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      10-07-2019, 07:00 AM   #1
nubova
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Optimal Audio Settings for Harmon Kardon System

Any audiophiles out there have any suggested equalizer settings for the Harmon Kardon sound system? Curious what settings others have set for the system.
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      10-07-2019, 07:50 AM   #2
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Quote:
Originally Posted by nubova View Post
Any audiophiles out there have any suggested equalizer settings for the Harmon Kardon sound system? Curious what settings others have set for the system.
No specific suggestion here.
But make sure to try music directly from a USB drive, or upload from the drive to the onboard hard drive, if you haven't yet.
Audio quality is so much better than satellite radio and significantly better than Bluetooth connection. MP3 files sound great, but flac files sound twice as good in my opinion.

Good luck!
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      10-07-2019, 08:38 AM   #3
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Good question. I'll be getting the B&W, myself, as a pseudo-audiophile.

I would ask this question in the G05 X5 forum, since so much is duplicated between the two vehicles, and you could likely use any G05 setting and get really close. The G05 has much higher ownership and forum activity, and they have a dedicated sub-forum that includes audio topics just like this.
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      10-07-2019, 09:35 PM   #4
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Great question. I'm curious too, although we have the Bowers & Wilkins. I've always been curious if doesn't sound as good as it should because it's streaming audio through WiFi. I use Apple Music right now. Anyone use tidal? I thought you were able to stream audiophile quality?
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      10-07-2019, 09:59 PM   #5
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I didn’t order the B&W on this vehicle but had it on my 7 serious. I’m not an audiophile and didn’t think i would notice a difference but I have to say, I definitely do notice a pretty big drop off between the B&W and the Harmon one. If there is something I’m missing to optimize the sound of the harmon, that would be great
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      10-08-2019, 12:09 AM   #6
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Tidal Tunes

I find that Tidal has the best sound. Also use Spotify but it doesn't offer Tidal's master quality sound. By the way you can down load from either service direct to your phone and carry your favorite music wherever you go.
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      10-09-2019, 08:33 AM   #7
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Campinguy View Post
I find that Tidal has the best sound. Also use Spotify but it doesn't offer Tidal's master quality sound. By the way you can down load from either service direct to your phone and carry your favorite music wherever you go.

If you put the music on your phone does it sound better?
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      10-09-2019, 09:02 AM   #8
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Sphinx_77 View Post
But make sure to try music directly from a USB drive, or upload from the drive to the onboard hard drive, if you haven't yet.......


Good luck!
How do you do this???
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      10-10-2019, 10:30 AM   #9
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After a certain point, the car environment is the limiting factor for sound playback quality. As quite as our cars are, they are still are a cacophony of road and wind noise when trying to hear the nuances of music or "lossless" quality. I have lossless and AAC VBR files on my iPhone, and you cannot tell any difference.

I run my harmon system basically flat, slight attenuation of the HF. I turn logic on or off for giggles - sometimes it sounds better, sometimes worse.
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      10-10-2019, 11:23 AM   #10
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Thrangster View Post
After a certain point, the car environment is the limiting factor for sound playback quality.
Yes, and that right there is what gives me hesitation to get the B&W. Part of it is the ambient noise control. But the other part is the far-from-ideal layout. You're not sitting in the middle of a room, yards away from each speaker with controllable spacing. Every primary speaker for the driver is a few inches, to 3 feet away from your ears, and you're sitting far on the left side, out of the natural "sweet spot". Then there's the highly reflective surfaces of a car's interior, such as all the glass.
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      10-10-2019, 11:34 AM   #11
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Wild Blue View Post
Yes, and that right there is what gives me hesitation to get the B&W. Part of it is the ambient noise control. But the other part is the far-from-ideal layout. You're not sitting in the middle of a room, yards away from each speaker with controllable spacing. Every primary speaker for the driver is a few inches, to 3 feet away from your ears, and you're sitting far on the left side, out of the natural "sweet spot". Then there's the highly reflective surfaces of a car's interior, such as all the glass.
The car is one of the worst places to attempt to listen to quality sound

I had the B&W in my prior 7, and opted against it for the x7. The HK system is more than sufficient in a car.
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      10-10-2019, 12:05 PM   #12
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I don't think there are any ideal, one-size-fits-all EQ settings for any audio system, vehicular or otherwise. Not only would it vary by genre, but even within a single genre, there will be massive differences in how the tracks are mixed.

Aside from the fact that it's a moving target, what sounds good is completely subjective. I'd just test out a few songs that are representative of what you normally listen to, and make small tweaks to suit your taste. Or leave the EQ flat for a neutral, uncolored approach (unless the system seems fundamentally unbalanced to you in some way) — which is my personal preference.

I've got the B&W in my 540i, but I won't be adding it when I order an X7. It sounds great, but 80% of the time I spend in a car, I find I'm listening to podcasts, NPR or audio books. I haven't actually heard the HK system yet, but I imagine it's plenty good.
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      10-10-2019, 12:50 PM   #13
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I also wouldn't focus on any 'best setting'.

IMO, how you like your music to sound is a PERSONAL PREFERENCE and you have to play around with the settings until YOU think it sounds best for YOU.
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      10-11-2019, 09:20 AM   #14
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I have the HK in my 2019 X5, and I find it depends a lot on the music you are listening to. I always use my phone playlist, with USB. So I have a lot of older music that will never sound as bright and detailed as newer recordings.

Generally I love the sound system, I can’t imagine paying thousands more for the BO package. The equalizer is a lot of fun to play with, but of course you can’t do that while driving. Easy to change, so if you are in the mood for more bass, just set it up. Want to feel the vibe under your butt - yup it will do that.

The music system is the one thing I always use in my car. I’m not an audiophile, but to me it can’t get much better than the HK system. I wouldn’t spend more for the upgrade.
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      10-12-2019, 05:25 AM   #15
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Optimal Audio Settings for Harmon Kardon System

I'm a former DJ so I believe I have a pretty good ear for music and sound. I've had the HK in a previous Mercedes and one day got a loaner with a B&W system and was blown away by the difference. My current x7 has the B&W and I'm very happy with it.

Last edited by CruiseControl; 10-12-2019 at 12:08 PM..
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      10-12-2019, 08:19 AM   #16
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Not to be pedantic (okay, maybe a little bit), but B&O is Bang & Olufsen. BMW's current top-shelf audio system, however, is from Bowers & Wilkins (B&W), which is a completely different company.

Meanwhile, BO is "body odor."
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      10-13-2019, 12:15 PM   #17
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The thread below may have some insight on some initial HK settings for those who don't consider themselves audiophiles...

https://f80.bimmerpost.com/forums/sh....php?t=1006751

Different platform obviously (it is the F8x/F3x platform) so the cabin dynamics will be different than the X7 and I am sure the HK settings on ID7 may be a bit different than the HK settings on ID4/5/6. But I used some of the settings suggested in this thread as a starting point and it made a world of difference and helped to take some of the "trial & error" out of getting the HK system sounding the way I wanted.
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