Is BSW speaker upgrade worth it?

ctuna · 10-30-2010, 01:47 AM

1) Backround of the systems and diagrams gives you a starting place
there are also some specs not very detailed but better than nothing or
the BS those dealers were telling you

2) There is a list of common speaker substitutes with depths.
Common high end component speaker sets are the Morels and Focals
a little more reasonable are the Rainbows
Earthquake sw8's commonly used for the under seats.

There are many threads with people asking the same thing.
If you try to change the head unit its a big pain from what I have read.

One thing that is different about BMW's is the use of differential or balanced signals .(out of the Head Unit) Its not that common in the older audio setups you don't find it in stock aftermarket Pioneers or Alpine Systems.

The amp in it now is 6 channels if you have HIFI

Technic · 10-30-2010, 05:22 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by morfinx

Hi Technic, in the thread you linked, you mentioned:

The first thing that you will notice in an E92/E93 front door panels is how shallow they are for aftermarket speakers, with just a maximum of 35mm of depth available for speakers and its magnets.

But earlier in this thread you mentioned that the max mounting depth for E92 front doors is 40mm. Which one is it?

The magnet diameter also will affect the max depth as there is a metal "pocket" in the mounting area of the speaker. So consider 35-40mm depth and call it a day...

InsanePineapple · 10-30-2010, 10:53 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Technic

The magnet diameter also will affect the max depth as there is a metal "pocket" in the mounting area of the speaker. So consider 35-40mm depth and call it a day...

Dang it, this is complicated

The mounting depth restriction is for front doors only correct? Rear speakers have no such restriction?

Rob G · 10-30-2010, 04:05 PM

Ctuna, thanks again. You mentioned a list with common substitutions? Her is what happened today.

First installer I went to was mellow but did not inspire confidence since most of their business seems to be scooters and atv products.

Second place had an installer who seemed quiet and competent, but had a big mouth sales guy trying to talk me into a new head unit, etc. What we did establish is that at least one of the underseat woofers is blown. So I definitely need a pair of woofers that will best fit the space. Would these be the SWS 8 inch earthquakes? I will probably end up with a trunk mounted sub woofer, so I am more concerned to find a bass driver that stays clean up to a reasonable frequency that allows the 4 inch BSW to operate without strain. So mid bass quality rather than low end quantity.

Dealer is pushing Focals, how much better are they than the BSW speakers assuming there is a JL XD600/6 amp?

Lastly, is sonicelectronix a reputable merchant? They have the JL for $400. I would buy it from a sponsor if it doesn't cost full retail.

Thanks

Rob G · 10-30-2010, 04:58 PM

Found the post with suggested substitutions. Exactly what I need to negotiate with installers

Thanks

ctuna · 10-30-2010, 06:00 PM

wooferstec.com also has an extensive list of equipment if you are doing online ordering, its a good place to get a baseline price anyway. Don't you live within a few states of Technic he could probably suggest an installer . When I went shopping for competent people to install I kind of found three catagorys Base Head shops , shops that install the common stuff , and high end shops . Only some of the High End shops had an idea of what was in a E90 or had done one.

Rob G · 10-30-2010, 06:21 PM

I know DC has several high end places (no recession in DC) but fewer in Baltimore. My wad of this place today was mixed. The installer and I bonded and he has BMW experience. But other aspects of the place suggest loud rather than good. It would be ok if I got all the stuff myself and just paid for install services. I suspect that's not what the owner wants. For instance he wants to sell the marine version. Of the xd600/6. It's what he has in stock.

Thanks for all the help. I have to spend some time making money for all of this.

RacerUnderTheSon · 11-01-2010, 02:55 AM

I just finished a BSW stage 1 upgrade in my 2011 335is equipped with H/K (old logic 7). I took about 6 hrs and it was not very difficult. I also added an MTX Thunder amp to power two 10in Infinity woofers in the trunk and I added a tweeter to the center channel. Here are the results:

-I set the Eq curve flat and the system sounds very nice. The highs sound awesome. Before, I needed heavy equalization do remove the muddiness of the stock speakers.
-as I push the volume I am noticing clarity and definition in the mids and highs which was not there before
-by keeping the bass curve flat the BSW speakers sound clean, as the trunk woofers provide the low kick and the under seat woofers provide midbass.
-the tweeters provide the biggest improvement IMO. The old tweeters seemed to focus on harsh 4-5 kHz but the BSW tweets seem to have much wider range, the 8-12 kHz range sizzle nicely

I wonder how much better this system will sound if I replace the HK/logic7 amp which takes optical input?

Jaya3666 · 11-01-2010, 07:51 AM

Rob G, make sure the SWS8 you get has an i. The SWS8i is 2 ohms. Actually, if you already have the BSWs and put in the 2 SWS8i, with a new amp, you may not even need the trunk woofers.

Rob G · 11-01-2010, 11:42 AM

Racer, congratulations on a succmeful upgrade. I appreciate your info on the BSW stage 1 package. I've gone back and forth on it, it is encouraging that it worked for you. In my case one of the undersea woofers is blown, so I will have to replace those with drivers that match up well with the bsw 4 inch. What I have read is that the 4 inch sound best high passed at 200 hz. That means I need more of a mid base driver than something like the swsi that I have seen described as being better subwoofers than mid bass drivers.

My thinking on this is that music lives in the mids. Get those right and I can add a subwoofer later if I need it. This is also why the bsw system might work, the guy on the phone claims the tweeters are silk so ft dome. Those won't hit all the highs , but in a 1 inch size they will keep vocals coherent. I hope.

Rob G · 11-01-2010, 11:54 AM

Java,

Thanks for the update from KL. Very interested in the swsi performance. In my previous post I explain my concern with keeping the mid bass coherent with the 4 inch mid drivers in the bsw package. I'm no install expert like VP or Tecchnic, but the basic physics of the enclosure seem to argue against the 4 inchers providing much below 150 . The xd600/6 amp has, I believe, a second order 12 db slope. So it seems a 200 could be a reasonable high pass for the 4 inch.

How is the blending of the swsi working out for you?

Rob G · 11-01-2010, 11:58 AM

The xd600/6 has 120 hz and 200 hz settings that can be used for high pass. I would use the 120 hz and hope the 12 db slope will drop enough Bass that they will still be clean.

Rob G · 11-01-2010, 12:03 PM

One last issue is that the audiophiles have not been enthusiastic about switching amps since, despite their many virtues, they have to deal with the switching noise. I'm sure the technology has improved, but a silk soft dome like bsw uses might be more forgiving of residual hi frequent noise- even though the tradeoff cost would be less high end sizzle

Rob G · 11-01-2010, 12:23 PM

Quote:
Originally Posted by Orient330iNYC
thanks all for the great info, ordered the alpine kit from roveractive last week.
might do the sws-8 upgrade later, with the alpine retro, am i looking for a 2ohm or 4 oh sws-8?
4 ohms as the OEM woofers...

The above is an earlier exchange on the2 ohm vs 4 ohm version. Technic's reply seems to suggest the 4 ohm version. Why would that be preferable with the xd600/6?

Technic · 11-01-2010, 12:37 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rob G

Quote:
Originally Posted by Orient330iNYC
thanks all for the great info, ordered the alpine kit from roveractive last week.
might do the sws-8 upgrade later, with the alpine retro, am i looking for a 2ohm or 4 oh sws-8?
4 ohms as the OEM woofers...

The above is an earlier exchange on the2 ohm vs 4 ohm version. Technic's reply seems to suggest the 4 ohm version. Why would that be preferable with the xd600/6?

I don't think that any SWS-8 will sound good with the Alpine upgrade, as they are not that sensitive and the Alpine amp is about 40W per channel. However, if the SWS-8 are going to be installed anyway then it should be the 4 ohms version as it matches the OEM woofer impedance. I don't know if the Alpine amp is 2 ohms compatible.

For the XD600/6 the SWS-8 to use is the 2 ohms version, as the XD puts out 100W at 2 ohms vs. 75W at 4 ohms. The more power to the SWS-8 the better they sound.

RacerUnderTheSon · 11-01-2010, 01:31 PM

robG, i agree with Technic, the underseat SWS-8 will need around 100W go get what another member described as "butt massage" lol; Regarding mids, one of the BSW owners stated in a different thread that the BSW silk tweets range is 2.5-20 kHz if that helps you... their 4in speakers are 150 Hz and up...

Jedclampet · 11-01-2010, 01:37 PM

[One last issue is that the audiophiles have not been enthusiastic about switching amps since, despite their many virtues, they have to deal with the switching noise. I'm sure the technology has improved, but a silk soft dome like bsw uses might be more forgiving of residual hi frequent noise- even though the tradeoff cost would be less high end sizzle]

The switching sound? In the home versions concern seems more focused on the quality of its highs. The bass slam has never been in question and the concerns were stated years ago. Since then many amp co. have had time to advance the designs. I'm not saying they're the greatest they're not, if that's what you want go with Tru Tech or Mcintosh for more than three times the cost. What they are is small, quite, powerful and run cool which makes them convenient for car audio. Technic gave good advice by running the underseats with the 2 ohm for more power. I run a XD 600/6 in my 135 with Morel ADMW 9 under the seat up tp 200 hz for mid bass its great for a sub its polite. With this I added a XD600/1 with a JL sub box this added a huge demension to the over all sound quality.

VP Electricity · 11-01-2010, 03:15 PM

I've been avoiding commenting on this thread since I became a vendor... but it's worth noting that the OP has gone a totally different route...he replaced the fronts on deck power in a base Stereo car (135), and added SWS8 amped on an Arc amp. No signal normalization, ended up having to run the bass halfway down on the HU IIRC. His installer couldn't get the MBQ 5 to fit so we found him some 4" just to be helpful

Rob G · 11-01-2010, 03:52 PM

Guys, this has helped enormously. Will order bsw kit, harness, swsi 2 ohm version, xd600/6. Will advise on progress.

When complete this will not be the sort of top grade system that VP and others create, but may be a reasonable set of upgrades that work together well for under $2K installed, and still have options for incremental upgrades.

Thanks

Jaya3666 · 11-04-2010, 11:01 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rob G

Java,

Thanks for the update from KL. Very interested in the swsi performance. In my previous post I explain my concern with keeping the mid bass coherent with the 4 inch mid drivers in the bsw package. I'm no install expert like VP or Tecchnic, but the basic physics of the enclosure seem to argue against the 4 inchers providing much below 150 . The xd600/6 amp has, I believe, a second order 12 db slope. So it seems a 200 could be a reasonable high pass for the 4 inch.

How is the blending of the swsi working out for you?

Errr, anyone else having trouble opening page 13 on this thread?
RobG I understand what you're saying, except the 12db slope part. Anyway, I think you're right that I may have a hole in the mids but after the BSWs but oem amp and subs, that hole was large and unbearable. It seems a lot better now. I've got my 4" HPed at 90 which someone said may overwork them but since I don't turn my volume up that much, it seems ok, but I think i'll try jedclampet's idea of bringing the subs higher instead of lowering the 4" too low. Anyway to answer your question, I would say an overall sound improvement of 30% from OEM. But I repeat, with only the BSWs, the sound seemed worse because of the hole. I was hoping someone would do a Focal, SWS and XD600/6 set up and revert.

kaigoss69 · 11-04-2010, 11:38 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jaya3666

I was hoping someone would do a Focal, SWS and XD600/6 set up and revert.

I had the Focal 100KP and SWS-8 in my last car. The processor was a Bit-One and the amp a HD600/4. It sounded pretty good but I never got the bitone tuned right. There was definitely a hole between the Focals and the SWS-8, and I was not able to fill it. With proper processing though, I bet I would have been able to make it sound much better and fill the gap.

VP Electricity · 11-04-2010, 01:16 PM

I'm guessing that there was a post that created Page 13 which was deleted (perhaps a spam post?).

With a 4 and an underseat, the handoff from the 4" to the underseat is going to be the weakest point in your system, regardless of which gear you are running. It will be compounded if you run SWS-8i/ix underneath the seat without any equalization or processing. The SWS-8ix is intended to cross over around 90 and down, and running it higher gives you two problems - it's not very linear, and even if you're EQing it you need more power to handle the EQ boost.

It's valuable to note that this weakness is not an area where the system "sucks" - it's just not its strongest point. It has other stronger points where it performs VERY well.

A 6/tweeter two-way set in the door, not like an E46 (horrible door provision) but more like an Audi A4, can have better midbass impact at the cost of midrange definition.

If you're most concerned about the midbass handoff, you should consider Jehnert door panels and use dual 6" per door rather than the underseats. If you don't want to cut the doors, then I'd make certain you have some sort of EQ to get the best out of the SWS-8 (which I think you want with SWS-8 anyway).

I don't do that - I have SWS-8i and I have mids in the door, and DSP. As some have posted about my car, it doesn't seem to be weak in that area.

If someone's looking for some gear, we're happy to help out. We're not the cheapest, but we offer good value for BMW owners and much of our gear comes with adapters and rings and things like that. We re-sell Technic harnesses at the same price as a service for our customers when they get a package, etc., etc.

10-30-2010, 01:47 AM	#243
ctuna Lieutenant General 1911 Rep 13,104 Posts Drives: 325xi 06 wagon MT Join Date: Jan 2010 Location: Santa Cruz, Ca iTrader: (0)	Relevent Links are the ones you think you need 1) Backround of the systems and diagrams gives you a starting place there are also some specs not very detailed but better than nothing or the BS those dealers were telling you 2) There is a list of common speaker substitutes with depths. Common high end component speaker sets are the Morels and Focals a little more reasonable are the Rainbows Earthquake sw8's commonly used for the under seats. There are many threads with people asking the same thing. If you try to change the head unit its a big pain from what I have read. One thing that is different about BMW's is the use of differential or balanced signals .(out of the Head Unit) Its not that common in the older audio setups you don't find it in stock aftermarket Pioneers or Alpine Systems. The amp in it now is 6 channels if you have HIFI Last edited by ctuna; 10-30-2010 at 01:54 AM..
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10-30-2010, 04:05 PM	#246
Rob G Enlisted Member 1 Rep 41 Posts Drives: 2007 328i Join Date: Oct 2010 Location: Baltimore iTrader: (0)	More adventures Ctuna, thanks again. You mentioned a list with common substitutions? Her is what happened today. First installer I went to was mellow but did not inspire confidence since most of their business seems to be scooters and atv products. Second place had an installer who seemed quiet and competent, but had a big mouth sales guy trying to talk me into a new head unit, etc. What we did establish is that at least one of the underseat woofers is blown. So I definitely need a pair of woofers that will best fit the space. Would these be the SWS 8 inch earthquakes? I will probably end up with a trunk mounted sub woofer, so I am more concerned to find a bass driver that stays clean up to a reasonable frequency that allows the 4 inch BSW to operate without strain. So mid bass quality rather than low end quantity. Dealer is pushing Focals, how much better are they than the BSW speakers assuming there is a JL XD600/6 amp? Lastly, is sonicelectronix a reputable merchant? They have the JL for $400. I would buy it from a sponsor if it doesn't cost full retail. Thanks
	Appreciate 0 Quote

10-30-2010, 04:58 PM	#247
Rob G Enlisted Member 1 Rep 41 Posts Drives: 2007 328i Join Date: Oct 2010 Location: Baltimore iTrader: (0)	Found the post with suggested substitutions. Exactly what I need to negotiate with installers Thanks
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10-30-2010, 06:00 PM	#248
ctuna Lieutenant General 1911 Rep 13,104 Posts Drives: 325xi 06 wagon MT Join Date: Jan 2010 Location: Santa Cruz, Ca iTrader: (0)	wooferstec wooferstec.com also has an extensive list of equipment if you are doing online ordering, its a good place to get a baseline price anyway. Don't you live within a few states of Technic he could probably suggest an installer . When I went shopping for competent people to install I kind of found three catagorys Base Head shops , shops that install the common stuff , and high end shops . Only some of the High End shops had an idea of what was in a E90 or had done one.
	Appreciate 0 Quote

10-30-2010, 06:21 PM	#249
Rob G Enlisted Member 1 Rep 41 Posts Drives: 2007 328i Join Date: Oct 2010 Location: Baltimore iTrader: (0)	Installers I know DC has several high end places (no recession in DC) but fewer in Baltimore. My wad of this place today was mixed. The installer and I bonded and he has BMW experience. But other aspects of the place suggest loud rather than good. It would be ok if I got all the stuff myself and just paid for install services. I suspect that's not what the owner wants. For instance he wants to sell the marine version. Of the xd600/6. It's what he has in stock. Thanks for all the help. I have to spend some time making money for all of this.
	Appreciate 0 Quote

11-01-2010, 02:55 AM	#250
RacerUnderTheSon Second Lieutenant 13 Rep 210 Posts Drives: 2011 Space Gray 335is Join Date: Sep 2010 Location: Orange County, CA iTrader: (0)	I just finished a BSW stage 1 upgrade in my 2011 335is equipped with H/K (old logic 7). I took about 6 hrs and it was not very difficult. I also added an MTX Thunder amp to power two 10in Infinity woofers in the trunk and I added a tweeter to the center channel. Here are the results: -I set the Eq curve flat and the system sounds very nice. The highs sound awesome. Before, I needed heavy equalization do remove the muddiness of the stock speakers. -as I push the volume I am noticing clarity and definition in the mids and highs which was not there before -by keeping the bass curve flat the BSW speakers sound clean, as the trunk woofers provide the low kick and the under seat woofers provide midbass. -the tweeters provide the biggest improvement IMO. The old tweeters seemed to focus on harsh 4-5 kHz but the BSW tweets seem to have much wider range, the 8-12 kHz range sizzle nicely I wonder how much better this system will sound if I replace the HK/logic7 amp which takes optical input? __________________ DCT, 19" 313s, 30% tint, Clear Reflectors, Nav, PDC, H/K+BSW Speakers, Infinity 10" subs
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11-01-2010, 07:51 AM	#251
Jaya3666 Enlisted Member 1 Rep 30 Posts Drives: E90 Join Date: Sep 2010 Location: Kuala Lumpur iTrader: (0)	Rob G, make sure the SWS8 you get has an i. The SWS8i is 2 ohms. Actually, if you already have the BSWs and put in the 2 SWS8i, with a new amp, you may not even need the trunk woofers.
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11-01-2010, 11:42 AM	#252
Rob G Enlisted Member 1 Rep 41 Posts Drives: 2007 328i Join Date: Oct 2010 Location: Baltimore iTrader: (0)	Racer, congratulations on a succmeful upgrade. I appreciate your info on the BSW stage 1 package. I've gone back and forth on it, it is encouraging that it worked for you. In my case one of the undersea woofers is blown, so I will have to replace those with drivers that match up well with the bsw 4 inch. What I have read is that the 4 inch sound best high passed at 200 hz. That means I need more of a mid base driver than something like the swsi that I have seen described as being better subwoofers than mid bass drivers. My thinking on this is that music lives in the mids. Get those right and I can add a subwoofer later if I need it. This is also why the bsw system might work, the guy on the phone claims the tweeters are silk so ft dome. Those won't hit all the highs , but in a 1 inch size they will keep vocals coherent. I hope.
	Appreciate 0 Quote

11-01-2010, 11:54 AM	#253
Rob G Enlisted Member 1 Rep 41 Posts Drives: 2007 328i Join Date: Oct 2010 Location: Baltimore iTrader: (0)	Swsi bass speakers Java, Thanks for the update from KL. Very interested in the swsi performance. In my previous post I explain my concern with keeping the mid bass coherent with the 4 inch mid drivers in the bsw package. I'm no install expert like VP or Tecchnic, but the basic physics of the enclosure seem to argue against the 4 inchers providing much below 150 . The xd600/6 amp has, I believe, a second order 12 db slope. So it seems a 200 could be a reasonable high pass for the 4 inch. How is the blending of the swsi working out for you?
	Appreciate 0 Quote

11-01-2010, 11:58 AM	#254
Rob G Enlisted Member 1 Rep 41 Posts Drives: 2007 328i Join Date: Oct 2010 Location: Baltimore iTrader: (0)	Correction. The xd600/6 has 120 hz and 200 hz settings that can be used for high pass. I would use the 120 hz and hope the 12 db slope will drop enough Bass that they will still be clean.
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11-01-2010, 12:03 PM	#255
Rob G Enlisted Member 1 Rep 41 Posts Drives: 2007 328i Join Date: Oct 2010 Location: Baltimore iTrader: (0)	One last issue is that the audiophiles have not been enthusiastic about switching amps since, despite their many virtues, they have to deal with the switching noise. I'm sure the technology has improved, but a silk soft dome like bsw uses might be more forgiving of residual hi frequent noise- even though the tradeoff cost would be less high end sizzle
	Appreciate 0 Quote

11-01-2010, 12:23 PM	#256
Rob G Enlisted Member 1 Rep 41 Posts Drives: 2007 328i Join Date: Oct 2010 Location: Baltimore iTrader: (0)	Sws 8 inch. 2 or 4 ohm Quote: Originally Posted by Orient330iNYC thanks all for the great info, ordered the alpine kit from roveractive last week. might do the sws-8 upgrade later, with the alpine retro, am i looking for a 2ohm or 4 oh sws-8? 4 ohms as the OEM woofers... The above is an earlier exchange on the2 ohm vs 4 ohm version. Technic's reply seems to suggest the 4 ohm version. Why would that be preferable with the xd600/6?
	Appreciate 0 Quote

11-01-2010, 01:31 PM	#258
RacerUnderTheSon Second Lieutenant 13 Rep 210 Posts Drives: 2011 Space Gray 335is Join Date: Sep 2010 Location: Orange County, CA iTrader: (0)	robG, i agree with Technic, the underseat SWS-8 will need around 100W go get what another member described as "butt massage" lol; Regarding mids, one of the BSW owners stated in a different thread that the BSW silk tweets range is 2.5-20 kHz if that helps you... their 4in speakers are 150 Hz and up... __________________ DCT, 19" 313s, 30% tint, Clear Reflectors, Nav, PDC, H/K+BSW Speakers, Infinity 10" subs
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11-01-2010, 01:37 PM	#259
Jedclampet Private First Class 4 Rep 115 Posts Drives: 2011 X3 Black Join Date: Apr 2010 Location: Northern Jersey iTrader: (0)	[One last issue is that the audiophiles have not been enthusiastic about switching amps since, despite their many virtues, they have to deal with the switching noise. I'm sure the technology has improved, but a silk soft dome like bsw uses might be more forgiving of residual hi frequent noise- even though the tradeoff cost would be less high end sizzle] The switching sound? In the home versions concern seems more focused on the quality of its highs. The bass slam has never been in question and the concerns were stated years ago. Since then many amp co. have had time to advance the designs. I'm not saying they're the greatest they're not, if that's what you want go with Tru Tech or Mcintosh for more than three times the cost. What they are is small, quite, powerful and run cool which makes them convenient for car audio. Technic gave good advice by running the underseats with the 2 ohm for more power. I run a XD 600/6 in my 135 with Morel ADMW 9 under the seat up tp 200 hz for mid bass its great for a sub its polite. With this I added a XD600/1 with a JL sub box this added a huge demension to the over all sound quality.
	Appreciate 0 Quote

11-01-2010, 03:15 PM	#260
VP Electricity Brigadier General 289 Rep 3,201 Posts Drives: F34 xDrive Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: portland oregon iTrader: (3)	I've been avoiding commenting on this thread since I became a vendor... but it's worth noting that the OP has gone a totally different route...he replaced the fronts on deck power in a base Stereo car (135), and added SWS8 amped on an Arc amp. No signal normalization, ended up having to run the bass halfway down on the HU IIRC. His installer couldn't get the MBQ 5 to fit so we found him some 4" just to be helpful
	Appreciate 0 Quote

11-01-2010, 03:52 PM	#261
Rob G Enlisted Member 1 Rep 41 Posts Drives: 2007 328i Join Date: Oct 2010 Location: Baltimore iTrader: (0)	Thanks to all Guys, this has helped enormously. Will order bsw kit, harness, swsi 2 ohm version, xd600/6. Will advise on progress. When complete this will not be the sort of top grade system that VP and others create, but may be a reasonable set of upgrades that work together well for under $2K installed, and still have options for incremental upgrades. Thanks
	Appreciate 0 Quote

11-04-2010, 01:16 PM	#264
VP Electricity Brigadier General 289 Rep 3,201 Posts Drives: F34 xDrive Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: portland oregon iTrader: (3)	I'm guessing that there was a post that created Page 13 which was deleted (perhaps a spam post?). With a 4 and an underseat, the handoff from the 4" to the underseat is going to be the weakest point in your system, regardless of which gear you are running. It will be compounded if you run SWS-8i/ix underneath the seat without any equalization or processing. The SWS-8ix is intended to cross over around 90 and down, and running it higher gives you two problems - it's not very linear, and even if you're EQing it you need more power to handle the EQ boost. It's valuable to note that this weakness is not an area where the system "sucks" - it's just not its strongest point. It has other stronger points where it performs VERY well. A 6/tweeter two-way set in the door, not like an E46 (horrible door provision) but more like an Audi A4, can have better midbass impact at the cost of midrange definition. If you're most concerned about the midbass handoff, you should consider Jehnert door panels and use dual 6" per door rather than the underseats. If you don't want to cut the doors, then I'd make certain you have some sort of EQ to get the best out of the SWS-8 (which I think you want with SWS-8 anyway). I don't do that - I have SWS-8i and I have mids in the door, and DSP. As some have posted about my car, it doesn't seem to be weak in that area. If someone's looking for some gear, we're happy to help out. We're not the cheapest, but we offer good value for BMW owners and much of our gear comes with adapters and rings and things like that. We re-sell Technic harnesses at the same price as a service for our customers when they get a package, etc., etc.
	Appreciate 0 Quote