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First World Problems: Should I get the Harman/Kardon package?


TCL28

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I've been looking at the 2013 Legacy for a while now. I'm debating between the 2.5 Sport or the 2.5 Premium with the Harman/Kardon package.

 

I've been in a Legacy with it and in another without it. I can definitely tell the difference, but I'm not sure if I can justify paying the additional cost of the Harman/Kardon package. To be honest with you all, I'm not someone who would go aftermarket. So what comes with my car audio wise will stay that way.

 

For those who have the Harman/Kardon sound system, how do you like it?

 

For those who don't have the Harman/Kardon, do you regret not having it?

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I have an 07 that doesn't have it, the speakers and sound sucks with any bass trying to come through. Going to swap the speakers eventually.

 

I did get the Harman with my 13 3.6R. Personally I think it sounds great, good amount of bass. I've read others on here that don't like it and will tell you to get an aftermarket that is cheaper and sound better.

 

I also owned an 11 Mitsu Ralliart with a rockford fosgate system + 10" sub. The sub was loud, but shook the car and lots of vibrations, the sound quality was still very good, about the same as the Harman. No rattle/vibrations with the Harman system. :)

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Hi TCL28

 

I have the HK system with Nav on my 2013 3.6 Limitied. The sounds alright, I feel it much better than the stock system in my 05GT non limited.

 

With that said, the Nav is not great and if you have a smart phone, it is hard to go back to a car based NAV system. The touch screen is nice and large, but I not a fan of touch screen buttons. I prefer to use the phyical buttons or the steering wheel controls mostly. For me, the best features are the HD radio and the backup camera. Also I will be upgrading my system with Aha intergration for my smart phone.

 

FYI I hear the 2014 2.5 Sport will be available with the NAV; I would assume that would include the Harmon Karmon speakers.

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I think laufu is right in that the 2014 2.5i sport will have the navigation with HK speakers as an option. 2014's should be available in a little over a month.

 

From what I've read for the 2014 2.5 Sport, the only way to get the H/K is when it's bundled with the Nav. I have tried a 2013 Outback with the SAP with the Nav. If the Nav is going to be anything like that, I would rather not pay more for that. I personally don't care for it's UI. There's something about it that feels kind of 1998 to me. It just feels really outdated when you look at other cars in the same price range.

 

I also heard that the 2014 2.5 Sport without Nav will have the same HU as the non-Nav 2.5 Limited with the color screen without the H/K. Apparently this H/U will also have a backup camera included. I don't feel like I would need this feature. I assume the 2014s will have a higher price.

 

Also, the 2013's have the 0% financing for 48 months and an additional $500 cash incentive. That kind of sweetens the deal for me.

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Don't make a decision based on the HK - it's overpriced for what it is. Why wouldn't you do aftermarket?

 

I've read some threads about the H/K. I feel the same way. But it's still an improvement over the non H/K sound system. I wouldn't go aftermarket as I prefer a OEM look and feel.

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I bought my 2010 used and it came with the HK system. It still leaves something to be desired, IMHO. But I would say it is a huge improvement over the stock system. The factory 8" sub gives the car a little bit of bass, but nothing that will make the ground shake. Is it worth the $1,000+ upgrade from the factory? Probably not considering what you could do with that money by going aftermarket. Overall, HK still better than stock!
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My 2010 GT has HK system and the loaner from the dealer 2013 2.5 didn't have hk.

I think HK sounds much better than stock, but DEF not worth the money.

I would spend that money to upgrade with after market and am sure it will sound better than stock HK system.

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Had the same dilemma, didn't like the stock radio, didn't want to go aftermarket,..

 

I listened to both before I bought and talked myself into the Limited w/ the HK. I got a much better deal percentage wise by buying an in stock Limited than ordering a Premium w/ the HK, at the time I bought my car there were only two Premiums in the country w/ the upgrade.

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FTR, I'm an old fart and could care less if my stereo can rattle the bondo off the Civic next to me with rap music. Just not my style.

 

That said, for what you all will call old fogey music (a/k/a rock from the early '60s to late '90s) the H/K rig has all the bass you'll ever need for listening.

 

If your need is to annoy people three towns over with the bass rattle, you need to go aftermarket.

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FTR, I'm an old fart and could care less if my stereo can rattle the bondo off the Civic next to me with rap music. Just not my style.

 

That said, for what you all will call old fogey music (a/k/a rock from the early '60s to late '90s) the H/K rig has all the bass you'll ever need for listening.

 

If your need is to annoy people three towns over with the bass rattle, you need to go aftermarket.

 

Aftermarket isn't just about bass - my car only runs 2 interior speakers and a single sub in the trunk and it kicks the crap out of the HK from a sound quality and balance perspective at less cost in all kinds of music. Touching on bass, a single 8-inch sub attached to a flimsy metal shelf firing into an open air trunk can't compete with a single properly-enclosed sub.

 

And OP, there's a thread I started somewhere in the interior/audio forum where a few people posted pics of various head units if you want to look. Getting a JDM adapter, while a bit pricey at $100 or so, will give you a very stock look and let you maximize your sound quality.

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After much time in both the spl and sq world, I'm pretty sound jaded. That being said, the HK system in my '09 is a BIG difference over the stock system in my '06, albeit nothing overly impressive.

 

Is it worth the extra money? Of course not.

 

Is it worth the pleasure of having it if you are POSITIVE you wouldn't go aftermarket? I think so.

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I have the HK package and I really like it. XM/Sirius comes in clear. There is rarely a moment when I don't have A Perfect Circle or something cranking, so I after 3 months with the car I would say its worth it if you plan on using it, and really working it. Clarity is great, settings really let you work for the sound you are looking for. I also believe that the HK system has a few more speakers throughout the car. I could be wrong.

 

That being said if you will be using it quite a bit absolutely. I think its worth the extra money and I am happy I got it. You don't want to be kicking yourself in the future if you're looking for a bit more out of the stock system. But if you're not then use the money elsewhere.

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There's no question the HK sounds better - those who like to go aftermarket will argue you can get better for the same $, but if you don't plan to go that way, what's available aftermarket is pretty much irrelevant.

 

If you aren't going to go aftermarket, I'd go with the HK package. (also - if you want the HK in a premium, get it soon - that option is gone for 2014 based on the cars101 site)

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If you listen to music with any regularity but are not planning to go after market (as someone mentioned if you don't need to shake the ground under the cars around you) then the HK is the way to go. It sounds much better over the stock. We got it in my wife's 2011 Legacy Premium (which apparently is not a common combination - I think the HK is more common in the high trim models). My wife really enjoys it. She uses the Bluetooth and mp3 plug to play from her phone all the time. I wanted her to have hands-free to be safer driving and this only seemed to come with the HK back in 2011. Overall my wife really enjoys the better sound and features of the HK while retaining the clean and integrated factory look.

 

Joe

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