Is the Harman/Kardon Worth it in m40i ?

[RustyZ4]

It really depends how much of an audiophile you are, certainly the HK is a big step up from the standard system, but for me (a sado audiophile) it lacks depth and the midrange gets a little muddled, I know it boast 16 speakers, but that's just quantity not necessarily quality.
I went for the hi fi spec so I got the amount of speaker places I required, then swapped them all out for Audison and Eton speakers, changed the amp for the Audison Forza and added a monobloc for the bass
But for most people it will be fine, is it worth the extra money, well that's up to you
and enjoy the car

[Wyldie85]

Having had a HK system in our 2010 320d and in our 2018 X5 in Portugal, I assumed it was a must have. The sound was awesome in both of these cars and I was really looking forward to having it in the Z4.

Despite numerous tweaks to the equaliser, the surround sound levels and with different music genres, it sounds like two separate systems (speakers are in the front and then behind the seats). It’s muffled, disjointed and the bass is tinny and flat sounding,

I know when speakers are new they take time to bed in and warm up but I cant see these getting much better.

First world problems I know.

[thecremeegg]

Wait til you try a Mercedes stock audio system - truly abysmal! Worst part about my C300, but I couldn't get the upgraded speakers without the Premium Plus pack which meant having to have a sunroof which meant I had no headroom....argh!

[Chris_D]

Aftermarket is always the best way to go imo.
Get yourself some swap-in Focals, Infinitys or JBL's for an infinitely better and cheaper speaker upgrade
yw

[Samiad]

Is it straightforward to 'swap in' the speakers with a better option (i.e. are the speakers proprietary or do they use a standard size that could literally be swapped in/out easily?)

[Pbondar]

Is it straightforward to 'swap in' the speakers with a better option (i.e. are the speakers proprietary or do they use a standard size that could literally be swapped in/out easily?)

Not much documentation yet but if they follow all other BMW’s then it will be a proprietary design

[RustyZ4]

Is it straightforward to 'swap in' the speakers with a better option (i.e. are the speakers proprietary or do they use a standard size that could literally be swapped in/out easily?)

Audison, Hertz and Eton all make speakers that can be direct replacements in BMW, I don't see why the new car would be any different

[Pbondar]

Is it straightforward to 'swap in' the speakers with a better option (i.e. are the speakers proprietary or do they use a standard size that could literally be swapped in/out easily?)

Audison, Hertz and Eton all make speakers that can be direct replacements in BMW, I don't see why the new car would be any different

So far Audison and Eton have not released any yet for the G29....

[RustyZ4]

Is it straightforward to 'swap in' the speakers with a better option (i.e. are the speakers proprietary or do they use a standard size that could literally be swapped in/out easily?)

Audison, Hertz and Eton all make speakers that can be direct replacements in BMW, I don't see why the new car would be any different

So far Audison and Eton have not released any yet for the G29....

That's a shame, are they non proprietary sizes then? or have they just not updated their configurators, as I cant imagine BMW would start using non standard size speakers, but then again nothing would surprise me with car manufacturers

[Pbondar]

Audison, Hertz and Eton all make speakers that can be direct replacements in BMW, I don't see why the new car would be any different

So far Audison and Eton have not released any yet for the G29....

That's a shame, are they non proprietary sizes then? or have they just not updated their configurators, as I cant imagine BMW would start using non standard size speakers, but then again nothing would surprise me with car manufacturers

All the speakers on the E89 are non standard in the sense that they use offset/asymmetrical mounting points / form factors....they also use proprietary connectors...apart from that they are standard..

Can’t see BMW ruining the habits of a lifetime...

[Wyldie85]

Wait til you try a Mercedes stock audio system - truly abysmal! Worst part about my C300, but I couldn't get the upgraded speakers without the Premium Plus pack which meant having to have a sunroof which meant I had no headroom....argh!

Thankfully I didn’t have to suffer that in my C300 having heard the standard ones! Burmeister and sunroof are a winning combo. The sound in the Merc is great! At least to drown out the four pot engine

[Wyldie85]

Despite changing all the settings and the equaliser in the car, it hasn’t made any difference.
However, having stuffed the ski hatch with an old puffer jacket, this has stopped the vibration and annoying noise when the volume is above speaking level.

Ive also changed the equaliser settings in Spotify and this has helped a lot with the overall sound. It’s still not amazing but a marked improvement.

[bonzo]

Not sure it's been mentioned but after the latest software upgrade the H&K appears to sound much better in my G29.

An annoying issue where the volume would sometimes be lower on startup has been fixed.

[handymanuk]

Good to hear

When you say better, what do you mean? What’s improved?

[blaird03]

I find the HK sound disappointing - constant bass booming , no bass clarity.
Still making adjustments to the sound after 5 weeks of ownership.
Also stuffed the ski hatch - but maybe not enough - so will squeeze some more in