The sound system in my TL is quite impressive (at least for front seat occupants). However, when sitting in the rear seat, it seems the system is playing "surround-sound"; therefore the rear seat occupants don't get near the sound that the front seat occupants get. They are basically getting nothing but "rear channel" sound and sub bass. Is there any way to change the settings to simply play "stereo" when there are passengers in the rear?

 

Tell them to quit complaining! HAHA

Try playing around with the fader to increase/decrease levels front to back. The "Rear channel" sound you mentioned is the same as the front channel sound, unless you're listening to a DVD-Audio disc.

It may also help if you run your Bass setting at 0 or -1 so the music is not drowned out by the bass for those in the rear seat. You will also notice your system may sound better overall.

 

it's simple... there are no tweeters in the rear... so there are no highs...

You'll have to add tweeters to the rear deck to get similar sound as the front...

 

Agree with Rod.
I did this several years ago and it helped.
Though keep in mind that in a surround system you will have less power to the rear channels. So upgrading will help, but for a drastic change you would need to upgrade you speakers and amp as well.

I upgraded to components in the rear, so I took out the rear deck made some measurements and out came the hole saw. Very very easy!
Gdluck

 

You've got the Dolby "simulated" 5.1 off, right?

 

why in the world would you put components in the rear deck?

midbass+freeair=

 

unless your banking on those tweeters bouncing waves off the rear glass they wont do anyhting back there. put them in the doors and, guys, please flush mount them it actually looks proper. That should help out a lot. I have a component set in my rear doors and it sounds pretty good back there, IF I turn my subs down.

 

< Flush mounted and angles adjusted properly

Sounds great, thousand times better than stock!

 

+1 i just added a full hertz audio sound system with tweeters in the back. Sound awesome....

 

It was the Dolby Pro Logic setting....I guess the DPLII setting defaults to "on" for XM radio, however like i mentioned in the op, it makes the sound for back seat passengers horrible. Turning it off solved the problem and added about 50% more volume for XM radio.....

 

:takesabow:

 

If they are riding in the back seat are they really that important

 

Surround setting with XM FTL. Seriously, XM sounds enough like shit through the front speakers. I'd probably gouge my eardrums out if I had to listen to the matrixed "surround" channels.