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Harman Kardon

14K views 16 replies 12 participants last post by  Fast55 
#1 ·
Picked up my 2018 Crysler Pacifica S Limited two days ago now I wish I went with Harman Kardon speaker package . Wonder if I can still get that ?..
 
#3 ·
Our limited s package didnt have it ether. Only 13 speaker alpine. I think the alpine sounds pretty good. I didnt notice a huge improvement over the 20 speaker set up. I cant jam it crazy loud like I do in my old zj jeep anyways. I've got lots of goodies in there for my loud listening pleasure so the van is just the stylish wife and kid hauler that gets to be prettied up. Lol
 
G
#4 ·
I researched the 13 speaker alpine vs 20 speaker HK topic to death before I bought my van. My take aways based on what I read here is that the people that have the HK system are happy with it, but they wouldn't recommend paying extra for it. Like, if it happened to be on the model van you were buying, great, but it wasn't worth the cost of upgrade over the alpine system.

ymmv, opinions on sound are VERY subjective, but there were some true audiophiles in those discussions and that's what I took away from all of the discussions.

Personally, I have the alpine system.
 
#5 ·
I opted for the 20 speakers and I am very happy. I think it is the best sounding system in any car I have ever owned. Totally worth it to me.
John
 
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#6 ·
Looks like the 2019 Pacifica Hybrid Limited S package includes the 20 speaker system, not 13. Not sure about the gasser model, but maybe not an issue on the 2019s.
 
#10 ·
I have never heard the 13 speaker Alpine system, but I can tell you that the HK 20 speaker system sounds excellent. It has nice bass sound without being boomy, like a van full of subwoofers. The spatial sound is very nice, great separation. You can play it at a fairly high volume without it breaking up or clipping, and the sound stays true all the way up there. I love when I'm alone, I turn it up higher when I'm by myself. My son who's 23 years old was really wowed when listening to Phil Collins "In the Air". He said this system sounds unbelievable, and I have nice audio equipment in my home too, but he's really impressed. I would purchase it again if they raised the price by $500
 
#11 ·
I got the HK package and love it. I ordered our van from the factory but before i did I went to the dealership and asked to see both stock and HK equipped pacifica(among other things) and there is actually a HUGE difference. HK is many times better than stock
 
#14 ·
To me the HK system has a overall balanced feel. The highs, lows and bass is by far superior in clarity even as the volume increases substantially . Id also conquer that on resale that a loaded vehicle has a far better dollar value associated with it . For me , the interior of the Pacifica is better suited for the HK than was my SRT Grand Cherokees, SRT 300's or SRT Viper.
 
#15 ·
I opted for HK in the event there were more physical speaker locations and wouldn't want the trouble of adding speaker locations in the future if I wanted to upgrade...not sure whether the 20 speakers are the same physical locations as the 13 (just with more drivers in each location). Regardless, the add'l cost is worth it for me as it's cheaper than an aftermarket upgrade. I have decent home speakers (Paradigm) and have critically listened to audiophile quality speakers. HK in our van is good, best I've heard in a vehicle though I don't frequent luxury cars so I'm sure there's better out there, but I'm happy with the HK 20. Unfortunately I can't compare to the 13, though I'd be surprised if anyone could realistically do so at the "dealer" since I find speakers don't reach a normal state until they loosen up after a few hours of moderate music playing; mine sounded much better after a 3-5hrs of music...

Generally speakers are the weakest link of any system, so getting good ones will go a long way. Next is a good source of music. Amplifiers, wires, etc. are less important though you'll notice them more with good speakers and source.
 
#16 ·
I opted for the trailer package instead. As I explained in an earlier thread, there are hundreds of surfaces in a 7/8 passenger van to mute block or distort sounds waves coming from speakers. It also depends on your age (ear maturation/deterioration) how much junk is n your van, etc. So, everyone's experience will be different. I decided that 7 speakers for an extra few grand were not worth it for the purpose of getting the van. We have a 4-year-old and a yet to be born infant. My wife also runs a daycare. I can't imagine needing 20 speakers. One, kids are already loud, two, loud music distracts the driver. Loud kids + loud music = ****.

Our Alpine is crisp and loud enough. I cranked it up a few times and was perfectly pleased. I don't need the cars beside me to hear what I'm listening to. I also don't care about having road-shaking bass.

I had a BMW with a HK 13 speaker system in a small 3-series cabin with the woofers under the seats. Yes, you could feel the bass. That was pretty cool. But I rarely cranked up the volume enough to need that crisp power. Such a loud volume in a small space can actually damage your ears over time.

It's like those people I saw who wanted the M3 even though they would never go above 100mph or spin the wheels. A lot of wasted power if you're rarely going to use it.
 
#17 ·
Well of course personal opinions are all going to be different--and I am interested in hearing them **because** people have different perspectives.

Not sure what the point of answering my question with "it doesn't matter, HK is better and Alpine is "good enough"".

I've run customized sound systems in a number of my cars in the past, I've got a full house Sonos system and I'm staring at Harman Kardon speakers at either side of my monitor as I sit here and type. I'm not trying to spark some debate over which grouping is better--by name, speaker count, amplifier, and package cost, the HK is the premium system.

What I'm asking is, for those of you who sat in two different Pacificas--one with an Alpine system and one with a Harman Kardon system--what were the differences you noticed? This is a valid question that has only been answered on this forum by less than 5 people, and all of those posts are over a year old. I am interested in hearing more recent perspectives, not simply people pushing their system because that's the one they bought (without hearing both).
To be totally honest and with no intended offense to those who have suggested the HK is the superior system, I have to call BS. Maybe having spent the extra $1,000 sways the opinion of some, but there is another thread that confirms that the HK is horribly bass heavy through actual testing. I've had HK in other cars, Bose, Boston Acoustics, etc. and this is without a doubt the worst thing I've ever heard to wear the HK brand. The Alpine system is as good or better.
 
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