Car streaming blues, ain’t marketing great

Try downloaded tracks from a streaming service playing from your phone to either a digital USB input, which would be best, or simply an auxiliary input mini jack. If you have to use the jack, look for a dongle the DAC between your phone and your car. 

Both of these methods will be far superior to what you’ve tried.

I stream Spotify and Radio Paradise from my phone via Bluetooth in all 3 of our vehicles. None of the vehicles have top of the line factory sound systems, but they all sound fine to me. I sometimes use CarPlay in our 2019 Alfa and it sounds good and it's nice having the Spotify or Radio Paradise display on the in dash infotainment screen. 

Harmon Kardon has been making car stereo since at least the early 80's (I use to sell it). It's not top of the line, but usually quite decent. I agree with reubet and M669326 as your first options, if that doesn't work out, I'd suggest upgrading the speakers, Polk, Infinity, many decent brands out there for upgrading. Upgrading the electronics nowadays is either impossible or difficult and expensive for most cars.

I also have XM Sirius in my MB and it sounds fine, not HD, but it rocks fine for road trips. Hope this helps.

Other than checking if you can improve the source, car audio upgrade path is always: power first, then speakers, and lastly sub. A little soundproofing mat I would say is fourth. Just buying new speakers will not work well as stock power is always too little and they stink. I have had cars with HK stereos and always pull the speakers and amp out and replace them. I don’t generally touch the head unit these days but that can be done too but is generally tied into everything so I leave it stock. 

My son replaced the amp in his Subi, it was night and day difference...

One thing to consider is the cost of streaming from your phone if you don't have unlimited minutes as part of your plan. 

I'm shopping for a new car.  Volvo isn't on my list but audi is.   One reviewer said the Bowers and Wilkens stereo on the Volvo is better than the B&O in the Audi which I am looking at.

Sounds like your HK system is the consumer grade system rather than the B&W system which is highly rated.

Jerry

Thanks all. I'll keep it simple. The non-replaceable head units suck!

@sfar  - monthly limits may be an issue for some. However, you can just download content from Spotify and Radio Paradise if that's an issue for you. I often download a few hours worth of Radio Paradise before airline travel so I can listen off-line.

To some degree, it’s a matter of taste. One persons great car stereo doesn’t sound so great to another. It has been my experience that I’ve heard some systems that we’re reputed to be wonderful and not like them. Reversed isn’t quite as true, but I imagine that listening as close to back to back the different systems would make it clear what you prefer.

To some degree, it’s a matter of taste. One persons great car stereo doesn’t sound so great to another. It has been my experience that I’ve heard some systems that

were reputed to be wonderful and not like them. The reverse isn’t quite as true, but I imagine that listening as close to back to back to the different systems would make it clear what you prefer.

I Also endorse the downloading from streaming sites versus getting things through the phone plan.

Sirius streams @ about 40kbps. Lifeless as in dead.

OK for talk radio only like AM.

The rest of your sys is probably fine for road use.

Sirius is still gonna sound bad on the best stuff money can buy.

There is one exception. The symphony channel on Sirius is much less compressed and doesn’t sound too bad.
 

Thanks, @reubent, I should have been more clear in my caution about the potential cost of streaming while in the car. I was referring to streaming from services like Tidal, Apple Music or Spotify which would be streamed through your cellular connection. Sirius is a subscription satellite feed so that isn't an issue.

@sfar  - I understood that you were referring to streaming over a cellular connection. That is why I suggested downloading the content to the phone, instead of streaming from the cellular connection. You can download hours of cached content from Radio Paradise onto your mobile device and stream it via bluetooth or AUX connection to your car system. Same with Spotify and likely all of the other streaming services.

With an unlimited data plan, I stream Tidal at full resolution on my phone and use Bluetooth to control and listen to in in my Acura RDX. On the interstates I've never had a bandwidth issue. In areas of more spotty coverage I just choose from a few playlists and several albums that I keep downloaded to the phone.

The "Acura Premium Sound System" is OK...but only OK. Very nice sound overall except tor a god-awful peak that makes some percussion sounds loud as hell...almost drowning out other frequencies. At medium to low volumes it's not too bad, but turn it up loud and you find yourself gritting your teeth at those moments.

 

 

SUVs are the work of the devil

+1 @keithsax 

@celtic66 
does it happen to have RCA female output plugs on the back?
I ask, because if you could bypass the amplifier stage on the unit, you might be able to use something like a used JBL-MS8 to integrate it?
 

The acoustics in an SUV are far worse than a sedan, and I don’t know that there’s any way to completely overcome that. If the devil is in charge of listening environments, then I agree with the last post.
 

The device I suggested uses a stereo microphone and has capacity for full time alignment of up to eight programmable channels, high, low and band pass.
If the SUV is the devil's work, a time aligning dsp for car is heavenly.