Yet Another H/K System Upgrade

[gregorian79]

No. The H/K amp is under the passenger seat while I installed the new DSP under the drivers seat, so in addition to the floor air vent there just wasn't enough real estate for the compact sub as well. It's got some breathing room in the cargo bin while permitting easy access if needed. Check out this guy's under-seat sub install in a similar Palisade.

Is there a wiring diagram for the H/K amp? Quick Google search didn't point to anything. Did you have to figure out all the pins yourself?

 

[HLXHLX]

Is there a wiring diagram for the H/K amp? Quick Google search didn't point to anything. Did you have to figure out all the pins yourself?

All technical info can be found on the Kia Global Information System (subscription). These are the pinouts for the 2x H/K amp connectors:; one has only outputs while the other has both inputs, outputs and power/gnd:

 

[gregorian79]

All technical info can be found on the Kia Global Information System (subscription). These are the pinouts for the 2x H/K amp connectors:; one has only outputs while the other has both inputs, outputs and power/gnd:

View attachment 31750View attachment 31751

I didn't know about this platform. Great help! Thanks a lot.

 

[gregorian79]

All technical info can be found on the Kia Global Information System (subscription). These are the pinouts for the 2x H/K amp connectors:; one has only outputs while the other has both inputs, outputs and power/gnd:

View attachment 31750View attachment 31751

Ok, I studied these drawings in detail and have a few questions, if you don't mind:

- As far as I can tell the entire F01-B connector and pins 12, 13, 14 and 25, 26, 27 on F01-A are the outputs from the H/K amp to all the speakers, can you please confirm.

- The 4 channels I need to "intercept" and pull into the D-4.800 are the 4 doors woofers and tweeters, correct? That being said, it is still not clear to me where the new powered sub gets its signal from, can you please explain.

- I noticed that driver and passenger door woofers and tweeters have separate + and - wires, whereas rear door woofers and tweeters share + and - wires. What is going on there? Are you using passive cross overs mounted inside all 4 doors? Is there anything different in the wiring of first row vs. second row doors?

Thank you very much

______________________________

 

[HLXHLX]

Ok, I studied these drawings in detail and have a few questions, if you don't mind:

- As far as I can tell the entire F01-B connector and pins 12, 13, 14 and 25, 26, 27 on F01-A are the outputs from the H/K amp to all the speakers, can you please confirm.

- The 4 channels I need to "intercept" and pull into the D-4.800 are the 4 doors woofers and tweeters, correct? That being said, it is still not clear to me where the new powered sub gets its signal from, can you please explain.

- I noticed that driver and passenger door woofers and tweeters have separate + and - wires, whereas rear door woofers and tweeters share + and - wires. What is going on there? Are you using passive cross overs mounted inside all 4 doors? Is there anything different in the wiring of first row vs. second row doors?

Thank you very much

1. Yes. 22 total pins across the 2x connectors for the 11 channels (4x go to the stock sub).

2. Likely will depend on your build components. I think this forum consensus is the front woofer signal is best if you're looking to tap for a new sub. After looking at the signals for the front woofs, front tweets and rear woof/tweet (single channels), I decided to use only the front woof and tweet to sum in the new DSP for a more complete signal spectrum. Check out my screenshots of those three above. I found the rear signal confusing and useless...it drives a tweeter but had no higher freqs??? With my particular D-4.800, although it only has 4x powered output channels, it does also have a "5th" set of low-level, non-amplified signal outputs which I used to send to the new powered sub. My sub signal is specifically tuned and controlled in the DSP.

3. Yes. In the H/K system there are separate channels for the front woofers and tweeters, but a single channel to drive the rear woofs/tweets. Both front and rear tweets have a resistor-type "x-over" directly on the speaker. Again in my build I used new passive x-overs to simplify with just the one 4-channel amp, otherwise 6- or 8-channels amps would push up the complexity and budget too far for me.

 

[gregorian79]

1. Yes. 22 total pins across the 2x connectors for the 11 channels (4x go to the stock sub).

2. Likely will depend on your build components. I think this forum consensus is the front woofer signal is best if you're looking to tap for a new sub. After looking at the signals for the front woofs, front tweets and rear woof/tweet (single channels), I decided to use only the front woof and tweet to sum in the new DSP for a more complete signal spectrum. Check out my screenshots of those three above. I found the rear signal confusing and useless...it drives a tweeter but had no higher freqs??? With my particular D-4.800, although it only has 4x powered output channels, it does also have a "5th" set of low-level, non-amplified signal outputs which I used to send to the new powered sub. My sub signal is specifically tuned and controlled in the DSP.

3. Yes. In the H/K system there are separate channels for the front woofers and tweeters, but a single channel to drive the rear woofs/tweets. Both front and rear tweets have a resistor-type "x-over" directly on the speaker. Again in my build I used new passive x-overs to simplify with just the one 4-channel amp, otherwise 6- or 8-channels amps would push up the complexity and budget too far for me.

When I jack up the volume on factory H/K system, I notice that the center speaker is pretty noticeable. Since you kept that factory, do you notice it in your new system? Or is it not that noticeable compared to the new speakers in the doors? Also, sorry if you mentioned this before but did you leave the two surround speakers in the trunk and original sub connected? Thanks

 

[HLXHLX]

When I jack up the volume on factory H/K system, I notice that the center speaker is pretty noticeable. Since you kept that factory, do you notice it in your new system? Or is it not that noticeable compared to the new speakers in the doors? Also, sorry if you mentioned this before but did you leave the two surround speakers in the trunk and original sub connected? Thanks

I chose to not utilize the center speaker in my setup; simply disconnected at the speaker. The two surrounds are still used (powered by the H/K amp), but did require timing adjustments in the DSP. I disconnected the stock sub at the breakout harness.

 

[Pigdog]

I am considering this set up.

Yes, this is just another owner’s take on the forum-polarizing topic of upgrading their Harman Kardon “Premium” sound system. My personal journey inspired by actual events…

Who: Me. A 2023 Telly SX owner since October 2022. I love music and the experience of both listening and feeling it, especially while driving when the only alternative is talking with my family. I have kids who love music, too. I also have kids whose eventual screaming matches need a good drowning out from time-to-time.

What: The Harman Kardon, 630-watt, 12-speaker, 11-channel, factory-EQ’d sound system. Always gotta be a bit cautiously optimistic with stereo systems in mainstream vehicles, especially those tagged with a “premium” label. I chose the SX trim for all the other bells and whistles, so with that the H/K system was the only option.

Why: For me this H/K system just did not deliver what I enjoy about music. Up to about volume level 50 (~66% max), it’s decent. It was well-balanced, full and therefore probably meets the acceptance of the vast majority of owners. However at volume level 50 it just still wasn’t very loud or powerful and I could definitely hear the low end really start to taper off when pushing it further, not to mention the factory EQ-ing and processing becoming more apparent. So it was right there at those entry listening volumes where the H/K really fell apart for me.

Solution: An upgrade. Being my family hauler I wanted any upgrade to be as minimally impactful to the space and functionality of the vehicle as possible. That decided, I was limited to space under seats and in the rear storage compartment. Also didn’t want to reach too far into my wallet, so any holiday sales and scratch & dent deals were prioritized (Crutchfield ).

Plan:

• Upgrade #1: Speakers. I knew from the start that replicating the 11 H/K channels was not an option. The center and 2x surround channels were of little added value. And the sub, well…it tries for a bit. By that assessment I knew I would target the doors and sub, all of which could certainly outperform any artificial presets for soundstaging and general overall performance. A prime example of quality > quantity. Seeing in these forums the difficulty of pushing new speaker wire out thru those door connectors, I chose to stick with the stock wiring and go with passive x-overs and components, similar to the stock setup in the rear doors (2x speakers/channel vs. 1x speaker/ch in front). IMO components outperform coaxials, and the Telly is already designed for components with those stock locations. I ended up going with Polk speakers, x-over mounted and wired all within each door.
• Upgrade #2: DSP/amp. By my remedial math, 5 output channels is what I needed; 1ch to each door and a 5th for a new sub. DSP…yes. The H/K amp doesn’t just amplify, it also does a ton of processing without a lot of user control other than a 3-band EQ in the H/U. Considering my minimal space impact I chose to go with the Audio Control D-4.800 amp/DSP combo unit. Why? Size: small; Power: big (125w/ch RMS); accepts amplified hi-level inputs; built-in DSP providing full customization (x-over, time alignment, 30-band EQ, signal summing). Although only 4 channels, this unit does have one low-level output, perfect to feed a…
• Upgrade #3: Powered subwoofer. The factory sub has nothing to give at higher volumes which makes music sound empty and unbalanced without those low-end frequencies. Again considering space, I went with the Kicker 46HS10 (180w RMS) which fits wonderfully in the rear cargo compartment. Neighborhood-shattering…no. Does it complete the music with power, depth and balance…absolutely.

Install:

• The 6.5” Polk’s were basically a direct switch with the stocks. Drilled one little vertical hole to pass the woofer wire from behind the inner door panel. Passive x-overs fit just fine on the inner door panel with some Gorilla tape and #6 bolt+nut. The stock tweeters are built into a plastic bracket, so for the Polk’s I used #8 screws in the stock door holes with the tweets mounted to a thin piece of aluminum; using multiple nuts you can adjust the installation heights to match the offset angles on the door. Respective wires routed to the x-over with the stock woofer wire; secured neatly with Tesa tape. In the front doors, the stock tweeter wire is now unused.
• The D-4.800 went under the driver’s seat; it’s quite small and should not interfere with (or by) kid or adult feet. This location was ideal as it’s in close proximity to the H/K amp to pull signal and push back out to speakers along with being on the same side as the battery for powering. I used 4 gauge directly from the battery, passed thru the firewall in the footwell area and routed down under the floor side trim. Used a weather-sealed grommet and zip-ties throughout. Made a simple bracket and mounted the fuse right in front of the battery. Since I wanted to utilize the stock speaker wiring, I had to find a way to both grab the amplified H/K signal for the D-4.800 and send its new signal back out to the speakers. For that I made a breakout harness that inserts between the vehicle connector and into the H/K amp, permitting me to do so without cutting any factory wiring. Since there wasn’t much slack available from the factory connections, I re-mounted the H/K amp about two inches closer to the door to create some breathing room for the new wiring. Two runs of speed wire between the driver and passenger seats was all I needed to make the needed signal/speaker connections; removal of both seats and center console were ideal to making it clean, direct and secure, and didn’t wind up being nearly as challenging as I anticipated.
• The Kicker sits nicely on the driver's side in the cargo compartment. Powered directly from the battery with similar installation and wire routing as the D-4.800. One pair of RCAs and a single trigger wire from the D-4.800 was all else it required. Although far from an ideal sub enclosure, the cargo compartment does “port” thru the stock sub location and doesn’t seem limited by the rigid cargo cover plus mat. For me those sub freq are prob more about the feel than they are the direct sound.
• Additionally, I did replace the stock battery ground wire with 0-AWG.

Setup:

• The DSP is certainly the brains of this operation (more-so than me) and where all these upgrades come together. The factory EQ, corrected. The factory bass roll-off, gone. The ability to customize the sound however I choose, available. With this setup all other voice and navigation features are completely retained which was critical as I use them every day.
• Prior to my final install I did take a look at what the factory signals looked like and decided to utilize the front woofer and tweeter channels for primary sound; although the rear signal didn’t offer anything additional than those fronts, I did use them to retain music playing during voice nav prompts (fronts set to auto-mute in H/U). In the DSP I summed those four front and two rear channels, set a high pass and now use that summed signal to drive both the front and rear doors. The sub receives only the front woofer signal with a low pass. Again with this particular setup I retained H/U volume control and balance, but not fade. However, what I also really like about the D-4.800 is its ability to store multiple configuration presets: with the Audio Control remote (mounted in the fuse panel) I have the ability to change those presets for a particular driving scenario. Primarily, I’ll have all speakers on, but on road trips when the kids are passed out I can easily change to a preset that has no sound in the rear speakers (effectively a fade). I also have that same remote linked to control the sub volume so it can be adjusted as needed.

Conclusion: Totally biased here.... These upgrades perform excellent and have given me the sound system in the Telly that I wanted. A vast improvement over stock and done so within a reasonable budget. I have retained all audio functionality, albeit with some new methods to do so. Will now be enjoying this ride even more until I trade it in for a ‘24 later this year (simply because of the amber DRLs).

D-4.800 install:
View attachment 30496

H/K amp breakout harness:
*Pre- soldering to speed wire.
View attachment 30505

D-4.800 fuse:
View attachment 30497

Sub fuse:
View attachment 30498

Firewall:
View attachment 30499

Sub install:
View attachment 30500

D-4.800 remote:
View attachment 30501

H/K Front woofer signal:
View attachment 30502

H/K Front tweeter signal:
View attachment 30503

H/K Rear channel signal:
*Kinda confused by this one as it drives both the woofer and tweeter, but nothing much on the high side??? The front woofer channel looks more appropriate for the rear setup.
View attachment 30504

Did you pull a frequency spectrum for the sub channel? Since the wires are there in the rear of the vehicle in stereo would that be a good source for the sub? The rear channel fits a sub profile and I am wondering if one should use the rear speakers as a sub channel thus using the rear fade as a control for the low frequency's?

______________________________

 

[HLXHLX]

I am considering this set up.

Did you pull a frequency spectrum for the sub channel? Since the wires are there in the rear of the vehicle in stereo would that be a good source for the sub? The rear channel fits a sub profile and I am wondering if one should use the rear speakers as a sub channel thus using the rear fade as a control for the low frequency's?

I did not pull the stock sub channel freqs (2x ch) so can't confirm exactly what they look like, but just listening to the H/K system I could tell the sub was vol limited at around 60%-ish. Plus I didn't have space in my aftermarket amp/dsp for any additional inputs. I believe the forum consensus is to use the front woofer channels to grab signal for aftermarket subs...this is likely since the speaker wires are accessible in the footwells for tapping, but using a breakout harness at the H/K amp would easily permit use of any channel to grab for a new sub signal (both front and rear look fine by my specs).

Are you looking to use fade as a sub vol control of sorts???

 

[Pigdog]

I did not pull the stock sub channel freqs (2x ch) so can't confirm exactly what they look like, but just listening to the H/K system I could tell the sub was vol limited at around 60%-ish. Plus I didn't have space in my aftermarket amp/dsp for any additional inputs. I believe the forum consensus is to use the front woofer channels to grab signal for aftermarket subs...this is likely since the speaker wires are accessible in the footwells for tapping, but using a breakout harness at the H/K amp would easily permit use of any channel to grab for a new sub signal (both front and rear look fine by my specs).

Are you looking to use fade as a sub vol control of sorts???

Since the wiring is already there with signal I was going to start my build with the sub. That way all I need to run is 12V power for the sub. If the sub signal is not right I can still use the breakout to run the front channel signals that way. Unconventionally, I thought I might run a home sub using the 120v power back there with the existing sub wiring but there is not enough current.

 

[Pigdog]

I am seeing a lot of positive reviews using the kicker key as a speaker amp. If the sub is not a sufficient upgrade the kicker is next. I will use the front door signal to power the rear door woofer/mids and tweeters and front woofer/mids. I will leave the front tweeter alone powered by the stock amp. If that is not enough then we will get into speaker replacement......What do you think?

 

[Pigdog]

Yes, this is just another owner’s take on the forum-polarizing topic of upgrading their Harman Kardon “Premium” sound system. My personal journey inspired by actual events…

Who: Me. A 2023 Telly SX owner since October 2022. I love music and the experience of both listening and feeling it, especially while driving when the only alternative is talking with my family. I have kids who love music, too. I also have kids whose eventual screaming matches need a good drowning out from time-to-time.

What: The Harman Kardon, 630-watt, 12-speaker, 11-channel, factory-EQ’d sound system. Always gotta be a bit cautiously optimistic with stereo systems in mainstream vehicles, especially those tagged with a “premium” label. I chose the SX trim for all the other bells and whistles, so with that the H/K system was the only option.

Why: For me this H/K system just did not deliver what I enjoy about music. Up to about volume level 50 (~66% max), it’s decent. It was well-balanced, full and therefore probably meets the acceptance of the vast majority of owners. However at volume level 50 it just still wasn’t very loud or powerful and I could definitely hear the low end really start to taper off when pushing it further, not to mention the factory EQ-ing and processing becoming more apparent. So it was right there at those entry listening volumes where the H/K really fell apart for me.

Solution: An upgrade. Being my family hauler I wanted any upgrade to be as minimally impactful to the space and functionality of the vehicle as possible. That decided, I was limited to space under seats and in the rear storage compartment. Also didn’t want to reach too far into my wallet, so any holiday sales and scratch & dent deals were prioritized (Crutchfield ).

Plan:

• Upgrade #1: Speakers. I knew from the start that replicating the 11 H/K channels was not an option. The center and 2x surround channels were of little added value. And the sub, well…it tries for a bit. By that assessment I knew I would target the doors and sub, all of which could certainly outperform any artificial presets for soundstaging and general overall performance. A prime example of quality > quantity. Seeing in these forums the difficulty of pushing new speaker wire out thru those door connectors, I chose to stick with the stock wiring and go with passive x-overs and components, similar to the stock setup in the rear doors (2x speakers/channel vs. 1x speaker/ch in front). IMO components outperform coaxials, and the Telly is already designed for components with those stock locations. I ended up going with Polk speakers, x-over mounted and wired all within each door.
• Upgrade #2: DSP/amp. By my remedial math, 5 output channels is what I needed; 1ch to each door and a 5th for a new sub. DSP…yes. The H/K amp doesn’t just amplify, it also does a ton of processing without a lot of user control other than a 3-band EQ in the H/U. Considering my minimal space impact I chose to go with the Audio Control D-4.800 amp/DSP combo unit. Why? Size: small; Power: big (125w/ch RMS); accepts amplified hi-level inputs; built-in DSP providing full customization (x-over, time alignment, 30-band EQ, signal summing). Although only 4 channels, this unit does have one low-level output, perfect to feed a…
• Upgrade #3: Powered subwoofer. The factory sub has nothing to give at higher volumes which makes music sound empty and unbalanced without those low-end frequencies. Again considering space, I went with the Kicker 46HS10 (180w RMS) which fits wonderfully in the rear cargo compartment. Neighborhood-shattering…no. Does it complete the music with power, depth and balance…absolutely.

Install:

• The 6.5” Polk’s were basically a direct switch with the stocks. Drilled one little vertical hole to pass the woofer wire from behind the inner door panel. Passive x-overs fit just fine on the inner door panel with some Gorilla tape and #6 bolt+nut. The stock tweeters are built into a plastic bracket, so for the Polk’s I used #8 screws in the stock door holes with the tweets mounted to a thin piece of aluminum; using multiple nuts you can adjust the installation heights to match the offset angles on the door. Respective wires routed to the x-over with the stock woofer wire; secured neatly with Tesa tape. In the front doors, the stock tweeter wire is now unused.
• The D-4.800 went under the driver’s seat; it’s quite small and should not interfere with (or by) kid or adult feet. This location was ideal as it’s in close proximity to the H/K amp to pull signal and push back out to speakers along with being on the same side as the battery for powering. I used 4 gauge directly from the battery, passed thru the firewall in the footwell area and routed down under the floor side trim. Used a weather-sealed grommet and zip-ties throughout. Made a simple bracket and mounted the fuse right in front of the battery. Since I wanted to utilize the stock speaker wiring, I had to find a way to both grab the amplified H/K signal for the D-4.800 and send its new signal back out to the speakers. For that I made a breakout harness that inserts between the vehicle connector and into the H/K amp, permitting me to do so without cutting any factory wiring. Since there wasn’t much slack available from the factory connections, I re-mounted the H/K amp about two inches closer to the door to create some breathing room for the new wiring. Two runs of speed wire between the driver and passenger seats was all I needed to make the needed signal/speaker connections; removal of both seats and center console were ideal to making it clean, direct and secure, and didn’t wind up being nearly as challenging as I anticipated.
• The Kicker sits nicely on the driver's side in the cargo compartment. Powered directly from the battery with similar installation and wire routing as the D-4.800. One pair of RCAs and a single trigger wire from the D-4.800 was all else it required. Although far from an ideal sub enclosure, the cargo compartment does “port” thru the stock sub location and doesn’t seem limited by the rigid cargo cover plus mat. For me those sub freq are prob more about the feel than they are the direct sound.
• Additionally, I did replace the stock battery ground wire with 0-AWG.

Setup:

• The DSP is certainly the brains of this operation (more-so than me) and where all these upgrades come together. The factory EQ, corrected. The factory bass roll-off, gone. The ability to customize the sound however I choose, available. With this setup all other voice and navigation features are completely retained which was critical as I use them every day.
• Prior to my final install I did take a look at what the factory signals looked like and decided to utilize the front woofer and tweeter channels for primary sound; although the rear signal didn’t offer anything additional than those fronts, I did use them to retain music playing during voice nav prompts (fronts set to auto-mute in H/U). In the DSP I summed those four front and two rear channels, set a high pass and now use that summed signal to drive both the front and rear doors. The sub receives only the front woofer signal with a low pass. Again with this particular setup I retained H/U volume control and balance, but not fade. However, what I also really like about the D-4.800 is its ability to store multiple configuration presets: with the Audio Control remote (mounted in the fuse panel) I have the ability to change those presets for a particular driving scenario. Primarily, I’ll have all speakers on, but on road trips when the kids are passed out I can easily change to a preset that has no sound in the rear speakers (effectively a fade). I also have that same remote linked to control the sub volume so it can be adjusted as needed.

Conclusion: Totally biased here.... These upgrades perform excellent and have given me the sound system in the Telly that I wanted. A vast improvement over stock and done so within a reasonable budget. I have retained all audio functionality, albeit with some new methods to do so. Will now be enjoying this ride even more until I trade it in for a ‘24 later this year (simply because of the amber DRLs).

D-4.800 install:
View attachment 30496

H/K amp breakout harness:
*Pre- soldering to speed wire.
View attachment 30505

D-4.800 fuse:
View attachment 30497

Sub fuse:
View attachment 30498

Firewall:
View attachment 30499

Sub install:
View attachment 30500

D-4.800 remote:
View attachment 30501

H/K Front woofer signal:
View attachment 30502

H/K Front tweeter signal:
View attachment 30503

H/K Rear channel signal:
*Kinda confused by this one as it drives both the woofer and tweeter, but nothing much on the high side??? The front woofer channel looks more appropriate for the rear setup.
View attachment 30504

I have most of my components and decided to go ahead and run my subwoofer first. I am going to try to use the factory signal from the existing sub which is conveniently right there. I am going to run a wire from the battery to power the sub and was wondering where to go through the fire wall on the drivers side? Also, how did you secure your amp to the floor under the drivers seat? Thanks in advance for your response.

______________________________

 

[HLXHLX]

I have most of my components and decided to go ahead and run my subwoofer first. I am going to try to use the factory signal from the existing sub which is conveniently right there. I am going to run a wire from the battery to power the sub and was wondering where to go through the fire wall on the drivers side? Also, how did you secure your amp to the floor under the drivers seat? Thanks in advance for your response.

There is a pic in my initial post of where I routed power wires thru the driver side footwell firewall...for orientation that black cable I believe is the hood release. Highly recommend using a weather sealing grommet. For the amp I first used a piece of HDPE as a base, cut a few small invisible slices in the carpet nearest the HVAC duct where I could lift the carpet and guide from the underside and secured to the HDPE with zip ties. Also added a few pieces of single-sided velcro for more grip.

 

[LoukinTelly]

Might be a stupid question but, I'm installing my aftermarket amp and subwoofer. Curious to know what you all have used for the "remote signal wire"? Did any of you tap off the H/K amp harness or somewhere else near the back of the vehicle? If anyone has insight on this or a picture that would be greatly appreciated!

 

[Pigdog]

Might be a stupid question but, I'm installing my aftermarket amp and subwoofer. Curious to know what you all have used for the "remote signal wire"? Did any of you tap off the H/K amp harness or somewhere else near the back of the vehicle? If anyone has insight on this or a picture that would be greatly appreciated!

I used the breakout harness. Go to the beginning of this thread and read through the HLXHLX posts.

 

[LoukinTelly]

I used the breakout harness. Go to the beginning of this thread and read through the HLXHLX posts.

What wire did you use in the breakout harness for the remote wire and sub signal to an LOC? I do not see a "remote wire" stated in the beginning part of the thread unless if I am just missing it.

______________________________

 

[HLXHLX]

Might be a stupid question but, I'm installing my aftermarket amp and subwoofer. Curious to know what you all have used for the "remote signal wire"? Did any of you tap off the H/K amp harness or somewhere else near the back of the vehicle? If anyone has insight on this or a picture that would be greatly appreciated!

Check if your new LOC/amp has an auto-on function (many do these days) in which case it would sense when the H/K amp powers on via the harness wires you tapped for signal. The H/K amp powers on as you approach the vehicle (fob proximity sensor) and stays on for a couple mins after you turn off the vehicle, so a new amp with the auto-on function should do the same.

 

[LoukinTelly]

Check if your new LOC/amp has an auto-on function (many do these days) in which case it would sense when the H/K amp powers on via the harness wires you tapped for signal. The H/K amp powers on as you approach the vehicle (fob proximity sensor) and stays on for a couple mins after you turn off the vehicle, so a new amp with the auto-on function should do the same.

Now that you say it, that makes sense, there is an auto-on function. I have the AudioControl lc7i from my last vehicle.

 

[jazzard]

I, too, was really unhappy—saddened like I dropped my ice cream on the sidewalk—with the HK sound system in my SXP. It's way too bright, with all the sound originating at the center of the windshield, zero separation, and bass dropping off the table anywhere above 50% volume, especially with the windows down.

So I've been planning to replace all the door speakers with high-end components and a 4-channel amp, add a compact 10" powered sub in the under-floor cubby in back, and tweak it all with a DSP. I was budgeting $3k hardware + $1k installation at a good shop.

That is until I decided to screw with the tone settings. These settings (Treble = 0, Midrange = -5, Bass = +2) seemed to fix 90% of my issues. I will probably still add a sub, but I'm leaving the doors alone. Now, the sound stage is a mile wide, and I can hear individual guitar strings as they're plucked. It's actually quite good sound quality compared to other HK factory systems I've owned.

I'm delighted, and probably going to add a powered JL Audio ACP110LG-TW1 (ported) or ACS110LG-TW1 (sealed) sub box and be done.

 

[anomalist]

I, too, was really unhappy—saddened like I dropped my ice cream on the sidewalk—with the HK sound system in my SXP. It's way too bright, with all the sound originating at the center of the windshield, zero separation, and bass dropping off the table anywhere above 50% volume, especially with the windows down.

So I've been planning to replace all the door speakers with high-end components and a 4-channel amp, add a compact 10" powered sub in the under-floor cubby in back, and tweak it all with a DSP. I was budgeting $3k hardware + $1k installation at a good shop.

That is until I decided to screw with the tone settings. These settings (Treble = 0, Midrange = -5, Bass = +2) seemed to fix 90% of my issues. I will probably still add a sub, but I'm leaving the doors alone. Now, the sound stage is a mile wide, and I can hear individual guitar strings as they're plucked. It's actually quite good sound quality compared to other HK factory systems I've owned.

I'm delighted, and probably going to add a powered JL Audio ACP110LG-TW1 (ported) or ACS110LG-TW1 (sealed) sub box and be done.

View attachment 32834

Thanks @jazzard! I'm going to try this and see if it helps me too.