Harmon Kardon or Not

[jonnyz16]

Wow, I didn't know that so many people were dissatisfied with the HK sound system. My friend who has a 325i claims his car has the HK sound system option, but I refuse to believe it based on the way it sounds...heh, maybe he's right.
I just find it hard to believe that a 12-speaker Harman Kardon (very reputable company) sound system could sound so poor.

Aloha MR E , I believe the problem is with the deck , The business CD .

 

[Evil Ed]

I can't believe so many people hate the HKs!!

I have an '02 318ci in the UK and it has to be the best option on the car - I do music production as a hobby and have pro monitor speakers in my studio set-up, and although I wouldn't claim to be an audiophile I know good sound when I hear it.

The HKs are awesome, don't buy a Bee Em without them, IMO.

My only issue with the HKs are that they keep deteriorating and I'm regularly making trips to the BMW garage to have them replaced or re-seated, probably about once every 2 months. But I can't complain, I can count on one hand how many times I've washed my car cos BMW do it for me every time I take my car in

-Ed

 

[MrElussive]

Good information. Perhaps the HK sound system has to be adjusted for each person's taste for it to produce optimum sound quality? Mercedes is making the switch from Bose to Harman Kardon for premium sound systems, so HK has to be doing something right. Both my parents' S500 4Matic's feature the Harman Kardon sound system in them (we used to have a 2001 S500 that features a Bose sound system) and it is easily superior to the Bose setup.
Although I think the BEST factory sound system in a car is the Mark Levinson audio system found in select Lexus models. Nothing like home theater-quality sound in an automobile. [headbang]

 

[jarelj]

I can't believe so many people hate the HKs!!

I have an '02 318ci in the UK and it has to be the best option on the car - I do music production as a hobby and have pro monitor speakers in my studio set-up, and although I wouldn't claim to be an audiophile I know good sound when I hear it.

The HKs are awesome, don't buy a Bee Em without them, IMO.

My only issue with the HKs are that they keep deteriorating and I'm regularly making trips to the BMW garage to have them replaced or re-seated, probably about once every 2 months. But I can't complain, I can count on one hand how many times I've washed my car cos BMW do it for me every time I take my car in

-Ed

That's interesting Ed, I've read a few places where people with models before '04 have raved about the HK system. I wonder if something has changed in '03 or '04 with the system?? You definitely don't have to be an audiophile to hear how the HK in mine sucks, my wife even noticed it without me saying a word, and she could care less about anything electronic or audio-related. [???1]

 

[TheBry]

Again, I love the sound of this HK system. I used to own a Volkswagen Passat and it had what was supposed to be a great Monsoon sound system, but that one sucked in comparison to this one -- and I'm in a convertible! Everyone knows how hard it is to get mid-range sound right in a convertible, but I think BMW / HK did an admirable job.

johnnyz16 says it's the head unit that's the problem (business cd). I don't have this head unit -- I have the NAV system. I rarely listen to CDs anyway since I have the AUX port for the iPod. Maybe that's one of the differences.

 

[bmwrocks]

My HK sounds fine. I play radio, head unit CDs, CD changer, and DVD movies through it.

I noticed something on the topic of sound quality yesterday. Everyone knows of the equalization feature of our cars related to speed. Well I noticed a significant difference between the frequency output of the system with car stopped and car at >45 mph. I heard variations in bass and treble that made the system sound completely different.

I think testing the system with the vehicle stopped has severe limitations. I would love to be able to defeat the feature allowing full frequency output at all times. Anyone know how to do this?

My point is maybe some people are judging the system with the vehicle stopped which could be the reason it sounds so crappy to them?

 

[jarelj]

My HK sounds fine. I play radio, head unit CDs, CD changer, and DVD movies through it.

I noticed something on the topic of sound quality yesterday. Everyone knows of the equalization feature of our cars related to speed. Well I noticed a significant difference between the frequency output of the system with car stopped and car at >45 mph. I heard variations in bass and treble that made the system sound completely different.

I think testing the system with the vehicle stopped has severe limitations. I would love to be able to defeat the feature allowing full frequency output at all times. Anyone know how to do this?

My point is maybe some people are judging the system with the vehicle stopped which could be the reason it sounds so crappy to them?

It's interesting that you mention this issue..... I noticed that my system sounds TONS better when the car is stopped, and the engine turned off. But when travelling down the road, it sounds all muffled in the midrange. I'll have to pay a little more attention to the speed issue and see if I can notice a definite trend......

 

[SamuraiJack]

Hey all I have the Business CD in my '01 and the only gripe I have is that it sometimes doesn't eject the CD all of the way out. You kinda have to pull on it then it ejects it the rest of the way. Oh wait, I do have another gripe... Turning the bass up and getting a rattling from the rear deck. I've traced it to a plastic piece under the tie down thing in the center of the rear deck. Other than those two items I can turn it up until my ears start ringing and the quality is spot on.