So how bad is the HK Sound in the E46

[AdiS]

Hey Guys,

So another research thread which is of particular interest to me. I have heard everywhere, left, right, and centre that the Harmon/Kardon Sound system from teh E46 generation is pretty crap. Now, my housemate has a 2007 120i with the HK sound system (no logic 7 available) and its pretty impressive for a factory system. It's by no means perfect, but I would be happy with it.

So given that, exactly how shit is the HK system in the e46? Further, what are the upgrade options. I have seen that Bavarian Soundwerks specifically manufacture a plug and play speaker swap kit which you can buy (see www.bavsound.com) for the E46 and other BMW models and is super easy to install. From what I understand, they did this as the speaker mounts are uncommon, and therefore sound shops often have to modify replacement driver to get them to fit, resulting in higher costs.

Any comments?

 

[zama]

Well if you want competition sound then go aftermarket.
Needless to say I am pleased with mine.
A small(hidden away nicely) subwoofer for extra bass would be nice tho.

 

[moranor@axis]

i think the HK sound is good but not the best... the standard sound i have in my car is pretty much useless...

 

[LPM320]

I had a 2002 320i with HK sound. All i can say is that i was impressed. Sound quailty is much better than the sound in most same era cars that i have heard. As an honest opinion, i can say the system is a bit lacking in the ultimate bass sector, but the low frequency speaker response is better than most. Sound clarity is up their with the best. Sound staging is impressive as well. There is also a switch next to the asc/dsc that allows you to alter the staging instantly. What i really liked about the system is with the bass and treble set up correctly, you can crank it up to max volume without any distortion at all. I feel that with a small 10'' SQ sub and amp, the system would be perfect.

It might not be the loudest and most bone shaking sound system out there, but you will definetly enjoy your music more than with the standard system...

 

[zama]

I had a 2002 320i with HK sound. All i can say is that i was very impressed. Sound quailty is much better than the sound in most same era cars that i have heard. As an honest opinion, i can say the system is a bit lacking in the bass sector, but the low frequency speaker response is excellent. Sound clarity is up their with the best. Sound staging is impressive as well. There is also a switch next to the asc/dsc that allows you to alter the staging instantly. What i really liked about the system is with the bass and treble set up correctly, you can crank it up to max volume without any distortion at all. I feel that with a small 10'' SQ sub and amp, the system would be perfect.

It might not be the loudest and most bone shaking sound system out there, but you will definetly enjoy your music more than with the standard system...

Couldn't agree more with this guy...

 

[Sankekur]

I had a 2002 320i with HK sound. All i can say is that i was impressed. Sound quailty is much better than the sound in most same era cars that i have heard. As an honest opinion, i can say the system is a bit lacking in the ultimate bass sector, but the low frequency speaker response is better than most. Sound clarity is up their with the best. Sound staging is impressive as well. There is also a switch next to the asc/dsc that allows you to alter the staging instantly. What i really liked about the system is with the bass and treble set up correctly, you can crank it up to max volume without any distortion at all. I feel that with a small 10'' SQ sub and amp, the system would be perfect.

It might not be the loudest and most bone shaking sound system out there, but you will definetly enjoy your music more than with the standard system...

Agreed.

 

[AdiS]

Cool, thats actually what I was hoping to hear. I figured the bad reputation of the HK system was a little over hyped by audiophiles.. I will probably be happy with the HK system for the most part.

My next question then, is how prevalent is the HK system in E46 330is? Is it a rare optional extra?

I had a 2002 320i with HK sound. All i can say is that i was impressed. Sound quailty is much better than the sound in most same era cars that i have heard. As an honest opinion, i can say the system is a bit lacking in the ultimate bass sector, but the low frequency speaker response is better than most. Sound clarity is up their with the best. Sound staging is impressive as well. There is also a switch next to the asc/dsc that allows you to alter the staging instantly. What i really liked about the system is with the bass and treble set up correctly, you can crank it up to max volume without any distortion at all. I feel that with a small 10'' SQ sub and amp, the system would be perfect.

It might not be the loudest and most bone shaking sound system out there, but you will definetly enjoy your music more than with the standard system...

Agreed.

 

[Sankekur]

Haven't seen it on a lot of e46's, though I can't really make an informed estimate about how many came with it.

 

[Budleigh]

Harman Kardon is an improvement on the stock nonsense, but I'd imagine you'd get much better results with an aftermarket setup.

 

[M3west]

I have HK in my car. Its good but nothing compared to the Logic 7 HK I have in my Landy. Now that is really impressive for an OEM install !

I just feel having HK adds to potential resale value...

 

[Doomsdaya]

I had a 2002 320i with HK sound. All i can say is that i was very impressed. Sound quailty is much better than the sound in most same era cars that i have heard. As an honest opinion, i can say the system is a bit lacking in the bass sector, but the low frequency speaker response is excellent. Sound clarity is up their with the best. Sound staging is impressive as well. There is also a switch next to the asc/dsc that allows you to alter the staging instantly. What i really liked about the system is with the bass and treble set up correctly, you can crank it up to max volume without any distortion at all. I feel that with a small 10'' SQ sub and amp, the system would be perfect.

It might not be the loudest and most bone shaking sound system out there, but you will definetly enjoy your music more than with the standard system...

Couldn't agree more with this guy...

+1

HK in an e46 is good stuff....

 

[Yuvan]

HK is good from what i hear but id rather go aftermarket if aiming for thumping sound. 2X12" Pioneer Subs 1400W or more , LinearTec amps to handle them! JBL or Alpine splits and mids with Pioneer 6X9's! thats more or less what i want!

 

[kabal]

I have never played my stock sound system and thought "man that sounds crap"