Dissatisfied with the stock audio setup on BMW 6GT: What now?

The HK audio system to be honest is good, but definitely can be improved on. I've been trying to get a bit more clarity from the audio without having to turn up the volume quite a bit.

BHPian vignesh.cv recently shared this with other enthusiasts:

Hello,

I have a '21 630d MSport version that comes with Harman Kardon speaker system. The HK audio system to be honest is good, but definitely can be improved on. I've been trying to get a bit more clarity from the audio without having to turn up the volume quite a bit. I listen to music either via Spotify or Apple Music via wireless Carplay from my phone.

Interestingly, when I switch to the radio in the car, the audio does sound a lot lot better than what is streamed from the phone. Is this normal or is there something I'm missing. I did go through the Bimmercode app trying to tweak with the EQ and such, but there's only marginal improvement.

I see companies like Focal have products that claim OEM style plug and play - complete set of replacement speakers & amplifier. Should I be investing in something like that or is there something else am missing?

Many thanks.

Here's what GTO had to say on the matter:

The 6GT has a great sound system, as do many cars today. In an entirely different segment, I am test-driving the Tata Curvv and loved its audio setup.

This is a topic close to my heart as I live on music; it's a part of every waking hour for me.

1. Open up your streaming apps, subscribe to the premium plan (subscriptions are cheap in India), and select "high quality" always. This is how my YouTube Music looks. This alone will significantly improve your SQ.

2. Get a good music player. I personally love "Power Amp" and crank up the bass + treble on its equalizer.

3. If you download tracks, do so only from the iTunes store. 10-15 bucks a song for truly high quality files.

4. There are other options like door damping etc., but that's more for mainstream cars than your 6GT which is already well insulated from the elements.

5. In some cars, Bluetooth streaming sounds better...in some cars, Wired Android Auto / Apple CarPlay sounds better. Play around with connection options.

6. Tune the equalizer of your head-unit.

Here's what BHPian Ojas had to say on the matter:

BMW cars support Android Auto or Apple CarPlay only in wireless mode, so you can't really make use of Hi-Res music.

In my 5er, I use EQ on car and get soundstage that I really do like.

What made difference in my case is the streaming app. Apple Music still seems to have higher quality in terms of clarity/bass compared to YT Music or Spotify despite using higher compression format (AAC).

Here's what BHPian SBK_Audiophile had to say on the matter:

The system is not powerful enough to run the music good enough. Let me post steps for the best results in the order of most simple to more effort requiring.

Step 1- Run your music through Tidal app. Tidal has a higher bitrate than Apple music in with same High res audio quality and would boost up the music in the stock setup. Playing with equalisers is not going to help.
Tidal is not available in Indian store so you'll have to switch the country of store to download. APK will also work.

Step 2- Try a Plug and Play with a DSP Amp, preferably from Helix - Match PP UP8 BMW. This has 65W RMS to run the speakers and 160W to run the underseat subwoofers. This can be done DIY. Change the coupler and you should be done. You can even add a Conductor for further controls.

Step 3- Install Plug and play speaker options from brands like ESB Audio, Focal or Eton. ESB Audio makes the best plug and play for BMW as far as I know. Remember the Midrange speaker is the most important as the underseat will only play upto 150 Hz. The midrange should be able to easily start from that low and tune the DSP accordingly.

If you're satisfied at any of those steps, no need to go further.

Read BHPian comments for more insights and information.