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BMW 3-Series (E90 E92) Forum
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Is the OEM HiFi Stereo decent?
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06-04-2014, 09:02 PM | #1 |
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Is the OEM HiFi Stereo decent?
I found a 2011 335is and it's got all the options I want except the HK system. How bad is the HiFi system? I wouldn't consider myself an audiophile but I do love to bump my music pretty loud with the windows down. Is it a pain to upgrade the HiFi if I wanted to?
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06-04-2014, 09:06 PM | #2 |
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Stock hifi is not good, but it is the easiest to upgrade.
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06-04-2014, 09:40 PM | #3 | |
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Drives: 2011 335i MT
Join Date: Mar 2014
Location: Austin, TX
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I have a new Technic harness that I can sell you - I found out I have Logic 7 which uses a different harness. |
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06-05-2014, 01:13 PM | #5 |
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IMHO it is not a bad system out of the box once you add a trunk sub. Thanks to Kagoss I am running my sub out of phase and it blends in smoothly... I can't complain.
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06-05-2014, 02:56 PM | #8 |
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If you have 9 speakers its the new logic 7
If you have 9 speakers its the new logic 7
But the wattage should be around 480. Unless they decided to get honest about rms. and the channels should be 9. The terminology gets thrown around a lot and most of the salesmen don't know what there selling. And the way they name it is quite confusing. If it has a center speaker in the dash and eq controls its the best system they normally sell . There is one above that called EPS that is very rare. Top Hi Fi is L7 / Harmon Kardon . Which is different from the vanilla Hi Fi. Or they some times call L7 , HI Fi with DSP. Pull the a Vin check off one of the free BMWVin checkers and it will list the options. Its explained in the first three links from the first set of links but on the newer cars they don't put tweeters in the rear anymore so the speaker count is down by two in all the systems. Hi Fi = 10 or 8 speakers 6 channel amp 280 watts no center dash speaker no equalizer no l7 surround processor with eq. Top Hi Fi = 13 or 11 speakers 9 channel amp 480 watts center dash speaker L7 surround processor with equalizer Both units are made by Harmon Becker and the Harmon Kardon name is thrown around loosely between the two as a result. But is generally is suppose to mean L7. There is another system below these with no amp or tweeters that is the true base system only in the US for the 2010 and early 2011 year. Last edited by ctuna; 06-05-2014 at 03:19 PM.. |
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06-05-2014, 03:22 PM | #9 |
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Stock logic 7 is actually pretty decent. If you aren't planning on upgrading you'll probably be satisfied with it especially if you add a sub.
The best thing to do is look for a car with hifi and upgrade it yourself. Logic 7 is good, but it is still underpowered. |
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06-05-2014, 03:51 PM | #10 | |
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Also, if it has Logic 7, does it not have the Harmon Kardon name on the tweeters? |
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06-05-2014, 04:56 PM | #11 |
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The name on the tweeter depend on year of build
The name on the tweeter depends on year of build
I believe. 676 is the old Hi Fi number . But Hi Fi does not have a center speaker. They Probably said that because they don't know the difference or they are trying to sell the car by confusing the issue. The defining physical attribute is a center dash speaker. Center Dash speaker = Top Hi Fi = L7 = HK= old option 677(numbers changed on the new ones I don't know exactly what the are ) idrive is independent of the audio option. While your at it you should learn the difference between the new and old idrive and all the ipod bluetooth and bluetooth streaming option. For Hi Fi the on top of the dashboard vents will have solid plastic between them rather than a grill for the center speaker. Last edited by ctuna; 06-05-2014 at 05:16 PM.. |
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06-08-2014, 04:54 PM | #12 |
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I received another response confirming that there is no center speaker in the dashboard. So yes it's the standard HiFi.
What do I need to bring it to HK specs? How much will it set me back? |
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06-08-2014, 07:16 PM | #13 |
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I wouldn't even try to bring it to L7 specs because
I wouldn't even try to bring it to L7 specs because
you can do much better. I believe I stated this at the beginning . The standard fix for Hi Fi is a Jl Xd/600/6 amp a Technic Harness, and speakers from the list. with the old school setup you spend most of your money on the front doors and underseats. This will run you 1k to 1.5k in parts. If you are a bass head you may want a sub and a sub amp. People will add these to the L7 if they are bass heads. Add a processor if you want even more sound quality. The easy but not cheap route is to buy a MusicarNW system. If you read the Best Systems list there will be many examples of Hi Fi upgrades. If you want surround sound then you go the ms-8 route. There are entire threads on this . Study this stuff before you make a decision. Last edited by ctuna; 06-08-2014 at 07:27 PM.. |
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06-08-2014, 08:03 PM | #14 |
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You can definetly make a much better system than the stock logic 7 system for around 1-2k. I wouldn't recommend getting an ms8.
IMO the following would be the most cost effective upgrade. You can always get a better processor later if you want to. http://en.jehnert.com/produkte-doorb...tem?lang=en_us http://www.amazon.com/Alpine-PDX-V9-.../dp/B007VSXGOQ Plus a sub of your choice mounted in the ski pass or a corner enclosure. |
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06-10-2014, 12:18 AM | #15 | |
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I like bass but prefer a good mid bass that is solid and powerful, but that doesn't make the car rattle and overpower the music. So I don't think I need an added sub. |
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06-10-2014, 12:21 AM | #16 | |
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06-10-2014, 01:03 AM | #17 |
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Reliabilty and adjustability are most often stated
For the ms-8
It was the first of its kind now there are similar products from audison , helix and mosconi all with more power and some with different issues. Reliability and adjustability are most often stated as ms-8 issues. It auto cals the eq and the delay for you but you can't tweek it to easily . It gives you head unit power on each of the amplified channels. A standalone amp with more power gives much more impact. That is why almost everybody that has one has amps as well. Most of the aftermarket speakers require more power to run in there sweet spot. You don't have to have a sub if you are old school . In fact a system with Jehnerts may even sound a little bass heavy if you are used to what we used to call a balanced system . The Jehnerts are audiophile speakers with just them and a xd600/6 it will be pretty amazing. And if sound accuracy is want you want they are the way to go. Last edited by ctuna; 06-10-2014 at 01:26 AM.. |
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07-28-2014, 04:52 PM | #18 |
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Ok so the HiFi seems pretty simple to upgrade. How much are we looking to upgrade the base stereo to a good quality? I looked up another vin and it doesn't show the 676 HiFi as an option so I'm assuming it's the worst of the worst system. The car has all the other options I want
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07-28-2014, 06:12 PM | #19 |
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I had/have the base audio as well.
I went a bit more extreme and ordered the Jehnert Doorboard system that includes 2x Tweeters, 2x 4"door speakers and 8x 6.5" mid woofers. I ended up ordering Technic's Stereo 2/4 Harness to simply pull the signal from under the seats without touching the head unit. Then went with a Helix Match 82DSP which pretty much is a DSP processor and amp in one (55w rms x 8). The amp will arrive tomorrow with installation for (most likely) Wed/Thursday. I ended up taking mathematics and 6spdcoupe's suggestions and will go active on all channels with a pair of 6.5's wired together down to 2ohm for channels 5,6,7,8. There are a few extra items to have to get that you have to consider when going from Base audio. Namely, the OEM factory Tweeter Sails/Pods that go in the doors. All told, I'll probably sink over 2k into this. edit: As a side note. My installer has judged sound systems from time to time. That said, he took a good long look at the included Jehnert Door Board speakers and his estimation is that they're very high quality that will likely have a nice full warm sound to them because of their construction and materials. We both conclude that due to the fiberglass construction, they're a really really good deal because for an installer to take the time to fabricate them, the cost of labor and materials would skyrocket. He seems very very excited to see how they'll sound once they're installed, as he's never seen one of these door boards before either. edit2: JunkyardDogg, if the car you want has everything else but the audio system, I would just get it. Frankly, any system can be made to sound much much better than ANY of the factory audio setups (in my opinion) for less money. The only one(s) that I can think of that would be hard to do, would be if the car came with upgraded Logic 7 or Individual audio systems that have a fiber optic loop in them. Last edited by Wongway; 07-28-2014 at 06:26 PM.. Reason: for JunkyardDogg... |
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07-28-2014, 08:02 PM | #20 |
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Hi Fi upgrade on the cheap or quality stuff.
Hi Fi upgrade on the cheap or quality stuff.
And how far do you want to go . On the cheap between .75 to 1k. If you go nuts well above that. For decent quality speakers for the front doors and floors and xd600/6 between 1k and 1.5 k if you buy the stuff at Internet Prices and install it yourself. If you start buying stuffed Jehnert Doorboards and processors on top of that you are probably going to be above 3k. Technic has the best suggestion for low cost systems for those on some kind of budget. Best System examples http://www.e90post.com/forums/showth...hlight=level+3 http://www.e90post.com/forums/showthread.php?t=445266 http://www.e90post.com/forums/showthread.php?t=822366 http://www.e90post.com/forums/showthread.php?t=826683 http://www.1addicts.com/forums/showthread.php?t=634957 http://www.e90post.com/forums/showth...ight=processor http://www.e90post.com/forums/showthread.php?t=727760 http://www.e90post.com/forums/showth...ighlight=level http://www.e90post.com/forums/showthread.php?t=590420 http://www.e90post.com/forums/showthread.php?t=581379 http://www.e90post.com/forums/showthread.php?t=451941 http://www.e90post.com/forums/showthread.php?t=540954 http://www.e90post.com/forums/showthread.php?t=324214 http://www.e90post.com/forums/showthread.php?t=495855 http://www.e90post.com/forums/showth...hlight=technic http://www.e90post.com/forums/showth...ghlight=Dotech http://www.e90post.com/forums/showth...&highlight=BSW http://www.diymobileaudio.com/forum/...morel-jbl.html http://www.e90post.com/forums/showthread.php?t=494299 http://www.bimmerfest.com/forums/sho...d.php?t=550771 http://www.m3post.com/forums/showthread.php?t=540446 http://www.e90post.com/forums/showthread.php?t=532585 http://www.e90post.com/forums/showth...ht=amp+upgrade http://www.bilstereoforum.se/showthread.php?t=2356 http://www.e90post.com/forums/showthread.php?t=833581 http://www.m3post.com/forums/showthread.php?t=443043 http://www.diymobileaudio.com/forum/...creations.html Also 676 is Hi Fi which is not the base stereo world wide or in the US for 2010. Don't say base stereo if you have Hi Fi it confuses the issues. Last edited by ctuna; 07-29-2014 at 11:34 AM.. |
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07-29-2014, 07:46 AM | #21 |
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Hi-Fi won't bump, but it's not nearly as bad as the temporary, six speaker base system installed in some 2010/2011s. Sound can generally keep up with the interior volume with hi-fi.
Here's what I'd do. One simple link, not a billion. Technic is more or less the be all end all installer for E90 stereos- he makes the harness and I'd bet he's done hundreds of installs. This setup should cost you no more than $500 and will probably be better than stock Logic 7 (which is pretty darn good for a stock system). It's also minimally invasive. http://www.e90post.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1001114 |
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07-29-2014, 11:41 AM | #22 |
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If you are upgrading the base system this
If you are upgrading the base system this
http://www.monsteraudiodesign.co.uk/...one-120-4-dsp/ for a base system basically same stuff as Hi Fi but with the addition of a frequency flattening device like a cleansweep ,or recode of the Head Unit or processor(processor/amp)plus the proper wiring Harness that reaches all the way to the trunk for and amp or processor /amp. You seem to be still confused over what the differences are between the three systems. Last edited by ctuna; 07-29-2014 at 01:30 PM.. |
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