Well, here's the update on my Accord situation. Car was at the dealer for a few days and they told me they compared my stereo to the others and they all sounded the same. Duh! They all sound like crap but they're not going to admit it.

This seemed like a fight I would never win and I like my sounds so I took matters into my own hands. Consulted with a car audio guy who's had issues like this with other Accords and had him replace my speakers with top line Infinity 2 ohm models. Also replaced the sub with a self contained Infinity unit. The job took over 8 hours and he pretty much had to dismantle the interior to do it. Also turned off the automatic noise control.

The results are worth every penny. The car sounds like it probably should have in the first place, maybe even better. I agree this shouldn't have to had come out of my pocket but I really do enjoy the car now. I'll get over the expense every time I turn the stereo on.

 

Great post. I especially liked the part where the dealer said it sounded like all the others. lol
Glad to hear you got the sound you wanted.

 

The dealer bought my car back today for the price I paid, minus miles I used. Fair enough.

 

I would definitely have taken that deal just to get rid of it!

In my case Honda had the dealer install a completely new head unit and HDD. So far everything seems to be working much better. CD's obtain title info and start playing quickly, previously would take several minutes. I can record to HDD, the original unit had quit recording. Will now play from a USB thumb drive. It responds quicker and better to voice commands as well as manual input with dial. So far none of the static sound that would occasionally pop up. Sound is maybe slightly better but certainly not what I would call premium.

At this point I am crossing my fingers that at least those issues are resolved. I am still not impressed with the rest of the vehicle. Seats are uncomfortable for driving any distance. Ride is harsh and uncomfortable (my 3/4 ton pu rides better). ECO mode seems to be somewhat useless. Actually getting better mileage with it off and engine has better response.

I tend to keep vehicles for a long time. Often buying a new one and still holding on to the old ones. Doubt this one will be around as long as most. I also doubt that any new ones will be a Honda.

 

Good for you. That is most fortunate to get a dealer to do that. Were you armed when you asked them to take the car back?

Glad it worked out for you.

 

I just got a new phone, and for the first time since my "update" I have retried using Pandora and Aha. My phone is the new HTC One. Being so much faster than my old phone (HTC Evo Shift) I expected better performance, and to some extent it is better. There is definitely better sound coming from these two sources than any other, and much improved than before.

With this phone, I can also now get text and email messages via the car which I could not before. Although it is strange to have a female voice read me a text from a male friend

Next up is a speaker upgrade.

 

Has anybody heard anything about the planned integration of Siri into the Accord sound system? Last thing that I heard was sometime this summer....

 

Drove a couple of hours in a 2013 crv, ex-l. Stereo sounds identical to the accord before the update. Didn't test many features. I just laughed when I adjusted the "subwoofer" all the way up and nothing happened.

 

I meant to post my response in this thread, but accidentally posted it in another. Sorry!

I haven't had a chance since the latest patch came out to get that installed. Finally got it today! Here is what I have noticed so far:

1. Road noise is more noticeable, as has been noted by others (basically, I believe they adjusted the ANC's)
2. Subsequently, audio quality has increased slightly. Again, I think this is mostly due to the ANC's being turned down, not that Honda has "tweaked" the audio system!
3. Pandora works much better and faster now (using iPhone 5). It used to be that when I started the car, Bluetooth would take upwards of 30-60sec to connect, at which point, Pandora (or any other music) would quit. I would have to disconnect/reconnect the phone physically (I leave mine plugged in). Became a REAL pain. That appears to have been fixed! I can't for the life of me understand why a $50 GoGroove Flexsmart Bluetooth device installed in my wife's minivan works 100x better than my Honda... It connects almost immediately and plays music instantly after connection. Why can't Honda do the same? I digress....
4. AHA Radio also now works, nicely too! I still think it is a pain having to "Allow" the app to play music through the car (which, BTW, I don't get prompted for every time). I will also say that the audio quality through AHA is quite a bit better than Pandora. I actually enjoyed listening to music from Slacker via AHA today.
5. Text Msgs seem to work a little better than before, but we shall see how that goes.
6. Not audio related, but the guys at the dealership did not fix the rattle in my sunroof....grrrr.... Said they couldn't find anything wrong. Of course...

**UPDATE: While AHA works better than before (i.e. didn't work at all...), it still gives me trouble. Sometimes, it will connect right away and start playing music, other times, I have to disconnect USB, close the app, connect USB, open the App, "Allow" the App, then MAYBE it will start playing. If it does not, then I just flip over to Pandora. Come on, Honda!!

 

guys - thank you for continuing to share. this is a very useful thread for many Accord owners.