VW ID.4 Sound System

From what I have read the system speakers are Harmon Kardin and they sound really good from some video reviews in Europe.

Europe will be getting a different sound system than US, most likely.

I have a Bang & Olufsen surround system in my TTS and I think it's quite good. But many don't like it since it doesn't have a true subwoofer (space/weight saving consideration in that small coupe). My wife's Benz GLA has a Harman Kardon and again I think it's quite good, but ..... Audio is such a subjective item that invariably there will be some on both sides of the pro/con fence. Manufacturers swap vendors all the time based on price for similar spec's. And even the "high end" vendors have a 'value engineered' or 'tailored' variant so often apples & oranges between vehicles, my TTS example case in point.

No disagreement, just for now we're getting in US "generic speakers", which is hard to know what they are. I do notice the difference between Q5 branded speakers and no-names I had before, so perhaps either I am super sensitive or perhaps there is something to it Either way, it would be nice what we're getting in US under "generic speaker system"

If we indeed do get the Beats System with 7 speakers and a 400 watt amp and sub, that would be nice... A "generic" system is not at all reassuring or make me excited about this car.

According to the product guide posted on this forum, all US trims get a base audio system with no option to upgrade.

Sounds like a lot of aftermarket systems will be needed

VidMan said:

According to the product guide posted on this forum, all US trims get a base audio system with no option to upgrade.

Click to expand...

Welp I'm probably out then... How do you make a car like this and then throw in a BASE audio system!? That's lame...

Cost cutting everywhere. I don't mind if the base model had everything base but give me at least an option to update

mmmzon said:

Cost cutting everywhere. I don't mind if the base model had everything base but give me at least an option to update

Click to expand...

Agreed... If I'm paying for a higher trim don't skimp on the features, and for me the audio is an important one.

It's a very strange strategy from VW honestly. It seems like they really don't want this car to succeed in US and would rather push buyers towards eTron instead.

Is the e tron still only 222 miles? I think someone would have to be crazy to settle for that. I did notice the Bang & Olaffson system is listed as a feature of the Premium trim... They sure as heck can't brag about the range! 250miles is decent for the ID.4 and I was ok with that, but now I just might get a Tesla... Maybe my dealer will have an ID.4 I can go look at before the "order locked" step in the process.

That's what I'm doing. They will have demo units early in 2021 and then I'll take decision on go or not. For now not holding my breath though

I think it's just the opposite. They're optioning (or de-optioning depending on how you look at it) ID.4's in the US to make them more attractive on price. Please be reminded that the mindset is "the people's electric car." I think same goes for the lack of heat pump.
I would hope the ID.4's base system is at least as good as that in their oft compared GTI, but we shall see.
Of course they wouldn't at all mind if you rather paid more for an Audi Q4.
I've found the base system in Audi quite good, but then Audi and it should be for the price differential.

btw: MA & CA, and likely others, have recently signed into law that all new cars offered for sale in 2035 must be electric. That's of course a fair distance away but shows that electric sales are indeed desirable.

mmmzon said:

It's a very strange strategy from VW honestly. It seems like they really don't want this car to succeed in US and would rather push buyers towards eTron instead.

Click to expand...

ID.4 said:

Does anyone have any information on the sound system that will be offered in the ID.4 1st Edition? The only information I have found is in regards to the ID.3 - the “beats” sound system, a 400W amplifier powers seven speakers and one subwoofer. With all the information we have, the sound system hasn't really been mentioned.

Thanks for any information you might have.

Click to expand...

The US ID4 First Edition has the Harmon Kardon system installed. On some of the US First Edition videos you can see the Harmon Kardon name and logo on rear doors. There is a mention of the system in the review by a California dealer in San Jose.

Thanks for the insight jlewis3323. Presumably then the Pro Statement will have same.

btw: it's spelled Harman Kardon, a common misspelling, as is other than Bang & Olufsen.

jlewis3323 said:

The US ID4 First Edition has the Harmon Kardon system installed. On some of the US First Edition videos you can see the Harmon Kardon name and logo on rear doors. There is a mention of the system in the review by a California dealer in San Jose.

Click to expand...

Do you have a link for that one? All the videos I see of the interior have no badging.

This dealer doesn't mention it, but the shots of the inside are very good.

ID4000 said:

Do you have a link for that one? All the videos I see of the interior have no badging.

This dealer doesn't mention it, but the shots of the inside are very good.

Click to expand...

The Harman Kardon badging was present only in the preproduction models going off some of the reviews. I'm assuming with the lack of badging and only base system mentioned in the product manuals that this means the audio system is a basic system. The whole confusion behind this, as with the myriad of other features, is that the US model is heavily decontented compared to the European model, and this fact has not been made clear by VW or US reviewers. EU models have the option for the premium Bang and Olufsen sound system.

Bait and switch ...