[mad murph]

I've recently placed an order for a new car and didn't include the HK system and am now wondering whether i have made a mistake.
Is there a lot of difference between the 2? Do I need to add it to the order?
I like my music but I am no way an audiophile so will the standard system be good enough?

[Cwatt79]

To me the Harman Kardon system is very worth the upgrade cost. I enjoy a good sounding system and am willing to pay the relatively small cost for something I'm going to be listening to over an hour a day. I test drove a 230i with the base system, and while it wasn't bad, it was in no way impressive and would have left me wanting for better. The HK system is very good. Not the best, but good enough to be keep me from tearing the interior apart to replace components.

While the quality across the spectrum is better, the difference is most noticeable in the low-end thanks to the subwoofers under the two front seats. If you want to feel any bass, you need to upgrade.

Regardless of all that, if you're worried you made a mistake you probably did. If you truly didn't care about the audio system, you wouldn't be worrying about it or asking for opinions.

[mad murph]

Fair point, thanks 👍🏻

[sAmstur]

So ive had a 2022 with standard audio and a 23 now with the HK. Like the previous reply the biggest thing you notice is the low end. The bass just feels richer in the HK if that makes sense. With that being said beware you'll have to do a bit of research for equalizer settings on the HK to truly make it sound better than the normal system.

[Robyn]

My 2022 230i has the standard audio and I find it satisfactory. I think it’s better than the base system in my C class Merc and just as good as the premium Bose system in my Infiniti. That being said if I was going to custom order one I would definitely option the HK system.