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      01-03-2022, 08:40 PM   #23
dimmy
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Quote:
Originally Posted by kjx View Post
All you need to know is at the site: https://www.bimmercode.app/

You need to buy an OBD II Bluetooth dongle (not specific to Bimmercode) and then connect to it from the easy to use app. You have to pay for the app (once).
Thanks! Did you end up getting one of the adapters from their own site or elsewhere?
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      01-04-2022, 08:18 AM   #24
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The Bowers and Wilkins codecs will give you alot more bass.
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      01-04-2022, 08:38 AM   #25
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Which OBD Readers/Scanners are you all using? I'm looking on Amazon and they run from very cheap (like $25) to inexpensive ($120). Reading the fine print, some support the G8X platform, others don't.
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      01-04-2022, 09:01 AM   #26
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Originally Posted by NightWriter View Post
I'm curious whether anyone has tried swapping out the subs under the seats? I believe they're the same ones as in the standard 3-series HK's.
I just want more bass, I'm fine with treble, ETC. Is it that the stock subs are crap or do they not get enough power? If the subs just need to be replaced to get bass, anyone have suggestions?
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      01-04-2022, 09:36 AM   #27
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I have code to B&W and it made a different overall.. still not good, but better..
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      01-04-2022, 11:51 AM   #28
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Quote:
Originally Posted by keiridin View Post
I just want more bass, I'm fine with treble, ETC. Is it that the stock subs are crap or do they not get enough power? If the subs just need to be replaced to get bass, anyone have suggestions?
They arent really subs, more like midbase. Need an enclosure for thump.
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      01-04-2022, 10:00 PM   #29
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Originally Posted by dimmy View Post
Thanks! Did you end up getting one of the adapters from their own site or elsewhere?
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B076XVQMVS/

I just bought a second one last month so I'd have one for each of my cars. Just like to be prepared if I ever need to look up issues on the go.
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      01-04-2022, 11:00 PM   #30
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Quote:
Originally Posted by kjx View Post
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B076XVQMVS/

I just bought a second one last month so I'd have one for each of my cars. Just like to be prepared if I ever need to look up issues on the go.
Looks solid - just purchased. Thank you!
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      01-05-2022, 12:53 AM   #31
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I installed the Bavsound on my G80. Same speakers and amp off my M340i so I figured it would be ok. Definitely better but still needs a little more power I think. The install was easier than Bavsounds video install in regards to the subwoofers. Didn't need a heat gun at all.
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      01-05-2022, 05:00 AM   #32
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Quote:
Originally Posted by chicagofan00 View Post
I have zero issues with the HK system. 🤷🏻*♂️

However I am:

1. Not a major audiophile and
2. I've been to way too many concerts without any hearing protection, so my hearing sucks.

As far as settings go, I have it set to use the Logic 7 surround and have the equalizer settings in somewhat of a V shape.

Again, not an audiophile so who knows if this is even a "correct" way of doing it but I'm satisfied with it based on my music listening.
I don't think most people on the forums are hardcore audiophiles as many are streaming music through wireless CarPlay. Equalizer is a quick fix, the default's mid is way too strong. However I don't get why people are chasing a strong low-end as I can't stand the maxed out low-end of this system (maybe I'm the rare few who don't enjoy rap or modern western pop).

Clarity of the HK is good, maybe lacking in sound stage compared to my HD800s but we are not looking at a top-end sound system here.

Plan to do more fine-tuning tomorrow and share my result.

Updates: my result for playing with the EQ for about 30 minutes. Default bass was not enough, and 5K was overpowering 10K. Have a try
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      01-05-2022, 07:31 AM   #33
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Shinzzze View Post
I don't think most people on the forums are hardcore audiophiles as many are streaming music through wireless CarPlay. Equalizer is a quick fix, the default's mid is way too strong. However I don't get why people are chasing a strong low-end as I can't stand the maxed out low-end of this system (maybe I'm the rare few who don't enjoy rap or modern western pop).

Clarity of the HK is good, maybe lacking in sound stage compared to my HD800s but we are not looking at a top-end sound system here.

Plan to do more fine-tuning tomorrow and share my result.
I'm not looking to rattle my trunk lid from the bass or anything, but...this stereo is just thin. The "Sony" stereo in my 8 year old Focus is VASTLY superior...and there should be nothing in an 8 year old Focus that's better than what comes in a brand new BMW.

I'm just looking for a more satisfying, full sound without being overweighted anywhere. Keeping my eyes out for potential hardware upgrades, although I really don't want to tear the car apart to do that and introduce all the rattles and panel creaks that inevitably come along with the un/re install. Meanwhile, will continue fiddling with EQ settings...
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      01-05-2022, 07:34 AM   #34
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Quote:
Originally Posted by androidtopp View Post

I'm not looking to rattle my trunk lid from the bass or anything, but...this stereo is just thin. The "Sony" stereo in my 8 year old Focus is VASTLY superior...and there should be nothing in an 8 year old Focus that's better than what comes in a brand new BMW.

I'm just looking for a more satisfying, full sound without being overweighted anywhere. Keeping my eyes out for potential hardware upgrades, although I really don't want to tear the car apart to do that and introduce all the rattles and panel creaks that inevitably come along with the un/re install. Meanwhile, will continue fiddling with EQ settings...
Definitely sounds like an EQ problem to me. The "V" shape should help
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      01-05-2022, 04:51 PM   #35
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Agree very mediocre system in the G80. There are other posts in this forum about people making strides on the audio front that I have been watching.

Coding Bowers and Wilkins:

https://g80.bimmerpost.com/forums/sh....php?t=1845445

Amp Upgrade:

https://g80.bimmerpost.com/forums/sh....php?t=1850022

Personally I just dropped mine off at a specialized car audio place here in St. Louis. They won't do any audio mods until they insulate the doors to hear the real sound with good insulation around the speakers. Then they'll start testing the internal sound for recommendations on what to do. I'm at least planning to upgrade the speakers, and add a sub in the trunk, and will see what else they suggest. Not a cheap process but I can't stand having this great of a car with no emotion in the music....
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      01-21-2022, 11:11 PM   #36
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Weiser View Post
Agree very mediocre system in the G80. There are other posts in this forum about people making strides on the audio front that I have been watching.

Coding Bowers and Wilkins:

https://g80.bimmerpost.com/forums/sh....php?t=1845445

Amp Upgrade:

https://g80.bimmerpost.com/forums/sh....php?t=1850022

Personally I just dropped mine off at a specialized car audio place here in St. Louis. They won't do any audio mods until they insulate the doors to hear the real sound with good insulation around the speakers. Then they'll start testing the internal sound for recommendations on what to do. I'm at least planning to upgrade the speakers, and add a sub in the trunk, and will see what else they suggest. Not a cheap process but I can't stand having this great of a car with no emotion in the music....
Hey - any update on how this turned out?
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      01-23-2022, 10:19 AM   #37
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I have a g20 m340i with HK. I really don't like it. My 2016 328 f30 LCI audio was NON HK and it sounded much much better than this HK. It's so underwhelming and I am very upset I paid close to 70k for this car and even their premium HK option is clearly worse than their previous generation basic option. Just unbelievable.
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      01-24-2022, 01:27 PM   #38
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Alarmin View Post
Quote:
Originally Posted by Weiser View Post
Agree very mediocre system in the G80. There are other posts in this forum about people making strides on the audio front that I have been watching.

Coding Bowers and Wilkins:

https://g80.bimmerpost.com/forums/sh....php?t=1845445

Amp Upgrade:

https://g80.bimmerpost.com/forums/sh....php?t=1850022

Personally I just dropped mine off at a specialized car audio place here in St. Louis. They won't do any audio mods until they insulate the doors to hear the real sound with good insulation around the speakers. Then they'll start testing the internal sound for recommendations on what to do. I'm at least planning to upgrade the speakers, and add a sub in the trunk, and will see what else they suggest. Not a cheap process but I can't stand having this great of a car with no emotion in the music....
Hey - any update on how this turned out?
Quote:
Originally Posted by Alarmin View Post
Quote:
Originally Posted by Weiser View Post
Agree very mediocre system in the G80. There are other posts in this forum about people making strides on the audio front that I have been watching.

Coding Bowers and Wilkins:

https://g80.bimmerpost.com/forums/sh....php?t=1845445

Amp Upgrade:

https://g80.bimmerpost.com/forums/sh....php?t=1850022

Personally I just dropped mine off at a specialized car audio place here in St. Louis. They won't do any audio mods until they insulate the doors to hear the real sound with good insulation around the speakers. Then they'll start testing the internal sound for recommendations on what to do. I'm at least planning to upgrade the speakers, and add a sub in the trunk, and will see what else they suggest. Not a cheap process but I can't stand having this great of a car with no emotion in the music....
Hey - any update on how this turned out?
Yes, sure. Had the sound deadening done on all four doors. I didn't really prepare/plan to judge before and after but definitely feels like more mid range bass after that was done. Sound seems to be better contained inside. Owner of the place I'm working with said he definitely wouldn't do the speakers next. We agreed bass definitely next thing to address.

Just had a session with the owner to talk about bass packages. So so far just getting quotes. Looking at a potential 2x10" Hertz subs with an Audison amp. Will come back and update as things progress.
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      01-27-2022, 12:20 PM   #39
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The system is definitely average, and unfortunately in my opinion the unbranded premium system in the m340 is a bit better. A few comments:

Replacing the subwoofers under seat (yes these are subwoofers, they are even in an enclosure utilizing the airspace in the sill panels as a sealed enclosure) is silly without adapting the factory equalization. Each channel has very specific equalization set and changing a speaker 99% will not objectively improve the sound. Will there be a difference? Of course. Difference does not mean better.

The door speakers only output midrange frequencies, I would guess 150Hz-6kHz would be a realistic passband. This would be based on the equalization, and I would assume these are not brick wall filters (meaning that as an example, at 75Hz the speaker would still play sound but at -12dB or -24dB)

I have listened to a lot of audio systems in my time; everything from Fiats to Bentleys over the years, and IMO this system is average at best. Enough for many, not good nor bad enough to really be deemed either.

I found that volume level of the system is critical to getting the best out of it. At low volume it is very weak. I can hear the low bass, but it is not balanced compared to 500Hz-12kHz which I find to be reasonably balanced. At about 2/5-3/5 volume is where the system seems to be solid (as far as frequency response is concerned). It is well balanced and I feel maybe a bit above average at this point. This is both in Stereo and L7 set to default. Above 3/5 volume the bass compresses (essentially it stops getting dynamically louder) and the rest of the spectrum increases. High volume is really unpleasant for me.

Spatial performance (left, center, right, surround, etc positioning of the sound stage) is just as weak as the high volume performance. Center image (such as the vocals in many good recordings) should come from a single point in front of the driver anywhere from in between the steering wheel to actual center IP location. In this case, the center is very vague no matter what settings I use for spatial adjustment (Stereo, L7, L7 adjustment). The width of the system is good, and the ambience from the rear is solid. But no discernable center is the real issue.

No swap of speakers will fix that unless tuned by a talented installer. The major contributing factors for this are:

1. Speaker location
2. Speaker grills/physical mounting
3. Equalization by H/K

The magic "V" settings or "smiley face" certainly would not measure well. I will argue about this as it pertains to reference, or measured sound quality. However, if someone likes that sound better i.e. preference I will NOT argue with them about that (unless over drinks). If they are happy, that is what matters!
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      01-28-2022, 12:37 AM   #40
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If only Bowers and Wilkins were an option for the G80 I would not hesitate. Had it in my 5 and it was absolutely incredible. Then I got HK in my 22 X5 and it was truly disappointing.
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      01-28-2022, 12:34 PM   #41
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I've been through several BMW sound systems in my 5 BMW's (6 if you count the Hifi system in my SO's 530e). The G80 is by far not the worst of them.

One point before anyone starts copying others' EQ work:

Your ears are not their ears. While some folk around here are relatively young, many of us are not. It would almost be good for folk to log how much of their hearing (especially highs) in their EQ posts, but even that would be questionable as being able to hear a frequency is not the same thing as still being able to pick out nuance or detail at that frequency. I've had a full audio test due to an issue with my left ear a few years ago (which cleared up...stereo hearing is such a fine thing), so I know what frequencies I have issues with and that's it's almost bizarre that I can still hear 18khz at 50 years of age.

A friend of mine, who is a few years older, has a hole right between 225 and 300hz so has trouble even noticing female voices but his hearing is solid otherwise.

Anyway, as much as they type of music you listen to matters with such things, so does your own, individual ears.

On to the point:

The G80 is OK, certainly better than my M2C's, but not terribly satisfying. The bass gets overly boomy if pushed too hard, the center speaker is a stereo separation travesty as expected, and despite the size of this car we are still too close to the driver's door speakers.

With a good DSP installed, this could all be solved. The six trillion speakers could be timed for the driver's seat (passengers will suffer, of course), the center speaker could be software-disabled, etc...

I have three cars worth of audio equipment at home (minus a few parts from my M2C that I sold under the working assumption that I wouldn't need them anymore). If they had kept to the old audio hardware setup, I would have already ripped out the stock amp and upgraded this fella. But with the new setup (RAM), I haven't even poked the hardware yet. I used to work with MusicarNW and learned a lot from them, but stopped when I had my M2C as they became less interested in accommodating folk that can't just give them their car for a week or two. I imagine they could work it out if I could live without my car for a bit, but I can't.

So what have I done with this thing?

I EQ'd it to settings that work OK for my ears and my wide-ranging music tastes. I've shifted the sound field to the rear a bit to help the rear drivers offset the too-close front drivers and pull some energy from the center channel. And, as opposed to my '16 340, the left/right balance comes close enough to being able to center the sound on my seat. I've also disabled the ASD, which did help on this system. The best I've been able to get with it is a decidedly mediocre sound that I can tolerate but don't particularly enjoy.

I don't expect that the HK drivers themselves are really that much of an issue. They're likely on the happy side of mediocre if they're fed a bit more power, timed and EQ'd. Like most of the other HK and Hifi drivers in BMW's that I've poked. That doesn't mean that upgrading the drivers isn't worth it, I actually HAVE Hybrid Audio and Morel speakers that I used in the front locations on my 340i and they are significantly better drivers, and buying them are a significant investment.

I'd love to use them again, but there's no point without solving the amp/dsp issues.

Edit for clarification: The G80 is the first BMW that I've been to get to "tolerable" without making hardware changes. I've gutted every other one I've had as they couldn't reach that level. I have not owned an F80/82, but I did have the HK in my 340i and the system was the same (if I recall...apologies if there's a difference I don't know). I couldn't balance the 340, center connected or not. The driver's door driver set was just too present and the balance control seemed to need another notch or two.

Last edited by bri1042; 01-28-2022 at 12:51 PM..
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      01-28-2022, 01:29 PM   #42
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I have to agree, and would say that this HK system is barely adequate at best. I dislike the boomy low end, and nothing about this systems makes me excited about listening to music in my car, in the way that the F30 (non HK!) system made me feel, with its rich and punchy low end.

Shame on bmw for doing this to the g20.
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      01-28-2022, 07:09 PM   #43
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After posting yesterday, I got back into audio evaluation mode and went out listening again. The boominess people are mentioning hearing is definitely there at higher volumes, and I suspect it is due to the limiting of the system. This could cause an otherwise simple sine tone to flatten out, looking like a smushed wave at the top. In OEM automotive sound this is a common way to deal with either not enough power from the amplifier, or not enough acoustic capability of the speaker/mechanical mounting/acoustic position within the cabin. At high volume it gets rather harsh, but not too distorted so again I am guessing it is a power issue. The bass cannot keep up with the midrange+high frequency. I also find that our system is lacking below 35Hz.

bri1042 You make a great point about hearing loss and individual sound perception. I am also glad your hearing is coming back! I have quite good hearing for being a middle aged male with my high frequency -6dB point at almost 17kHz, although I am essentially useless right after that. I have worn hearing protection to concerts since 2010 which I am sure has helped. If you do end up finding a good solution, let use know, I'm all ears (sorry I couldn't help it)

I typically leave the system in L7 on at detent, and speed gain at max. Flat tone controls and EQ setting. I just relistened using a USB thumb drive and FLAC files I ripped from CDs. I used Dr.Dre, Porcupine Tree, Marcus Miller, Joni Mitchell, and Lamb of God, and listened in the Drivers, Passengers, and rear right seat.

The DSP in the factory systems is very powerful these days, more so than most aftermarket options. Some vehicles are tuned for the drivers seat only, and some for all seats, etc. It sounds to me the vehicle was tuned for front seat priority with back seats only needing to be decent. Since I did not design or make this system I can only guess using my ears and my experience, so of course YMMV.

Part of me wishes I still had access to a calibrated measurement system so I could figure it out. The other part of me knows that once I know what the problem is I will be unable to un-hear it so in this case ignorance has it's bliss.
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      01-28-2022, 07:24 PM   #44
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Honestly bmw messed with whatever was working very well in previous generation F30. Unbelievable they came up with a whole new design development only to make it noticeably worse. Major fail! So hard to get this fixed. So easy if they had just left good enough alone !
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