Equalizer?

[F80M4ROCKS]

Whats everyone got there equalizer/sound settings set too? I have the HK and mostly listen to hip hop, pop, electronic, dance, and indy music. Just wondering, thanks!

[cctm4me]

There is a thread on this in the nav section. 3 pages of people telling us how much the HK sucks and how you need to get a bavsound.

Some people have actually posted settings in there for you to try.

[Boostin FD]

It actually really does suck. My e92 had better sound

[richb811]

Originally Posted by Boostin FD

It actually really does suck. My e92 had better sound

It's a good thing I don't really listen to my Radio much. Makes the upgrade from my E92 to the F82 much easier!

[MWcoupe]

My f82 right side mid range speakers squeaks at above 70% volume on certain songs. A few members here notice the same. Can you let me know if you're experiencing the same.

Coming from the Harmon kardon on my e90. The f82 system is wack!

[cctm4me]

Originally Posted by Boostin FD

It actually really does suck. My e92 had better sound

Better than the B&O in my B8 S4

[Roadkiller]

Originally Posted by cctm4me

There is a thread on this in the nav section. 3 pages of people telling us how much the HK sucks and how you need to get a bavsound.

Some people have actually posted settings in there for you to try.

http://f80.bimmerpost.com/forums/sho....php?t=1025359

[dmk08]

Originally Posted by Boostin FD

It actually really does suck. My e92 had better sound

E92 was also like a 2k option vs $875. So even if you do Bavsound it's still cheaper

[Rick955]

Originally Posted by F80M4ROCKS

Whats everyone got there equalizer/sound settings set too? I have the HK and mostly listen to hip hop, pop, electronic, dance, and indy music. Just wondering, thanks!

It really doesn't "suck"... it's actually pretty good, it's the EQ on the system that is too limited, and the source makes a big difference. I can play something off the iPod I leave connected in the center console, or use my Note 4... same tune... sound is like night and day with the Note 4 being awesome and the iPod being blah. Using the right player, "GoneMAD Player" for Android is one of the best "sounding" players out there, with excellent options for configuring and processing the music... THAT is where you need to get the sound the way YOU like it... using good headphones, not the crap buds that come with the device. Once you get it sounding the way you like it on the headphones, with different music, THEN, you need to adjust the HK EQ and Bass/Treble controls to make it sound good in the car.

A guy at the dealership also had an HK in his car. He heard mine and asked me what I had done to the system... nothing... stock HK. We found the same song and compared. There literally was no comparison.. his bass was "boxy" sounding... it was deep, but not a "good deep"... not tight... very boomy... sounded like crap TBH. Too much mid emphasis... and highs were tinny sounding.. again, too extreme. Just limitations of the EQ on the car system. In mine you could feel the bass, but it was tight without that boomyness...the 'mid-bass' ranges on the EQ need to be toned DOWN to get it right and those ranges are not available on the system EQ...you FEEL it, but it does not distort, nor does it BOOM. The mids and highs were where they needed to be and even when played loud, highs were nice, without sounding like nails on a chalkboard! It sounded alive, not like you were listening in an empty room.

Fortunately, he had an Android phone, so while I was doing nothing waiting on my service, we spent a bunch of time setting the app up, getting those settings right, then his car settings... and he was amazed... as were his co-workers and the CA. If you have an iPhone, I have no idea. Don't like it, don't want it, sorry! . But with Android, and the right app, it's awesome... but you need to really change the settings on the cars' EQ, and tone down almost everything, while letting the 10-band EQ in the app tailor the sound. You still use the L7... that's fine, and you can then make the little adjustments using just the Bass and Treble controls because you'll have the EQ set correctly now.... so the Bass and Treble controls just raise or lower the lows and highs vs. changing them like the EQ does.

Sound is subjective... like food. Your ears, music types, might require additional configuring... which is why I said to get it right using the headphones FIRST. But multiple ears at the dealership were pretty amazed at what COULD be done with it. It really is not as bad as people say. But by itself, the system just cannot get the sound right... hence the bad rep the HK has.

[F80M4ROCKS]

Originally Posted by cctm4me

There is a thread on this in the nav section. 3 pages of people telling us how much the HK sucks and how you need to get a bavsound.

Some people have actually posted settings in there for you to try.

Thanks, will check it out!

Originally Posted by Roadkiller

http://f80.bimmerpost.com/forums/sho....php?t=1025359

awesome, thanks!

Originally Posted by Rick955

It really doesn't "suck"... it's actually pretty good, it's the EQ on the system that is too limited, and the source makes a big difference. I can play something off the iPod I leave connected in the center console, or use my Note 4... same tune... sound is like night and day with the Note 4 being awesome and the iPod being blah. Using the right player, "GoneMAD Player" for Android is one of the best "sounding" players out there, with excellent options for configuring and processing the music... THAT is where you need to get the sound the way YOU like it... using good headphones, not the crap buds that come with the device. Once you get it sounding the way you like it on the headphones, with different music, THEN, you need to adjust the HK EQ and Bass/Treble controls to make it sound good in the car.

A guy at the dealership also had an HK in his car. He heard mine and asked me what I had done to the system... nothing... stock HK. We found the same song and compared. There literally was no comparison.. his bass was "boxy" sounding... it was deep, but not a "good deep"... not tight... very boomy... sounded like crap TBH. Too much mid emphasis... and highs were tinny sounding.. again, too extreme. Just limitations of the EQ on the car system. In mine you could feel the bass, but it was tight without that boomyness...the 'mid-bass' ranges on the EQ need to be toned DOWN to get it right and those ranges are not available on the system EQ...you FEEL it, but it does not distort, nor does it BOOM. The mids and highs were where they needed to be and even when played loud, highs were nice, without sounding like nails on a chalkboard! It sounded alive, not like you were listening in an empty room.

Fortunately, he had an Android phone, so while I was doing nothing waiting on my service, we spent a bunch of time setting the app up, getting those settings right, then his car settings... and he was amazed... as were his co-workers and the CA. If you have an iPhone, I have no idea. Don't like it, don't want it, sorry! . But with Android, and the right app, it's awesome... but you need to really change the settings on the cars' EQ, and tone down almost everything, while letting the 10-band EQ in the app tailor the sound. You still use the L7... that's fine, and you can then make the little adjustments using just the Bass and Treble controls because you'll have the EQ set correctly now.... so the Bass and Treble controls just raise or lower the lows and highs vs. changing them like the EQ does.

Sound is subjective... like food. Your ears, music types, might require additional configuring... which is why I said to get it right using the headphones FIRST. But multiple ears at the dealership were pretty amazed at what COULD be done with it. It really is not as bad as people say. But by itself, the system just cannot get the sound right... hence the bad rep the HK has.

Thanks for the great in depth explanation! def makes sense what you are saying, unfortunately i do have an iPhone i mostly use spotify and will have to double check to see if it even has equalizer settings, gonna go mess with it now, thanks!

[Rick955]

Originally Posted by F80M4ROCKS

Thanks for the great in depth explanation! def makes sense what you are saying, unfortunately i do have an iPhone i mostly use spotify and will have to double check to see if it even has equalizer settings, gonna go mess with it now, thanks!

Anytime. Too bad with the iPhone but there may be apps to download to aid the post-processing. My app has numerous other settings that kind of really make it all work... Virtualizer, Bass Boost (NO, it's not like pushing the "loudness" button in the 80's! lol). In this case, it actually boosts the RIGHT bass ranges.. but again, you need to then use the EQ to reduce the mid-bass ranges to compensate, those critical ranges the HK does not do well with.... The HK EQ only has 100Hz at the lowest, then right to 200Hz. 100 does not get down to the deep bass. 200 is terrible and needs to be way down. The app uses 32, 64, 128, 256Hz. So on the app, I have the 64 and 128Hz levels all the way down... -12.0 dB. 32Hz however is all the way up. The Bass Boost then does a great job finding the "sweet spot" and adding a little bit of that to just make it all come together. (I have tried a ton of combinations, including the bass boost OFF, and using more of the 64 and 128, but it just wasn't the same). Tweaking it with just the bass bass control on the HK sets how much more "oomph" you want... just don't overdo it! ALL the settings, combined with the HK settings, need to be right. The tweaking is just for your own tastes... and as mentioned earlier, is done with the headphones. Good luck!!

[8600RPM]

Problem is hk woofers aren't capable of producing sub bass well, hence why they dont give lower frequ. Adjusy
t

[Rick955]

Originally Posted by 8600RPM

Problem is hk woofers aren't capable of producing sub bass well, hence why they dont give lower frequ. Adjusy
t

Yeah, typical "standard" stuff... but I'm not looking to shake the entire neighborhood and this was about the best sound I could get out of it without replacing things. The results are pretty surprising even with stock subs.

[califlove]

I actually found the stock HK sys to be decent. Not great, not bad. EQ setting is crucial for sure. Like Rick955 mentions, I use my phone and an ap to better setup the sound settings prior to the car dealing with the signal via BT.

Works well for sure. I'm interested to check out the app your using Rick, I've been using PowerAmp for years now with great success. It does only have 10 bands of adjustment on EQ but it seems to satisfy my needs.

[rmedeir1]

Originally Posted by Rick955

It really doesn't "suck"... it's actually pretty good, it's the EQ on the system that is too limited, and the source makes a big difference. I can play something off the iPod I leave connected in the center console, or use my Note 4... same tune... sound is like night and day with the Note 4 being awesome and the iPod being blah. Using the right player, "GoneMAD Player" for Android is one of the best "sounding" players out there, with excellent options for configuring and processing the music... THAT is where you need to get the sound the way YOU like it... using good headphones, not the crap buds that come with the device. Once you get it sounding the way you like it on the headphones, with different music, THEN, you need to adjust the HK EQ and Bass/Treble controls to make it sound good in the car.

A guy at the dealership also had an HK in his car. He heard mine and asked me what I had done to the system... nothing... stock HK. We found the same song and compared. There literally was no comparison.. his bass was "boxy" sounding... it was deep, but not a "good deep"... not tight... very boomy... sounded like crap TBH. Too much mid emphasis... and highs were tinny sounding.. again, too extreme. Just limitations of the EQ on the car system. In mine you could feel the bass, but it was tight without that boomyness...the 'mid-bass' ranges on the EQ need to be toned DOWN to get it right and those ranges are not available on the system EQ...you FEEL it, but it does not distort, nor does it BOOM. The mids and highs were where they needed to be and even when played loud, highs were nice, without sounding like nails on a chalkboard! It sounded alive, not like you were listening in an empty room.

Fortunately, he had an Android phone, so while I was doing nothing waiting on my service, we spent a bunch of time setting the app up, getting those settings right, then his car settings... and he was amazed... as were his co-workers and the CA. If you have an iPhone, I have no idea. Don't like it, don't want it, sorry! . But with Android, and the right app, it's awesome... but you need to really change the settings on the cars' EQ, and tone down almost everything, while letting the 10-band EQ in the app tailor the sound. You still use the L7... that's fine, and you can then make the little adjustments using just the Bass and Treble controls because you'll have the EQ set correctly now.... so the Bass and Treble controls just raise or lower the lows and highs vs. changing them like the EQ does.

Sound is subjective... like food. Your ears, music types, might require additional configuring... which is why I said to get it right using the headphones FIRST. But multiple ears at the dealership were pretty amazed at what COULD be done with it. It really is not as bad as people say. But by itself, the system just cannot get the sound right... hence the bad rep the HK has.

This is exactly what I do and the sound is night and day. The EQ (not the bass and treble tone controls) sounds very boxy and nasally. I use Google Music Player for the S5 and play with the upper and lower frequencies only. All I play with is the 60Hz, 8Khz, and 16Khz frequencies on the player and then supplement only with the Bass and Treble control knobs. There is still not enuf thump in the bass the way I like it (meaning--I like 500W+ sub systems). Give it a try.

[rmedeir1]

Originally Posted by 8600RPM

Problem is hk woofers aren't capable of producing sub bass well, hence why they dont give lower frequ. Adjusy
t

Actually they can produce bass well if you can manipulate the right frequency...see my post above.

[8600RPM]

Have you seen how shallow they are? At any decent volume it's just not possible

[Mandi90TT]

The reason you all are getting poor sound is that you are playing from a poor source. Bluetooth just doesn't have the bandwidth to pass good quality music files. MP3s at 320 kbps or FLAC files is what you want. If you are playing MP3 at 128 kbps, or even 192 or 256, then yeah, you are going to get poor sound. It's far too compressed. And the Bluetooth transfer protocol is compressing it even further.

Go get FLAC files, or if those aren't available, at least 320 KBPS MP3s (still compressed too much IMO), and transfer them to the hard drive on the M, and then play them from there. You'll find out you don't need to do fancy tricks with the EQ to get them to sound decent.

next step after that, of course, if upgrading the speakers (Bavsound Stage 1 is highly recommended) and then, if you need more bass, get one of the musciarnw.com add-a-subs.

But first, at least get a decent quality sound source. Not Bluetooth transfer.

[Rick955]

Originally Posted by Dave 90TT

The reason you all are getting poor sound is that you are playing from a poor source. Bluetooth just doesn't have the bandwidth to pass good quality music files. MP3s at 320 kbps or FLAC files is what you want. If you are playing MP3 at 128 kbps, or even 192 or 256, then yeah, you are going to get poor sound. It's far too compressed. And the Bluetooth transfer protocol is compressing it even further.

Go get FLAC files, or if those aren't available, at least 320 KBPS MP3s (still compressed too much IMO), and transfer them to the hard drive on the M, and then play them from there. You'll find out you don't need to do fancy tricks with the EQ to get them to sound decent.

next step after that, of course, if upgrading the speakers (Bavsound Stage 1 is highly recommended) and then, if you need more bass, get one of the musciarnw.com add-a-subs.

But first, at least get a decent quality sound source. Not Bluetooth transfer.

Dave, while I totally agree with you about compression, etc... crappy boomy boxy bass is still crappy boomy boxy bass at 320, or compressed Bluetooth. I've used both... same tune, Bluetooth, hard drive, iPod, and it's still night and day between using the stock EQ bands vs. the more granular bands and post-processing done with the app. It's not even close. A great source will indeed sound even better than Bluetooth, but the end result with the poor stock EQ options is what it is. The stock equipment can only do so much... the Bavsound is another level all together.

[rmedeir1]

Dude...try what Dave 90TT said and what I said (which essentially is the same thing). Until you try discussing your concerns is fruitless (not being an asshole here). After having tried the tweaks if you are still not satisfied then we have different expectations of what realistically the HK can deliver and you'll need to go aftermarket to find what's right for you.

[NorCal f80]

Maaaaaaaaan, I thought we were here to talk about the equalizer movie with Denzel.

[Marckymarc305]

My self all I did was lower the bass of the car, add a L7 sub by kicker and matching amp with the HK system, I bet it sounds better then bav system. Takes a little space in the trunk but danm that bass kicks. Cost an $120 to get install by most electronic shop if you had a previous sub and amp.