Audio system comparison

ggabriele3 · 10-06-2015, 09:22 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by uberspeed

The amp is usually the best bang for your buck upgrade and "quickest" improvement, better speakers would still be woefully underpowered vs crappy speakers but well driven.

I don't know if I'd agree with that. The stock amp isn't a monster, but it's not like you'd be powering the speakers off the head unit.

I just upgraded the speakers only ($200 total) and the sound quality is night-and-day better.

The amp upgrade would be $600 or more, only to put more power into the existing paper-cone 4'' midbass tweeterless speakers?

I think you do the speakers first.

den525 · 10-06-2015, 09:26 AM

HK is very average. My mate has a M135i with HK and I have a M235i with hifi. The difference is minimal...

People who say "if you like good sound get the HK" is pure BS if you like music and sound get aftermarket as the HK is just average at best.

I'm in the process of upgrading system, you can get the HK mouldings for $100 and upgrade the actual tweeters

zentanker · 10-06-2015, 12:10 PM

the HK system was definitely a good option for me and sounds far better than the standard system, no regrets at all purchasing it.

In the interest of disclosure though, my hearing is pretty messed up. After lots of time in the Army, I've been told that I have moderate to severe hearing loss in the 4-16khz range. As some may find the HK system too bright or harsh in the treble it seems to be what I need for my damaged ears.

As an aside, my wife who has good hearing said "oh... that sounds really good!" the first time she rode in the car and I slightly cranked up one of our songs on the HK system.

If you're looking for something to piss off the neighbors, it probably won't (which is good, IMO) For normal listening I'd say it's pretty good.

uberspeed · 10-06-2015, 12:42 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ggabriele3

I don't know if I'd agree with that. The stock amp isn't a monster, but it's not like you'd be powering the speakers off the head unit.

I just upgraded the speakers only ($200 total) and the sound quality is night-and-day better.

The amp upgrade would be $600 or more, only to put more power into the existing paper-cone 4'' midbass tweeterless speakers?

I think you do the speakers first.

I believe the stock amp is a measly 25W per channel and not sure that's even RMS. I found a brand new JL Audio XD600/6v2 for $375 shipped on eBay, did a wiring harness (~$90 iirc) from user Technic on Bimmerfest so it's all fully reversible and eliminated the use of the center channel for better imaging all in one fell swoop. Stock speakers well driven are better than aftermarket speakers barely being used but I suppose that's a matter of perspective. I'll probably upgrade my front stage at some point then consider the underseat "subs" and not worry about the back fill but know I have a good amp driving them. Enjoy your set up.

Luftwaffe1O1 · 10-06-2015, 07:46 PM

I would say the HK system is worth it. It is not as good as in the 3 series, and my coworker had the lower end B&O system in his S5 which was also pretty nice for a stock unit.

But I think a lot of people are just going off of what others have said about the HK in our 2s being terrible. It really isn't that bad. And unless you are going to blow quite a bit of money, I think a lot of times when people say their aftermarket system sounds "better' it tends to be completely subjective.

The output is not that amazing sure, I have been chasing a better sound in my Z3 for quite some time now, outside of the acoustics being weird in it to begin with, unless you are willing to spend serious money, you will only get marginally better sound.

_dmglce · 10-06-2015, 11:01 PM

For the same price as every other HK option in other series, our 2 series do not get the Logic 7 which is a night and day difference IMO. I regret getting the option, have I known it did not come with Logic 7...

MrBones93 · 10-06-2015, 11:17 PM

This all really depends on which direction you want to go with the car. If you are ok with aftermarket parts and going through that process, I would definitely take that $875 and put it into a new amp or the focals. If you want to stay stock, the HK is certainly better than the stock system, however I am not convinced it is $875 better. Which trim 2012 GTI do you have? I had a '12 autobahn edition with the Dynaudio system and that was better than the base HiFi system in my M235i but I still think the base M235i system sounds just fine and I do listen to mainly hip-hop and edm (bass-heavy stuff).

2013mingrey335i · 10-07-2015, 12:21 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by uberspeed

I believe the stock amp is a measly 25W per channel and not sure that's even RMS. I found a brand new JL Audio XD600/6v2 for $375 shipped on eBay, did a wiring harness (~$90 iirc) from user Technic on Bimmerfest so it's all fully reversible and eliminated the use of the center channel for better imaging all in one fell swoop. Stock speakers well driven are better than aftermarket speakers barely being used but I suppose that's a matter of perspective. I'll probably upgrade my front stage at some point then consider the underseat "subs" and not worry about the back fill but know I have a good amp driving them. Enjoy your set up.

You replaced the amp? What happened to the active sound did that increase as well?
I had the base stereo in my F30 335 and it was good nice bass and clear
The base in the 235 is defiantly a lot weaker no thump at all

MrBones93 · 10-07-2015, 02:12 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 2013mingrey335i

You replaced the amp? What happened to the active sound did that increase as well?
I had the base stereo in my F30 335 and it was good nice bass and clear
The base in the 235 is defiantly a lot weaker no thump at all

check out the 'navigation, idrive, audio..." section for info on amp replacements. one of the top posts right now is a group buy for essentially a plug and play replacement. the only catch is active sound.. you need to code it off or it will be obnoxiously loud.

3.0L · 10-07-2015, 02:32 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by yeezy

The satilite radio reception in the car sucks. Whenever you drive under the smallest underpass or even a few trees the reception cuts out.

No surprise. Satellite radio is line-of-sight. Same, same other services such as GPS, Direct TV.

FlyingScot1050 · 10-07-2015, 03:56 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 3.0L

No surprise. Satellite radio is line-of-sight. Same, same other services such as GPS, Direct TV.

I have to agree with yeezy, I've had satellite radio in other vehicles before, and the M235i has definitely been the pickiest with regards to reception. Even my old Integra with an add-on system (remember these?) that had the antenna sitting on the dash inside the vehicle had more consistent reception.

arun21 · 10-07-2015, 06:00 PM

I have he 2014 228 and was lucky to receive a refund of $375 on my HK option. At the time they advertised something like 600w output when in fact it is maybe half that. So all in all it ended up costing me about $500. :-) well worth it!

Luftwaffe1O1 · 10-07-2015, 06:06 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by arun21

I have he 2014 228 and was lucky to receive a refund of $375 on my HK option. At the time they advertised something like 600w output when in fact it is maybe half that. So all in all it ended up costing me about $500. :-) well worth it!

Yeah I got the refund too, so its not too bad. But even still, IMO it is still a pretty good cost for gain option. It is factory etc.

You are not going to get a very good sounding system under 1k (I mean amp + all the speakers etc).

badg3r · 10-08-2015, 10:09 AM

It's been a while since i've been back on here. I just read all your replies and you guys definitely took away some of the anxiety i had concerning the sound system. I guess i'll leave it stock and see how i like it for the winter, then see if i want to upgrade to focals in the spring.
I'll definitely be spending a lot more time on these forums in the future!

MrBones93 · 10-08-2015, 12:34 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by badg3r

It's been a while since i've been back on here. I just read all your replies and you guys definitely took away some of the anxiety i had concerning the sound system. I guess i'll leave it stock and see how i like it for the winter, then see if i want to upgrade to focals in the spring.
I'll definitely be spending a lot more time on these forums in the future!

I think this is a great choice!

Larry7995 · 10-08-2015, 12:56 PM

Focal speakers are definitely a significant step up. I have listened to some $$ home Focal speakers at the RMAF last couple years and a buddy upgraded his RDX with Focal, which sounds great. But I am cool with the stock HK, I have a 2 channel system at the house with Legacy Focus SE speakers if I really want great audio I go to my living room

uberspeed · 10-09-2015, 12:02 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 2013mingrey335i

You replaced the amp? What happened to the active sound did that increase as well?
I had the base stereo in my F30 335 and it was good nice bass and clear
The base in the 235 is defiantly a lot weaker no thump at all

No ASD in my vehicle, thankfully.

uberspeed · 10-09-2015, 12:12 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MrBones93

check out the 'navigation, idrive, audio..." section for info on amp replacements. one of the top posts right now is a group buy for essentially a plug and play replacement. the only catch is active sound.. you need to code it off or it will be obnoxiously loud.

The BimmerTech Amp looks like a good buy as well, it wasn't around when I went the route that I did. That said I came out ahead enough to get my front stage

uberspeed · 10-09-2015, 12:15 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ggabriele3

I don't know if I'd agree with that. The stock amp isn't a monster, but it's not like you'd be powering the speakers off the head unit.

I just upgraded the speakers only ($200 total) and the sound quality is night-and-day better.

The amp upgrade would be $600 or more, only to put more power into the existing paper-cone 4'' midbass tweeterless speakers?

I think you do the speakers first.

Amp first, speakers second

I realize he has a horse in the race but it's been a generally accepted truism in car audio since I can remember.

http://www.2addicts.com/forums/showp...6&postcount=25

uberspeed · 10-09-2015, 12:19 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Larry7995

Focal speakers are definitely a significant step up. I have listened to some $$ home Focal speakers at the RMAF last couple years and a buddy upgraded his RDX with Focal, which sounds great. But I am cool with the stock HK, I have a 2 channel system at the house with Legacy Focus SE speakers if I really want great audio I go to my living room

Some options I've lightly looked into thus far:
JL-Audio C2-400x
CDT Audio CL-42SL
Focal 100VRS/KRS

chris719 · 10-09-2015, 12:33 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by uberspeed

Amp first, speakers second

I realize he has a horse in the race but it's been a generally accepted truism in car audio since I can remember.

http://www.2addicts.com/forums/showp...6&postcount=25

If it gets loud enough and it's not grossly clipping, you get far more distortion from crappy speakers. The worst modern amplifier will still give you an order of magnitude lower THD than the speakers if it's not clipping. The truism is wrong unless the stock amplifier can't handle the load at the volume levels you want to listen at.

akuan99 · 10-09-2015, 01:25 AM

I've upgraded amp and speakers on a 128i and now 228i.
I installed speakers first then amp but I removed speakers first and amp later when I traded 128i.
I have to say that the speakers are the weak link.
It doesn't matter how good is the amp or how much DSP is in there but to my audiophile ears the midrange sound muddiness never goes away.
For those who like to listen music loud and want more bass will find amp upgrade only better suit their needs.
However I still recommend to replace speakers and amp together to get the best out of crappy OEM head unit.

10-06-2015, 09:26 AM	#24
den525 Captain 185 Rep 869 Posts Drives: BMW M235i Join Date: Jan 2015 Location: Sydney iTrader: (0)	HK is very average. My mate has a M135i with HK and I have a M235i with hifi. The difference is minimal... People who say "if you like good sound get the HK" is pure BS if you like music and sound get aftermarket as the HK is just average at best. I'm in the process of upgrading system, you can get the HK mouldings for $100 and upgrade the actual tweeters __________________ My car build http://www.2addicts.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1094247
	Appreciate 0 Quote

10-06-2015, 12:10 PM	#25
zentanker Private First Class 205 Rep 157 Posts Drives: 2016 M Sport 228i Mineral Grey Join Date: Jul 2015 Location: Central Texas iTrader: (0)	the HK system was definitely a good option for me and sounds far better than the standard system, no regrets at all purchasing it. In the interest of disclosure though, my hearing is pretty messed up. After lots of time in the Army, I've been told that I have moderate to severe hearing loss in the 4-16khz range. As some may find the HK system too bright or harsh in the treble it seems to be what I need for my damaged ears. As an aside, my wife who has good hearing said "oh... that sounds really good!" the first time she rode in the car and I slightly cranked up one of our songs on the HK system. If you're looking for something to piss off the neighbors, it probably won't (which is good, IMO) For normal listening I'd say it's pretty good.
	Appreciate 0 Quote

10-06-2015, 07:46 PM	#27
Luftwaffe1O1 Lieutenant 230 Rep 555 Posts Drives: M235i, 2000 Z3 Join Date: Mar 2015 Location: San Diego, CA iTrader: (0)	I would say the HK system is worth it. It is not as good as in the 3 series, and my coworker had the lower end B&O system in his S5 which was also pretty nice for a stock unit. But I think a lot of people are just going off of what others have said about the HK in our 2s being terrible. It really isn't that bad. And unless you are going to blow quite a bit of money, I think a lot of times when people say their aftermarket system sounds "better' it tends to be completely subjective. The output is not that amazing sure, I have been chasing a better sound in my Z3 for quite some time now, outside of the acoustics being weird in it to begin with, unless you are willing to spend serious money, you will only get marginally better sound. __________________
	Appreciate 0 Quote

10-06-2015, 11:01 PM	#28
_dmglce Private 6 Rep 48 Posts Drives: Range Rover Join Date: May 2015 Location: San Francisco, CA iTrader: (0)	For the same price as every other HK option in other series, our 2 series do not get the Logic 7 which is a night and day difference IMO. I regret getting the option, have I known it did not come with Logic 7... __________________ IG: _demiglace
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10-06-2015, 11:17 PM	#29
MrBones93 Private First Class 23 Rep 103 Posts Drives: 2015 M235i xDrive Join Date: Aug 2014 Location: Boston iTrader: (0)	This all really depends on which direction you want to go with the car. If you are ok with aftermarket parts and going through that process, I would definitely take that $875 and put it into a new amp or the focals. If you want to stay stock, the HK is certainly better than the stock system, however I am not convinced it is $875 better. Which trim 2012 GTI do you have? I had a '12 autobahn edition with the Dynaudio system and that was better than the base HiFi system in my M235i but I still think the base M235i system sounds just fine and I do listen to mainly hip-hop and edm (bass-heavy stuff).
	Appreciate 0 Quote

10-07-2015, 06:00 PM	#34
arun21 Enlisted Member 22 Rep 46 Posts Drives: 2015 228i Join Date: Dec 2014 Location: United States iTrader: (0)	I have he 2014 228 and was lucky to receive a refund of $375 on my HK option. At the time they advertised something like 600w output when in fact it is maybe half that. So all in all it ended up costing me about $500. :-) well worth it!
	Appreciate 0 Quote

10-08-2015, 10:09 AM	#36
badg3r New Member 4 Rep 10 Posts Drives: 2015 M235 xDrive Join Date: Sep 2015 Location: Montreal, Canada iTrader: (0)	It's been a while since i've been back on here. I just read all your replies and you guys definitely took away some of the anxiety i had concerning the sound system. I guess i'll leave it stock and see how i like it for the winter, then see if i want to upgrade to focals in the spring. I'll definitely be spending a lot more time on these forums in the future!
	Appreciate 0 Quote

10-08-2015, 12:56 PM	#38
Larry7995 Private 12 Rep 52 Posts Drives: 2015 M235i xdrive Join Date: Aug 2015 Location: Denver iTrader: (0)	Focal speakers are definitely a significant step up. I have listened to some $$ home Focal speakers at the RMAF last couple years and a buddy upgraded his RDX with Focal, which sounds great. But I am cool with the stock HK, I have a 2 channel system at the house with Legacy Focus SE speakers if I really want great audio I go to my living room
	Appreciate 0 Quote

10-09-2015, 01:25 AM	#44
akuan99 Second Lieutenant 55 Rep 272 Posts Drives: 2015 228i M-Sport Track 6MT Join Date: Sep 2014 Location: Plano, TX iTrader: (0)	I've upgraded amp and speakers on a 128i and now 228i. I installed speakers first then amp but I removed speakers first and amp later when I traded 128i. I have to say that the speakers are the weak link. It doesn't matter how good is the amp or how much DSP is in there but to my audiophile ears the midrange sound muddiness never goes away. For those who like to listen music loud and want more bass will find amp upgrade only better suit their needs. However I still recommend to replace speakers and amp together to get the best out of crappy OEM head unit.
	Appreciate 0 Quote