[NLJ]

Originally Posted by james1138

I didn’t realize that, I thought it was whether or not you wanted the engine noise to be pumped through the speakers.

There is an element of the engine sound that goes to the speakers, right?

Thanks

Supposedly you can’t remove pumped in engine noise at all. It has to be coded out.

[TakeshiJin]

I am going to scandalously re-direct you to endorse my post regarding the 3 Series Harman Kardon design here : https://g20.bimmerpost.com/forums/sh....php?t=1990253

[dudley@07726]

Thank the lord I’ve rid myself of this audio disease that doesn’t allow me to enjoy the sound in my M340i. I find it just fine for driving. Maybe it’s just age. And I’m one who enjoys good sounding audio. I have 2 separate systems in my home. One 2 channel analog and the other 5.1 with mid to high end equipment.
(B&W Nautilus, Bryston, Rega, Oppo, Anthem, etc). I find it better than the Bose in my 16 Audi A6 and no worse than the Burmester in my wife’s 18 MB E350 coupe.

[james1138]

Originally Posted by james1138

I’m excited to try the settings listed in this post and adjust the fader towards the back in hopes that it will make the sound even better. I feel like the sound of the drums gets lost in the settings that I currently have. The tom and snare drums don’t hit as hard as I would hope they would.

I had a chance to adjust the fader in my car last night, and it definitely improved the base response when listening to hip-hop. But I felt like it sacrificed some of the drums if I was listening to a band like Slayer. I will treat if more to see if I can get it where I want. I know the set up won’t be amazing but I at least want it to sound of the best possible.

Does anybody know any Focal dealers in Michigan? That might be something worth pricing out. Not that the HK is awful but music is my first love and I’d like to have the best of both worlds if possible.

[JITH]

Here they write a little about what does every frequency does.


https://www.songstuff.com/recording/...q_frequencies/

[iulianm]

Roon is apparently working for DSP in Roon ARC.
This would allow a frequency response to be measured and then a filter to be generated and DSP applied using the smartphone.

I would be curious to try it out once it's available.

I've measured my car, compared it with my Mazda and there is no way to adjust the 150Hz dip as the EQ band is 100Hz and 200Hz; hopefully with DSP that could be adjusted.

[JITH]

After many tries, and knowing that every song has been recorded different, being a Jazz and Blues musician who also hears Soul an R&R, my settings are:

Logic 7 on and off, depending the song or mood....
Bass: +3 or 4
Treble, +2 or 3
100 + 5
200 hz -5
500 hz + 4
1k -5
2k -2
5k +2
10 k + 5

If F/R goes to the back a little, like 2 or 3 clicks, then 10k needs to be higher, for my taste.

With this settings I can hear, feel the bass drum, and the hi-hats the way I like, plus some clean bass and I really have never liked middle tones...

[P0werEdge]

You can try enabling Bower & Wilkins settings with bimmercode they have predefined settings that work really nice for me.

[snopyy]

Originally Posted by P0werEdge

You can try enabling Bower & Wilkins settings with bimmercode they have predefined settings that work really nice for me.

The DSP sound effects have changed, so they sound different, but they have not exceeded the limits of the unit and amplifier.

[Jolbex]

Originally Posted by TakeshiJin

I am totally against coding in B&W AKA Bowers & Wilkins. People Stop calling it B&O (Bang & Olufsen) already; because it's not!

Anyways that aside. Bowers & Wilkins sound profiles definitely sound different and will have more profiles to expand the sound stage. However NONE of them except STUDIO is completely accurate due to the software coding and actual amp to channels to physical speakers configuration. If you use onstage it will use all 16 Channel in which the Harman Amp has only 10 in which only 9 are used (BMW Logic). When you change the Sound Stage from Studio to --> Onstage in the Bowers & Wilkins profile it's CLEARLY Underpowered and missing channels it will give you a surround effect at the cost of the music being heavily underwhelming in volume and it will have missing Frequencies due to the extra channels and physical speakers required.

So unless you're purely listening in STUDIO in Bowers & Wilkins it's not worth it.

Tweaking the EQ from the forums provided feedback / screenshot is the best way to listen with Logic 7 (Surround).

Other Options :

Cheap Solution : Swap out the subwoofers fixes your Bass needs.
$800 or $600 D.I.Y. :
2x Focal or Bavsound Subwoofers + Shop Install

Full Speaker solution
2-2.5k : For All 16 speakers replacement from Bavsound or Focal Speakers + Plus Shop Install Labor (a lot of door cards and speakers).

Full Solution = 4-4.5k : Requires Full Speaker Replacements + Match 10 DSP + AMP signal (Will be better then 80% of named Branded Systems out there excluding those Signature Reference Audio with ceiling / backrest speakers IE BMW B&W 4D Diamond, Meridian Reference Signature, Naim, ... etc)

Couldnt agree more. Im new here, but experienced audiophyle. I coded b&w profile to my 2019 X3 with HK 688 and it was terrible. The sound is distorted, bass booming without any control, vocals are terrible... And the next day iblost all bass! Thought the amp and/or speakers have burnt. Luckily the bass returned (like Lassie) on next startup. I coded the car back to stock setting. I do realize that my problem is due to amp problem (my year is not covered by recall though) and the engine sound is not disabled....but i think that channell count and cutoff frequencies are not allowing proper functioning of a HK amp in BW mode. And i fear using tweaked mode for loud playing can kill amp/speakers....hopefuly not something else (ram, idrive.....)

[SLGrassoPA]

Suggestion, my opinion:

It is easier to just swap out the HK at a car audio shop and get something far superior - for maybe 3K - it will completely change your ride..

A good stereo usually sounds good when you turn it on, no matter what the settings. Settings are for fine tuning, not for making what is an otherwise bad stereo sound good. Example, get into an Audi with BO and you''ll immediately be blown away by the sound. Same with MB Baumester and so many others.

I love BMW cars, I just don't know what they don't offer the higher end stereos found in the 5 and the 7 in a car like the 340. The HK works,, but BMW could have offered something better in a 50K car, really. Lexus did it with the Levinson sound system.

The reviews have consistently trashed the HK in the 3 series. Come on BMW, wake up and give us a stereo that sounds better without googling for countless setting changes that maybe can help, but really never change things much.

https://thedailymotor.com/sound-syst...harman-kardon/

Here is a forum topic that has some suggestions:

https://g20.bimmerpost.com/forums/sh....php?t=1930260

If you go to the Alpha One website (Bimmertech) you can just type in your VIN and it will give you the parts needed to have a great sounding stereo.

https://www.bimmer-tech.net/speakers...lifier-for-bmw

[TakeshiJin]

Originally Posted by Jolbex

Couldnt agree more. Im new here, but experienced audiophyle. I coded b&w profile to my 2019 X3 with HK 688 and it was terrible. The sound is distorted, bass booming without any control, vocals are terrible... And the next day iblost all bass! Thought the amp and/or speakers have burnt. Luckily the bass returned (like Lassie) on next startup. I coded the car back to stock setting. I do realize that my problem is due to amp problem (my year is not covered by recall though) and the engine sound is not disabled....but i think that channell count and cutoff frequencies are not allowing proper functioning of a HK amp in BW mode. And i fear using tweaked mode for loud playing can kill amp/speakers....hopefuly not something else (ram, idrive.....)

Oh I hates the vocals with the Bowers and Wilkins setting they were flat or just missing a note when you turned on surround. I could also hear / feel speakers going dead in the car after they replaced the amp with B&W profiles. Never again am I using a codec algorithm made for a different set of hardware. In my honest opinion I turn off logic 7 because the split signal logic is very bad. If you know a song enough you can hear one set of elements louder or only existing on the left or right side of the car. After they replaced my M340i's amp , I turn off logic 7 adjust me EQ and crank up the volume to 30% plus it's a decent system like the other Harman Kardon's clear enough and accurate to a point.

It doesn't matter if your amp doesn't fit in the recall they replaced mines after diagnosing that the booster part of the AMP was bad. Replaced it and bass never goes bad ever again as long as you don't turn on B&W codecs or logic 7 surround modes.

[Jolbex]

Great to hear! Thanks! I was already considering buying an used amp, but would hate voidingy warranty and also not knowing if replacing needs additional coding/sw update.

[techlogik]

Pretty close to what I set mine too as well. One thing I miss about my Tesla M3 LR, one of the best stock sound systems on the market easily.

Kind of tolerate the poor HK with these tweaks. My wife’s 21 X3 with stock HiFi sounds better than my 20 M340i sadly.

I also coded out the active Sound.

Lastly everybody will be different how they set their EQ. At my age I can’t even hear 16k hz… haha but I stillcan hear 10-11hz and boost it about +3. Plus I have tinnitus.

Originally Posted by JITH

After many tries, and knowing that every song has been recorded different, being a Jazz and Blues musician who also hears Soul an R&R, my settings are:

Logic 7 on and off, depending the song or mood....
Bass: +3 or 4
Treble, +2 or 3
100 + 5
200 hz -5
500 hz + 4
1k -5
2k -2
5k +2
10 k + 5

If F/R goes to the back a little, like 2 or 3 clicks, then 10k needs to be higher, for my taste.

With this settings I can hear, feel the bass drum, and the hi-hats the way I like, plus some clean bass and I really have never liked middle tones...

[DickieJ]

If you can swing it, go Match 10 DSP.
Bavsound speakers, Match subs for me. Sounds way better. Sublimal Sounds UK.
Dave is the man. They ship to US.

[Jolbex]

After a few days of testing i realized there is not much wrong with HK sistem (except lack of some 13 or 16cm driver - which could be easily put into front or rear door of any bimmer....to cover missing frequencies. The outdtanding problem seems to be the source! Radio (dab included) sounds terrible. Music via bt (from android) even worse. Much worse than any cheap car i have uses in last 30 years. However....once i tried usb key with my audiophile collection....the HK came to life! There is absolutely nothing missing in sound (after engaging eqviliser settings suggested here on forum)! When i play my 24/192 hires albums they sound incredible! Its a jawdropping experience! Still cant understand how Bmw managed to do such poor integration of external sources (and radio!). It almost seems like on purpose! Because the sound im getting via usb, listening my favorite audiophile picks (Diana Krall, Jazz at the pawnshop, Patricia Barber, Johnny Cash.....) Is absolutely incredible!! Ive listenened this songs thousands of times on my several hiend devices...and the result in my X3 is not noticably worse than home audio! So it seems it os the source/dsp/settings/whatever problem....and not the hardware itself. I openly wanted to change the amp and/or speakers.....but after hearing the music in last 2 days....im impressed. So i strongly advise everybody to try usb good quality material prior to investing in change of hardware!

[toddwalton]

For those with Harman Kardon who wish to increase sound quality markedly, these settings which I got from poster zazzau are just brilliant. And, importantly, don't require any coding.

Begin by turning Logic 7 to OFF and follow the photos from there. Just amazed by how much better it sounds. Enjoy!

[LarryMarcia]

I tried those settings and others, and myself did not see any big improvement. If you grow tired of what it sounds like, I would suggest trying coding, or for a major upgrade, FOCAL or some other high end components. True I did have to spend 3,000 on the FOCAL components, but man oh man, that resulted in a tremendous difference, night and day, like a real high end system should sound, with no need for hours on end of playing with settings. I'd say just about the same as BO or BW.

[toddwalton]

Originally Posted by LarryMarcia

I tried those settings and others, and myself did not see any big improvement. If you grow tired of what it sounds like, I would suggest trying coding, or for a major upgrade, FOCAL or some other high end components. True I did have to spend 3,000 on the FOCAL components, but man oh man, that resulted in a tremendous difference, night and day, like a real high end system should sound, with no need for hours on end of playing with settings. I'd say just about the same as BO or BW.

This is the "tweaking" thread. Spending $3,000 is hardly tweaking.

[SLGrassoPA]

pregunta, Can the harmon in the 3 series or 4 series really be "tweaked," or is it just an exercise in futility..........

[toddwalton]

Originally Posted by SLGrassoPA

pregunta, Can the harmon in the 3 series or 4 series really be "tweaked," or is it just an exercise in futility..........

Yes. Compared to my F36 and F33, both of which had Harman Kardon systems, the G26 is vastly superior. And that's with the factory (flat) settings. The new settings I was introduced to this week (posted earlier) are vastly superior to that.

I've never been so happy with a BMW audio system.

[LarryMarcia]

To the post above, pal, have you ever listened to MB Baumeister, BMW's Bowers & Wilkins, Lexus Levinson, Audi Bang and Olufson?

If you have listened to any of those, you can't be serious. No one replaces those other sound systems, and they are always ranked amongst the best... for good reason. Yet there are countless companies offering HK replacements for the 3 series...... The reason is obvious...


I mean the HK is ok, but when you listen to the competition, it is an amazing difference, not even close