Under-Seat Subwoofer Issues

[AV8R]

I’d a bit of research on Harmon Kardon Clari fi system and I believe this could be the issue but I’m not sure if you can turn it off so someone who owns a Gt will need to investigate. Also I have heard that you can remove subs from the seats and put in foot well, not sure if there is space.

 

[Kia Stinger]

In a past life I had two Lexus LS460Ls. The first one had the standard audio system and it sounded great. It was the best sound system I'd ever had in a car outside of aftermarket when I liked heavy bass. The LS's audio system was loud and powerful - and the bass was VERY impressive considering there were no twelve inch dual voice coil subwoofers in the trunk (old school). When it came time to trade that in and buy a new LS, I opted for the Mark Levinson because everybody on Club Lexus talked about how amazing it was.

Sucked.

I'm going to guess that acoustically it was an improvement over the standard setup. I'm going to guess that if I were in an orchestra or if I were a violinist and had an ear for the slightest 'I don't know what' of sound - I guess I would have heard some sounds that maybe didn't come through with the standard setup. I don't know. I guess. But I could never get the same high volume out of the Mark Levinson setup - and the bass was pathetic in most cases. If I remember correctly, it sounded pretty good via FM radio and CD. But I used the hard drive and, almost all the time, satellite radio - which sounded perfectly awesome in standard audio system.

So I will never pay more for the upgraded audio system again. If I want something extra special, I'll buy it myself and have it installed.

 

[StingerGTandMe]

So yesterday I posted a comment about how I can feel the bass coming from the seat. Well I replayed my song and I stand corrected. I had the bass set to 10 and as I turned up the music the bass sounded like it was mainly coming from the front doors not underneath. Is the bass being thrown sideways by some chance so it bounces off the doors? I feel like my old optima with the single 8"sub was better.

 

[convotutor]

Hey guys, I'm wondering if the stingers sound design - exhaust note - plays any effect to the speaker sound system. Ie maybe sound will come out of the subwoofer if the exhaust sound system is turned off.

Just a thought....
If someone who actually has the stinger can see if there's any difference when the exhaust sound is turned off vs turned on....

Cheers
Andy

 

[AnyVare]

Hey guys, I'm wondering if the stingers sound design - exhaust note - plays any effect to the speaker sound system. Ie maybe sound will come out of the subwoofer if the exhaust sound system is turned off.

Just a thought....
If someone who actually has the stinger can see if there's any difference when the exhaust sound is turned off vs turned on....

Cheers
Andy

All the stingers employ a "augmented" exhaust note that is piped into the cabin from the audio system. A lot of cars today use this technique. There's actually a korean video that highlights this. If you find the right video that highlights the interior audio and the exterior audio, you can clearly tell the interior audio is fake. IMO, this is cheating and should be outlawed.

But you can fix that problem with an aftermarket pipe set.

 

[AnyVare]

Now this is an interesting thread....

Do you guys really think an OEM stereo system is "truly" going to be awesome? It's all marketing and bling. HK makes "good" sound systems, period. But who wouldn't think that 15 speakers were impressive, especially with a 720 watt amp! Wait, 720 divided 15 = 48! So that's less than 50 watts per channel, and that's probably peak. Also, the diagram lists that the amp is 12 channels.

How do you think 15 speakers are powered with 12 channels? I'm going to guess.....each door (4) as a woofer and mid powered by 2 channels, so that's 8 of 12 channels; then the 2 8" subs, so that's 10 of 12 channels; and then the dash's center speaker is 11 of 12. I bet the 12th channel is un-used completely. Like all factory audio systems, their OEM and always just "good". If you really want a "awesome" sounding stereo system, wait a couple months for the after market.

Personally, I'm skeptical of an 8" sub flush mounted in the floor under the seat. Even shallow throw subs need 3-6" of throw for the cone and basket. Unless it extends past the floor pan into a special enclosure under the car....it's marketing. Or, its a simple tactile sub like an aura bass shaker hidden behind a grill. Any owners willing to grab some tools and look?

As for source, source will impact quality sure...but it's not really going to impact the crossover points or eq in the system. Either the seat subs are decent, or they're not. I'm gonna go with not.

I bet in less than 6 months, someone will develop replacement speaker sets, separate amps and some killer subs in the hatch that will make girls hair fly.

Thought I'd add some additional details to this....

Here's a press release from HK that talks about the specs a little HARMAN Amps Up Dynamic Press Drive Series for new KIA Stinger From it, we can tell the 2 subs are Single Voice Coil (SVC).

And if you look at HK Auto site for the Optima, Sites-HK-US-Site you can get an idea of the amps channel breakdown. I suspect it will be very similar for the Stinger.

And this page might be the picture of the 15 speakers. Harman Kardon® Sound System - Newsletter | Kia Motors UK

And here's the link to the Korean page that talks about Active Engine noise. Make sure you use Google Translate. 기아 스팅어 특징 - 프리미엄 퍼포먼스 세단 | 기아자동차 공식 사이트 Or here's the blurb/ cut/pasted: "Active Engine Sound - It generates engine sounds that match the driving characteristics of the mode, such as acceleration, shifting, and suspension, providing a dynamic experience that is unified with vehicle performance."

 

[StingerGTandMe]

Ok so here is my theory. I thought the speakers were directly under the front and passage seat in the middle. They are under the seats but there pushed off center toward the doors of the car. Now I think that is why I feel the bass coming from the door. I think we were just expecting to be able to feel it in our butts. I guess also I could try maybe putting a piece of toilet paper or something that would definitely bounce from the sound waves. I can try that but it won't be for a while if someone else once to try it.

 

[Kia Stinger]

Ok so here is my theory. I thought the speakers were directly under the front and passage seat in the middle. They are under the seats but there pushed off center toward the doors of the car. Now I think that is why I feel the bass coming from the door. I think we were just expecting to be able to feel it in our butts. I guess also I could try maybe putting a piece of toilet paper or something that would definitely bounce from the sound waves. I can try that but it won't be for a while if someone else once to try it.

I think you're supposed to feel the bass from those speakers. I think that's the whole idea. I could be wrong. If I owned the car I'd have already done every test to figure this out. Or, perhaps everybody else's speakers are working properly and they have no incentive to use their time...

 

[AnyVare]

I test drove a 2.0 RWD Premium today that had the 15 Speaker system. I definitely heard the "Active Engine Sound" it was ok and not overdone. But I couldn't tell there were subs under the seats when I tried the FM radio or XM radio. To make sure they were there, I put my hand under the front seat. It is about mid seat back and toward the door, and the grill felt fairly flush with the carpet. It may be technically a woofer, but I was not impressed. I wonder if it's really used more for the active sound?

 

[AnyVare]

For those interested in learning more about the HK Clari-Fi system, I found their page linked off Kia Stinger feature page.

Clari-Fi by Harman

It even includes an audio demo of what their technology is supposed to do.

 

[Kazz]

Once I adjusted the sound to my tastes, the sub is very noticeable. The sound settings from the factory had things very, very muted. I've also found that Spotify and Amazon Music provide much better quality sound than satellite or even FM radio.

 

[StingerGTandMe]

I did what someone else suggested and played come sail away Styx. After forgetting about the bass and focusing on the music it was pretty dang sweet. The music just went through every part of the car. Guys the bass is only part of an audio experience . And after listening and adjusting the setting I'm liking this more and more. To me the bass is good enough. Promise play Styx song even if your not into classic rock. It will sound good.

 

[Morristl]

I did what someone else suggested and played come sail away Styx. After forgetting about the bass and focusing on the music it was pretty dang sweet. The music just went through every part of the car. Guys the bass is only part of an audio experience . And after listening and adjusting the setting I'm liking this more and more. To me the bass is good enough. Promise play Styx song even if your not into classic rock. It will sound good.

Styx “Babe” would sound pretty good too. The keyboard intro does a crazy spinning sound alternating from left channel to right channel like it’s spinning around your head. I know it sounds beautiful on the Optima Infinity system.

 

[Merkur720]

maybe a test with something like this?!? Hahaha

 

[Taimaishoo]

maybe a test with something like this?!? Hahaha

This would actually sound pretty nice.

My whole point about posting that woman with her hair flying in and out of the open window was to say that if you wanted to get this affect, you would have to sink in a lot more money to get that kind of bass. Then again, you don't hear anything other than the bass.. Whereas I would like to feel the bass a little more, the sound of the bass is there and sounds just fine when you tune it to your tastes and this is probably a testament to how well the frame and subf-frame are that you don't feel the bass all that much but you do hear it. I have +4 on bass and mids, +2 on highs and usually don't turn the stereo past 10 volume, unless it's one of "those" songs and you need to turn it up louder than your singing.

 

[Taimaishoo]

I'm gonna get my Stinger painted like this......

 

[AV8R]

What happened to disco! Lol
party Rock anthem LFMAO always does it for my bass, and Katy Perry last Friday night remix

Both are bass punchy and crisp.

 

[AV8R]

I'm gonna get my Stinger painted like this......

A few cans of flouro paint and you get the effect. Very Picasso.

 

[Never thought]

I filed a complaint with Kia. Per Kia, the techs said the subs under the seats are supposed to be pushing air. I referenced the complaints here and they said they are concerned. They are pushing me to take it to a dealer to get checked out. I’ll keep you all posted.

 

[AV8R]

I filed a complaint with Kia. Per Kia, the techs said the subs under the seats are supposed to be pushing air. I referenced the complaints here and they said they are concerned. They are pushing me to take it to a dealer to get checked out. I’ll keep you all posted.

You are one awesome person thanks!