I whole heartily agree. I can crank my system up louder than I'm comfortable with and have no distortion. Maybe my 52 year old ears have lost some of their sensitivity over that years :surprise:
Yeah. I just don't know what people expect. HK isn't even top of the line. Top of the line audio systems run in the tens of thousands. This is a minivan folks. Not even a luxury vehicle.
10 Car Stereos for the World?s Finest Luxury Cars ? Robb Report
I can guarantee you that more scrutiny should be placed on the stereos in the link above than the average HK system in a minivan. lol Just sayin.
Sure, the HK system may sound better in other vehicles, but the inside cabins are completely different. Angles, insulation, cabin volume, number of surfaces that reflect sound (different seat configs in minivans), materials used, carpet, floormats, etc.
You cannot expect an HK system to sound the same even in an SUV compared to a minivan. The physics just aren't the same. I'm sure the HK engineers tried their best to account for those differences.
I would argue that 99% of serious audiophiles are never 100% happy with stock radios as they have their own tastes in sound. Which is why they eventually get after-market setups to suit their needs. I used to be a part of the BMW forums and people would complain about the upgraded HK 16 speaker Logic 7 system in the tiny 3-series. :surprise:
As far as the Pacifica is concerned, I think the sound system was further down the list of must-haves. Most people just wanted an efficient people mover that could play movies and their favorite to 40 hits. All the other stuff is irrelevant to them.
I didn't get the upgraded system because I knew just adding a few speakers wouldn't really matter in the long run. I like my hearing. lol