Ideal EQ Settings for HK Audio System

[dmnc02]

Originally Posted by Lincoln30

1. Bass, Treble, Fader, Balance all centered, logic 7 turned ON
EQ setting
100hz -3
200hz -1
500hz +2
1khz +1
2khz flat
5khz +2
10khz +3

I have tried this setting and it is a very nice improvement over the default one. Great post!

[aboulfad]

Originally Posted by Lincoln30

I had ProAc 4" drivers in the doors of my 88 Supra. One of the installers parted out some ProAc speakers to use the components in his car but the drivers were too deep for his installation and they fit the doors of my Supra As far as the stock sound...prepare to be somewhat disappointed. The Bavsound speakers were an improvement and help get reduce the shrill sound of the stock tweeters. The Bavsound speakers are a real improvement for a smoother more natural sound (pleasing but not great, worth the price). The Musicar Stage 2 is awesome but does nothing to improve the SQ of the mids/highs, it just gives you that missing octave of bass and a bit better sound from the under seat woofers. When the subs/underseats are balanced with the fronts, the problem is the stock amp for the mids/highs craps out just before you get to the fun volume levels. I unplugged the Active Sound box when I installed the musicar kit, I think the exhaust sounds better without the assist thru the speakers.

I understand the agonizing wait. My car took 6 months to get due to the production delay in October.

I got the car few days ago and you were dead on w your analysis, the stock HK is a bit bright even w some of the settings you posted, balance needs to be on 2.5 to get image centered for the driver, so I keep going back and forth between 2 and 3 and the bass is weak w those stock underseat woofers. I also find that you have to set the volume almost 1/2 way to get decent level, that stock amp is just wimpy...

I think I may go your route by replacing front speakers and getting a stage 2 musicar upgrade. I plan to code out ASD because it def interferes w music. I use mostly WMA lossless converted from ALAC. didn't know that FLAC was supported and ALAC isn't.

[PayamFSU]

This is great info and I want to thank everyone for sharing. I just got my M4 last week and this saved me a lot of time adjusting settings.

I think one of the most important points that was made earlier is the audio source, this cannot be overlooked. This system DOES sound very good with a proper source.

That being said any system can always be upgraded....

[MFNATIK]

Originally Posted by Lincoln30

1. Bass, Treble, Fader, Balance all centered, logic 7 turned ON

EQ setting
100hz -3
200hz -1
500hz +2
1khz +1
2khz flat
5khz +2
10khz +3

Thanks for posting! I can't wait to get my M3 and test out these settings!

[Xtabi]

Originally Posted by MFNATIK

Thanks for posting! I can't wait to get my M3 and test out these settings!

Same here!

Thanks for posting.

I just wonder if they may need to be tweaked a little as I thought I read somewhere on the forums the HK amp or some other hardware was changed w the 2016s.

[S65V8]

Originally Posted by Lincoln30

I finally got my car. Here is what I came up with using an Audio Control RTA and pink noise from a CMAA test code (IASCA soaked them up in the early 1990's). This was done in my 2015 M3 with full leather.

Thanks for pulling this together, it worked like a charm. I like option 1! I had a hard time on my own figuring out the best settings.

[Jedi_M]

If uncompressed FLAC files are loaded on a USB stick and transferred to the NAV hard drive, will the 2015 M3 be able to play these FLAC files?

Other than MP3 and uncompressed FLAC, what other music files are supported by the HK system? The manuals don't list the music file formats supported.

[dmnc02]

Originally Posted by OnYourLeft

If uncompressed FLAC files are loaded on a USB stick and transferred to the NAV hard drive, will the 2015 M3 be able to play these FLAC files?

Other than MP3 and uncompressed FLAC, what other music files are supported by the HK system? The manuals don't list the music file formats supported.

FLAC files are compressed (although the compression is lossless). I tried playing AIFF files (which are uncompressed) from a USB stick in a variety of resolutions and I could play even 24/192 files, although I think the head unit downsamples these files: see this post.

[aboulfad]

Originally Posted by OnYourLeft

... Other than MP3 and uncompressed FLAC, what other music files are supported by the HK system? The manuals don't list the music file formats supported.

WMA Lossless is also supported, used that codec as most of my music was ripped from CDs on Mac using ALAC which inst supported in the BMW's HU.

[mrduder]

does it bug the crap out of anyone else that it doesn't save eq settings based on the source? it drives me crazy that I can't eq the radio differently than when I'm using my iPhone. the hd radio sounds so horrible in this car compared to my mini and I can eq it to sound better but then my other media sounds terrible. so annoying

[aboulfad]

Originally Posted by mrduder

does it bug the crap out of anyone else that it doesn't save eq settings based on the source? it drives me crazy that I can't eq the radio differently than when I'm using my iPhone. the hd radio sounds so horrible in this car compared to my mini and I can eq it to sound better but then my other media sounds terrible. so annoying

Yes, you are welcome to vent in my thread
Different tone settings per source? http://f80.bimmerpost.com/forums/sho....php?t=1171570

[SEXY-BEAST]

Originally Posted by Joz132

Here are mine - It really doesn't sound too bad.

I'm pleasantly surprised, although I set the bar a little low, due to the fact that I came out of a crazy good set up in my Vette.





Here's a pic of the set up in the vette

This is how I set up mine. Sounds pretty good!

[mephiska]

Originally Posted by Lincoln30

1. Bass, Treble, Fader, Balance all centered, logic 7 turned ON

EQ setting
100hz -3
200hz -1
500hz +2
1khz +1
2khz flat
5khz +2
10khz +3

Another big thank you for doing this. I'd been using your settings in my car for the last 4 months and loved it. I recently did some coding which at the time I didn't realize reset the EQ settings to default.

I got in my car the day after and put on music, and I immediately noticed something was wrong, it sounded like complete crap. I checked my EQ and sure enough it was set to default. It just goes to show what a big difference having a flat(er) EQ can make once you're used to it.

[///Mongo]

Originally Posted by Lincoln30

4. Absolute flattest I could get - Bass -6 or 7 (I can't tell from the pic but I remember its four bars from the left showing), Treble center, balance center, fader front, logic 7 OFF

EQ setting
100hz +3
200hz -4
500hz -1
1khz +2
2khz -2
5khz flat
10khz -1

I tried all four settings last night and #4 sounds great. Thanks for posting

[sittingmongoose]

These are my settings. I think they sound great! However I have bav stage 1 and bav subs. Also coding asd off made a huge difference in sound quality!

[Throttleblip]

Thanks Lincoln30. This was really helpful.

[stealth70mde]

I have a question or second thoughts about the popular setting posted here.

Don't get me wrong, it's a great improvement from default when I'm stationary and with the engine off.

While driving I find it's a little thin and lacking bass.

Would be curious if the same scientific quest for a "flat" response curve would be done at highway speed with all the wind, engine, exhaust and tire noise. I'm sure the settings would be different.

[aboulfad]

Originally Posted by stealth70mde

I have a question or second thoughts about the popular setting posted here.

Don't get me wrong, it's a great improvement from default when I'm stationary and with the engine off.

While driving I find it's a little thin and lacking bass.

Would be curious if the same scientific quest for a "flat" response curve would be done at highway speed with all the wind, engine, exhaust and tire noise. I'm sure the settings would be different.

By definition, a flat frequency response is obtained when an test input signal is void of any background noise (engine/babble/street noise, ...). So if you find that it's lacking bass at HWY speeds, you can do many things to satisfy your subjective listening needs but that won't be a flat frequency response if it matters at all to you. Which of lincoln's settings are you using?

[stealth70mde]

I am using these ones:

100hz -3
200hz -1
500hz +2
1khz +1
2khz flat
5khz +2
10khz +3


I agree that you need no noise to get the real flat.

I'm not particularly researching for a flat sound but i'd be curious at how I would need to adjust the EQ in normal driving conditions to get close to flat. Then I could adjust accordingly to my taste without going into extremes and keep distortion in check.

[JN1]

Originally Posted by Sedan_Clan

Subscribed!

Same. I just readjusted mine but its a little more bass heavy than it should be, although it fits my music genres.

[Bluex]

Originally Posted by stealth70mde

I have a question or second thoughts about the popular setting posted here.

Don't get me wrong, it's a great improvement from default when I'm stationary and with the engine off.

While driving I find it's a little thin and lacking bass.

Would be curious if the same scientific quest for a "flat" response curve would be done at highway speed with all the wind, engine, exhaust and tire noise. I'm sure the settings would be different.

For what it's worth, I was using one of the other custom settings listed either in the early portions of this thread, or another. Just this week I decided to change it up a little and try the settings you have (the "popular" settings) and agree. At speed, it's a bit too thin, lacking in bass.

I simply adjusted the 100 and 200 settings "to taste" and that improved it.

As I saved my profile, I may go back to my old settings, but i'm going to see how this goes for awhile.

[SamS]

Originally Posted by Lincoln30

I finally got my car. Here is what I came up with using an Audio Control RTA and pink noise from a CMAA test code (IASCA soaked them up in the early 1990's). This was done in my 2015 M3 with full leather. The microphone was in the drivers seat at my ear level about 2 inches forward of where my ears would be (deep microphone and I didn't want to adjust the seat with the tripod in place).

Let me start with my credentials and goals. I have been an audiophile since I before was 12 (my love of cars started at 7). I was a car electronics installer in the higher end space for 9 years in high school and college. I was a CMAA certified SQ judge. I love accurate sound, when I say that I mean as close to the source recording as possible. That's is not just a flat response but also sound stage and imaging. Because of sound stage and image my primary setting front channels only (fader all the way to the left) and logic 7 turned off.

All of my measurements were taken at 80db avg level using the CMAA CD in the CD player. My main source of music is a 1tb hard drive plugged into the USB port with 2300 songs burned in uncompressed FLAC and 3100 songs burned WAV.

What I am posting here is 4 different settings
1. Bass, Treble, Fader, Balance all centered, logic 7 turned ON
2. Bass, Treble, Fader, Balance all centered, logic 7 turned OFF
3. Bass, Treble, Balance all centered, Fader to the front and logic 7 turned OFF
4. Absolute flattest I could get - Bass -6 or 7 (I can't tell from the pic but I remember its four bars from the left showing), Treble center, balance center, fader front, logic 7 OFF

The first 3 pics are the setup of the RTA in the passenger floor and the mic in the drivers seat. I sat in the passenger seat to take the measurements.

Attachment 1174108

Attachment 1174109

Attachment 1174110

1. Bass, Treble, Fader, Balance all centered, logic 7 turned ON

EQ setting
100hz -3
200hz -1
500hz +2
1khz +1
2khz flat
5khz +2
10khz +3

Attachment 1174115

Attachment 1174116

2. Bass, Treble, Fader, Balance all centered, logic 7 turned OFF

EQ setting
100hz -3
200hz -1
500hz +2
1khz +1
2khz flat
5khz +2
10khz +2

Only difference between logic 7 on and off was the +1 bump in 10k.

Attachment 1174118

Attachment 1174119

3. Bass, Treble, Balance all centered, Fader to the front and logic 7 turned OFF

EQ setting
100hz -4
200hz flat
500hz -2
1khz +2
2khz +1
5khz +1
10khz +2

Attachment 1174120

Attachment 1174121


4. Absolute flattest I could get - Bass -6 or 7 (I can't tell from the pic but I remember its four bars from the left showing), Treble center, balance center, fader front, logic 7 OFF

EQ setting
100hz +3
200hz -4
500hz -1
1khz +2
2khz -2
5khz flat
10khz -1

Attachment 1174122

Attachment 1174123

All four examples are very flat from around 500hz to 20k. Below 500 is where the real problems lie. There is bump at 200hz that you can't tune out with the available tools and overall the system a tad brighter then it should be. Overall, It's better then many stock systems and the best I've had in a BMW but still just OK. The bass starts rolling off at 50hz.

I will be using setting #4 with the balance +3 to the right to center it for the driver. +3 is almost perfect but it's a hair too much, +2 is not enough.

Requoting Lincoln30 here because this is legit. #4 is what a high-end home/car system is supposed to sound like. If you guys are punching up the bass/treble, it's really just applying bad EQ that is not true to the original source.