W219 Harman & Kardon sounds awful

[ChristopherLembra]

Hey everyone!

Recently got myself a 219 CLS (2006 model) and it has the H&K sound option (badges on front door speakers + Logic 7 or something options in sound settings menu). I Checked VIN as well and it says my car has option 810 "Premium Sound System" which, after doing some research, apparently means HK sound package. My previous W209 from 2004 had BOSE sound system at it sounded SOOOO much better. Subwoofer was OEM Bose so no upgrade there or anywhere else and the bass sounded much deeper and fuller. Upper notes were also many times more clear and crisp. First time when I listened to some songs in my CLS, I legit thought those HK badges on speakers were fake because they literally sounded awful. Every song (either with BT transmitter, AUX or radio) just sounds horrible. Is it possible there is some kind of problem or malfunction with my sound system? Maybe a broken amp or receiver or anything?? I mean my cars music system is as almost as bad as stock sound system for 219. I played songs from Tidal HiFi, Spotify or YT Premium and quality was bad everywhere so I am sure input is not the problem. Any help or tips on what to do would be much appreciated!

 

[whitenemesis]

Everyone's ears are different and it seems you don't like the system in your car. I found it perfectly acceptable but nothing special.
There are many aftermarket options you could explore but one man's passion is another's poison.

 

[ChristopherLembra]

Question is why does bose sound 2x better when HK is supposed to be the most premium option?

 

[Fastcar155]

Hey everyone!

Recently got myself a 219 CLS (2006 model) and it has the H&K sound option (badges on front door speakers + Logic 7 or something options in sound settings menu). I Checked VIN as well and it says my car has option 810 "Premium Sound System" which, after doing some research, apparently means HK sound package. My previous W209 from 2004 had BOSE sound system at it sounded SOOOO much better. Subwoofer was OEM Bose so no upgrade there or anywhere else and the bass sounded much deeper and fuller. Upper notes were also many times more clear and crisp. First time when I listened to some songs in my CLS, I legit thought those HK badges on speakers were fake because they literally sounded awful. Every song (either with BT transmitter, AUX or radio) just sounds horrible. Is it possible there is some kind of problem or malfunction with my sound system? Maybe a broken amp or receiver or anything?? I mean my cars music system is as almost as bad as stock sound system for 219. I played songs from Tidal HiFi, Spotify or YT Premium and quality was bad everywhere so I am sure input is not the problem. Any help or tips on what to do would be much appreciated!

Hi , I have that system in my C207 and I the performance to my 72 ears pretty good.

What does it sound like when you put a CD on ?

What I would do is visit a Mercedes Dealer and listen to a similar system , that will give you an idea is that you system not working correctly or you don't just like you system.

Has any one else passed comment on the audio system ?

 

[John]

Manufacturers are trying to make the most money possible.

It gets no better as time goes on either i.e. Burmester is a crock as well and if you look at the drivers that are used, it's no surprise.

If you are a car manufacturer like MB, you take the name of a known audio company, fling some crap drivers and a crap amp in the car, stick some flashy silver grilles over the top with a name on them, and then charge a few grand for what probably cost about £200 in terms of hardware, you are onto a winner!

I actually thought the stock system in my 2004 E55 wasn't bad. I believe it had HK drivers and a 150w amp albeit not the most powerful amp compared to if you had the actual HK. I did stick a sub in as it was lacking in the lower order somewhat but still a decent system in it's own right I thought.

However, it wasn't a patch on the BOSE system I once heard in an Audi TT and the Mark Levinson stuff you get in Lexus.

So assuming your car is running the HK drivers (i.e. they have not been swapped out) and they are not damaged, that's as good as you will get.

As WN states, you can upgrade... although what you do will determine how much money you want to spend and how much effort you want to go to (and how long you intend to keep the car).

If you have no experience with in car audio, your best bet would be to speak to a local company who do this.

If you have experience, you can get away with replacing drivers but anymore and you will need a DSP, amp and speakers, as the audio is all "integrated" now so you can't easily just swap out the whole system these days.

 

[AndrewOl]

I had the HK system in my 2006 GL so same era as yours. I thought it sounded ok but nothing special. Speakers are usually the weak point in any oem system. As others have said the head unit/amp etc gets complicated to change. The difference between cd source and any other in mine was marked with cd being much better. I looked for replacement speakers and interestingly when I emailed HK they said they didn’t make the speakers, just the amp. I didn’t upgrade in the end but commandonline do morel speakers which get a good name as long as you fit some damping in the doors too.

 

[whitenemesis]

the Mark Levinson stuff you get in Lexus.

I have ML in my Lexus and it's head and shoulders above anything I've experienced in my Mercs.
If you believe the ML website, they tailor the system each model through many hours testing. Do MB have the same relationship with HK?

Mark Levinson in Lexus

www.marklevinson.com

 

[SmartAmg]

Hi , I have that system in my C207 and I the performance to my 72 ears pretty good.

You've got 72 ears, no wonder it sounds bl00dy good.

 

[Londonscottish]

I had the HK system in my 2006 GL so same era as yours. I thought it sounded ok but nothing special. Speakers are usually the weak point in any oem system. As others have said the head unit/amp etc gets complicated to change. The difference between cd source and any other in mine was marked with cd being much better. I looked for replacement speakers and interestingly when I emailed HK they said they didn’t make the speakers, just the amp. I didn’t upgrade in the end but commandonline do morel speakers which get a good name as long as you fit some damping in the doors too.

+1 ComandOnline + Morels + Dynamat has been recommended several times on this site.

 

[John]

OP would have quite a drive to get CO to do any installation work!

I looked for replacement speakers and interestingly when I emailed HK they said they didn’t make the speakers, just the amp.

That's interesting that HK didn't make the drivers. It's the same deal with Burmester I believe although how either of these companies can put their name to such inferior systems is beyond me. Maybe most people don't care...

Although looking crap and sounding crap is not always a given. I remember the speakers in my old Saab 9-5 looked dreadful but actually gave a decent sound. Not what you would called premium but certainly good enough.

I never took my E55 drivers out to check although it proves what I'd read was incorrect if HK are stating that. I wonder if BOSE make the drivers used in cars with it.

I have ML in my Lexus and it's head and shoulders above anything I've experienced in my Mercs.
If you believe the ML website, they tailor the system each model through many hours testing. Do MB have the same relationship with HK?

Mark Levinson in Lexus

www.marklevinson.com

The only comparable I'd heard was Meridian in an XF.

I doubt it in terms of relationship (although it would be Burmster now as opposed to HK).

Maybe MB do enough with Burmester to be able to use their name and leave the bean counters to do the rest.

That's what it sounds like.

 

[Fastcar155]

You've got 72 ears, no wonder it sounds bl00dy good.

Hi , I said the sound was pretty good , not bloody good !

 

[Bobby Dazzler]

Having had Mercedes models with Bose, Harmann Kardon and Burmeister “premium” audio - and a couple with standard audio - it strikes me that the main difference is the bass.

 

[NewbieAMG]

I have standard sound system in my 19 c63 and makes hissing noises when I turn up the volume a little (not at the level where the whole street can hear your music as opposed to exhaust)….

 

[ChrisPDuck]

This is my first post, so I'll do a proper intro in a separate post. I've been lurking for a while, but I decided to join up so that I could share my experience with a similar system.

I bought a 2006 W221 S-Class in April this year. It also has the Harman Kardon premium audio option, and like the OP, I was massively disappointed by the sound. I found it woolly, with an emphasis on the boxy midrange, and not enough bass or high frequency content, even with the bass and treble turned right up. I felt that it really let down an otherwise impressive car.

I went searching on the interweb and found a blog site that discusses upgrades to the system: w221/W216 AUDIO UPGRADE GUIDE

The author started off by replacing drivers, then went for an add-on amplifier, and his conclusion seemed to be that if he'd started with the amplifier he probably wouldn't have bothered with the driver replacements. So that's where I started. I went for the same add-on amplifier that he used - an Audison Prima AP8.9 bit. This is a very clever device that takes speaker level inputs, reduces them to line level, mixes them to make left/right/front/rear signals, then outputs the signal to 8 amplified channels, with a total of 520W available. The best bit is that each channel can be individually shaped with DSP algorithms to tune the sound exactly as you want it. This is done via a USB connection to a Windows application. There's even a 9th channel, non-amplified, that can be fed to a separate sub amp if you wish. After speaking to an audio installer since fitting the Audison, I've learned that there are alternatives that do the same job, and may be cheaper than the Audison.

The result in my setup is, to my ears, stunning. The drivers absolutely do not need to be changed, and their potential is fully realised by this Audison amplifier. I now have warm and clean bass, as well as crisp and clear treble. I've tuned out the boxy/woolly mid range emphasis that the stock system had, and whatever source I play just sounds lovely. It has the potential to go a lot louder than I want.

The author of the blog site had his fitted by a professional, who cut into his factory wiring. I didn't want to cut into the factory wiring, so I sourced plugs and matching sockets, together with crimp terminals, to match those used to connect the factory wiring to the factory amplifier. I made up a loom that allowed me to insert the Audison into the factory setup using those compatible plugs and sockets, and if I wish I can remove it all and revert to the factory setup.

I designed and 3D printed a mount so that the Audison could be mounted close to the factory amplifier underneath the side panelling in the boot, again without cutting or drilling anything. As a result, the add-on amp is invisible, works totally automatically, can be tuned to perfection, and can be completely removed without trace.

If any of this is of interest, I'd be happy to provide more details of my input and output channel configuration. I'm less keen to provide the details of my DSP settings, since the tuning to my preference is quite a personal thing, and I suspect my preference may not suit everyone. I favour an EQ setting that is far from flat - like the 'rock smile' on steroids!

Let's see if I can post pictures in my first post.

Here's a photo of the loom I made to insert the Audison between the speaker outputs of the factory amp and the factory speaker wiring - plugs on the left, sockets on the right. Most of the channels go via the Audison amp, but a few bypass the amp (there are more speakers than channels) - these are the less important rear surround speakers and the front centre speaker, which make do with the factory EQ. The chocolate block connectors were only intended as a temporary measure while I finalised the input and output channel configuration, but in fact they work perfectly well in this application so I've left them there, even though my first attempt at channel configuration worked out perfectly.


Here's a shot of the mount that I made. The tabs were included so that the mount could be fixed to a couple of threaded studs already present inside the well behind the side panelling.


This one shows the Audison fixed to those studs.


This shows the finished installation, with the new loom connected in. The Audison amp is located next to an existing air vent, so even with the side panelling back in place I believe there is still some cooling airflow over it.

 

[SpikyMikey]

Nice work!
And welcome BTW.

 

[ChristopherLembra]

This is my first post, so I'll do a proper intro in a separate post. I've been lurking for a while, but I decided to join up so that I could share my experience with a similar system.

I bought a 2006 W221 S-Class in April this year. It also has the Harman Kardon premium audio option, and like the OP, I was massively disappointed by the sound. I found it woolly, with an emphasis on the boxy midrange, and not enough bass or high frequency content, even with the bass and treble turned right up. I felt that it really let down an otherwise impressive car.

I went searching on the interweb and found a blog site that discusses upgrades to the system: w221/W216 AUDIO UPGRADE GUIDE

The author started off by replacing drivers, then went for an add-on amplifier, and his conclusion seemed to be that if he'd started with the amplifier he probably wouldn't have bothered with the driver replacements. So that's where I started. I went for the same add-on amplifier that he used - an Audison Prima AP8.9 bit. This is a very clever device that takes speaker level inputs, reduces them to line level, mixes them to make left/right/front/rear signals, then outputs the signal to 8 amplified channels, with a total of 520W available. The best bit is that each channel can be individually shaped with DSP algorithms to tune the sound exactly as you want it. This is done via a USB connection to a Windows application. There's even a 9th channel, non-amplified, that can be fed to a separate sub amp if you wish. After speaking to an audio installer since fitting the Audison, I've learned that there are alternatives that do the same job, and may be cheaper than the Audison.

The result in my setup is, to my ears, stunning. The drivers absolutely do not need to be changed, and their potential is fully realised by this Audison amplifier. I now have warm and clean bass, as well as crisp and clear treble. I've tuned out the boxy/woolly mid range emphasis that the stock system had, and whatever source I play just sounds lovely. It has the potential to go a lot louder than I want.

The author of the blog site had his fitted by a professional, who cut into his factory wiring. I didn't want to cut into the factory wiring, so I sourced plugs and matching sockets, together with crimp terminals, to match those used to connect the factory wiring to the factory amplifier. I made up a loom that allowed me to insert the Audison into the factory setup using those compatible plugs and sockets, and if I wish I can remove it all and revert to the factory setup.

I designed and 3D printed a mount so that the Audison could be mounted close to the factory amplifier underneath the side panelling in the boot, again without cutting or drilling anything. As a result, the add-on amp is invisible, works totally automatically, can be tuned to perfection, and can be completely removed without trace.

If any of this is of interest, I'd be happy to provide more details of my input and output channel configuration. I'm less keen to provide the details of my DSP settings, since the tuning to my preference is quite a personal thing, and I suspect my preference may not suit everyone. I favour an EQ setting that is far from flat - like the 'rock smile' on steroids!

Let's see if I can post pictures in my first post.

Here's a photo of the loom I made to insert the Audison between the speaker outputs of the factory amp and the factory speaker wiring - plugs on the left, sockets on the right. Most of the channels go via the Audison amp, but a few bypass the amp (there are more speakers than channels) - these are the less important rear surround speakers and the front centre speaker, which make do with the factory EQ. The chocolate block connectors were only intended as a temporary measure while I finalised the input and output channel configuration, but in fact they work perfectly well in this application so I've left them there, even though my first attempt at channel configuration worked out perfectly.
View attachment 131471

Here's a shot of the mount that I made. The tabs were included so that the mount could be fixed to a couple of threaded studs already present inside the well behind the side panelling.
View attachment 131472

This one shows the Audison fixed to those studs.
View attachment 131473

This shows the finished installation, with the new loom connected in. The Audison amp is located next to an existing air vent, so even with the side panelling back in place I believe there is still some cooling airflow over it.
View attachment 131474

Wonderful post and explanation. I think you fixed my problem because we share the same crappy HK sound (before your AMP upgrade ). I will look into it since there is a sound tuning company here in Estonia in my city so I will talk to them about having the amp changed since I'm not really the guy who knows how to do those things. Hell I cant even change my oil or pads BUT I'm really good on the track

 

[Bobby Dazzler]

This is my first post, so I'll do a proper intro in a separate post. I've been lurking for a while, but I decided to join up so that I could share my experience with a similar system.

I bought a 2006 W221 S-Class in April this year. It also has the Harman Kardon premium audio option, and like the OP, I was massively disappointed by the sound. I found it woolly, with an emphasis on the boxy midrange, and not enough bass or high frequency content, even with the bass and treble turned right up. I felt that it really let down an otherwise impressive car.

I went searching on the interweb and found a blog site that discusses upgrades to the system: w221/W216 AUDIO UPGRADE GUIDE

The author started off by replacing drivers, then went for an add-on amplifier, and his conclusion seemed to be that if he'd started with the amplifier he probably wouldn't have bothered with the driver replacements. So that's where I started. I went for the same add-on amplifier that he used - an Audison Prima AP8.9 bit. This is a very clever device that takes speaker level inputs, reduces them to line level, mixes them to make left/right/front/rear signals, then outputs the signal to 8 amplified channels, with a total of 520W available. The best bit is that each channel can be individually shaped with DSP algorithms to tune the sound exactly as you want it. This is done via a USB connection to a Windows application. There's even a 9th channel, non-amplified, that can be fed to a separate sub amp if you wish. After speaking to an audio installer since fitting the Audison, I've learned that there are alternatives that do the same job, and may be cheaper than the Audison.

The result in my setup is, to my ears, stunning. The drivers absolutely do not need to be changed, and their potential is fully realised by this Audison amplifier. I now have warm and clean bass, as well as crisp and clear treble. I've tuned out the boxy/woolly mid range emphasis that the stock system had, and whatever source I play just sounds lovely. It has the potential to go a lot louder than I want.

The author of the blog site had his fitted by a professional, who cut into his factory wiring. I didn't want to cut into the factory wiring, so I sourced plugs and matching sockets, together with crimp terminals, to match those used to connect the factory wiring to the factory amplifier. I made up a loom that allowed me to insert the Audison into the factory setup using those compatible plugs and sockets, and if I wish I can remove it all and revert to the factory setup.

I designed and 3D printed a mount so that the Audison could be mounted close to the factory amplifier underneath the side panelling in the boot, again without cutting or drilling anything. As a result, the add-on amp is invisible, works totally automatically, can be tuned to perfection, and can be completely removed without trace.

If any of this is of interest, I'd be happy to provide more details of my input and output channel configuration. I'm less keen to provide the details of my DSP settings, since the tuning to my preference is quite a personal thing, and I suspect my preference may not suit everyone. I favour an EQ setting that is far from flat - like the 'rock smile' on steroids!

Let's see if I can post pictures in my first post.

Here's a photo of the loom I made to insert the Audison between the speaker outputs of the factory amp and the factory speaker wiring - plugs on the left, sockets on the right. Most of the channels go via the Audison amp, but a few bypass the amp (there are more speakers than channels) - these are the less important rear surround speakers and the front centre speaker, which make do with the factory EQ. The chocolate block connectors were only intended as a temporary measure while I finalised the input and output channel configuration, but in fact they work perfectly well in this application so I've left them there, even though my first attempt at channel configuration worked out perfectly.
View attachment 131471

Here's a shot of the mount that I made. The tabs were included so that the mount could be fixed to a couple of threaded studs already present inside the well behind the side panelling.
View attachment 131472

This one shows the Audison fixed to those studs.
View attachment 131473

This shows the finished installation, with the new loom connected in. The Audison amp is located next to an existing air vent, so even with the side panelling back in place I believe there is still some cooling airflow over it.
View attachment 131474

Brilliant. The 3D printing especially. Welcome to MBClub

 

[Headhurts]

I have Burmester in my GLC and compared to standard systems in previous cars it’s way better.

I guess if you consider yourself an audiophile then you will find many areas where it falls short and you would be able to spend a goodly sum upgrading from Burmester.

Mine seems to have plenty of volume if required along with distortion free sound.

The Mark Levinson in my friends Lexus IS indeed superb but then his car was around £20,000 more than mine.

GLC

www.burmester.de

Robin

 

[Gnominateur]

It could be that you just need to tweak the settings from defaults.

I have burmester in a '22 C300 and it sounded poor initially because of the default settings.

After spending some time with the car and tweaking the more customisable EQ that they now provide (beyond simply bass, mid, treble), it sounds excellent to me.

Having owned 3 different MB cars in my life, I find the quality can vary by generation.

 

[ChristopherLembra]

It could be that you just need to tweak the settings from defaults.

I have burmester in a '22 C300 and it sounded poor initially because of the default settings.

After spending some time with the car and tweaking the more customisable EQ that they now provide (beyond simply bass, mid, treble), it sounds excellent to me.

Having owned 3 different MB cars in my life, I find the quality can vary by generation.

Fair point but there really isn't much to tweak except bass/treble and which speakers play music the most. I've put treble to the max and bass +2 (out of 8?) and I feel like that's what sounds the best to my ears. I have also put EQ preset from standard to Logic 7 surround which also makes it just a bit better + I made the front speakers play music more than the ones at the back because front ones are usually better and have more crisp or sharp sound.