Car Owners Hub UK - Built by Drivers, for Drivers

Salutations everyone,

Since I've had to use the "equaliser" to boost the bass to +10 in order to achieve any discernible bass response from the posh HK sound system, I was hoping to hear some opinions on the subwoofer and bass response in general. And even then, there is absolutely no sub-bass in the tracks that ought to have it. I'm concerned the subwoofer might be malfunctioning.

This car has been mine for just over a week, and it's almost 1.5 years old. The audio is so flat, I can hardly believe it!

After listening through the sub grille, I can tell that something is coming out, but it's really quite muted. I don't think the driver is at fault because the sound was clear. I mean, unless the sound was just a resonance coming from the speakers on the door... Beyond the standard high/mid/low tone controls, the settings don't appear to include a subwoofer level control, loudness function, or anything else.

Does anyone else have this problem? I'd like to take the side panel off so I can test the speaker (and the amp, if it's a powered sub) with a multimeter.

As an alternative, should I take the vehicle to a dealership for an inspection? I presume (and I really hope!) that the warranty would cover this?

If you have any feedback or ideas, please let me know!

The sound system doesn't live up to the hype compared to other high-end brands, according to the reviews I've read.

So far, though, I've had no issues with CarPlay on the flat setting. A marked improvement over Soul EV and E Niro.

At low to medium volumes, there is plenty of (not very precise) rock, heavy rock, and metal base, but the sound quality is definitely not that of an audiophile.

This isn't an isolated incident; posts regarding this problem have been made by the Harman Kardon system for all of their vehicle models, not just the EV3. Look around the forum; you'll see a lot of posts covering the same ground.

Compared to the EV6, my 7-month-old Ev3 GT Line S has much better bass. The bass speaker was apparently wired in phase reverse on a few EV6s. Mysterious if the three of you could be identical.

If you have the sound set to "front" only, the subwoofer will not be activated, so double-check that it's set to "central" instead.

Actually, it doesn't go very deep, but I've discovered mine to be fine—just on +1. It's adequate for casual listening, but it can't compare to the ones in the Megane (which had shockingly poor midrange and treble but fantastic bass) or the Polestar 2 (the greatest model of the last several years).

Thank goodness you didn't get an ID.3; that thing is missing a subwoofer and, unless you spring for the optional accessory pack, rear speakers as well!

Much obliged. Tomorrow, I will verify the speaker balance.

There are at least two fuses labelled "Harman Amp"; one of them is 30A and doesn't share the circuit with anything else, so it would be prudent to check if it has blown as well, according to what I read online.

I might check to see if removing the panel in the trunk is easy if I'm in no better position...

It could be fun to jam out to some bass-heavy tunes and lean against the boot panel. You'll know it's running right away if you do that.

This tone generator app on iOS has helped me pinpoint problems and adjust the bass, middle, and treble levels, but I'm no audiophile. Of course, there are more options as well.