[amzbimmer]

Anybody know the specs (wattage RMS) on the premium sound system? Getting my car next week and can't wait to try it out! I hope the dealer does the fix immediately!

 

[rd3]

:thumbdwn:
congratulations on the car. you will enjoy it w/o a doubt.
the hk system is another matter however... there's nothing premium about it.
you'll see what i mean.....
good luck.

 

[amzbimmer]

Thats funny because I read a lot of posts from people claiming to be audiophiles that have had $4000 plus systems in their car, and that this "isn't that bad". Except for the kiddies that like to go bass heavy and have the block bumping (I'm sometimes guilty of that). I guess I'll hear the system again and decide for myself in a few....

But I don't think HK is the best company out there. BMW should hook up with Altec Lansing or something....

 

[unleasHell]

I used to have a killer system in my Honda

6 channnels worth of PPI amps, MB Quarts, etc., expensive cables, sub woofer

NOW fast forward 5 months, either I love driving this 330i and don't notice it or this stereo is not that bad...

NOW don't get me wrong, I am not a talk-radio freek, I have nearly 900 CD's and about 1500 Lps (still) so I am very much INTO music.

I found some settings that allow the HK system to perform at it's best for MY kind of music (not thumping Rap).
Try this:
1) Boost the F/R forward 2 or 3 clicks, so that the front speakers are LOUDER than the rears.
2) Boost Treble 3 or 4 clicks depending on your taste.
3) Boost Bass 2 or 3 clicks, any more that that and you will get too much reverberation.
4) adjust L/R about 1 click to the right.

try that and let me know....

 

[Kaz]

But I don't think HK is the best company out there. BMW should hook up with Altec Lansing or something....

:lmao:

No thanks.

I'm thinking more along the lines of

:bigpimp:

 

[unleasHell]

B & W isn't it?

great choice!

How about ADS amps and B & W speakers.


Is it too much to expect the in-dash headunit to show the Minutes/seconds of the CD track as it is playing?

 

[Kaz]

B & W isn't it?

great choice!

How about ADS amps and B & W speakers.

Is it too much to expect the in-dash headunit to show the Minutes/seconds of the CD track as it is playing?

Since B&W doesn't do car audio (though there was a E34 with a disassembled Silver Signature inside :yikes: ), my current work-in-progress is:

being driven by the little grey box at the bottom:

 

[unleasHell]

very cool

looks like an ADS to me..........


when I finally change over, I plan to use MB Quarts...

 

[Kaz]

very cool

looks like an ADS to me..........

I was looking around the house the other day and I think that PQ10 is probably the oldest piece of electronics I currently own (made in 1987).

 

[rcc]

I think the general consensus is that if you're willing to spend thousands of dollars, you can easily do better than the H/K. But for $600, the H/K is hard to beat unless you just want more bass. And many audiophiles seem to think that the H/K gives you reasonable sound quality.

I've got a better speakers at home than any theatre I've been in (Thiel CS 2.3s fronts, Thiel MCS1 center, Def Tech BPV/X rears, and Velodyne HGSII-12 sub) and I listen to both 2-channel and home theatre. I'd have to say that the H/K is a bit harsh on the high end, a bit weak on the low bass (but you do hear it which is better than a lot of home stereo systems can say) and has a reasonable mid-range. I've occassionally thought about upgrading the speakers and amp but I don't know anyone I'd trust to rip my car apart and do a top quality job and if I did, I'm sure they'd charge an arm and leg to do it. I just can't justify the cost when for probably less money, I could spring for the latest high-end AV receiver (Integra/Denon/B&K) or even go for separates for the home system.

So like all things in life, it depends on how much the sound upgrade is worth to you

Either way, good luck and have fun...

- Ray

 

[Dr. Phil]

Re: I used to have a killer system in my Honda

I found some settings that allow the HK system to perform at it's best for MY kind of music (not thumping Rap).
Try this:
1) Boost the F/R forward 2 or 3 clicks, so that the front speakers are LOUDER than the rears.
2) Boost Treble 3 or 4 clicks depending on your taste.
3) Boost Bass 2 or 3 clicks, any more that that and you will get too much reverberation.
4) adjust L/R about 1 click to the right.

try that and let me know....

:thumbup:

Worked good for me this a.m. (except L/R adjustment)

 

[31st330i]

Thats funny because I read a lot of posts from people claiming to be audiophiles that have had $4000 plus systems in their car, and that this "isn't that bad". Except for the kiddies that like to go bass heavy and have the block bumping (I'm sometimes guilty of that). I guess I'll hear the system again and decide for myself in a few....

But I don't think HK is the best company out there. BMW should hook up with Altec Lansing or something....

I might have made one of those posts and do agree with this. see my web page for details (lick the WWW button below this message).

 

[31st330i]

I think the general consensus is that if you're willing to spend thousands of dollars, you can easily do better than the H/K. But for $600, the H/K is hard to beat unless you just want more bass. And many audiophiles seem to think that the H/K gives you reasonable sound quality.

agreed 100%. I've been a serious audiophile since ~1989 and have installed stereo upgrades in numerous cars (and I've had a LOT of cars compared to most people) and have had high end 2 channel and home theater systems over that period as well.

if you want to install a serious audiophile system, be prepared to get quality equiptment without bells and whistles and then pay ~$5K.

what most people don't consider is that much if the software (the CDs) isn't very well recorded anyway. seek out audiophile grade recordings from quality labels. this usually means jazz or classical, though.

car audio folks fall into 2 distinct categories (which are about 80% and 20%). there's the ground pound group and the audiophile group. there's not much gray area. put me down as being in the 20% (audiophile) crowd.

 

[Bavarian]

While the HK in my 330i is great, so far from everything that I have listened to in my life nothing beats my new PC:

Creative Audigy Platinum EX Sound Card
CambridgeSoundWorks 510D 500-Watt System

Each of the 5 speakers is rated at 70 watts
The subwoofer is rated at 150 watts

I'm sorry, but no BMW beats the sound quality or power of this thing. The card and speakers cost me $800 Canadian.

One reason this system is better than the HK in the 330i is because it connects through S/PDIF digital cables to the card of my P4.

 

[31st330i]

I have the audigy platinum as well (replaced a turd beach fiji with digital I/O). it's a great card but it is in no way better than my home theater system, not even close. in fact, the home theater PC crowd has typically shunned soundblaster products in favor of digital only 96/24 cards as supplied by proffesional audio companies. the claimed issue with the sound blaster products is that the digital signal is somehow altered (forgot exactly how - search on avscience.com if interested).

here's my baby (which cost more than my subaru forester):
http://www.mindspring.com/~pmbenn/HT.htm

 

[Bavarian]

6 Boxes!!! I can see what 4 of them are for, but not the one ont he very top and the one on the gold box...perhaps youa re right that SBs alter their sound in some way, but the way my house is constructed, there is no room where I can set up a big home theater properly. The 1st floor is only good for little 5.1s, that's why I invested in the Cambridge.

I am buying a digital I/O card, too, I saw those on Creative for $60. Now if I could find it in Chinatown for $30...

 

[31st330i]

the top box is the preamp/processor. it's a Lexicon MC-1.

the one sitting on top of the VCR is the satellite dish receiver.

 

[31st330i]

Re: I used to have a killer system in my Honda

4) adjust L/R about 1 click to the right.

I used a sound meter on a tripod on the driver's seat and found that setting the balance to the left 1 tick is the setting to use. I had to move the seat back a little so that the sound level meter was about where my head normally is.

in order to do this, I took a 20-20K white noise clip from the IASCA test & setup CD and modified it then burned it back onto a CDR. what I did to the sound clip was delete two or so seconds of the left channel and then the next two or so seconds of the right channel and so on until the end of the track. the result when played back is that you get white noise jumping from left to right every few seconds. then you can simply wach the sound level meter and adjust the balance so that it doesn't fluctuate between left to right. the result was one tick to the left.

the image was already pretty centered. changing the balance one tick just focused it in a little better.