Post your Harman/Kardon sound settings.

[nhcowboy28]

-700000 treble.

 

[Tkdojo]

Having come from H/K setup in my previous car, it's def. an upgrade in many aspects: base, clarify, etc. However, one thing that was unpleasant to me was the highs were too sharp like broken glass sharp. The base is def. boomier, but can't handle some of bassy hiphop/rap music, but not many can handle anyways at least in my experiences. That said, I fiddled with Sound settings after reading through some posts here. What made the highs better was a combination of two things: Clarify off and reduced Treble. With those, here is my setting:

Base: +6
Mid: +2
Treble: -1
Sound Stage: On(I like the spatial volume it creates)

BTW, does anyone know what this "Clairy" feature exactly do? I get that it does digitally "processes" compressed data further using its own algorithms, but what do algorithms exactly do?

 

[EXCLNCEOFXECUTN]

I have a 2020 Kia Optima and I can't milk hardly any bass out of my car. It is detectable but even at 10 there is little punch and the high range in this car is ridiculous even at low settings. In hindsight, I would have probably opted out of the bells and whistles so I had the ability to gut the head unit.

 

[me&stinger]

As of today...

Bass -4
Mid -2
Treble -5
Position +1 (centered)
Advanced (none)
Clari-fi off

 

[Stinger GT SS]

My current settings:

 

[Chark]

I have a 2020 Kia Optima and I can't milk hardly any bass out of my car. It is detectable but even at 10 there is little punch and the high range in this car is ridiculous even at low settings. In hindsight, I would have probably opted out of the bells and whistles so I had the ability to gut the head unit.

High quality source files are required. If you're only listening to SiriusXM, then you won't hear the subwoofers (or tweeters) much at all because they compress the files the most. Next worst would be standard FM signals. Using HD Radio, an original CD (not a self-burned one at a low bit rate) or lossless compression will make a huge difference.

 

[Waynerm002]

Having come from H/K setup in my previous car, it's def. an upgrade in many aspects: base, clarify, etc. However, one thing that was unpleasant to me was the highs were too sharp like broken glass sharp. The base is def. boomier, but can't handle some of bassy hiphop/rap music, but not many can handle anyways at least in my experiences. That said, I fiddled with Sound settings after reading through some posts here. What made the highs better was a combination of two things: Clarify off and reduced Treble. With those, here is my setting:

Base: +6
Mid: +2
Treble: -1
Sound Stage: On(I like the spatial volume it creates)

BTW, does anyone know what this "Clairy" feature exactly do? I get that it does digitally "processes" compressed data further using its own algorithms, but what do algorithms exactly do?

I always felt my 2018 was lacking in volume and after moving on to a 2019, it showed. The treble was harsh in the first few months as the system broke in, after that, it sounds good. I set mine at:

Bass - 0
Mids - 0
Treble - 0
Quantum surround - On stage
Clarify - Off

My system sounds good to me this way. My buddy likes to turn the bass up to 8 and treble to 4. If I’m looking for bass and more response, I go +5, +3 and +2. The Lexicon amp does a good job in our system, I don’t go higher that 20, typically and most days I listen to music at 10, 20 if I’m really feeling it.

 

[Hapa88]

Mine is set something like this:
Bass: +2 (I have an 8" sub to round off the lower end)
Mids: +3
Treble: +4
Quantum surround: On stage
Fader: Forward +4
Clarify: On

When I put the Quantum Surround to "On Stage," the rear speakers were just too loud. I wanted them to work more like surround channels on a home theater setup, so I had to move the fader forward. Now the sound stage stays mostly in the front seats, with the rears adding ambiance, sounds great now.

 

[stung cb]

High quality source files are required. If you're only listening to SiriusXM, then you won't hear the subwoofers (or tweeters) much at all because they compress the files the most. Next worst would be standard FM signals. Using HD Radio, an original CD (not a self-burned one at a low bit rate) or lossless compression will make a huge difference.

Really??? I listen to only SiriusXM. I've a 2020 Gt2. If I'm not hearing the subwoofers (which are making sound) where is all the bass coming from when I set a dead center 0 (zero) for bass. To each his own but, I can't imagine listening to any music with bass set at above +2. The +7, +8, +9 setting must be shaking the screws loose in the interior of the car. God love the lovers of boom boom bass. I just prefer to make my music sound as natural as possible. So......I'm also not hearing the tweeters when listening to SiriusXM? Where is all the music coming from I hear? Don't say from my own head! Ha, Ha!

 

[RedCal]

Sirius is the equivalent of a cheap VHS copy on your 4K (or 8K) TV.... ya you are going to hear/see something, but you are cheating yourself of getting the most / best out of the system, get yourself a good quality streaming service (Like Tidal, or Qobuz - I prefer Tidal as it works with carplay/ android auto) You paided for the better audio system why not get your money's worth?

(edited to add)
For reference bit rates compared

Sirius ~ 96kbps
Spotify ~ 192kbps
Best MP3 - 320kbps
CD - 1440kbps
Tidal - 9216kbps (highest quality, some tracks are CD quality)

 

[Chark]

Really??? I listen to only SiriusXM. I've a 2020 Gt2. If I'm not hearing the subwoofers (which are making sound) where is all the bass coming from when I set a dead center 0 (zero) for bass. To each his own but, I can't imagine listening to any music with bass set at above +2. The +7, +8, +9 setting must be shaking the screws loose in the interior of the car. God love the lovers of boom boom bass. I just prefer to make my music sound as natural as possible. So......I'm also not hearing the tweeters when listening to SiriusXM? Where is all the music coming from I hear? Don't say from my own head! Ha, Ha!

If you have ClariFi turned on, that's supposed to enhance some of the frequencies that are cut during compression. It is not a substitute for a high quality source file. Without it, you're losing the lowest of the low frequencies and the highest of the high frequencies. The middle frequencies also have their peak amplitudes clipped so the music loses its punchiness. It does make a difference, but I'm happy that you're happy.

 

[Hapa88]

If you all have a SiriusXM account, download and use the APP exclusively. It has a significantly higher audio quality (double, if not triple the bandwidth) than the over-the-air SiriusXM. Downside is that it uses up your cell plan's data (unless you have unlimited data).

 

[stung cb]

Sirius is the equivalent of a cheap VHS copy on your 4K (or 8K) TV.... ya you are going to hear/see something, but you are cheating yourself of getting the most / best out of the system, get yourself a good quality streaming service (Like Tidal, or Qobuz - I prefer Tidal as it works with carplay/ android auto) You paided for the better audio system why not get your money's worth?

(edited to add)
For reference bit rates compared

Sirius ~ 96kbps
Spotify ~ 192kbps
Best MP3 - 320kbps
CD - 1440kbps
Tidal - 9216kbps (highest quality, some tracks are CD quality)

Sirius is the equivalent of a cheap VHS copy on your 4K (or 8K) TV.... ya you are going to hear/see something, but you are cheating yourself of getting the most / best out of the system, get yourself a good quality streaming service (Like Tidal, or Qobuz - I prefer Tidal as it works with carplay/ android auto) You paided for the better audio system why not get your money's worth?

(edited to add)
For reference bit rates compared

Sirius ~ 96kbps
Spotify ~ 192kbps
Best MP3 - 320kbps
CD - 1440kbps
Tidal - 9216kbps (highest quality, some tracks are CD quality)

I can agree with some of the things you're saying. We all have different tastes in what audio/visual works for us. The audio system happened to come with the car and sounds pretty good to me. I do Sirius because of the vast instant listening choices. Having decent, not primo sound works for me. I get picky when it come to my music and home theatre in the house. Watching a movie streamed to my High end 65" OLED 4K LG flat screen looks like a cheap VHS rental. It's Blue Ray or nothing.
I'm still a user of a landline because the cell phone audio quality still sounds like crap no matter what phone you're using or listening from. When do you think they'll have that fixed?
You do present yourself as a knowledgeable audiophile.

 

[RedCal]

Cell phone providers are very much in the same boat as Sirius - They only have a limited amount of bandwidth to use, more phones connected, need more bandwidth, so they jam in as many as they can by reducing bandwidth so the audio quality sucks (for Sirius it's more stations, or streams from the satellite - need more bandwidth? gotta launch another satellite - NOT CHEAP ) That why Hapa88 recommends using the app, more data throughput via cell data, vs Sat. feed

I've spend almost all my working life in the Audio biz.... I'm just trying to save the the world from bad sound! (and it's so cheap and easy to do nowadays)

 

[VikingDad]

Mine is set something like this:
Bass: +2 (I have an 8" sub to round off the lower end)
Mids: +3
Treble: +4
Quantum surround: On stage
Fader: Forward +4
Clarify: On

When I put the Quantum Surround to "On Stage," the rear speakers were just too loud. I wanted them to work more like surround channels on a home theater setup, so I had to move the fader forward. Now the sound stage stays mostly in the front seats, with the rears adding ambiance, sounds great now.

Was it difficult to add the sub?

 

[socalvn]

I have the base in the trunk turned up boom boom. Two subs under the front seat subpar

 

[Snicklefritz]

no clarify, on stage selected, bass -0+ mid +4 treble +1. I used to have the bass turned up quite high but got tired of it.

 

[7Andrei7]

I have Flat everything, Quantum surround off and clarify off.
My music source is Tidal HiFi and I'm happiest with bluetooth. On wired carplay I feel there is a downgrade in sound. Maybe my cable is not the best but it's short and L shaped so I can leave the phone in there and close the top.
I need a clean cabin!

 

[RUFFSTUFF]

Playing "High Quality" music over bluetooth is pointless.

 

[7Andrei7]

Playing "High Quality" music over bluetooth is pointless.

It is absolutely the same as with a USB cable. I'm pretty sure the car has its own signal processor.
Maybe you can get better quality if you play the songs directly from a USB stick or through an audio-in cable.
BUT, if you think you can hear the difference in a car going 80 mph, at a normal volume... you have super ears.