Harmon Kardon Sound System

[max2382]

i actually have to say that so far I am not impressed with the audio. as someone said earlier it sounds very tin-can in many occasions. i play around with the settings but I can t a good sound. I know it sounds weird but my biggest disappointment are the basses. I was expecting way more power having 2 subs under the seats. instead not much. before I had a focus titanium with sony system and it sounded way better, the sound was filled and u could feel it through your body. I am going to wait to see if it gets better as u suggested. but I had the paranoia that my subs were not working properly. How can I check them to be sure? putting basses to the max, high volume, with a song that I know has strong bass, I was expecting the seat to vibrate. instead the sound seems to only come out from the door speakers. And the only vibrations I can feel are from the doors

 

[MerlintheMad]

@max2382: Subwoofers working properly don't blare from the subs themselves, but direct bass throughout the system such that where the bass is supposed to be directed via the recording that is where you'll hear it: not pounding at you from the subs. And you want your body to vibrate? Are you one of those whose cars shake the neighbors even through their closed windows? If so, you are an alien species. Music isn't about vibrating your body with sound waves. But, as in all things, YMMV, and apparently does.

When my subs broke in, I turned the bass down from +10 to +4. And now they are at -2 and it is plenty. There is always the volume control, which is ample in the extreme.

 

[max2382]

ahaha...no I'm not one of those. but I love to hear music with a very good system. don't mean expensive, just with one that can produce a good filled up sound. I wonder if I am just 'complaining' too early. My Stinger is fairly new and maybe the audio system just need to break in as many of you said. I'll wait and see.

@max2382: Subwoofers working properly don't blare from the subs themselves, but direct bass throughout the system such that where the bass is supposed to be directed via the recording that is where you'll hear it: not pounding at you from the subs. And you want your body to vibrate? Are you one of those whose cars shake the neighbors even through their closed windows? If so, you are an alien species. Music isn't about vibrating your body with sound waves. But, as in all things, YMMV, and apparently does.

When my subs broke in, I turned the bass down from +10 to +4. And now they are at -2 and it is plenty. There is always the volume control, which is ample in the extreme.

 

[Stinger GT SS]

Being an older gent in this day & age with regards to sound systems all I can say that I’m extremely impressed with the quality of the sound from this unit. You youngens have no idea what it was like trying to get a good audio system in the 70’s....one of the best I had at the time was a Clarion 8 Track & 4 Speakers.....sooo cool.

 

[AV8R]

Being an older gent in this day & age with regards to sound systems all I can say that I’m extremely impressed with the quality of the sound from this unit. You youngens have no idea what it was like trying to get a good audio system in the 70’s....one of the best I had at the time was a Clarion 8 Track & 4 Speakers.....sooo cool.

What? I cant hear you the musics too loud! Lol

 

[MerlintheMad]

@AV8R: Now you've gone and appealed to (perhaps) the most famous "family" member of mine.

 

[atomiccow]

As a person who was actually into audio before I was into cars, I'd say that I probably had higher expectations of the Harmon system. I'd say that if I had the choice of paying for it (it's bundled based on trim level in Canada), then I'd probably be somewhat disappointed after buying it. Then again, I have no idea what the lower end sound system of the Stinger sounds like. It might be completely unacceptable, which would make the Harmon system really worth it. Compared to the basic sound system of my previous car, which was a Suzuki Kizashi (its basic system was superior to most premium Bose sound systems of the time), the Harmon system can actually have very pronounced treble. It does not seem to be a treble presence that really adds more clarity to the music, but rather can sound shrill. Rarely do I play with the equalizer, but I actually had to dial the treble down two notches. The default bassresponse is well balanced and normal sounding for my tastes, but it would probably be considered light to the average listener. Neither of the additional processing, the quantum surround or detail recovery, help the sound. It's overall best with these options off.

Overall, I'm glad the Harmon system isn't tuned by default with an unrealistic bass response, which is the preference of the modern average listener. This goes to show that the system was created by acute listeners with a focus on sound quality. The treble response is a bit puzzling, but it's not a huge problem. For those who are interested in the perspective that I'm coming from, at home I listen to well-amped Kef LS50 speakers and Sennheiser HD800 headphones. Realistically, no car stereo at any price can match the performance of even these two systems, so I don't have an expectation of the Harmon doing so. A car interior is a complex shape with a mix of absorbing and reflective materials throughout.

 

[MerlintheMad]

As a person who was actually into audio before I was into cars, I'd say that I probably had higher expectations of the Harmon system. I'd say that if I had the choice of paying for it (it's bundled based on trim level in Canada), then I'd probably be somewhat disappointed after buying it. Then again, I have no idea what the lower end sound system of the Stinger sounds like. It might be completely unacceptable, which would make the Harmon system really worth it. Compared to the basic sound system of my previous car, which was a Suzuki Kizashi (its basic system was superior to most premium Bose sound systems of the time), the Harmon system can actually have very pronounced treble. It does not seem to be a treble presence that really adds more clarity to the music, but rather can sound shrill. Rarely do I play with the equalizer, but I actually had to dial the treble down two notches. The default bassresponse is well balanced and normal sounding for my tastes, but it would probably be considered light to the average listener. Neither of the additional processing, the quantum surround or detail recovery, help the sound. It's overall best with these options off.

Overall, I'm glad the Harmon system isn't tuned by default with an unrealistic bass response, which is the preference of the modern average listener. This goes to show that the system was created by acute listeners with a focus on sound quality. The treble response is a bit puzzling, but it's not a huge problem. For those who are interested in the perspective that I'm coming from, at home I listen to well-amped Kef LS50 speakers and Sennheiser HD800 headphones. Realistically, no car stereo at any price can match the performance of even these two systems, so I don't have an expectation of the Harmon doing so. A car interior is a complex shape with a mix of absorbing and reflective materials throughout.

This is good stuff. Thanks for elaborating on how the Harman Kardon sounds best, at least to your experienced ear. I tried turning off the surround, and changing it to on stage and audience modes. I decided that I liked the balance of base (set to zero) and treble or high (set to -2) best with the surround off, as you suggest. I was on the lookout for what happened to the treble in the two surround options, and the on stage was most pronounced (I don't know as I'd use the word "shrill", but maybe close), the audience in between, and off was just balanced sound without the attempt to divide up the various parts; perhaps analogous to 5 channel compared to various Dolby or Neo 6, which separate the parts to the different channels, rather than put all the sound out through all channels equally as with 5 channel. In a car with road noise perhaps the best approach is the simplest: "off" with the surround experience and just put out less trick sound more equally all around. Then fiddle with volume as needed. If you feel that the high tones are getting lost, then move the setting up until the highs come back to where you feel they should be.

 

[RVance]

I picked up a GT Limited earlier this week, which contains the 15 speaker surround sound system. I broke the speakers in at low volume for a few hours, and have been trialing it at different volumes and tones. Currently, the bass is +3, mid at +6, and treble at +5, with Clarify and On-stage options selected. Mostly, I listen to rock, alternative, and pop.

It's a little lackluster.

While it is no Bang and Olufsen or Bowers and Wilkens system, I was hoping for a little higher sound levels and quality.

I'm now looking into replacing the lows and tweeters in each door, and perhaps the subwoofers (I don't believe the mids or center speaker are feasibly replaceable). Either Hertz Mille or some sort of JL speakers are at the top of my list for aftermarkets.

I've never replaced stock speakers in a brand new car like this, and I'm a little lost as to a starting point. Is the amplifier hidden somewhere, or is each speaker individually and locally amplified? Are component wires, coaxial cables, or fibre optic cables run to each speaker? If the speakers are replaced, would this void the basic and extended warranty on the infotainment system?

If anyone has dug up some detailed info regarding the specifications of the sound system, or if you have comments on the sound systems installed in the Stinger, please drop a reply!

The system should improve with more hours. Sirius XM sounds like crap, but that's their fault. I have an iPod Classic 160gb with all files recorded from CD's in Apple Lossless for better sound. I thought it would murder the crap mp3 resolution of my phone downloads from Amazom Music, but I was pleasantly surprised that the Clarify DSP seems to live up to the marketing hype. Very little distortion at some pretty high SPL's. Best Bluetooth (Samsung S7) sound I've heard in a car. I'd wait and let it break in for a while before replacing. Harman Kardon also markets the following brands: Infinity, JBL, Lexicon, dbx, DigiTech, Mark Levinson, Martin, Revel, Soundcraft, Studer, Arcam, among others. There is a lot of cross-pollination and shared engineering. These are not shoddy, cheesy audio brands.

 

[RVance]

Completely agree on having a equalizer. I'm going to pull out my dB meter this weekend if I have time, to find out where the dip is in frequency response. I'm now even thinking that the woofers, those on the doors that are in front of the door pockets, not the sub under the front seats, may not be working or wired out of phase. Will share my findings.

I can't imagine a factory set-up these days wired out of phase. Connectors wouldn't allow. The Stinger cabin may not be the best acoustical environment. There's not a lot of air in there to move. I've noticed much better mids after more hours of break-in. Source material, album/song mastering, etc., also factors. Equalizers can add more distortion than they solve, depending on quality.

 

[RVance]

Being an older gent in this day & age with regards to sound systems all I can say that I’m extremely impressed with the quality of the sound from this unit. You youngens have no idea what it was like trying to get a good audio system in the 70’s....one of the best I had at the time was a Clarion 8 Track & 4 Speakers.....sooo cool.

When I was 18 I bought my first car- a new 1970 Toyota Corolla. I was way ahead on the import craze, lol. Put in a Craig 8-track and 2 Pioneer 6X9's on the rear tray. The trunk made a great pressure chamber. It rocked.

 

[MerlintheMad]

Heh, maybe an OC thing, but I want to point out that everybody is using "Harmon" wrong; it is "Harman" Kardon.

 

[Stinger305]

@Jesse Now that you've had a LOT of time to marinate on the issue, what do you think of the speakers? Your early impressions sounded well informed and I listen to rock like you, so I was wondering what the best settings you found are?

I've had the Stinger 2 months and haven't been wowed by the Harman Kardon system. Then again I haven't really tweaked/tested it with good source audio yet. Next thing on my list for today.

 

[Yeri]

Does anyone have any comparisons with other car audio setups? I'm currently in a 2011 Genesis w/ the 17 speaker lexicon setup and am considering a stinger for my next car, but audio is a big deal to me.

 

[RVance]

No one has your ears. I have been an audio bug since my first Fisher tube integrated amp and Macintosh tuner in the early 70's. I cut my ear' s teeth on custom S.E.T. tube amps, modded Harman Kardon Citation pre-amps, Quad 57 ESL's, and Grado cartridges. I currently have a nice 7.2 multi-channel Marantz system with full range Wharfedale Pacific Evo towers, surrounds, 2 Wharfedale subs and a huge Wharfdale Opus Centre. Initially, I was a little disappointed with the Stinger system...until the speakers broke in. It is very dynamic and plays as good as the source material you run. The Clarify DSP does a pretty great job of enhancing low resolution files, which surprised me. My Apple Lossless files sound exceptional. Sirius has the worst sound- FM broadcasts are better. But every car has different acoustics and your preferences may differ than mine or someone else's. Lexicon is a highly regarded brand. I have a six channel system in my '89 Mustang GT with Alpine amps and JL Audio speakers. The HK Stinger kicks its ass. Your results may vary. And most gear heads are also self-described audiophiles, so good luck with getting any three of us to agree here, lol. If you want to own the best car audio, you may need to shop elsewhere and much farther up the food chain. The HK system in the Stinger keeps me very happy on my 2000 mile runs up and down California.

 

[MerlintheMad]

@RVance that was well said. I am definitely no gearhead, or into stereos. But I know what sounds good to me. And the Harman Kardon is better listening than anything I have ever had in my life. It rivals my sound system in my livingroom (which may not be a recommendation for my sound system in my livingroom: but my son has tried to duplicate the helicopter surround experience from "Arrival", and failed; so my system isn't too bad).

 

[atomiccow]

Does anyone have any comparisons with other car audio setups? I'm currently in a 2011 Genesis w/ the 17 speaker lexicon setup and am considering a stinger for my next car, but audio is a big deal to me.

Lexicon is a brand of Harman. The premium 15-speaker system in the Genesis G70 is branded Lexicon, but it's most likely exactly the same as the Harman system in the Stinger. As soon as you get in a G70, you'll see just how similar the two cars are. They share 100% the same systems throughout, down to the placement of the speakers, so it's not about comparing the branding on the audio system. You will find all sorts of different configurations of Harman audio systems in all sorts of cars. For example, Mercedes offers a basic audio system, a Harman premium system, and also a Burmester extra premium system. Ultimately, branding should never be an indication of whether a particular audio system in a car will be to your liking.

The good thing is that the sound settings in the Stinger/G70 has some limited tuning options that let you fine tune the sound. Used sparingly, you can effectively tame frequencies at the high and low ends, which is most likely where people that care about audio typically find issue. To me, it's most important for an audio system to be able to achieve a "normal" sound. By this I mean it can achieve a sound that works well with small-band studio recordings. Music like this typically doesn't have much sound stage, so you don't lose out on much when you play it on a speaker system that cannot replicate the sound stage (like a car audio system). I find that not all audio systems can achieve this. There are many audio systems that sound special and different, but never normal. Those are systems that you can have fun with, but you will quickly tire of them because they cannot work in day-to-day listening applications. The Stinger/G70 Harman system is the former. If you have issues with sub-bass or treble glare, you can roll those ends off with the tuning control. I had to dial the treble back because it quite glaring at the 0 position, and I'm not a person with sensitivity to high frequencies in general. I suspect the glare in the Harman system is due to a local spike in some frequency range that makes it both particularly annoying and useless in terms of adding detail. Putting -2 on the treble was an effective remedy.

 

[TPainter]

I listen to everything from pop to country to dance to classical. I have never listened to mine at very low levels and I think it sounds great! I have also noticed a big difference depending on source. Satellite radio seems to be the worst. I do hear variations with my iPhone occasionally but I think that has something to do with the USB connection which has been giving me some weird issues. My CarPlay connection will sometimes cut off when I changes Drive Modes or when Start/Stop starts the engine back up.

 

[MerlintheMad]

Lexicon is a brand of Harman. The premium 15-speaker system in the Genesis G70 is branded Lexicon, but it's most likely exactly the same as the Harman system in the Stinger. As soon as you get in a G70, you'll see just how similar the two cars are. They share 100% the same systems throughout, down to the placement of the speakers, so it's not about comparing the branding on the audio system. You will find all sorts of different configurations of Harman audio systems in all sorts of cars. For example, Mercedes offers a basic audio system, a Harman premium system, and also a Burmester extra premium system. Ultimately, branding should never be an indication of whether a particular audio system in a car will be to your liking.

The good thing is that the sound settings in the Stinger/G70 has some limited tuning options that let you fine tune the sound. Used sparingly, you can effectively tame frequencies at the high and low ends, which is most likely where people that care about audio typically find issue. To me, it's most important for an audio system to be able to achieve a "normal" sound. By this I mean it can achieve a sound that works well with small-band studio recordings. Music like this typically doesn't have much sound stage, so you don't lose out on much when you play it on a speaker system that cannot replicate the sound stage (like a car audio system). I find that not all audio systems can achieve this. There are many audio systems that sound special and different, but never normal. Those are systems that you can have fun with, but you will quickly tire of them because they cannot work in day-to-day listening applications. The Stinger/G70 Harman system is the former. If you have issues with sub-bass or treble glare, you can roll those ends off with the tuning control. I had to dial the treble back because it quite glaring at the 0 position, and I'm not a person with sensitivity to high frequencies in general. I suspect the glare in the Harman system is due to a local spike in some frequency range that makes it both particularly annoying and useless in terms of adding detail. Putting -2 on the treble was an effective remedy.

I'm up and down with this. Currently I am set at +3 for all three tones, and using "on stage". Recently I tried bass at -2 and treble at +2 and midrange at zero, and the surround "off". They all sound good regardless. But I have noticed the "harsh" quality of the treble on some music tracks. I'm seeking a compromise that works across the board, and I haven't decided yet what that is. Maybe next I'll try treble -2, mid zero and bass +2 or 3. I even tried all at +10, just for grins. And of course, you can't listen to any volume level above 4 or 5, or else it all goes to crap in my middle aged ears!

 

[atomiccow]

I should also add that the infotainment system in the Stinger is surprisingly flexible for those who bring their own music (and people who care about audio are these types). The car has an effective USB playback system that can readily playback CBR MP3 and 16b FLAC. I haven't explicitly tried multiple sampling rates, but 44.1 will work for sure. Whatever the case, all you have to do is put your music, in whatever way you choose to organize it, onto a USB drive and leave it plugged into the front console USB. The car will have no problem reading ID3 tags or displaying the directory structure.

Best of all, unlike my old car, the restrictions on the USB are broad enough to not matter. There's no stated maximum size, but the songs limit is something like 8000. I don't use lossless files with the Stinger because I don't think it, or any other car, has an audio system good enough to actually make the difference apparent. I convert all my files to CBR MP3 for the car. It's more important to be able to get enough songs onto a single USB drive so that you don't have to swap it out while driving.

Loading your own music onto a USB also allows you to control the volume steps of the car's system. You might find that the volume steps are far too large, and that by the 7th step, the volume is already uncomfortably loud. I've applied a constant replay gain to the files on my USB so that 1) they're all at a somewhat similar volume, and 2) their base volume is lower so now a system volume of 15 corresponds to a comfortable listening level. With the base volume of the files lowered by replay gain, each step of the system volume corresponds to a smaller change in output volume, so you can avoid a situation where volume level 6 is too quiet, volume level 7 is too loud, and volume level 8 to 50 will blow your ear drums.