[smckenna]

I recently purchased a 2017 X3 xDrive35i, and the Harmon Kardon sound system is very shallow and doesn't seem to have anywhere near the bass quality as my previous BMW's with Harmon Kardon. I wanted to put my hand against the subwoofer to make sure it is actually connected and working. Does anyone know where it is located in the car?

[bichoo]

Originally Posted by smckenna

I recently purchased a 2017 X3 xDrive35i, and the Harmon Kardon sound system is very shallow and doesn't seem to have anywhere near the bass quality as my previous BMW's with Harmon Kardon. I wanted to put my hand against the subwoofer to make sure it is actually connected and working. Does anyone know where it is located in the car?

Under the driver and passenger seats

[smckenna]

Originally Posted by bichoo

Under the driver and passenger seats

Thank you. I did find the flat speaker grill under my seat, but there's definitely no vibration that I can feel or sound coming from there. Something's up.
Sure hope my BMW SR doesn't nay say the problem away. I sure miss my previous BMW's sound system!

[Bimar]

Originally Posted by smckenna

Thank you. I did find the flat speaker grill under my seat, but there's definitely no vibration that I can feel or sound coming from there. Something's up.
Sure hope my BMW SR doesn't nay say the problem away. I sure miss my previous BMW's sound system!

It's smartly built in the car hence no vibration at least in mine. What was your previous system and which BMW?

[smckenna]

Originally Posted by X4guy

It's smartly built in the car hence no vibration at least in mine. What was your previous system and which BMW?

M4 with Harmon Kardon. I'm confused. "Smartly built"... "no vibration"? The whole purpose of the sub is low frequency vibration.

[Howie Dub]

Originally Posted by smckenna

M4 with Harmon Kardon. I'm confused. "Smartly built"... "no vibration"? The whole purpose of the sub is low frequency vibration.

You can have loud low frequency with minimal vibration. I had an Alpine PLV-7 sub system in my old X5 that was designed to have minimal enclosure vibration and that thing boomed. I'm guessing you have the same HK system I have in my 2016; have you tweaked with the EQ and tone settings? I prefer more bass, so I have bass tone all the way up and 100hz on the EQ all the way up. Treble and the other frequencies I adjusted somewhat balance out the bass. The bass doesn't hit as deep or as clean as aftermarket subs. I do get a little rear view mirror vibration on some songs. Hope that helps.

[Bimar]

Originally Posted by smckenna

M4 with Harmon Kardon. I'm confused. "Smartly built"... "no vibration"? The whole purpose of the sub is low frequency vibration.

The seat nor the floor vibrates but the deep bass resonance is still there, normal subs everything around the sub vibrates in the car, pretty annoying

[smckenna]

Originally Posted by Howie Dub

You can have loud low frequency with minimal vibration. I had an Alpine PLV-7 sub system in my old X5 that was designed to have minimal enclosure vibration and that thing boomed. I'm guessing you have the same HK system I have in my 2016; have you tweaked with the EQ and tone settings? I prefer more bass, so I have bass tone all the way up and 100hz on the EQ all the way up. Treble and the other frequencies I adjusted somewhat balance out the bass. The bass doesn't hit as deep or as clean as aftermarket subs. I do get a little rear view mirror vibration on some songs. Hope that helps.

Interesting. I do have the bass turned up (about 85%), and I have the EQ picked up at both ends (typical Rock profile setup). So I'm left wondering if there's any true way to test the subs out to see if they are actually working. My sound system seems shallow as compared with my previous HK system in my M4.

[Bimar]

Originally Posted by smckenna

Interesting. I do have the bass turned up (about 85%), and I have the EQ picked up at both ends (typical Rock profile setup). So I'm left wondering if there's any true way to test the subs out to see if they are actually working. My sound system seems shallow as compared with my previous HK system in my M4.

Don't forget design and size of car and speaker placement will alter this compared to your M4 coupe.

[smckenna]

I think one of the key differences is that the HK sound system came FREE with my X3, yet it was a $795 upgrade for my M4 (and all previous BMW's I've owned). I'm thinking that BMW went to the HK engineers and said "look, design us the cheapest HK branded sound system you can for the X3 xDrive35i, because every penny is coming out of our bottom line here".

[Howie Dub]

Originally Posted by smckenna

Interesting. I do have the bass turned up (about 85%), and I have the EQ picked up at both ends (typical Rock profile setup). So I'm left wondering if there's any true way to test the subs out to see if they are actually working. My sound system seems shallow as compared with my previous HK system in my M4.

I have 100hz all the way up and 200hz almost all the way up. Sucks that they have the bass frequency centered so high. Would be nice if it was lower. The song that hits for me are "Ain't no future in your frontin'" by MC Breed. If you're not getting any resonation from that song, then maybe something might be wrong.

Originally Posted by X4guy

Don't forget design and size of car and speaker placement will alter this compared to your M4 coupe.

Very true. My wife's old 2001 325i had a HK system in it and it hit much better than my old 2005 X5 "premium" sound.

Originally Posted by smckenna

I think one of the key differences is that the HK sound system came FREE with my X3, yet it was a $795 upgrade for my M4 (and all previous BMW's I've owned). I'm thinking that BMW went to the HK engineers and said "look, design us the cheapest HK branded sound system you can for the X3 xDrive35i, because every penny is coming out of our bottom line here".

HK was standard on the 2016 as well, so unless they changed the quality of the system for 2017, it should be the same as mine.

[Radioactive]

Originally Posted by smckenna

Interesting. I do have the bass turned up (about 85%), and I have the EQ picked up at both ends (typical Rock profile setup). So I'm left wondering if there's any true way to test the subs out to see if they are actually working. My sound system seems shallow as compared with my previous HK system in my M4.

You can buy test CD or google audio test sound files and download. If you want to do it right buy a dB meter along with the test files.

NO WAY should a subwoofer or for that matter ANY speaker make any vibrate except for the "air". If you have anything vibrating you're just adding those particular frequencies to the speaker output.

[biimerboy31]

I assume he meant it wasn't moving any air.