Opinions on 19 Speaker Harman Kardon sound system

[Tim Pullyblank]

Thank God (and Dodge) for releasing this software update....Stereo is so much better now. Still could use a touch more pounding bass from the sub...but lots of loud clear volume now!

 

[Eric Simpson]

I liked my 2016 Alpine much better major disappointment.

 

[adrianp89]

Just got my update - huge difference. Gets to a pretty good volume to say the least.

 

[DA Smith]

The Alpine system sounds amazing on my Laramie, so I would expect that system to sound even better (you’d hope right?).


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I had the alpine system in my 2015 Laramie and it sounded great. I now have the Herman Cardone with 19 speakers in my new 2019 Laramie and it is very disappointing. Sound quality is poor , I wish it was an Alpine like I had before

 

[TerraNewf]

I had the alpine system in my 2015 Laramie and it sounded great. I now have the Herman Cardone with 19 speakers in my new 2019 Laramie and it is very disappointing. Sound quality is poor , I wish it was an Alpine like I had before

Get the update that everybody on here is talking about. My Longhorn must already have it because when I took delivery in February I was very impressed with the system. Lots of volume and bass.

 

[CVX1984]

I’ve seen on another forum those who have got their truck already weren’t overly impressed with the upgraded 19 speaker sound system. I ordered my Limited with it and am just waiting on production until I get my truck.

Any opinions from anyone who either has listened to the new sound system or has it in their truck? Impressed by the quality or not so much?

Just had mine done today with the bulletin, and my HK is 50% louder.

 

[Arek1]

Just traded my 2017 Laramie with Alpine system with Sub for the 2019 Laramie with HK with sub behind the back seat. Gaining storage under the back seat and loosing good sound. The sub in HK sounds much worse then in Alpine. Now I'm looking for a good sub box that will fit this truck.

 

[colegar]

I have a one-month-old 2019 Limited 1500. I am very distressed over the extremely muddy, non-linear base that sounds more like a teenager's boom box than a sophisticated 19-speaker system. The only way I can get the constant base rumble lowered enough to be tolerable is to set the balance and fade to the front speakers only. I previously owned a 2016 Limited 2500 and was very happy with it's Alpine system.

In reading some of the other posts to this forum, I am actually seeing complaints that the Harmon/Kardon system is not powerful enough and is lacking in base. My H/K system is quite the opposite in that it will blow you out of the truck and even my dealer agrees that the base is overwhelming and that setting it to the lowest level in the equalizer does not get it to a pleasant level. I sure hope someone knows of a system update that rectifies this issue. I am in love with this truck otherwise!

 

[Fazeman]

I have a one-month-old 2019 Limited 1500. I am very distressed over the extremely muddy, non-linear base that sounds more like a teenager's boom box than a sophisticated 19-speaker system. The only way I can get the constant base rumble lowered enough to be tolerable is to set the balance and fade to the front speakers only. I previously owned a 2016 Limited 2500 and was very happy with it's Alpine system.

In reading some of the other posts to this forum, I am actually seeing complaints that the Harmon/Kardon system is not powerful enough and is lacking in base. My H/K system is quite the opposite in that it will blow you out of the truck and even my dealer agrees that the base is overwhelming and that setting it to the lowest level in the equalizer does not get it to a pleasant level. I sure hope someone knows of a system update that rectifies this issue. I am in love with this truck otherwise!

I test drove a 2019 Longhorn today. The HK system was a monstrous disappointment because of the massive thumping sound from the subwoofer. I turned the base down to its lowest level. Yet, the pounding was still there. This booming sound is like an entity unto itself. It's independent of the rest of the sound. What a disaster!

I truly want to buy the Longhorn in the next few months. And I'm figuring that if the subwoofer is unplugged, a semblance of high fidelity will be realized.

 

[Shauner]

Hello All.

I too have been questioning this matter with my dealer as something is just not right. I have owned the 1500's and currently own a 2500, 3500 and 5500. Upon trading my 2016 3500 laramie in with an Alpine to a 2019 3500. I am beyond disappointed in the HK system as it is painfull to listen to. There is simply no range.

I purchased the "upgrade" based on what I listened to in the 1500 at the dealership. In my opinion the HK sounds great in the 1500 but is a completely different system in the 3500. Given that I run a few rams for the business the dealer admits that it sounds off and they would be willing to upgrade the system for me.

I am finding it difficult to swallow a price tag of a 100 grand and my only option is to upgrade and upgraded system?! The dealers are now realizing that there is a major difference between the two and have to notify customers.
Yes one has 19 speakers and a 900w amp and one has 17 and 750 amp but this HK is literally a downgrade from the Alpine in my opinion.

I am hoping Ram is listening as engineering continue to pass the buck!

 

[Clayton Bearden]

I have a 2016 with the, then upgraded Alpine system, and a 2019 with the Harmon. Both have great clarity. By my ear only, I hear slightly better highs with the Harmon. I hear noticably (not significantly) better base with the Alpine. (Cleaner, crisper, clearer, not deeper and more muffled) If I could get the package it comes with and still choose Alpine or Harmon, I think I would still go with the Alpine. My plan is to add an amp and a sub with the existing Harmon. I'm not sure if that option is in the aftermarket world yet. If it is, can someone let me know.

 

[Floridaphil]

I’ve seen on another forum those who have got their truck already weren’t overly impressed with the upgraded 19 speaker sound system. I ordered my Limited with it and am just waiting on production until I get my truck.

Any opinions from anyone who either has listened to the new sound system or has it in their truck? Impressed by the quality or not so much?

The system is pretty much garbage sadly, whoever designed it has no idea how a good quality system should sound. The tonal quality is very poor, the door tweeters have virtually no output, the 6x8,s in the door are being used as woofers and the sub is pathetic, the dash speakers are really the only thing you can hear. The Alpine system is way superior with only 9 speakers and a proper sub. I’m not sure where the so called 19 speakers with the Kardon are but both Ram and Hardon need to step up to the mark and have all the systems sorted.

 

[Floridaphil]

Hello All.

I too have been questioning this matter with my dealer as something is just not right. I have owned the 1500's and currently own a 2500, 3500 and 5500. Upon trading my 2016 3500 laramie in with an Alpine to a 2019 3500. I am beyond disappointed in the HK system as it is painfull to listen to. There is simply no range.

I purchased the "upgrade" based on what I listened to in the 1500 at the dealership. In my opinion the HK sounds great in the 1500 but is a completely different system in the 3500. Given that I run a few rams for the business the dealer admits that it sounds off and they would be willing to upgrade the system for me.

I am finding it difficult to swallow a price tag of a 100 grand and my only option is to upgrade and upgraded system?! The dealers are now realizing that there is a major difference between the two and have to notify customers.
Yes one has 19 speakers and a 900w amp and one has 17 and 750 amp but this HK is literally a downgrade from the Alpine in my opinion.

I am hoping Ram is listening as engineering continue to pass the buck!

They need to admit that the system is terrible, my new 2020 with the Kardon system is just complete rubbish

 

[Floridaphil]

Hello All.

I too have been questioning this matter with my dealer as something is just not right. I have owned the 1500's and currently own a 2500, 3500 and 5500. Upon trading my 2016 3500 laramie in with an Alpine to a 2019 3500. I am beyond disappointed in the HK system as it is painfull to listen to. There is simply no range.

I purchased the "upgrade" based on what I listened to in the 1500 at the dealership. In my opinion the HK sounds great in the 1500 but is a completely different system in the 3500. Given that I run a few rams for the business the dealer admits that it sounds off and they would be willing to upgrade the system for me.

I am finding it difficult to swallow a price tag of a 100 grand and my only option is to upgrade and upgraded system?! The dealers are now realizing that there is a major difference between the two and have to notify customers.
Yes one has 19 speakers and a 900w amp and one has 17 and 750 amp but this HK is literally a downgrade from the Alpine in my opinion.

I am hoping Ram is listening as engineering continue to pass the buck!

Totally agree system is garbage

 

[TheEnder]

Totally agree system is garbage

How bad? The 6-speaker array in my 2013 sounds AMAZING! the bass/range/treble is absolutely fantastic. And that’s with the stock speakers, could only imagine how good it would sound with aftermarket speakers in her.


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[Floridaphil]

How bad? The 6-speaker array in my 2013 sounds AMAZING! the bass/range/treble is absolutely fantastic. And that’s with the stock speakers, could only imagine how good it would sound with aftermarket speakers in her.


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I just wanted to add my opinion again. For anyone who buys a new 2020 Ram with the Harmon 19 speaker system. I think whoever they have at Kardon who designed the system was deaf. I have been in sound for over 40 years and here is the issue. The dash has three 3.5 inch speakers, the tonal quality of these is awful. The front doors have a tweeter and a full range 6.5 speaker, the tweeter is really bad with hardly any output, the 6.5 is being used as a woofer, your chances of hearing anything from the front door speakers is zilch. The rest are in the rear doors and the rear ceiling. All of the speakers are cheap and nasty. The sub bass is an 8 inch unit mounted behind the rear passenger side seat. The sub rattles everything and due to the very limited acoustic box it’s in has no chance of working properly. There is no independent control for the sub bass speaker, so to get any decent bass you have to up the bass equalizer, this then overloads everything else making things considerably worse. The equalizer and surround sound functions are extremely limited and do not make things any better whichever way you try.

I really feel like taking a class action law suit against Ram and Harmon. We are forced to have this crap system when we choose a package so there’s no choice. The 9 speaker Alpine system with the sub woofer under the rear seat performs way better, but it’s still no wYbas good as it should be,but 5 times better than the Harmon. You don’t have to be a sound expert to judge these systems, if a system sounds good on all types of music and all types of formats, then it’s a good system. take a listen to the basic Bose system on the Silverado it’s excellent and exactly how it should be.

ram made a great touch, fantastic interior and then get a bunch of labels and stick it on a totally crap system.

 

[FireAtWill]

So I went today to the dealership and had them complete the HK Amplifier software flash/update and the system sounds 100% better and now puts the Alpine to shame (IMO). The volume can't go above 30 now without my ears bleeding (I'm old).

No idea if that would help '20 owners but I am really impressed now by the stereo while before was "meh".

Just my $.02

 

[Fredro Starr]

So I went today to the dealership and had them complete the HK Amplifier software flash/update and the system sounds 100% better and now puts the Alpine to shame (IMO). The volume can't go above 30 now without my ears bleeding (I'm old).

No idea if that would help '20 owners but I am really impressed now by the stereo while before was "meh".

Just my $.02

Don't you have a 2020?

 

[FireAtWill]

I have a 2019 Laramie level 2 package. Mfd in 08/2018.


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[Fredro Starr]

Okay, your demographic profile says Ram Year: 2020