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Technical Topics iDrive, Nav, Phone, Audio, Video, Cameras, Electronics Is it okay to upgrade my leased car to the HK sound system?

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      08-10-2020, 10:26 AM   #1
bacchus7
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Is it okay to upgrade my leased car to the HK sound system?

Hi all. Saw a handful of similar threads about this, but not an exact answer.

I'm getting a great deal on an almost loaded 330i. The one thing it's missing is HK sound. Unfortunately, It was not possible to find a deal on a 2020 330i with similar specs in the color I like (black). My lease broker told me its not a problem to upgrade the the audio system, and he says BMW won't mind since it enhances the car and it doesn't violate anything on the lease. Is that correct? Does anyone strongly advise against it? I see all the 'plug & play' options and figure why not, at the very least, swap the speakers?

Anyone love the base Hi-Fi system?
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      08-10-2020, 10:34 AM   #2
FrostNixon
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I have the hifi system because it's more than enough for me. However, from what I understand, once the vehicle has been manufactured you can't upgrade to HK because some things don't match and you can't put the buffer. There are some topics on that.
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      08-10-2020, 11:04 AM   #3
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The HiFi system isn't that bad once it's broken in. I have/had B&O in my Audis and while it doesn't compare, the HiFi isn't as bad as the base system in Audis. Only problem is, to get some clarity, you'll need to play music loud. That can be a problem when there are other people in the car.
Upgrading speakers to bavsound/eaton apparently solve that problem even though loudness remains the same.
I've listened to the HK and while it's nice and I would prefer that (isn't as good as the B&O in similar Audis), I don't regret not getting it.
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      08-10-2020, 02:09 PM   #4
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You can't upgrade to HK and maintain full warranty because BMW do not have an official retro fit.

You can buy all the parts (cost a few $€£) but BMW won't install it.

Your broker is telling fibs.

You could replace the speakers. BMW will never know unless something goes wrong.
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      08-10-2020, 05:23 PM   #5
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I wouldn't go through the hassle. If I were to purchase the car at the end of lease then I would consider this.
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      08-10-2020, 05:36 PM   #6
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Quote:
Originally Posted by greekcs View Post
I wouldn't go through the hassle. If I were to purchase the car at the end of lease then I would consider this.
I agree 100pc
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      08-10-2020, 10:55 PM   #7
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Appreciate all the replies, real helpful.

Guess I'll wait to see how the hifi sounds to me - i love my music, not enough to go crazy with new subs and the whole 9 though. The bavsound speaker upgrade is really intriguing though. HK isn't an option as noted, but going to see how I like the hifi before putting any order in. After reading a bunch around I'm not too worried about the lease situation with upgraded speakers if it's plug and play - we shall see!
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      08-10-2020, 11:28 PM   #8
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I have the HK, and it is a bit disappointing.
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      08-12-2020, 12:26 AM   #9
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I updated the base Hifi on my last car (F30), all plug & play and removed it all before handing it back. I doubt if the dealer ever knew.
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      08-12-2020, 01:29 AM   #10
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Xsapper View Post
I updated the base Hifi on my last car (F30), all plug & play and removed it all before handing it back. I doubt if the dealer ever knew.
The dealer won’t know if you’ve swapped speakers or not unless they actually look for it. It’s more about the hassle of doing it than the dealer finding out. I watched a few videos on upgrading the speakers/woofer in the G20 and it seems like a headache, especially on a leased car.
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      08-17-2020, 06:04 PM   #11
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HK system isn't great ... i wouldn't bother i can fart louder than the bass unit under the seats
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      08-22-2020, 10:45 AM   #12
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Interesting. I have B&O in my last Audi and I think HK in my new BMW is better.
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      08-31-2020, 09:15 AM   #13
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For HiFi system there is a simple solution to get much better sound. If you don't want to replace speakers - you can start with upgrading HiFi system with a plug-and-play amp - MatchUp 7DSP.
It's a 15 minute job, but it's a bit pricey. However, it will significantly improve the sound of the HiFi system as the amp has a DSP which has sound profiles specifically designed to bring the best from OEM HiFi speakers without overpowering them.

Once your lease is out, you can return OEM HiFI amp back in 15 minutes.
The amp can be put in your next BMW since it's compatible with all BMWs with HiFi system. The amp also works with other german cars with certain audio systems, like Mercedes. You just buy a car-specific harness, and load the DSP setup file for that vehichle.


See this thread for much more detail: https://g20.bimmerpost.com/forums/sh....php?t=1737016
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      08-31-2020, 02:23 PM   #14
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Calamari View Post
For HiFi system there is a simple solution to get much better sound. If you don't want to replace speakers - you can start with upgrading HiFi system with a plug-and-play amp - MatchUp 7DSP.
It's a 15 minute job, but it's a bit pricey. However, it will significantly improve the sound of the HiFi system as the amp has a DSP which has sound profiles specifically designed to bring the best from OEM HiFi speakers without overpowering them.

Once your lease is out, you can return OEM HiFI amp back in 15 minutes.
The amp can be put in your next BMW since it's compatible with all BMWs with HiFi system. The amp also works with other german cars with certain audio systems, like Mercedes. You just buy a car-specific harness, and load the DSP setup file for that vehichle.


See this thread for much more detail: https://g20.bimmerpost.com/forums/sh....php?t=1737016
I wonder how much good it will do, seeing as it's almost the price difference between HiFi and HK.
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      08-31-2020, 04:08 PM   #15
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Quote:
Originally Posted by FrostNixon View Post
I wonder how much good it will do, seeing as it's almost the price difference between HiFi and HK.
It's a fair question. The thing is, to get way better sound than HK you need to do the whole thing, replace the speakers (at least all mids and tweeters) and upgrade the AMP. That combination is much bettee than HK.

It all comes down to how much you plan to invest, and how important good sound is to you. That is something that everyone needs to answer for themselves.

MatchUp AMP is a great start. It's specifically designed for OEM HiFi speakers and packs 1300 Watts of power. It will bring the oem speakers to life, without a doubt. Essential advantage of the MatchUp amp is the DSP in it that allows you to get almost perfect sound stage by adjusting the timing/delay of all audio channels.

I am currently running MatchUp amp with all ETON mids and tweeters on center, front and rear channels and the results are very very good. Way better than HK. And I haven't even replaced the woofers (yet).

Last edited by Calamari; 09-01-2020 at 05:24 PM..
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      09-01-2020, 10:11 AM   #16
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Calamari View Post
It's a fair question. The thing is, to get way better sound than HK you need to do the whole thing, replace the speakers (at least all mids and tweeters) and upgrade the AMP. That combination is much bettee than HK.

It all comes down to how much you plan to invest, and how important good sound is to you. That is something that everyone needs to answer for themselves.

MatchUp AMP is a great start. It's specifically designed for OEM HiFi speakers and packs 1300 Watts of power. It will bring the oem speakers to life, without a doubt. Essential advantage of the MatchUp amp is the DSP in it that allows you to get almost perfect sound stage by adjusting the timing/delay of all audio channels.

I am currently running MatchUp amp wotj all ETON mids and tweeters on center, front and rear channels and the results are very very good. Way better than HK. And I havent even replaced the woofers (yet).
Yeah you can do great stuff I agree, my main question always is - how long do you spend in your car and how much of an audiophile are you to go through all that, for me the hifi is plenty and I have a great setup at home where I listen to music, music in the car is just to have something other than tire noise, and to be honest with bluetooth I've been listening to more audiobooks and podcasts lately rather than music.
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      09-01-2020, 03:10 PM   #17
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I had the B&O on my 6er, and had I leased new, I would have been pretty mad spending > $3,000 for something only slightly better than the HK in my G20 (not counting the cool motorized front center speaker...).
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      09-01-2020, 05:23 PM   #18
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Quote:
Originally Posted by FrostNixon View Post
Yeah you can do great stuff I agree, my main question always is - how long do you spend in your car and how much of an audiophile are you to go through all that, for me the hifi is plenty and I have a great setup at home where I listen to music, music in the car is just to have something other than tire noise, and to be honest with bluetooth I've been listening to more audiobooks and podcasts lately rather than music.
I agree. I live in a building where I cannot listen to loud music and I do a lot of long distance driving so the car is the place where I can really enjoy music. If the situation was different, I wouldn't bother upgrading Hifi. I would probably just replace front and center speakers to get less muddy and more natural mids and highs, and that's it.

Last edited by Calamari; 09-07-2020 at 05:21 AM..
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