Sound system

Trescator · Mar 12, 2014

Dear Friends
I wonder if the standard system is good enough or if one should spend extra 500£ on upgrading to Harman Kardon?

What do the owners of the i3 with standard system say....?

SanSerif · Mar 12, 2014

Trescator said:
Dear Friends
I wonder if the standard system is good enough or if one should spend extra 500£ on upgrading to Harman Kardon?

What do the owners of the i3 with standard system say....?

I suppose that depends on your personal standards when it comes to audio. I've just got the bog standard kit and it sounds good enough to me - but then all I do is listen to the radio (mainly Radio 4 (a UK talk channel)).

The only downside for this low requirement is that there aren't any speakers in the back with the standard fit. In fact, there are only two speakers in total.

Trescator · Mar 12, 2014

Thank you for answering....
Im not a audio fan but felt that I had to ask a IRL owner of their opinion.
The test cars all had Harman Kardon.

Im mostly listening to spoken radio but on fridays

I play loud and are allergic to low bass elements.
Can you turn the volume up without feeling lika e low budget stereo with no bass ellement ?

calibanjon · Mar 12, 2014

Hi, I have the standard stereo and it is fine with good quality sound, BUT it has just two speakers as far as I can see, one in each door. The upgrade gives you quite a bit more and reviews have been positive.

I guess it's all about money and that's a personal thing but it doesn't look like you could easily upgrade later if you changed your mind. I can see any locations or pop outs for the additional speakers so I think if you don't spec it new you are stuck with your choice.

In a way I wish I had gone for the upgrade but I had to stop somewhere as my spec was rapidly going up in cost and you have to stop somewhere.

Regards

Jon

mrsmith · Mar 13, 2014

I was going with standard Audio then read some reviews that were bowled over by the Harman Kardon system and added it on. Really is a big upgrade. Standard stereo has 4 speakers.

All specs. are taken from UK info.

BMW Professional radio without CD player
media input via Aux-In or USB connection
stereo system with 4x25W speakers
2x Neodym conus mid-range speakers with aluminium membrane, doors
2x Neodym bass speakers (150mm), A-pillar trim panel, low

674 - Loudspeaker system - harman/kardon
harman/kardon speaker system with surround mode, digital amplifier with vehicle-specific equalising, 360W amplifier power: 5x40 W, 2x80 W, 7 channels, DSP technology, 12 speakers with high-quality expanded metal mesh covers:
- 2 tweeters with 'harman/kardon' designation in the mirror triangles
- 2 midrange speakers in the front door trims
- 2 central bass speakers underneath the front seats
- 2 tweeters in the holders for rear parcel shelf
- 2 midrange speakers in the holders for rear parcel shelf - 1 midrange speaker in the instrument panel, top centre - 1 tweeter in the instrument panel, top centre

Plug · Mar 13, 2014

The dealer demo i3 I'm driving at the moment has the standard audio in it and I wasn't overly impressed but, like SanSarif says, it comes down to how much you enjoy your music.

Trescator · Mar 13, 2014

I tried the std hifi today and it was OK not more or less...
Maybe a silly question but does th Harman Kardon 360 watts amplifier eat much electricity

Is the math as simple as 0,36 kW per hour = minus 3 km range?

This isnt a showstoppet for choosing Harman Kardon but its fun to do some math..

Im 68% shure on adding Harman since I will use this car for pleasure and transportation

SanSerif · Mar 13, 2014

Trescator said:
I tried the std hifi today and it was OK not more or less...
Maybe a silly question but does th Harman Kardon 360 watts amplifier eat much electricity
Is the math as simple as 0,36 kW per hour = minus 3 km range?

This isnt a showstoppet for choosing Harman Kardon but its fun to do some math..

Im 68% shure on adding Harman since I will use this car for pleasure and transportation

From my dim memory of studying engineering at university, I remember a term, "root mean square" that might have something to do with it (or, maybe not - it was a long time ago and electricity and gravity probably worked differently in those days). Anyway, rms probably means your maths is wrong - even if you had it cranked up to full power for the entire journey (wearing ear plugs).

ultraturtle · Mar 13, 2014

Trescator said:
Maybe a silly question but does th Harman Kardon 360 watts amplifier eat much electricity
Is the math as simple as 0,36 kW per hour = minus 3 km range?

It's not about maximum power handling, it's about how much power you use. I did an extensive sound system install in my PiP (http://priuschat.com/threads/total-...-speakers-processor-amp-and-subwoofer.112102/), and made a lot of measurements afterward. At a sound level above what anyone would consider painful, I measured 70 watts peak, and about 12 watts average. Bottom line is crank away. Loudest music you can stand could cost you as much as 60 meters of range per hour. Don't worry about it...

Nu2ecar · Mar 14, 2014

Ultra, My impression that power of sound systems are measured by what goes to the speakers, but in this context it's the power taken by the entire system that matters. Did you measure power to the audio system as a whole or just to the speakers?
NuEcar

ultraturtle · Mar 14, 2014

Nu2ecar said:
Ultra, My impression that power of sound systems are measured by what goes to the speakers, but in this context it's the power taken by the entire system that matters. Did you measure power to the audio system as a whole or just to the speakers?
NuEcar

I measured power from the battery cable feeding the entire sound system. Try it yourself with a simple clamp-on ammeter. You'll be surprised how little power you actually use. Granted, I used class D amps, which are roughly 70% more efficient than, and put out a fraction of the heat of class AB amps more commonly used. I'll revise my estimate upwards, assuming the Harmon Kardon system uses class AB amps, you could lose as much as 100 meters of range per hour listening at insanely loud levels.

Ross · Mar 15, 2014

The i3 uses a class D amp http://www.bmw.harmankardon.com/en/vehicles/BMW-i3/

I am sat in mine now listening to music on the HK system and it really is very good. Worth every penny in my view.

Trescator · Mar 15, 2014

Ive just ordered the Harman...after have listened to the std stereo.
Std was OK but since we will use the car as a sport picnic amusement car
we want the better sound.
Also...thanks for learning me more about consumption of stereos
Promise to only play electronical music and not Gasoline

cab · Mar 15, 2014

I leased my Volt, and opted for the "special low power consumption Bose system". In retrospect, I should have passed on both it and the navigation system. Both inflated my lease payments and given that I won't be keeping the car, aren't really worth it to me (note: not impressed with the Volt's Bose system...seems VERY average). Conversely, if I were BUYING and planned on keeping the car for a while, then the few hundred extra the sound systems cost over the life of the car is probably worth it.

ultraturtle · Mar 15, 2014

Ross said:
The i3 uses a class D amp http://www.bmw.harmankardon.com/en/vehicles/BMW-i3/

Wow, the i3 engineers did not miss a trick minimizing every possible power draw. Impressive.

Interestingly (assuming the base sound system uses class AB amps), the upgrade to the Harmon Kardon system would actually increase your range (albeit ever so slightly) over the base system when operating at the same volume level.

TomMoloughney · Mar 15, 2014

ultraturtle said:
Ross said:

The i3 uses a class D amp http://www.bmw.harmankardon.com/en/vehicles/BMW-i3/

Click to expand...

Wow, the i3 engineers did not miss a trick minimizing every possible power draw. Impressive.

Interestingly (assuming the base sound system uses class AB amps), the upgrade to the Harmon Kardon system would actually increase your range (albeit ever so slightly) over the base system when operating at the same volume level.

Yeah, maybe a few feet!

One point of note, everybody keep keeps referring to the stereo as "the Harman Kardon system" I wonder if they realize the base system is also Harman Kardon, just not as good.

kentheteaman · Mar 15, 2014

Trescator said:
I tried the std hifi today and it was OK not more or less...
Maybe a silly question but does th Harman Kardon 360 watts amplifier eat much electricity
Is the math as simple as 0,36 kW per hour = minus 3 km range?

This isnt a showstoppet for choosing Harman Kardon but its fun to do some math..
Im 68% shure on adding Harman since I will use this car for pleasure and transportation.

I have the HK system and it simply ROCKS

. There are so many speakers everywhere you turn !
The ClassicFM in Uk which plays classical music sounds so good. It is like listening to it in a hifi studio and I can't seem to get enough of it. As there is no engine noise the music sounds delightful and sumptuous.

Worth all the cost even if it is bit too expensive.

It seems to be not so hungry for power. I have been using in non stop while driving and the range did not reduce at all.

Trescator · Mar 16, 2014

Is it possible to connect a external USB with music without ordering optionals?

RJSATLBA · Mar 16, 2014

It is on a standard UK spec car, I tried it on my test drive.

agj · Apr 19, 2014

Don't know if this will be relevant for most of you but, here it is ...

The standard sound system on my i3 won't accept the Apple Lossless file format (ALAC) to be downloaded on the car's hard drive.

This is the kind of music file format that is used for studio-quality albums and song files on high-end download platforms such as Bowers & Wilkins Society of Sound.
But, I can play those same files on the standard sound system using either the usb connection or the bluetooth connection (from my iPhone 5), and they really sound gorgeous even on the standard speakers.

Maybe the HK upgrade is able to read these files from the HD but I doubt.

The output quality of a sound system is always dependent on the quality of the sound source you're feeding to it.

If a prospective buyer is considering the HK upgrade, I thought it could be useful for him/her to know that there is this small limitation : lossless files are not compatible with the sound system hard drive.

Cheers

Sound system

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