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Author Topic: Best settings for Harman Kardon sound  (Read 1873 times)

Offline MarkHowells

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Best settings for Harman Kardon sound
« on: 24 January 2025, 22:07 »
Just bought a mk8.5 GTi with a Harman Kardon system but have no idea on how to get the best out of it.

Does anyone know if it's best to use the presets or do I need to tweak the settings?

This is it's current settings. Any advice would be appreciated.



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Gone: 2018 Golf GTI 7.5 performance pack, Atlantic Blue, Santiago alloys, DCC.
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Offline fredgroves

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Re: Best settings for Harman Kardon sound
« Reply #1 on: 24 January 2025, 22:47 »
Slightly different display to my Mk8 but the equaliser settings I believe are seperate to the modes ... Could be wrong.

I do toggle the modes depending on what I'm listening to, especially for listening to talk radio stations vs music
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Offline SRGTD

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Re: Best settings for Harman Kardon sound
« Reply #2 on: 25 January 2025, 07:24 »
@MarkHowells; I think as Fred has suggested, the optimum settings depend on what you’re listening to. Your own listening preferences will also be a factor as we all have different likes and dislikes - e.g. some people like lots of bass whereas others don’t.

Best to experiment with the settings until you find the ‘sweet spot’ that suits you.
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2020 Polo GTI Plus; Pure White, DSG (because they all are)
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Offline ajmoir36

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Re: Best settings for Harman Kardon sound
« Reply #3 on: 25 January 2025, 19:22 »
The pre canned settings are also overlayed with the equaliser. I didn’t realise in the R on software version 1900 I had to press the lightning one every trip otherwise it was very flat. The first major update fixed it though.
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Offline fredgroves

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Re: Best settings for Harman Kardon sound
« Reply #4 on: 26 January 2025, 10:37 »
Yes it certainly seems to me like it works with an equaliser and the modes.

However my mk8 came with no instructions at all for the HK. I asked vw and they told me no user guide was available and talk to HK. I spoke with HK and they said the interface was written by VW and they knew nothing about OEM integrations of their product...

So unless something changed in the Mk8.5, you're on your own...

BTW this was yet another conversation with vw that left me seething...
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Current: Mk8 GTI DSG, Adelaides, DCC, HUD, HK, Winter Pack, Rear Camera.. Aka "HMS Weasel"

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