[Shane_ATX]

Originally Posted by EneS52

I also have a 2023 540 with the Harmon Kardon option and it's terrible. I actually think a BMW without the Harmon Kardon option sounds better than the Harmon Kardon in the new 540! Really disappointed.

Agreed. HK isn't great at all.

I have aftermarket subwoofers getting installed later this month. The only obstacle will be disabling the re-produced engine noise.

[WretchedRefuse]

Originally Posted by Shane_ATX

.... The only obstacle will be disabling the re-produced engine noise.

This is easily coded. Bimmercode and Protool both offer this capability. Look for "Disable Active Sound Design."

[Shane_ATX]

Originally Posted by WretchedRefuse

This is easily coded. Bimmercode and Protool both offer this capability. Look for "Disable Active Sound Design."

OBDLink CX is arriving tomorrow. I plan to take care of it then!

[WretchedRefuse]

Sounds good! Disabling ASD is the first thing I recommend to anybody interested in improving their audio quality, regardless of which audio system you have.

[BMW3DK]

Have to say I'm agreeing with you.

The system is overall OK, but if you have some basis expectations for sound (home or in-car), then the HK system is far from good.
Alone the way the tonality changes with the volume is frustrating.

Anyway - I'm working on my system now and will soon be ready to install a decent aftermarket system.

Originally Posted by aerof16

I’ve searched a bit but the one thing that I really am disappointed with in this car (540i) is the sound. I’ve messed with the equalizer a bit but overall it’s very disappointing. My other (non BMW) vehicles, one with a factory HK system and one with a factory McIntosh system, sounds significantly better using the same audio sources.

Starting to wonder if maybe something is wrong with my stereo or if this is just how the G30 HK is. I’d say my overall complaint is it just lacks fullness to the sound, not sure how to describe it. If I didn’t know better I’d just assume it was the base stereo in the car.

[MRDILLONS]

I don’t like it as much and sometimes I really wished I had something better, but I was driving today and just being able to step on that gas and feel the rush, makes me forget about the radio.

Plus the vibrations on the body from my sub bass music isn’t a sexy look, for me.

[Nai1ZuTe]

I have the B&W and I am a little disappointed at the quality at first with AA and Youtube Music. Recently I switched to Spotify (built in app from car, not from AA) and it's a night and day difference. The source makes a huge difference. Don't use wireless AA or carplay

[BrocksM550i]

I’ve just picked a 2020 M550i with HK system and only use the Spotify on the Idrive system. In my opinion, it sounds great. Bass hits hard. Highs and mids are crisp. I think the source plays a huge difference

[Mike 540]

Gents,

I just upgraded the speakers in my G31 (No Harman Kardon). All I can say is that the built quality of the stock speakers, especially the subs from under seats is very low. Before messing up with coding and source quality, I would first concentrate on the speakers. And if the drivers are poor, whatever source you play, you only get this much of fun of it. After swapping the speakers, everything suddenly sounds way better... and adding an amp adds to the overall joy.

[3ncoder]

Of all of the BMWs I've had this recent (2022) g30 is the worst. It sound good at low to moderate volumes but falls apart quickly when "spirited listening" is in play. Apparently there are 16 drivers all working for this sound but to me it sounds like a pair of co-axials from the early 90s.

[AP]

Yes HK is noticeably worse on the LCI. Power down from 600w to 464w

I’ve been considering the alphaone amp which according to reviews is a good bang for your buck with just that alone

The only thing that concerns me is that it also amplifies what ASD is doing
I have ASD set to reduced which removes arguably the bulk of the noise but it’s not totally off
I’m concerned with going the unofficial coding route to disable , can still under warranty and just don’t want anything flagged up should I have an issue

I happen to be at the dealer last weekend so I thought I’d ask if they could officially disable it, as you’d expect the answer was no

I’ve emailed connect drive to ask WHY it can’t be disabled. So wait what their answer is……

Not been able to find out from anyone if an alphaone amp is fitted and ASD is set to reduced whether that’s acceptable or not

[ezaircon4jc]

Originally Posted by AP

... it’s not totally off
I’m concerned with going the unofficial coding route to disable , can still under warranty and just don’t want anything flagged up should I have an issue...

I've had my car at the dealer many times under warranty with things coded. I even coded-in the sport-automatic, changed the shifter and installed (and coded) the paddle steering wheel. My dealer not only didn't care, he thought my coding was pretty cool. All coding does is turn "switches" off and on.

[lnxguy]

No one is going to void a warranty because you coded BMW factory features.

[howe9191]

I have coded BW audio sound profile with my 2021 G30 with HK. I would say much better.

I'm listening using USB with FLAC/WAV music files. It satisfies me and I'm not looking for any speaker or amp upgrade which I done previously with all my other cars.

It is definitely better than by my Porsche 991 Bose surround sound system as well (too much noise, only good thing from Bose is the bass)

[AP]

I took the plunge , bought BimmerCode and after a few minutes , backed up my activation key and disabled ASD. Will find out at the weekend what it’s like. Assuming it’s all good , will order the alphaone amp .

[darkrom]

I personally think the HK sounds great in my 2019 540. It must depend on what you are used to listening to. You should go for a drive and listen to the speakers in my 2010 135 haha. Sounds terrible to me especially compared to the HK in the 540. 540 does great for me on Xm over CarPlay and podcasts etc.

[rubenc]

I came from a 2011 f11 with standard sound system to a g31 with hk. I must say that im quite impressed by the difference in quality. So im actually quite statisfied with the hk system

[tsbrown]

This question will probably continue to come up, even though this thread is 2-3 years old already. AP covered most of what you need to know already, but here's my take having owned a 2019 540i (pre-LCI) for 6 years and now a 2023 M550i (LCI) both with HK audio.

First, is B&W better than HK? I've never listened to a properly tuned B&W system but I'd say it is. It's certainly more powerful, with more speakers, better EQ control, etc. So yes it's better than HK. It was harder to find in certain model years (like 2023).

Is there a difference between pre-LCI and LCI HK audio? Yes, it is undeniably different and the LCI is worse. The pre-LCI system has one primary problem...the amp. It's just too weak. Speakers are actually fine, maybe even good. I'm not an audiophile but to improve the pre-LCI (up through 2019, but possibly 2020 if still on iDrive 6) you must start with the amp. The best plug and play solution is the BimmerTech Lightwave amp. I had it in my 2019 540i and it is night and day different from the stock HK amp. Loads of clean, clear power let the stock HK speakers do their work. Can/should you upgrade the speakers? Sure, but always start with the amp on the pre-LCI/iDrive6 system. The BimmerTech Lightwave amp is very expensive ($2k) but I thought it was well worth it, even in a 5 year old car. I'm in the process of selling it.

On the LCI system, it's down on power as AP mentioned, and the parts lists show the midrange speakers, of which there are 7(?), are different from pre-LCI. It just doesn't sound as good to me so I'm starting with the amp again...this time it's the Alpha One amp from BimmerTech. It's plug and play like the Lightwave, less expensive ($1800), and hopefully upgrades the sound enough for me. I don't really want to go into changing speakers. BTW, I have no association with them, just a satisfied customer.

As for bass, I wanted to avoid the trunk mounted sub just because I need the space for my golf clubs and annual long-distance travel. Maybe a better reason to avoid this is that the insulation in the car is very good and you'd have to turn up the volume substantially to hear/feel the benefit. Some won't care and do it anyway. Fine by me, it's your money and your car. It just wasn't a good option to me. I had swapped out the HK underseat subs for the BavSound Ghost subs before doing the amp. Should have started with the amp and would have skipped the Ghost subs. They are fine but didn't add as much bass as I expected.

[sebciu]

Did you try code HK to Bower&Wilkinson also code the highest sound system. Then Change Bass and Treble on full on EQ as well - see how is it playing. For me everything is shaking in the car.

[Hiflyer731]

Originally Posted by tsbrown

This question will probably continue to come up, even though this thread is 2-3 years old already. AP covered most of what you need to know already, but here's my take having owned a 2019 540i (pre-LCI) for 6 years and now a 2023 M550i (LCI) both with HK audio.

First, is B&W better than HK? I've never listened to a properly tuned B&W system but I'd say it is. It's certainly more powerful, with more speakers, better EQ control, etc. So yes it's better than HK. It was harder to find in certain model years (like 2023).

Is there a difference between pre-LCI and LCI HK audio? Yes, it is undeniably different and the LCI is worse. The pre-LCI system has one primary problem...the amp. It's just too weak. Speakers are actually fine, maybe even good. I'm not an audiophile but to improve the pre-LCI (up through 2019, but possibly 2020 if still on iDrive 6) you must start with the amp. The best plug and play solution is the BimmerTech Lightwave amp. I had it in my 2019 540i and it is night and day different from the stock HK amp. Loads of clean, clear power let the stock HK speakers do their work. Can/should you upgrade the speakers? Sure, but always start with the amp on the pre-LCI/iDrive6 system. The BimmerTech Lightwave amp is very expensive ($2k) but I thought it was well worth it, even in a 5 year old car. I'm in the process of selling it.

On the LCI system, it's down on power as AP mentioned, and the parts lists show the midrange speakers, of which there are 7(?), are different from pre-LCI. It just doesn't sound as good to me so I'm starting [...]

I added the bimmertech amp and had them code out the ASD. Made a big difference but you're still using 8 inch subs for bass so it's decent but punchy bass. The alphaone amp has a preout for sub so I just added a 10 inch sub in the trunk. I haven't had time to tweak it but it is surprising how well insulated the cars are!

[tsbrown]

Originally Posted by Hiflyer731

I added the bimmertech amp and had them code out the ASD. Made a big difference but you're still using 8 inch subs for bass so it's decent but punchy bass. The alphaone amp has a preout for sub so I just added a 10 inch sub in the trunk. I haven't had time to tweak it but it is surprising how well insulated the cars are!

do you know what tuning file you're using? Also, if you had a very boomy bass effect? I just installed mine last week and after trying different tunes, went back to MGU 688 LHD BL.afpx with the Dynamic Bass Enhancement turned off.

[Hiflyer731]

Originally Posted by tsbrown

do you know what tuning file you're using? Also, if you had a very boomy bass effect? I just installed mine last week and after trying different tunes, went back to MGU 688 LHD BL.afpx with the Dynamic Bass Enhancement turned off.

I just put the stock file back on to see how it sounds with the sub.