Is the Harman Kardon Option Worth the Money

S8ER01Z said:

I wonder if there is more than 1 alpine option because it low key sucked in my 2018 Challenger.

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There is a basic no-name system, two Alpine systems, and then the HK system. The no-name system comes as standard in SXT, GT, and R/T models, but it gets overridden with the base level Alpine system by the Plus Package and I believe the NAV unit as well, and of course by the typical audio upgrade options. See below for examples. You have to have a real stripper model to end up with this stereo system and I think it's reasonable to expect it to sound like utter garbage.

MONRONEY (dodge.com)
MONRONEY (dodge.com)

The first Alpine system is the base system on the Scat Pack and Hellcat. You can see it referred to as the "6 Premium Alpine Speakers" under standard equipment on the Hellcat window sticker below. It seems to me that by most accounts this system is lackluster.

MONRONEY (dodge.com)

There's also the upgraded Alpine system with a more powerful amplifier and 9 speakers. This system isn't available on Hellcats. I had this system in a Challenger GT and it sounded pretty good for a factory stereo. You can see it referred to as the "Alpine Audio Group with Subwoofer " under optional equipment on the GT window sticker below.

MONRONEY (dodge.com)

Then of course there's the top-of-the-line HK system. Since this is the only audio upgrade available for the HC, I would probably not buy one without it.

toekneethetiger said:

That's what I thought. Until I dug in and realized that $2k won't even get you subs with a proper install these days.

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I'm with you, $2k won't get you too far in the aftermarket audio world.

$500 for 4 channel amp:
Alpine R-A60F R-Series 4-channel car amplifier — 100 watts RMS x 4 at Crutchfield

$500 for mono sub amp:
Alpine R-A75M R-Series mono subwoofer amplifier — 750 watts RMS x 1 at 2 ohms at Crutchfield

$700 for 6 speakers:
Alpine R-S69C.2 R Series 6"x9" component speaker system at Crutchfield
Alpine R-S65.2 R-Series 6-1/2" 2-way car speakers at Crutchfield

$380 for single 12" sub:
Alpine R2-W12D4 R Series 12" subwoofer with dual 4-ohm voice coils at Crutchfield

The total for this decent quality, but somewhat basic setup of a system is already a little more than the HK system, but doesn't include any of the needed accessories like wiring, adapters, sub box, etc. Not to mention installation which will add a non-negligible cost. All in you're probably looking at $2.5-3k for this system that probably won't sound much better than the HK system.

2ndgen said:

The HK is not an 825W system. At best, it's 825 /peak/ watts, but according to the fuse it will max in the low 300W range.
Any one serious about it enough to change out the speakers is also going to want to upgrade the amp and the power delivery to it.
The one benefit is that it will already be wired to all the speaker locations.

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I know it’s peak, but those are the numbers I have available. Even still, the 276 watts peak base Alpine system’s RMS value would be even sadder still by comparison. Most accounts I’ve seen say the base Alpine system isn’t good at all. If you want better audio that means either HK or aftermarket, but I imagine a lot of folks here don’t want someone tearing apart their interior to run wiring and install an aftermarket audio system. Someone could DIY it but that requires some know-how and a time commitment. Not to mention a lot of aftermarket speakers may require permanent modifications to mounting locations and trim pieces, which may make some folks here recoil. Aftermarket speakers tend to have far bigger magnets than OEM equipment. And indeed some folks may want to upgrade the HK amp, but that’s more involved than swapping out a few speakers. And if you swap in something like Infinity Reference speakers that have a 3 ohm resistance, the factory amp will still get more than loud enough for all but the attention seekers that need to rattle everyone’s windows three streets over with their subs.

No argument that if you’re the type to require really high-end audio, then aftermarket will be the best way there and you shouldn’t waste $2k on a system you plan on tearing out anyway. If you just want something pretty good, then the HK system will likely get you there. If in the end you find want just a little more than what the HK offers, replacing speakers is a relatively easy step to take.