Dear fellow 500-lovers,

I have a fantastic '13 Fiat 500 TA85. Bought it earlier this year. Great car! I really feel like driving a small Star Wars rocket
I live in the Netherlands and the car is factory fitted with an Interscope Sound System. The internet told me it has better speakers, and an added subwoofer under the passenger seat. The car also has the Blue&Me system, which is 'ok' (but not the best).
My problem is about the sound quality, when streaming audio via the Blue&Me system.
Just listening to the radio or a cd, audio quality is fine.
But when I connect my iPhone 6, or someone else's phone, and stream music, for example via Apple Music or Spotify, suddenly I feel like standing in a big old church: the sound is 'echo-ing'. It's really uncomfortable to listen to.
Now I've tried streaming my music in an other 500 at the dealer last week, with the standard sound system (so no Interscope Sound System) and it all played well, with the same sound as when playing a cd.
Does anyone recognise this problem? Is this a setting in the menu? I mean, there doesn't seem to be a 'surround sound' or 'space enhancer' button. Does it have anything to do with the Interscope System? It happens only when playing via Blue&Me, so I guess it has nothing to do with the speakers.

All help appreciated!

If there is a wired line in facility use that instead? and make sure any "enhancements" on the phone are switched off, remembering the headphone output is the lowest quality output, on the old 30 pin I phone/I pod a true unprocessed fixed voltage output was available via the large connector offering far better sound quality.

Thanks John, the phone is connected via the regular USB cable. So lightning tot Blue&Me USB. When listening with headphone, sound is fine.

doekoe said:

Thanks John, the phone is connected via the regular USB cable. So lightning tot Blue&Me USB. When listening with headphone, sound is fine.

Click to expand...

So, you are using mobile internet to stream to your phone and a usb cable to connect from phone to car?

What happens if you:-

a. play some music locally stored on your phone?
b. switch off bluetooth on your phone and try Spotify?
c. play some music straight off a USB stick instead of connecting your phone?


The "tunnel" audio fault you describe sounds a lot like low quality bluetooth but I didn't think B&M allowed this for music?

In my Mazda I have a Xcarlink bluetooth unit from my Galaxy S5 wireless streaming (to Bose setup) quality is extremely good with the exception of total loss of connection once in a while.

John202020 said:

In my Mazda I have a Xcarlink bluetooth unit from my Galaxy S5 wireless streaming (to Bose setup) quality is extremely good with the exception of total loss of connection once in a while.

Click to expand...

There are different standards for Bluetooth though. I was of the understanding that B&M doesn't support A2DP which is presumably what your mazda unit works with.