BMW car stereos = suck

[Doggiedog]

Just ranting here but man do BMW stereos suck!

The one in my 325i sounds terrible. My friend's M3 has the same exact one and sounds just as bad and I sat in an X5 for the first time this past week and listened to the stereo and even that one sounded like garbage.

You'd think that paying a premium for a car like a BMW you'd at least get a decent stereo but no.

Well, at least my Lexus has a real nice stereo that comes standard.

 

[Don Vito Corleone]

Is the Harmon Kardon upgrade meaningfully better?

 

[Doggiedog]

I didn't get the HK upgrade but my friend is a head mechanic at Lexus. He tells me that the HK units get returned for repair alot and recommended that I not get it.

My friend has the HK upgrade but other than the equalizer settings, I really didn't notice much of a difference. The standard stereo on the Lexus is simply amazing.

 

[SCSIfreek]

Seems like you have never listened to the Harmon Kardon 10-piece speakers. Everything you heard were from your friends. Doh!!! If you got the basic 4 speaker set from factory BMW's well it is not the best<--agreed. The Harmon Kardon 10 piece speakers cost roughly around $600 as a upgrade<---Trust me you'll notice the difference. There is a buttom to turn the 10 speakers on/off so you'll notice a huge difference between the two. If you liked the Lexus bose speakers so much why didn't you buy a Lexus? Also your friend works for Lexus not BMW right? Does lexus carry Harmon Kardon speakers?



--Scsi

 

[Doggiedog]

Sorry, I meant Mark Levinson. Keep getting the names mixed up. But no, I haven't heard the HK stereo. All I know is the standard stereo on the BMW sux @ss. For the money you pay for the BMW, you should at least get a decent stereo I think. My Lexus has a wonderful stereo standard that blows the doors off the BMW.

If you liked the Lexus bose speakers so much why didn't you buy a Lexus?

I do own a Lexus as well as a BMW.

 

[Hammer]

Sounds ok to me.

 

[d33pt]

i dunno but i wish cars came with stereo delete option to save some money because whatever stereo that it comes with, most likely i would rip it out and install my own system anyway...

 

[Doggiedog]

Exactly, but you can't really do that on Lexus and other type cars like that where they are integrated into the dash.

 

[Don Vito Corleone]

No offense but if you can afford a BMW (of any flavor) and a Lexus with Mark Levinson you can obviously afford a nice aftermarket system. BMW is known for selling their cars pretty stripped-down prior to adding options, so it is not surprising that the stock system would be nothing special, especially since they offer an extra-cost system (the HK you declined to buy). It seems as though the main point of this thread is to tell us all that you own both a BMW and a Lexus - good for you!

 

[MazerRackham]

<< Exactly, but you can't really do that on Lexus and other type cars like that where they are integrated into the dash. >>



I agree that this practice sucks.... but it's something that happening with more and more cars. And this is especially true if you ever get anything with in-dash navigation, since the stereo is usually part of that.

I would MUCH rather put in my own stereo, but I can't complain since I don't have the money to buy a car with a un-removable stereo in the first place

Civics all the way baby!

 

[Doggiedog]

It seems as though the main point of this thread is to tell us all that you own both a BMW and a Lexus - good for you!

DV, I couldn't care less whether or not people know what car I drive. I wanted to discuss the stereos in BMWs since someone brought up a thread on top 10 best stereos in cars under $20K. I've always thought they were crappy and wanted to get some opinions.

You must have some kind of inferiority complex if you think everyone who drives an expensive car is an egomaniac. In fact, my BMW isn't even anything to brag about since it is 7 years old with 80K miles. But obviously your inferiority complex drives you to assume everyone is much more well off than you.

 

[Don Vito Corleone]

<< It seems as though the main point of this thread is to tell us all that you own both a BMW and a Lexus - good for you!

DV, I couldn't care less whether or not people know what car I drive. I wanted to discuss the stereos in BMWs since someone brought up a thread on top 10 best stereos in cars under $20K. I've always thought they were crappy and wanted to get some opinions.

You must have some kind of inferiority complex if you think everyone who drives an expensive car is an egomaniac. In fact, my BMW isn't even anything to brag about since it is 7 years old with 80K miles. But obviously your inferiority complex drives you to assume everyone is much more well off than you. >>



Huh? Easy, tiger! I never said you were an egomaniac at all, or implied that "everyone who drives an expensive car" is one. I certainly see nothing in my post that is indicative of an inferiority complex - if anything your defensiveness is telling. I just pointed out what I felt was the motivation behind your thread and meant no offense. If I was wrong and you were offended, c'est la vie.

 

[Doggiedog]

I can't wait to make you real jealous Don_Vito when I trade in my BMW for a minivan in a few months.

 

[Don Vito Corleone]

<< I can't wait to make you real jealous Don_Vito when I trade in my BMW for a minivan in a few months. >>



No doubt! Actually, I want to apologize to the extent I was rude to you. I have been a bit stressed-out lately and I think I was inappropriately argumentative. There was no good reason for me to take the tone that I did.

Actually I love BMWs and would not mind having one with even the stock stereo! For what it's worth, I drive a 2001 Nissan Maxima SE with a decent Bose setup - nothing close to your Levinson, to be sure. I have heard nothing but raves about the ML/Lexus stereo.

 

[Doggiedog]

You don't have to apologize Don_Vito. I'm stressed out too.

I don't have the ML in the Lexus, just the basic which is still much better than the BMW's. I do like the Bose stereo in the Maxima/I30 though. Sounds very good. But I noticed one thing about Lexus stereos where they really have thought things through that other manufacturers haven't.

If you hit the same channel on the radio on BMWs, Nissans, etc., you will notice an annoying 1 sec gap but with the Lexus, if you hit the same channel, nothing happens. I don't know about you but when I channel surf, I do that alot and it's annoying. Something pretty well thought out IMO.

Anyway, though I like driving the BMW (its a 5 speed), it doesn't have a CD player and the stereo sucks so I end up driving the Lexus more often (life is cruel I know).

 

[shadow]

oh, so you blew all your money on the car and have none left to buy a better sound system?

 

[imported_vr6]

Thats strange.. i am a regular passenger in a 2002 M3 with the HK upgrade and that thing is enought to satisfy me... well maybe thats becuse i own a cheap german car myself thats why .. i love my jetta though!

 

[DerProfi]

I've got absolutely no complaints about the HK system in my 2002 330i. However, while visiting a local dealer last month, I must admit I was surprised that the latest M3 does not come with the HK setup as standard.

In my experience, Mark Levinson home audio gear is outstanding and I'm sure their car systems are among the best. Maybe I'll test drive a Lexus just to check it out one of these days.

But as someone who loves simply to drive, I find that the best music of all comes from under the hood and I often find myself turning the music down to enjoy the internal combustion symphony

 

[b0mbrman]

Also,

You don't have a cup-holder (neener-neener)