. The Pros seem to far outweigh the Cons.
#7
Racer
Thread Starter
Trending Topics
#8
Racer
That little noise synthesizer has prevented me from getting a CAT-back exhaust system to make some nice noise….and, of course to decrease back pressure, yada, yada……. It’s a money saver for me…..<smirk>
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#9
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Join Date: Jan 2014
Location: Canada, Vancouver
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This does stop the fake engine noise but it also completely disables the noise cancellation in the car and it is noticeable. So far, I haven't found anyone able to disable only the engine noise unfortunately. I have it unplugged because the aftermarket subwoofer ends up picking up the cancellation signal and booming in the car with the engine speed. I prefer my sub over the loss of noise cancellation but it really hurts the premium feel of the car when the noise cancellation is off. In the future, I plan to make a toggle for the power to the anc. Toggle anc on, subs turn off. Toggle anc off, subs turn on.
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reggieburris (04-30-2023)
#10
This does stop the fake engine noise but it also completely disables the noise cancellation in the car and it is noticeable. So far, I haven't found anyone able to disable only the engine noise unfortunately. I have it unplugged because the aftermarket subwoofer ends up picking up the cancellation signal and booming in the car with the engine speed. I prefer my sub over the loss of noise cancellation but it really hurts the premium feel of the car when the noise cancellation is off. In the future, I plan to make a toggle for the power to the anc. Toggle anc on, subs turn off. Toggle anc off, subs turn on.
#11
Yep, its been done, but IMO it is such a worthwhile mod that it bears repeating.
I shouldn't be so judgemental but I've never understood the appeal of pushing artificial engine noise into an otherwise serene cabin. It reminds me of a five year old placing playing cards into the spokes of his bike. Vroom vroom!!
Whatever floats your boat I suppose. Acura should have made it more easily adjustable, including a total off setting.....not just indexing it to the drive mode as they did.
This device does more than just synthesize vroom vroom noises. There is also active noise cancellation to reduce road, wind noise etc. Unfortunately by unplugging the whole thing, this noise reduction is probably lost. Did you notice any increase in road, wind noise?
I shouldn't be so judgemental but I've never understood the appeal of pushing artificial engine noise into an otherwise serene cabin. It reminds me of a five year old placing playing cards into the spokes of his bike. Vroom vroom!!
Whatever floats your boat I suppose. Acura should have made it more easily adjustable, including a total off setting.....not just indexing it to the drive mode as they did.
This device does more than just synthesize vroom vroom noises. There is also active noise cancellation to reduce road, wind noise etc. Unfortunately by unplugging the whole thing, this noise reduction is probably lost. Did you notice any increase in road, wind noise?
#12
Instructor
I just did the unplug trick.
While I do not like the fake engine noise and if it was “switchable”, I would definitely choose the off position.
After a test drive under different driving conditions, unplugging the control unit caused at least one very unpleasant effect.
There is a very pronounced drone at highway speed 60-80 Mph that is found under light throttle acceleration at those highway speeds.
Pull over, plug the unit back…….drone is gone. Clearly the active noise canceling unit is defeating the drone noise.
There many other issues not found or discovered……..but………the highway drone is enough for me to leave unit plugged in.
While I am not willing to spend more time on this, I have experienced active noise canceling troubleshooting on other Honda products. The drone noise I found did not surprise me. Many of the Honda V6 products that had cylinder canceling absolutely needed this type of drone noise cancelation, especially on smooth asphalt surfaces. ( yes no cylinder canceling on the RDX). On those products the average customer would notice the noise when the system had a problem.
My thought is if you taped over ( blocked) the active noise microphones in the car………your would reproduce the unacceptable drone noise I experienced.
While I do not like the fake engine noise and if it was “switchable”, I would definitely choose the off position.
After a test drive under different driving conditions, unplugging the control unit caused at least one very unpleasant effect.
There is a very pronounced drone at highway speed 60-80 Mph that is found under light throttle acceleration at those highway speeds.
Pull over, plug the unit back…….drone is gone. Clearly the active noise canceling unit is defeating the drone noise.
There many other issues not found or discovered……..but………the highway drone is enough for me to leave unit plugged in.
While I am not willing to spend more time on this, I have experienced active noise canceling troubleshooting on other Honda products. The drone noise I found did not surprise me. Many of the Honda V6 products that had cylinder canceling absolutely needed this type of drone noise cancelation, especially on smooth asphalt surfaces. ( yes no cylinder canceling on the RDX). On those products the average customer would notice the noise when the system had a problem.
My thought is if you taped over ( blocked) the active noise microphones in the car………your would reproduce the unacceptable drone noise I experienced.
Last edited by Showkey; 06-06-2021 at 02:25 PM.
#13
I just did the unplug trick.
While I do not like the fake engine noise and if it was “switchable”, I would definitely choose the off position.
After a test drive under different driving conditions, unplugging the control unit caused at least one very unpleasant effect.
There is a very pronounced drone at highway speed 60-80 Mph that is found under light throttle acceleration at those highway speeds.
Pull over, plug the unit back…….drone is gone. Clearly the active noise canceling unit is defeating the drone noise.
There many other issues not found or discovered……..but………the highway drone is enough for me to leave unit plugged in.
While I am not willing to spend more time on this, I have experienced active noise canceling troubleshooting on other Honda products. The drone noise I found did not surprise me. Many of the Honda V6 products that had cylinder canceling absolutely needed this type of drone noise cancelation, especially on smooth asphalt surfaces. ( yes no cylinder canceling on the RDX). On those products the average customer would notice the noise when the system had a problem.
My thought is if you taped over ( blocked) the active noise microphones in the car………your would reproduce the unacceptable drone noise I experienced.
While I do not like the fake engine noise and if it was “switchable”, I would definitely choose the off position.
After a test drive under different driving conditions, unplugging the control unit caused at least one very unpleasant effect.
There is a very pronounced drone at highway speed 60-80 Mph that is found under light throttle acceleration at those highway speeds.
Pull over, plug the unit back…….drone is gone. Clearly the active noise canceling unit is defeating the drone noise.
There many other issues not found or discovered……..but………the highway drone is enough for me to leave unit plugged in.
While I am not willing to spend more time on this, I have experienced active noise canceling troubleshooting on other Honda products. The drone noise I found did not surprise me. Many of the Honda V6 products that had cylinder canceling absolutely needed this type of drone noise cancelation, especially on smooth asphalt surfaces. ( yes no cylinder canceling on the RDX). On those products the average customer would notice the noise when the system had a problem.
My thought is if you taped over ( blocked) the active noise microphones in the car………your would reproduce the unacceptable drone noise I experienced.
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Ih8honda (06-08-2021)
#14
So, finally got around to doing this. Some thoughts.
First, the "rattling" I heard coming from around the noise cancellation speaker right above the driver's head wasn't fixed by doing this. I assume this kill noise cancellation, and thus, would also kill any "popping" coming from the MOST bus issue? Seems it's a physical noise rather than electrical unless I'm mistaken in my thinking.
As for my experience with it, it seems to be a 1:1 trade-off. It kills the fake engine noise, which is very welcomed, but it definitely makes interior noise more prominent. Not so much tire or wind noise, but I noticed tire and suspension rebound was much more apparent while driving over fixed potholes or gaps in the pavement. Maybe it's mostly in my head, but I did seem to notice them more. While cruising on smooth pavement, it is far more relaxing not having to listen to the soft drone of a shitty 4-banger. Unlike Showkey, I didn't hear any drone at highway speeds (65-75MPH), but I did notice it with the fake engine noise plugged in. It's certainly worth a try, and I might go back and forth with this a few times before deciding on which I prefer.
First, the "rattling" I heard coming from around the noise cancellation speaker right above the driver's head wasn't fixed by doing this. I assume this kill noise cancellation, and thus, would also kill any "popping" coming from the MOST bus issue? Seems it's a physical noise rather than electrical unless I'm mistaken in my thinking.
As for my experience with it, it seems to be a 1:1 trade-off. It kills the fake engine noise, which is very welcomed, but it definitely makes interior noise more prominent. Not so much tire or wind noise, but I noticed tire and suspension rebound was much more apparent while driving over fixed potholes or gaps in the pavement. Maybe it's mostly in my head, but I did seem to notice them more. While cruising on smooth pavement, it is far more relaxing not having to listen to the soft drone of a shitty 4-banger. Unlike Showkey, I didn't hear any drone at highway speeds (65-75MPH), but I did notice it with the fake engine noise plugged in. It's certainly worth a try, and I might go back and forth with this a few times before deciding on which I prefer.
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Ih8honda (06-10-2021)
#15
Thank you!!!!
Thank you soooo much for posting the location and how to disconnect the audio sound control. Since I disconnected, I feel like all the natural sounds of the engine, cabin, stereo, etc. are exactly what they should be. I don’t have to listen to the fake engine noise — the real thing is sooo much better!!
#16
Expanse me
This does stop the fake engine noise but it also completely disables the noise cancellation in the car and it is noticeable. So far, I haven't found anyone able to disable only the engine noise unfortunately. I have it unplugged because the aftermarket subwoofer ends up picking up the cancellation signal and booming in the car with the engine speed. I prefer my sub over the loss of noise cancellation but it really hurts the premium feel of the car when the noise cancellation is off. In the future, I plan to make a toggle for the power to the anc. Toggle anc on, subs turn off. Toggle anc off, subs turn on.
#17
Instructor
If and when you guys find the body drone noise most notable at 1500-2000 rpm in higher gears tip in with a light throttle ……..once identified it’s easily reproduced and unacceptable.
#18
Just did this, thanks. Mine said 3A on the box but it was in the same place. I have a 2022 advance.
much better this way. I hate the fake noise and the ANC. I can hear a din in the background and ANC causes pressure on my ears (I can’t use the headphones either). Really wish Acura had an easy setting to disable both but at least I found this thread and everything else works with the box unplugged.
much better this way. I hate the fake noise and the ANC. I can hear a din in the background and ANC causes pressure on my ears (I can’t use the headphones either). Really wish Acura had an easy setting to disable both but at least I found this thread and everything else works with the box unplugged.
#19
So I don’t know why it took so long, but I just unplugged the ANC module. What a pleasant surprise! I’ve come to despise the fake engine noise and it is so much better! I took it for a short ride and didn’t notice an increase in cabin noise at 50-60 mph. Haven’t tried a highway ride yet. I think it was a little noisier on a concrete strip of my ride, but it’s generally noisy there anyway. If it doesn’t produce too much of a drone, if it’s only a little noisier, I’ll live with it over the hideous fake engine noise.
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Ih8honda (12-14-2022)
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