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      10-05-2022, 02:45 PM   #1
ixhunter
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Did you choose HK over BW?

I prowl the forums alot and everyone seems super blown away by the BW system with many of you rejoicing it is available again.

I love good music but have to admit I'm not much of an audiophile, I have spent too many years without ear protection at the front of concert venues blowing out my hearing (while having a great time!) so I struggle to hear the difference between hi-fidelity "lossless" audio streams and regular old streams, and generally can't tell the difference between "good" and "really good" speakers. I can tell the difference between "crappy" and "good" though.

For all of these reasons, I decided to go with the HK, I'm still waiting and allocation, and have considered a couple of times changing my config to BW but would love to hear from those of you who have the HK if you are happy with it, any regrets?

I know you BW owners are going to tell me there's nothing else that matters in the universe and it's the most amazing thing ever, so put yourself in my ears for a moment, worth it?
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      10-05-2022, 02:57 PM   #2
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We have chosen HK over B&W and would do again. HK was good enough for our needs and we are very happy about its performance. Nothing wrong with sticking what works good for you instead of reaching for the best, IMHO.
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      10-05-2022, 03:38 PM   #3
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Quote:
Originally Posted by ixhunter View Post
I prowl the forums alot and everyone seems super blown away by the BW system with many of you rejoicing it is available again.

I love good music but have to admit I'm not much of an audiophile, I have spent too many years without ear protection at the front of concert venues blowing out my hearing (while having a great time!) so I struggle to hear the difference between hi-fidelity "lossless" audio streams and regular old streams, and generally can't tell the difference between "good" and "really good" speakers. I can tell the difference between "crappy" and "good" though.

For all of these reasons, I decided to go with the HK, I'm still waiting and allocation, and have considered a couple of times changing my config to BW but would love to hear from those of you who have the HK if you are happy with it, any regrets?

I know you BW owners are going to tell me there's nothing else that matters in the universe and it's the most amazing thing ever, so put yourself in my ears for a moment, worth it?
The only person who can really answer that is you. Listen to both if you can and decide. Based on what you said above, I'd say keep your money.

The B&W is great. Significantly better than the B&W in my X5 to my ears. I wasn't able to order my car with it though and am getting the HK instead, which I haven't listened to as of yet. Reviews I have seen on YT have said that the HK is very good as well.
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      10-05-2022, 04:06 PM   #4
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I opted for HK without even hearing the BW system since the HK sounded on-par with and possibly better than the B&O system in our ex-X5. I couldn't justify the cost for BW on its own (NZ$8.5k) since I don't listen to lossless audio etc.
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      10-05-2022, 06:24 PM   #5
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I chose the HK system after having listened to the B&W system in the demo unit when it came to the dealership early this year. I had an HK system in my former X5M, and it was good enough, so I took a gamble and stuck with it for the iX. I'm glad I did.

I used to install car stereos, so I have an appreciation for what "good sound" should be. I also have an appreciation for the fact that a moving car will NEVER be an appropriate environment in which to enjoy truly high end audio gear.

I need a sound system to get to about 100-110 decibels without audible distortion, and the HK does it well with plenty of room to spare. For reference, I got the iX this year instead of an X5 last year specifically because one of the deleted options for the X5 was the HK system. The base audio system in the X5 line is really, really bad. Apparently if you get NO packages with your iX, you'd get that same awful stereo, but I haven't heard of these being built bone stock like that.

But the HK system in the iX is really, really good for the price ($0, assuming you're already buying the package that includes it). If the decision were between the stock X5 system and the B&W for $3400, I'd get the B&W for sure. But I think if you're asking the question this way, the HK will be way more than you need.
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      10-05-2022, 06:40 PM   #6
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I mentioned in another thread that, having listened to both systems, you are getting maybe 30% more 'performance' out of the B&W for a lot of money.

Obviously putting a number on the experience is a bit nonsensical, but I wanted to illustrate that the HK system is already so good that the regular person would probably not tell the difference.

I value soundstage and the crispness of the vocals (mids) and the bass (lows). I felt like these were the biggest differentiators in the B&W system. Also, I optioned the B&W because it does add a bit to the interior aesthetics.

The music I use (for reference) are from Apple Music on the 'Lossless' setting (the maximum supported for CarPlay). The difference between 320kbps (Spotify) and 'Lossless' (Apple Music) is actually really apparent on a system like this (HK or B&W). That shows that the HK is starting at a really high bar since most ~$300 headphones can't even resolve this amount of detail with a DAC. Obviously you get a lot more immersion than headphones with systems in the iX.
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      10-05-2022, 07:53 PM   #7
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I think the HK system is a good value and sounds great.

I will say that the B+W in the iX is the first time I feel like I'm really getting something significant for the upgrade, whether it's looking back to paying B+O in my Audi or Logic 7 in my M3 or whatever. A lot of that comes from the 3D and 4D sound settings that you need to specifically go in and play with to your liking and might not be obvious from just a quick sit at the dealership. The speakers in the headrests blend nicely to center you in the stereo imaging and surround you, very close to a set of studio headphones IMO, or a good 2 channel listening room.

So the B+W is really something special, IMO, but not everyone needs some to info like that and the HK is going to be a really good, even if more conventional, car audio system.
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      10-05-2022, 09:09 PM   #8
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Quote:
Originally Posted by drbluedevil View Post
I chose the HK system after having listened to the B&W system in the demo unit when it came to the dealership early this year. I had an HK system in my former X5M, and it was good enough, so I took a gamble and stuck with it for the iX. I'm glad I did.

I used to install car stereos, so I have an appreciation for what "good sound" should be. I also have an appreciation for the fact that a moving car will NEVER be an appropriate environment in which to enjoy truly high end audio gear.

I need a sound system to get to about 100-110 decibels without audible distortion, and the HK does it well with plenty of room to spare. For reference, I got the iX this year instead of an X5 last year specifically because one of the deleted options for the X5 was the HK system. The base audio system in the X5 line is really, really bad. Apparently if you get NO packages with your iX, you'd get that same awful stereo, but I haven't heard of these being built bone stock like that.

But the HK system in the iX is really, really good for the price ($0, assuming you're already buying the package that includes it). If the decision were between the stock X5 system and the B&W for $3400, I'd get the B&W for sure. But I think if you're asking the question this way, the HK will be way more than you need.
I hope you're using hearing protection if you consistently listen at 100 dB or more. . But I know what you mean and I "hear" you! Front row Led Zeppelin was around 130 dB if I recall, which no doubt explains my permanent loss in the 5k Hz range.
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      10-05-2022, 11:22 PM   #9
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We have B&W sound in our B8 Alpina and HK in our two iX. The B&W is pretty amazing, but to be honest we are more than happy and satisfied with the HK.

Heck...I had HiFi in my i4, and even that sounded pretty good for what it was.
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      10-06-2022, 07:00 AM   #10
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I've got HK and very pleased indeed with my iX 50. 2022 , Sound is very good , clean and bass even much better then my previous X5 G05..I am glad I didn't spend other 3500 gbp BW..
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      10-06-2022, 08:53 AM   #11
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Paladin1 View Post
I hope you're using hearing protection if you consistently listen at 100 dB or more. . But I know what you mean and I "hear" you! Front row Led Zeppelin was around 130 dB if I recall, which no doubt explains my permanent loss in the 5k Hz range.
Hah...of course I'm not. Maybe for the occasional single song, but not for prolonged listening.

But it highlights the point: let's assume the B&W system is more accurate at both low and high sound pressure levels. At lower dBs, you run into the problem of the car's environment negating the benefit of an extremely accurate system (compared with a sound-deadened media room, in which you can appreciate the accuracy). I haven't cranked either system up to max, but I'll assume B&W can get louder AND remain more accurate at that volume, and my point is that it doesn't really matter for typical usage. I'm well past the age where doing that gets me or anyone I know excited. Maybe if I were routinely parking my car somewhere and using it to play music in an open field, it'd make sense for me!

In no way am I trying to knock the B&W...it's just that the HK is a really good system IMO. Certainly better than the garbage stock system BMW puts in most of its cars (and the very, very bone stock iXes that don't even have HK).
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      10-06-2022, 11:53 AM   #12
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Different car but I waffled between HK and BW on my F10 and went with HK. I regretted it during the course of my ownership. Since then, I've been going with B&W on my G30 and G16 and won't hesitate to go with the B&W again. Is HK good? Sure. Is the B&W worth it? That's going to depend on your priorities and discretionary budget.
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