[Krish R.]

Hi all,

I just (very excitedly) purchased my iX 50 yesterday. Needless to say, it is a little difficult to focus on work because all I want to do is sit in the car and play around with all of the features. I did have one question for the community. I very much value a great sound system in my cars, and when I originally built out this car, I selected the 18-speaker HK system (the B&W was not an option). However, the lead time on the build was close to a year and so when my dealer contacted me recently telling me a car had come available, I jumped on it. However, much to my dismay it did not have the upgraded sound system, just the "Hi-Fi" system. From my research, it seems the Hi-Fi system utilizes HK speakers but is a very basic system with only a 205W 8-channel amp (although I have to say it sounds better than I expected). Has anyone installed an aftermarket amp and/or speaker system on their iX? Are there reputable companies who can do this for BMW vehicles? One company I have heard of is Bimmertech - anyone have any experience with these guys? Are there any reasons why one should NOT install an aftermarket sounds system on an iX?

Thanks in advance!

 

[BeeBop]

As far as I know, the iX50 comes with the 18 speaker HK system as standard, and the B&W is the optional upgrade. I ordered one with the B&W but it got removed from my spec list this year.

One way to check - mine has the HK system, and when i go into "sound" menu, there's an "experience HK" setting which you can press and get a demo of its capability, and it finishes with the HK logo. Maybe if you have that, you can get comfortable you have the HK. I'll be curious to see what you discover.

 

[BeeBop]

Harman Kardon vs Hi-Fi vs Aftermarket Upgrade for BMW | BimmerTech

What's the difference between the BMW sound system options? We compare the Harman Kardon speaker system, HiFi system and BMW replacement speakers to find out!

www.bimmer-tech.net

 

[Krish R.]

As far as I know, the iX50 comes with the 18 speaker HK system as standard, and the B&W is the optional upgrade. I ordered one with the B&W but it got removed from my spec list this year.

One way to check - mine has the HK system, and when i go into "sound" menu, there's an "experience HK" setting which you can press and get a demo of its capability, and it finishes with the HK logo. Maybe if you have that, you can get comfortable you have the HK. I'll be curious to see what you discover.

Thanks for your response BeeBop. I don't see any options for "experience HK" in the "sound" menu. Also, there is no "Harmon Kardon" identifier next to the speakers, like I saw in the 2022 demo iX that I drove. However, the sound from my new 2023 iX is surprisingly good - very crisp and powerful bass, even more powerful than my Audi etron where I have the 16-speaker B&O system with a subwoofer. The surround sound is not as good as my Audi but the sound is much better than what I heard in a demo X5 with the stock speaker system. When I built my original iX car, there was a separate option for the upgraded 18-speaker HK system which is why I was thinking it does not come standard. I am going to try post a couple of pictures that I took of the 'Sound" menu screen, the front grill speakers and drivers side door speakers.

 

[Krish R.]

Here are some pictures...

 

[BeeBop]

Many reviews reference the HK system as standard but perhaps they are the victim of the chip shortage.
2022 BMW iX xDrive50: Everything You Need To Know

If the speakers don't have the HK livery, then i suspect its the BMW standard speaker.

 

[BeeBop]

I am staggered that the stock iX50 (which is a £100k car) doesn't come with the HK speakers. if its any consolation, I've not been massively impressed and am justifying an aftermarket upgrade.

 

[Krish R.]

Yeah, seems like it is the standard because I don't have the same options in my "sound" menu as you do. From what I have read, the standard speakers are also HK speakers but the lower end ones which is why they don't advertise them with the visible brand label. I completely agree - for such an expensive car, the 18-speaker surround system should be standard with the B&W system as the option! I am considering an aftermarket upgrade but wasn't sure if that would screw up any warranty coverage and mess with any of the iX programming.

 

[Krish R.]

I think the iX M60 comes with the B&W as standard.

 

[GottKaiser]

I am staggered that the stock iX50 (which is a £100k car) doesn't come with the HK speakers. if its any consolation, I've not been massively impressed and am justifying an aftermarket upgrade.

Yes I remember back when ordering my iX50 in January I had the option to chose the H&K or the B&W, but both were an option and the H&K has not been standard like it is now.

 

[Mike Wilkins]

Hi all,

I just (very excitedly) purchased my iX 50 yesterday. Needless to say, it is a little difficult to focus on work because all I want to do is sit in the car and play around with all of the features. I did have one question for the community. I very much value a great sound system in my cars, and when I originally built out this car, I selected the 18-speaker HK system (the B&W was not an option). However, the lead time on the build was close to a year and so when my dealer contacted me recently telling me a car had come available, I jumped on it. However, much to my dismay it did not have the upgraded sound system, just the "Hi-Fi" system. From my research, it seems the Hi-Fi system utilizes HK speakers but is a very basic system with only a 205W 8-channel amp (although I have to say it sounds better than I expected). Has anyone installed an aftermarket amp and/or speaker system on their iX? Are there reputable companies who can do this for BMW vehicles? One company I have heard of is Bimmertech - anyone have any experience with these guys? Are there any reasons why one should NOT install an aftermarket sounds system on an iX?

Thanks in advance!
[/QUOTEI
I have a ‘23 iXM60 on order, production the week of Oct 10, after a 7 mo wait from the time my dealer got me on the ‘list’. My current ride is a ‘22 X5 which arrived late Aug ‘21. I’m a bit of a sound freak and when I ordered the X5 the only system available was the ‘standard’, the chip shortage precluding either HK or B&W, much to my chagrin. My salesman ( I had previously bought a ‘05 E60, X6, and X3 from him ) assured me that I could upgrade the system for under $1000 at a nearby sound shop. Long story short....research led me to Bimmertech, from whom I purchased $2400 of equipment, including amp, woofers, etc., installation costing $900.
The sound is impressive but - BIG but - not immersive. Best sound system I ever had in a car was a Lexus SC400, with either of my ‘test’ recordings eliciting gasps from listeners. I can’t do that with my Bimmertech system but it definitely beats the standard system. Hope this helps.

 

[Krish R.]

I also came across Bimmertech and was looking to see if anyone else had also used them. Glad to hear about your experience, thanks for sharing. My one concern is that I am not sure if anyone has upgraded an amp from Bimmertech on a BMW EV, and so wasn't sure if there were any unique issues with doing so. For example, I thought I saw in some forum that the OEM amp might be used for OTA updates, so replacing it might cause issues down the line - however, I have no idea how true this is. When you upgraded the speakers, did you just replace the existing ones or add new speaker locations? I can imagine that it would be very hard to create an immersive experience from a setup that is not originally immersive. However, yours is now just a waiting game, as I think you will be getting a stellar system on the iX M60 (I think the B&W system is standard on those vehicles).

 

[Mike Wilkins]

I also came across Bimmertech and was looking to see if anyone else had also used them. Glad to hear about your experience, thanks for sharing. My one concern is that I am not sure if anyone has upgraded an amp from Bimmertech on a BMW EV, and so wasn't sure if there were any unique issues with doing so. For example, I thought I saw in some forum that the OEM amp might be used for OTA updates, so replacing it might cause issues down the line - however, I have no idea how true this is. When you upgraded the speakers, did you just replace the existing ones or add new speaker locations? I can imagine that it would be very hard to create an immersive experience from a setup that is not originally immersive. However, yours is now just a waiting game, as I think you will be getting a stellar system on the iX M60 (I think the B&W system is standard on those vehicles).

The Bimmertech setup in my X5 just uses the existing speaker locations, no new placement. I’d be wary of attempting to add or re-locate speakers in an iX. That said, I found the team at Bimmertech responsive and knowledgeable. Bottom line B&W is the only way to go IMHO.

 

[vinsanity]

Yikes, I can't imagine anything lower than HK as standard for a ~$100k car. Glad I pre-ordered the iX50 with the B&W. Never looked back.

 

[Kjetil-A]

Hi all, I just (very excitedly) purchased my iX 50 yesterday. Needless to say, it is a little difficult to focus on work because all I want to do is sit in the car and play around with all of the features. I did have one question for the community. I very much value a great sound system in my cars, and when I originally built out this car, I selected the 18-speaker HK system (the B&W was not an option). However, the lead time on the build was close to a year and so when my dealer contacted me recently telling me a car had come available, I jumped on it. However, much to my dismay it did not have the upgraded sound system, just the "Hi-Fi" system. From my research, it seems the Hi-Fi system utilizes HK speakers but is a very basic system with only a 205W 8-channel amp (although I have to say it sounds better than I expected). Has anyone installed an aftermarket amp and/or speaker system on their iX? Are there reputable companies who can do this for BMW vehicles? One company I have heard of is Bimmertech - anyone have any experience with these guys? Are there any reasons why one should NOT install an aftermarket sounds system on an iX? Thanks in advance!

Are you happy with the sound of the standard bmw hifi? I am waiting for an IX, that have almost everything except the HK system, and are getting a bit concerned that the BMW Hifi maybe aren't good enough.

 

[MechaDog]

The B&W is one of the reasons that I went with the 60 (which is crossing the Atlantic right now). Sound is important for me, so I don’t know if I would pull the trigger on the standard bmw hifi. It is definitely not just BMW these days getting hit with the chip shortage though. My wife just ordered a Taycan, and there were no options available right now due to chip shortage, so she is stuck with the basic Porsche system.(she doesn’t care about sound systems so just as well).

 

[Krish R.]

Are you happy with the sound of the standard bmw hifi? I am waiting for an IX, that have almost everything except the HK system, and are getting a bit concerned that the BMW Hifi maybe aren't good enough.

I am almost positive that the BMW iX standard system still uses the HK speakers but is not surround sound and is powered with a lower quality amp. I am actually very pleasantly surprised with the quality of the sound from the speakers, maybe because I was expecting the worst. I have the Audi etron with the B&O surround system, and honestly there is not a whole lot of difference between the two systems. In fact, in a certain piece of music, the BMW speakers were able to pick up a specific guitar strum which was not easily discernible on the B&O system. I would have loved the upgraded system but the current system is not a deal-breaker for me.

 

[Mike Wilkins]

Hi all,

I just (very excitedly) purchased my iX 50 yesterday. Needless to say, it is a little difficult to focus on work because all I want to do is sit in the car and play around with all of the features. I did have one question for the community. I very much value a great sound system in my cars, and when I originally built out this car, I selected the 18-speaker HK system (the B&W was not an option). However, the lead time on the build was close to a year and so when my dealer contacted me recently telling me a car had come available, I jumped on it. However, much to my dismay it did not have the upgraded sound system, just the "Hi-Fi" system. From my research, it seems the Hi-Fi system utilizes HK speakers but is a very basic system with only a 205W 8-channel amp (although I have to say it sounds better than I expected). Has anyone installed an aftermarket amp and/or speaker system on their iX? Are there reputable companies who can do this for BMW vehicles? One company I have heard of is Bimmertech - anyone have any experience with these guys? Are there any reasons why one should NOT install an aftermarket sounds system on an iX?

Thanks in advance!

I had a ‘22 X5 which had the standard audio system. I ordered speakers and amp and woofers from Bimmertech, which vastly improved the sound. However, I ordered a iXM60 in March which, after a couple of delays was not going to arrive until ‘early’ 23. I was pissed, but a comparably equipped M50 became available and I snatched it. Its HK system is surprisingly good, but I’m still going to switch out when the 60 arrives because of its B&W. I’m expecting a BIG difference!

 

[Kjetil-A]

I am almost positive that the BMW iX standard system still uses the HK speakers but is not surround sound and is powered with a lower quality amp. I am actually very pleasantly surprised with the quality of the sound from the speakers, maybe because I was expecting the worst. I have the Audi etron with the B&O surround system, and honestly there is not a whole lot of difference between the two systems. In fact, in a certain piece of music, the BMW speakers were able to pick up a specific guitar strum which was not easily discernible on the B&O system. I would have loved the upgraded system but the current system is not a deal-breaker for me.

That doesn't sound too bad! Maybe I'll be just fine with the BMW Hifi. Have you thought about replacing the amp or det speakers with aftermarket amp/speakers?

Where is the speakers placed? I can't find any information where the 12 speakers are positioned in the car, but maybe hi and mid in front, high and mid in all four doors and two subs under the front seats?

 

[Krish R.]

I had a ‘22 X5 which had the standard audio system. I ordered speakers and amp and woofers from Bimmertech, which vastly improved the sound. However, I ordered a iXM60 in March which, after a couple of delays was not going to arrive until ‘early’ 23. I was pissed, but a comparably equipped M50 became available and I snatched it. Its HK system is surprisingly good, but I’m still going to switch out when the 60 arrives because of its B&W. I’m expecting a BIG difference!

Did you get the surround sound 18-speaker HK system on the M50 or just the standard system? I would have loved the B&W system or even the 18-speaker system but I snatched the first iX50 vehicle that became available (otherwise a 1-year wait because I was just at the order stage). Since I was very curious/concerned about the sound, I had the dealer let me listen to the standard system on an X5 and I was not very impressed. However, the standard system on the iX50 seems much better than the standard on the X5 which is why I am assuming that the speakers are still HK on the standard system iX50 although they are not branded as such. Of course, it could all be subjective and the speakers are just the same as the X5. Does anyone have info on which speakers are used on the standard system on an X5?