SnowBlaZR2
Fuel Economy Champion
Yeah, I listened to both and the HK isn't so much better than the Alpine that I wanted to spend the money on it.
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harman kardon is nothing than a bag of trash
- Thread starter vsimon
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- bass boomy harman kardon
Terrible_One
Active Member
That's what I was expecting too! The HK in my wife's Audi is amazing so I was really surprised that the HK in my RAM isn't as good. It's really odd that I get no bass and other people do. Other than the lack of bass, though, the system is solid.Trade it in on a Ford with their trash Sony systems then....
My HK sounds amazing, Best sounding system I've ever had in a vehicle, I've had them all. The HK in my 5th Gen sounds a million times more powerful than the Alpine system I had in my 4th Gen Laramie
That being said I will note my personal music on my flash drive and the FM radio sound WAY better than anything on Sirius sounds, xm has their **** so compressed it sounds terrible most of the time. But that is in noway a problem with the HK system
Sent from my SM-N960U using Tapatalk
DirtNazzty
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Sry I didn't read thru the whole thread, but have you taken it to the dealership and asked about an update?... I remember seeing a YouTube video a year or 2 ago about an update for these systems that drastically fixes the "no bass issue".. I think it's an update for the amp if I remember correctly
Edit: here I found the video I was refereeing too.. Not sure if it helps you or not
Sent from my SM-N960U using Tapatalk
Terrible_One
Active Member
Thank you for that! I didn't realize there was a TSB for the amp! I have only found where people are like "just update your Uconnect software." I'm betting this is the problem right here. I wonder how I can verify if this TSB was done or not, any ideas bud?
I'd think your dealership would have a record if this TSB was applied to your truck.
eye exaggerate
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It was a bit weak compared to the Alpine system in my 14 but I got used to it. I listen to very extreme metal (mostly) and the system cuts out after a bit, that’s my only complaint
My wife has a 2018 XC90 with HK and it sounds amazing. My 2022 Rebel with the HK does not sound anywhere close to what her car sounds like. Its "good" but not great like her car. Slightly disappointed in its sound. Just not as crisp/clear even with the same type of settings we have set on her XC90.
Jgbstetson
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I just find that so weird. My wife's 2020 V60 has HK and it has the most muddled, over boosted bass I've ever heard. It's just sounds flat and over the top.
eye exaggerate
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I’m sure most people know that wired is better, but I switched from Bluetooth to wired CarPlay today and it’s a significant difference on this system.
Buz
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Disconnect the sub. It's a nice crisp system without it. Many have done it including myself. Well worth it.
Yeah, the bass is heavy in the XC90 as well, need to turn it down a bit
thedream829
Active Member
Back seat.
Handmeawrench
Active Member
My two cents...bass is not the problem with my particular HK setup. I have it set to -4 and I can stir a gallon of paint just by listening to music.
The problem - for me - is the mid-bass. Very little treble, tons of mid-bass. I can turn the treble to 11 on that stupid 3-band EQ and still be dissatisfied. There is no balance to this system. (Side note: Back in the day, you could buy a FIVE BAND EQ for your Sony Walkman. I get that designing a vehicle is all about cost vs. features. But 3 bands? What, is AM radio my only option? It's not like they had to buy/build/install physical sliders because it's software! So dumb...)
Also...the drop-off in performance. I don't listen to music very loud that often, but when I turn the volume past about 25 there isn't a ton of difference in total sound pressure - just a muddiness to the overall sound. My preference would be to have the stereo simulate me being in the 3rd row of a Van Halen concert if I decide to crank it up. Right now, it's got me Stage Left at Milli Vanilli during the acapella part of the show.
I bought my 2019 used as a CPO with low miles. If I had paid for this HK system outright I might switch brands on the next vehicle.
All that said, we will never get to the bottom of this because everyone has different tastes, different physiology in our ears, and different opinions/beliefs. I can only know what's best for me - and even sometimes I get that wrong. If the TSB doesn't work for me then I will take steps to make the sound quality suit my needs. I just wanted to complain...
And when the stereo is set up to my liking, I can move on to complaining about that weird transmission clunk or the stutter/hesitation in leaving a dead stop when the motor is cold.
The problem - for me - is the mid-bass. Very little treble, tons of mid-bass. I can turn the treble to 11 on that stupid 3-band EQ and still be dissatisfied. There is no balance to this system. (Side note: Back in the day, you could buy a FIVE BAND EQ for your Sony Walkman. I get that designing a vehicle is all about cost vs. features. But 3 bands? What, is AM radio my only option? It's not like they had to buy/build/install physical sliders because it's software! So dumb...)
Also...the drop-off in performance. I don't listen to music very loud that often, but when I turn the volume past about 25 there isn't a ton of difference in total sound pressure - just a muddiness to the overall sound. My preference would be to have the stereo simulate me being in the 3rd row of a Van Halen concert if I decide to crank it up. Right now, it's got me Stage Left at Milli Vanilli during the acapella part of the show.
I bought my 2019 used as a CPO with low miles. If I had paid for this HK system outright I might switch brands on the next vehicle.
All that said, we will never get to the bottom of this because everyone has different tastes, different physiology in our ears, and different opinions/beliefs. I can only know what's best for me - and even sometimes I get that wrong. If the TSB doesn't work for me then I will take steps to make the sound quality suit my needs. I just wanted to complain...
And when the stereo is set up to my liking, I can move on to complaining about that weird transmission clunk or the stutter/hesitation in leaving a dead stop when the motor is cold.
Buz
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While I'm in 100% agreement the HK system from the factory blows, I firmly believe the 3-band EQ was not a cost cutting measure. It's a safety issue. Imagine fiddling with a 5-band or 7-band sensitive touch screen EQ while driving. It's just not safe to be fiddling with a touch screen EQ while driving and I'm ok with that.
If the Sub was dialed-in correctly it would be a great system, even with a 3 band EQ.
HemiDude
Spends too much time on here
I didn't have the HK in my last Ram, so I can't substantiate your claim, but I will say the HK in my '22 sounds very good. Rivals the system I had in my 12 Challenger, which I think is an acheivement, with the Ram's cabin being twice as big as the Challenger's.
Handmeawrench
Active Member
Update: Dealer just called me today and said they can't find anything wrong with the stereo. When I pick up my truck, I will ask them very specifically if TSB 08-123-18 was applied as my truck falls into the affected range. If they say yes, then I'll start ordering aftermarket speakers in the manner first posted by patriot_tech.
