I'm moving to the U.S., so I'm selling my Euro-spec MCS and ordering a new one in the States.
I have the stock stereo in my current MCS, and I'm trying to decide if I should get the HK in my new MCS. Unfortunately I'm having trouble finding an HK to listen to at my local dealer.

I'm not crazy about my stock stereo, specifically I feel the highs aren't crisp enough, they sound really dull and muddy to me.

Does the HK noticeably improve the clarity/crispness of the treble/highs over the stock unit?
So far all I've been hearing about is the massive (excessive?) increase in bass, which to me sounds like the highs would be drowned out even more than in the stock unit. (as it is, I have the treble turned all the way up and the Bass turned quite a bit down in my stock unit to have it sound "acceptable" to my taste).

I would be happy with my stock stereo if only I could improve the overall clarity and crispness of the mids/highs a bit, so should I maybe just order another stock system in my new MCS and perform a few aftermarket mods? (speakers, maybe?)

I'd like to preserve the stock head unit, is there anything I can do to improve the crispness and clarity of highs for under $500?
If I do decide to go with the HK, will it give me what I'm looking for or will it just add a lot more bass therefore making the clarity of the highs even worse?

I realize that the best thing to do would be to listen to the HK before making a decision, but by the looks of it I may have to order my new MCS soon and I don't think I'll be able to test out an HK before I do.

Any help or opinions would be highly appreciated, just be advised that I'm kind of a beginner when it comes to car audio, so try to keep it in English!




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Hi Calvin,

I was actually in the same boat you're in now in deciding between the stock or HK speakers. I've always enjoyed the quality of HK PC speakers...so this is the reason why I went ahead & ordered the system in my MCS. When I tried out the local dealership's MCS w/ the HK, I was very pleased with it.

I will most likely add a JL audio stealthbox (10" sub) with JL amp to balance out the highs the HK produces already. It really all depends on the type of music you like to listen to.

I like dance/house, R& B to Hip-Hop and everything in between. That's why I prefer a combination of the HK and the bass of the JL audio.

Ryan, one of our fellow motorers actually suggests the following settings on the HK:

Try these optimized settings in your H/K:
Bass: -2
Treble: +4
Balance: 0
Fader: Forward 2

I believe I found this in the MB Quart thread, can't wait to try this out. Good luck in you decision!

 

Calvin,
there are so many threads you can read about this, both on MCOL and MINI2.
Check out the "MB Quarts" thread here as a starter ...

Sounds like you want a good quality, trouble free solution to sound.

If you like to hear the music from in front of you (like people say, at a concert or listening to your home system), and if you don't want to vibrate your stomach, then the HK upgrade is very good value for money.

The HK has mid & tweeter speakers in the top of the doors, so you do hear crisp clean high end.

If you want crisp clean high end from behind you, the HK will not cut it.