[OMandias_]

Are there any customer reviews for this yet? BMW have not even bothered to mention the total power output on the UK website (it's apparently only 200 watts) and there's also no mention of a subwoofer just "bass speakers"

Quite disappointing going off the specs alone given how great the HK system on the XC40 is meant to be. With the way the speaker grills looked with the silver highlighting I thought the sound system was going to be something really special but by the looks of it, it's looking like something they've skimped out on.

[MontyB1]

I'm not sure the 200watts is correct. Some markets it says 360watts and the old X1 had 360watts as well. The press releases said 205 which seems rather odd but agree most sites don't seem to give a figure at all, they do in the US.

There isn't a sub as such but there are lower end bass speakers that are under each seat. Most seem to thing the HarmanK is pretty good if not spectacular which tends to be the view from that setup in most BMWs to be honest.

[FlashMonkey929]

I like mine, a big improvement over the HiFi system I had in my '20 430i. Highs are clear and bright, mids are pretty decent but could use a little more projection, and bass is pretty good considering they are probably just 8" woofers under the seats.

That being said, I'm not an audiophile and am really satisfied with it. So much so that I'm contemplating if I should ditch my original plan of ditching the spare tire and putting in my JL 12" subwoofer under the trunk floor. The added bass would be welcomed, but not sure if it would be worth the loss of the spare and extra storage space.

Also, wattage isn't everything, it depends on the resistance of the speakers.

[huma]

Is there an aftermarket sub that drops into the existing spot? I don't need earth shattering bass, but a little more bump would be nice.

[50ShadesOfGrey]

My partner considers themself to be an audiophile. Their exact words about the HK system were “this sounds so much better than I thought it would, I,m impressed”

[gqbriel]

True experience- the highs are more clearer but overall its not that good like the HiFi on X3 F25.
It is powerfull but its not 360 for sure
It is good and it is worth it to order it.

[FlashMonkey929]

Originally Posted by huma

Is there an aftermarket sub that drops into the existing spot? I don't need earth shattering bass, but a little more bump would be nice.

None yet. I think the car is still new and so most companies haven't even begun to try test fitments yet to my knowledge.

[Duncs1961]

I opted for the HK upgrade and I'm very pleased with it. The bass is superb; clean and plenty of depth, even at high volume. The mids and highs are very clear too. I don't know what the total wattage is, but it's certainly loud enough for me, to the point where it is uncomfortably loud when you wind the volume up to full.

For those wondering, the total speaker count is 11. Tweeter and midrange units in each door, a centre speaker on top of the dash and a woofer under each front seat.

Finally, my advice would be to switch off the 'enhanced' mode - stereo separation and clarity is far better with this mode off.
My only disappointment is there is no graphic equaliser, just bass and treble sliders. That said, a neutral treble setting and one notch positive on the bass setting gives me an ideal balanced sound for most genres of music, so the lack of this feature is probably moot.

[OMandias_]

Originally Posted by Duncs1961

I opted for the HK upgrade and I'm very pleased with it. The bass is superb; clean and plenty of depth, even at high volume. The mids and highs are very clear too. I don't know what the total wattage is, but it's certainly loud enough for me, to the point where it is uncomfortably loud when you wind the volume up to full.

For those wondering, the total speaker count is 11. Tweeter and midrange units in each door, a centre speaker on top of the dash and a woofer under each front seat.

Finally, my advice would be to switch off the 'enhanced' mode - stereo separation and clarity is far better with this mode off.
My only disappointment is there is no graphic equaliser, just bass and treble sliders. That said, a neutral treble setting and one notch positive on the bass setting gives me an ideal balanced sound for most genres of music, so the lack of this feature is probably moot.

Thanks this is reassuring to hear. Aslong as people who've used it can confirm it's a solid system then I'm happy.

[Tunners]

Originally Posted by Duncs1961

For those wondering, the total speaker count is 11. Tweeter and midrange units in each door, a centre speaker on top of the dash and a woofer under each front seat.

Taken from configurator it says 12 speakers but still lacking compared to some of the other models which have 16.

The Harman Kardon Surround Sound audio system features a digital amplifier, Tweeter bezels in Stainless Steel with illuminated Harman Kardon inscription.

12 speakers:
- 1 centre tweeter in the middle of the instrument panel
- 1 centre mid-range speaker in the middle of the instrument panel
- 2 tweeters in the front door trim panels (Harman Kardon inscription)
- 2 midrange speakers in the front door trim panel with textile cover
- 2 central bass speakers underneath the front seats
- 2 tweeters in the rear door trim panels (with Harman Kardon inscription)
- 2 midrange speakers in the rear door trim panels with textile cover.

[TechE]

I'm pretty finicky about audio and have a good bit of experience with it. It's a good stereo. It won't blow the windows out but for what it is I have no complaints.

[Duncs1961]

Originally Posted by Tunners

Taken from configurator it says 12 speakers but still lacking compared to some of the other models which have 16.

The Harman Kardon Surround Sound audio system features a digital amplifier, Tweeter bezels in Stainless Steel with illuminated Harman Kardon inscription.

12 speakers:
- 1 centre tweeter in the middle of the instrument panel
- 1 centre mid-range speaker in the middle of the instrument panel
- 2 tweeters in the front door trim panels (Harman Kardon inscription)
- 2 midrange speakers in the front door trim panel with textile cover
- 2 central bass speakers underneath the front seats
- 2 tweeters in the rear door trim panels (with Harman Kardon inscription)
- 2 midrange speakers in the rear door trim panels with textile cover.

I stand corrected - I counted the speakers I could see in my own car, and I thought the central unit was only a single cone speaker. Also, when I bought my car (UK), the configurator did not specify what was included in the HK package - your post is the first time I have seen the specification in writing.

To be honest you say it is lacking because it doesn't have 16 speakers, but to be honest, 12 seems more than enough to me (after all, the X1 is not one of the larger BMW models) - the sound is really good to me, and I'm fussy.

Finally, I saw someone else comment that it is 'only 200W' as if that is a pathetic output. My home HiFi is only 50W per channel and that is more than loud enough for a living room that is by volume ten times the size of an X1.

[Tunners]

Originally Posted by Duncs1961

To be honest you say it is lacking because it doesn't have 16 speakers, but to be honest, 12 seems more than enough to me (after all, the X1 is not one of the larger BMW models) - the sound is really good to me, and I'm fussy.

I didn’t mean it was lacking in sound quality, just lacking in number of speakers. I had a 330e msport touring which had the 16 speakers before I got the X1 and to be fair I don’t find much difference, but then again I am no audiophile.

[blazeforth23]

Can someone let me know what's the standard system has? How many speakers?

[Duncs1961]

Originally Posted by blazeforth23

Can someone let me know what's the standard system has? How many speakers?

I believe it is seven speakers.

[50ShadesOfGrey]

According to the configurator, the HK is a 12 speaker surround sound system, 360 watts…not 200 like I think someone mentioned

[OMandias_]

Originally Posted by 50ShadesOfGrey

According to the configurator, the HK is a 12 speaker surround sound system, 360 watts…not 200 like I think someone mentioned

The US press release mentioned 205 watts, where are you getting the 360 watt figure from? Any chance you can post a screenshot?

360 watts sounds like what the prevous X1 HK system had.

[FlashMonkey929]

Originally Posted by OMandias_

The US press release mentioned 205 watts, where are you getting the 360 watt figure from? Any chance you can post a screenshot?

360 watts sounds like what the prevous X1 HK system had.

From the US configurator:

[Jmills74]

This is the translation from the Japanese BMW page


The HiFi speaker system harman/kardon is equipped with 12 speakers to give you an excellent audio experience wherever you sit in the car. One tweeter and one midrange speaker are placed on the instrument panel and tuned with a sound image centered on the driver. Two extremely powerful central subwoofers are installed to distribute bass evenly throughout the cabin. In addition, the 7-channel amplifier outputs a surprisingly sharp sound. This speaker system is not only distinguished by its excellent acoustic performance, but also by its premium appearance. The tweeter's stainless steel trim on the front and rear has an illuminated "harman/kardon" logo, creating a luxurious interior with a sense of quality.

[SchumiFan]

Originally Posted by OMandias_

The US press release mentioned 205 watts, where are you getting the 360 watt figure from? Any chance you can post a screenshot?

360 watts sounds like what the prevous X1 HK system had.

When you build X1 on BMW site and expand on the Premium option, it states 360 watts, 12 speaker system. This is what it states on US site (as in the post above by FlashMonkey929
"Harman Kardon® surround sound system with 360-watts. This 12-speaker sound system includes tweeters, midrange speakers, and 2 bass speakers located under the front seats. This multi-channel system makes the car's cabin a colorful sound experience."

[sgyX3]

Originally Posted by TechE

I'm pretty finicky about audio and have a good bit of experience with it. It's a good stereo. It won't blow the windows out but for what it is I have no complaints.

This is far better than the standard system in my 2020 X3M40i.

[dejy]

https://www.harmankardon.com.au/bmw.html

Harmon Kardon BMW page hasn't been updated with X1 but it looks like they only have 3 different configurations and the 12 speaker setup is 360W which is the same system used on the 2/X2 series, i3 and i8.