Best EQ settings for the 1 series Logic 7/HK System

[BMWfan69]

I have been reading through the posts regarding the Logic 7/Harman Kardon audio systems in the 1 series, and there seems to be an interest in extracting a bit more clarity from the system. I thought it would be great if folks could post their EQ and balance settings so we can all try to find the optimal settings for our listening preferences. IMHO it seems like the system default setting is for listening to booming low end dance music. I think the overall system has this genre in mind to begin with. You really need to play with it to extract any detail from it.

This is obviously very subjective and is really dependent on your musical tastes. It also has so much to do with the type of music you are listening to at any given time, which is a real pain compared to my 5 series which just seems to know what you are listening to. However, if everyone could post information about your musical tastes and typical styles listened to, prior to their settings, it would really help others to configure to their EQ to their desired listening style.

Here are my settings. I listen to a broad range of music, but it tends to be on the mellower side. I listen to a lot of jazz/funk, Dave Matthews Band and some Grateful Dead/Pink Floyd. Noting super heavy, but the occasional harder stuff.

Main settings:

Bass: +5
Treble +10
balance >4
Fader ^2

EQ Settings:
10Khz = max high
5Khz = 8 bars right past center
2Khz = 7 bars right past center
1 Khz = center
500Hz = 5 bars left of center
200Hz = center
80Hz = 5 right of center

[VP Electricity]

ou have both 10k and Treble maxed? Either this system is horribler than I ever imagined, or you want to get that hearing tested.

Look, anyone in the Portland OR area who wants to have the system measured and tested with an acoustic analyzer for no cost, let me know. We will also provide the optimum tone control settings to get the best objective acoustic result.
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[BMWfan69]

Originally Posted by VP Electricity

ou have both 10k and Treble maxed? Either this system is horribler than I ever imagined, or you want to get that hearing tested.

Look, anyone in the Portland OR area who wants to have the system measured and tested with an acoustic analyzer for no cost, let me know. We will also provide the optimum tone control settings to get the best objective acoustic result.
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Yes, the system is mediocre at best. My hearing is fine. Even with the 10K and treble maxed there still is a lack of clarity. Very difficult to dial out the muffled sound. This system is really designed to put out booming bass and not much else, but would love to hear from anyone who has been sucessful at EQ'ing it.

[jc_lbc]

IIRC I have 80 and 200hz dialed back a step or two, the 2k&up settings dialed up just a touch and bass/treble left at neutral. I think that's a reasonable representation of the source material for what the system is and what it costs. Logic 7 is OFF as adding reverb to music you're listening to is always a terrible idea IMO. My main source for music listening is a set of Grado 325is through a respectable Chinese manufactured DAC/AMP combo or my Rega P3/Shure VxMR.

VP Electricty, if you do get anyone in the area with the latest HK audio setup to come in and test, please let us know what your findings are. I'm definitely curious.

[ChromoX]

I listen to all lossless music, and play a couple of instruments and all I did was bump the bass up by 1. I didn't even go into the actual equalizer because that seemed to do it perfectly.

[1013mm]

Originally Posted by ChromoX

I listen to all lossless music, and play a couple of instruments and all I did was bump the bass up by 1. I didn't even go into the actual equalizer because that seemed to do it perfectly.

same expect i have bass up at 2.

[MikesBMW]

bass up +6 and trebel up +4, everything else is flat. sometimes i pump the bass to +8 or +10 just for a song or two

[Ash83]

"Optimum(Best) EQ" is a Myth..Every person has different pref.. also every song or music Genre has a different recommended settings.. you can not set your EQ to a specific setting and expect it to work perfectly with Blues, Rap, Rock... etc..

[BMWfan69]

Originally Posted by Ash83

"Optimum(Best) EQ" is a Myth..Every person has different pref.. also every song or music Genre has a different recommended settings.. you can not set your EQ to a specific setting and expect it to work perfectly with Blues, Rap, Rock... etc..

That is certainly true and why I asked people to post their listening style as well their specific settings. I'm not sure anyone was expecting one setting to cover everything However, I will tell you that the Logic 7 system in my 5 series comes pretty darn close. I never touch the EQ and it just seems to be right for everything. That is far from the case with the 1 series HK system.

Either way EQ is very subjective, but it is useful to hear feedback on what settings others use so people can try them out, or use as a baseline for their listening style.

[jc_lbc]

If you had a couple 30 band EQ's and wanted to do a proper measurement inside the car you could in fact come up with that one nearly perfect EQ setting that would indeed be applicable for anything you played through the system. Otherwise, all you're doing is having a preference for adding bass or adding treble or whatever—that's not at all the point of doing equalization.

[BMWfan69]

Originally Posted by jc_lbc

If you had a couple 30 band EQ's and wanted to do a proper measurement inside the car you could in fact come up with that one nearly perfect EQ setting that would indeed be applicable for anything you played through the system. Otherwise, all you're doing is having a preference for adding bass or adding treble or whatever—that's not at all the point of doing equalization.

Agreed, but we drive 1 series with HK audio systems that do not have 30 band equalizers. Hence the need for messing with the settings for different styles/preferences.

[VP Electricity]

Originally Posted by Ash83

"Optimum(Best) EQ" is a Myth..

Not clear how...

Originally Posted by Ash83

Every person has different pref..

While people have different preferences, that has nothing to do with the ability to have EQ settings which are objectively the most accurate possible. If someone wants to deviate from them for personal preference afterwards, fine, but an objective baseline is possible.

Originally Posted by Ash83

also every song or music Genre has a different recommended settings.. you can not set your EQ to a specific setting and expect it to work perfectly with Blues, Rap, Rock... etc..

Now that's just plain wrong. Sure I can. If you can't, it's a shortcoming of the playback system - but as a principle, a single EQ setting can indeed do justice to all kinds of music.

[ES BMW]

BMWfan69 - thank you for posting your EQ settings! I've been using them with slight adjustments for the last few days and it's a nice improvement.

[GaryS]

I leave treble and bass flat and adjust EQ like this:

10Khz = 0
5Khz = -3
2Khz = -2
1 Khz = 0
500Hz = 0
200Hz = -4
80Hz = 0

[nato-main-man-5am]

reviving an old thread....

Originally Posted by jc_lbc

If you had a couple 30 band EQ's and wanted to do a proper measurement inside the car you could in fact come up with that one nearly perfect EQ setting that would indeed be applicable for anything you played through the system. Otherwise, all you're doing is having a preference for adding bass or adding treble or whatever—that's not at all the point of doing equalization.

I'm taking delivery of my 128 soon (with the current stock sound system, the so called "Hi Fi") and such a scenario is what I want to do.

Between the head unit and the amp, I want to place a (ideally parametric) EQ, and using test tones and a spectrum analyzer, dial in the EQ close to flat. Ideally the same unit would also have some additional DSP that gives me the option to expand the stereo image a bit and maybe even deal with timing and phase errors (optimizing the sound for the driver's [MY!] head location).

Something like:

http://www.6ave.com/shop/product.aspx?sku=ALPPXEH650

which seems to be going for under $300 online since it is out of discontinued and buggy, or RF 3sixty.1 or the JL clean sweep.

[nato-main-man-5am]

Originally Posted by VP Electricity

Not clear how...



While people have different preferences, that has nothing to do with the ability to have EQ settings which are objectively the most accurate possible. If someone wants to deviate from them for personal preference afterwards, fine, but an objective baseline is possible.



Now that's just plain wrong. Sure I can. If you can't, it's a shortcoming of the playback system - but as a principle, a single EQ setting can indeed do justice to all kinds of music.

Do you have a favorite EQ that has the resolution, adjustability, and measurement capability for a DIY install inline with the "hi fi" factory system (presumably right before the amp).

[tracer bullet]

Originally Posted by jc_lbc

IIRC I have 80 and 200hz dialed back a step or two, the 2k&up settings dialed up just a touch and bass/treble left at neutral.

I'm about set like this as well. The stock system IMO is a bit boomy in that 100-ish HZ range, which seems exaggerated by being unable to go much lower than that (60 - 80 or so seems to be a steep rolloff).

It's great for a stock system but that's all.

It's interesting to see what settings others use, we obviously all have different tastes. I love bass heavy music, electronic and rock but even trying out the super cranked bass and treble for a few minutes sounds awful to me.

[sethchan]

Originally Posted by VP Electricity

ou have both 10k and Treble maxed? Either this system is horribler than I ever imagined, or you want to get that hearing tested.

Look, anyone in the Portland OR area who wants to have the system measured and tested with an acoustic analyzer for no cost, let me know. We will also provide the optimum tone control settings to get the best objective acoustic result.
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I'm always puzzled by EQ recommendations that seem to turn EVERYTHING up. I saw a set of settings over on the E90 forum that seemed to do that. You seem to know what you're talking about. Why would people do that?

Also, I'm puzzled by what a HUGE difference it made to my L7 stereo when I turned up the 1K bar in the equalizer. It really seemed to open everything up. I wonder if the unit wasn't really set properly at the factory.

Also, I wonder if one might have different settings depending on whether the car was stationary or at highway speed due to tire, engine and wind noises drowning out certain frequencies.

[Pangloss]

I've wondered about that as well. The stereo will boost volume as you get faster (if you have that feature turned on), but it doesn't change the equalizer settings, which would make sense. It's a fairly predictable change, too -- you could profile interior noise at various speeds pretty easily, and have the EQ curve gradually adapt as the speed of the car changes.

Infinity recently added this to the G37 convertible, calling it "Adaptive Audio". At speed with the top down it monitors ambient noise in real-time and reacts by shifting speaker emphasis and EQ settings. But it's not offered for the coupe/sedan, and it doesn't operate when the top is raised. Weird, right? It seems to me that if you can address noise objectively with a convertible then you can address it objectively with a coupe/sedan.