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BMW 3-Series (E90 E92) Forum > E90 / E92 / E93 3-series Technical Forums > AUDIO/VIDEO + BLUETOOTH + Electronics/Alarm/Software > Changing Head unit and sound system upgrade



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      02-10-2013, 01:45 PM   #45
sohlman
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Please find enclsoed 4 photos.

Photo 1 is all the new equipment

Photo 2 is the amplifiers going in with seats removed

Photo 3 is the head unit prior to exact colours being selected

Photo 4 is the Amplifiers, cabling, subwoofer and box finally being wired up
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      02-11-2013, 02:05 PM   #46
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Not the best quality photos taken with the Iphone this evening, but my false floor is now complete. I will take some better photos tomorow and replace these once i have them

Photo 1 is with the BMW rubber cover and looks completely OEM

Photo 2 shows the new floor. It is slightly raised over standard. The amps can be seen through the floor.

Photos 3 is with the floor lifted up and shows off the subwoofer and storage compartment.
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      02-11-2013, 04:21 PM   #47
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Looking good James.

Do you play the music with sub covered?

Do you have any photos of false floor being build. I liked the idea and one of my mate asked me to do something on the similar lines.
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      02-11-2013, 05:13 PM   #48
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All video'd don't worry.

The floor is in place when music is played and has hidden holes. Covered in acoustic cloth. Sounds goes through fine, and at the same time can take load without touching cone. All very clever.

Decided to keep fibreglass box as the sound is so warm. Installer can't believe how well the box sounds
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      02-17-2013, 06:08 AM   #49
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I have now had a week or so listening to this. Sounds great. I have yet to fiddle with the eq or time alignment as it sounds so good I don't want to get it wrong as there are literally thousands of options and permutations.

The sound is very warm and the detail within the music is amazing. I am hearing instrumentation I have never heard before. I am also finding no difference in sound quality between the iPod and a cd which I am staggered by. It may help that I have installed a hifi iPod cable. I would go as far as saying that the sq is better than my arcam seperate system.

Video edit is coming together. I have spent about a days work on it so far.
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      02-24-2013, 04:13 PM   #50
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After many hours of editing here is the video of my install.

There is a comparison at the end of the two systems. This was tricky to do and on the microphone it's tricky to tell the improvements.

On listening while shooting the video the old system was just short of distortion and thus was the level of DB i set. While the new system had far more warmth of sound at that DB level, but was just ticking over.

I hope you like it guys. Its been emotional.

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      02-25-2013, 06:38 AM   #51
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Mate, the video is not working.
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      02-25-2013, 07:48 AM   #52
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Works for me
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      02-25-2013, 03:19 PM   #53
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Should be fine. I have checked it on YouTube. May not work with iPhone as sometimes can be funny when you have music tracks
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      02-25-2013, 05:10 PM   #54
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It did not work on the iphone.

for video editing. Very nice and indeed well edited video.
Though its excellent video but I truly do not think that it captured the true sound at all. I reckon that the true sound is going to be much better.

Are you readings correct? 80dB pre installation and post installation? That cannot be true.

Secondly, what settings are you running on your HU? time allignment (TA)? Eq?

After system installation, on the spectrum there is a slight dip on mid - highs which was not there pre-installation? I guess that is linked to the above mentioned settings.

on nice installation by your installaer.
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      02-26-2013, 01:05 PM   #55
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80db was the decibel level I set for both recordings (approx). New system will go much higher probable up to 100db maybe more. I have not tested the max, but it makes my ears hurt well before the max of the system. With the old system we were at about the max.

Original system was tuned as best I could. New system was flat eq no time alignment or tuning of any description. I was a little disappointed in how the sound in the recording came out, but when in the car it is remarkable. Both were played from the original CD

Both recordings were taken with the same equipment. Spectrum analyser wise the overall picture was fairly slanted where as the new system was much more level.

The new system allows much more of the sound to be heard from the original recording. You hear detail and can hear the fingers on the fret board on a guitar and bass that was invisible before likewise you can almost her the skin stretching on a snare drum, and I can now tell which make and model of guitar is being used just by the tone. Before I could hear a guitar.

I am now enjoying my music. My next step is to fiddle with the settings, time alignment etc. my only concern is that it sounds so good I don't want to ruin an already great sound.

My installer was seriously impressed with the sound quality out of he box.

You do need to hear for yourself. The bass is very tight and fast, but with no ring. The bass note from the sub has a clear start and finish which is how I used to set up the bass drum when I was doing live sound for my sister back in the day.
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      02-26-2013, 02:40 PM   #56
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Quote:
Originally Posted by sohlman View Post
80db was the decibel level I set for both recordings (approx). New system will go much higher probable up to 100db maybe more. I have not tested the max, but it makes my ears hurt well before the max of the system. With the old system we were at about the max.
Got you on 80dB comparison.
James, you need to play them at moderate to high volume so that the speakers and underseats can break in. They will sound much better once they get their normal flexibility.

Quote:
Originally Posted by sohlman View Post
Original system was tuned as best I could. New system was flat eq no time alignment or tuning of any description. I was a little disappointed in how the sound in the recording came out, but when in the car it is remarkable. Both were played from the original CD

I am now enjoying my music. My next step is to fiddle with the settings, time alignment etc. my only concern is that it sounds so good I don't want to ruin an already great sound.
If I am honest, you are getting on 60-70% of SQ out of this sound system, if you have not had setup TA and EQ.
After you let your speakers run for sometime, we can meet. I can show you how to tweak your sound system, especially time allignment.
Nothing to mess as you can always go back to original settings.


Quote:
Originally Posted by sohlman View Post
The new system allows much more of the sound to be heard from the original recording. You hear detail and can hear the fingers on the fret board on a guitar and bass that was invisible before likewise you can almost her the skin stretching on a snare drum, and I can now tell which make and model of guitar is being used just by the tone. Before I could hear a guitar.

You do need to hear for yourself. The bass is very tight and fast, but with no ring. The bass note from the sub has a clear start and finish which is how I used to set up the bass drum when I was doing live sound for my sister back in the day
I guess this forum advocate OEM HU + DSP such as MS-8 / bit one/ Helix P-DSP but after hearing few systems, I can second you. Pioneer HU is so good to give pre-outs to amp and whole sound is way much better than OEM HU + DSP.

I found that BMW OEM HU lacks low and highs which none of DSP can fully reproduce. The other deficiency of OEM HU is thick muddled low end bass, whereas in comparison, pioneer HU gives you clean, deep and thin bass. No matter how loud you go, it stays in control and very clear.


James, how was that wood board (on which amps were mounted) fitted to your car? Did you or your installer used anything to secure that in place?
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      02-26-2013, 03:59 PM   #57
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The wood amplifier board I made up and covered. It is measured and cut to the exact size of the carpet edges. I mounted a piece of 34mm pine underneath and drilled out some under sized holes to the size of the factory screw points and push fitted it in. It's very snug when you see it I can show you. Once pushed in it requires a couple of firm tugs to remove and so won't go anywhere. The floor that goes over this is again cut to size and once carpeted requires considerable pressure to squeeze in to the edges of the boot so will again not go anywhere as acts as a secondary fix. The piece of floor that covers the sub is again an exact fit to the well.
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      02-27-2013, 06:26 AM   #58
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Quote:
Originally Posted by sohlman View Post
The wood amplifier board I made up and covered. It is measured and cut to the exact size of the carpet edges. I mounted a piece of 34mm pine underneath and drilled out some under sized holes to the size of the factory screw points and push fitted it in. It's very snug when you see it I can show you. Once pushed in it requires a couple of firm tugs to remove and so won't go anywhere. The floor that goes over this is again cut to size and once carpeted requires considerable pressure to squeeze in to the edges of the boot so will again not go anywhere as acts as a secondary fix. The piece of floor that covers the sub is again an exact fit to the well.
Thanks.
I may do the same with my amps if they can be fitted there.
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      06-06-2013, 03:56 AM   #59
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What was the problem with MB Quarts at the rear

Quote:
Originally Posted by sohlman View Post
Update

Had install fitted today. Decided to go with three way up front. Mb quart.

Mb quart Rear speakers would not fit so had to go with Herts coaxial.

So have two pairs of mb quart coaxial speakers to sell.

I have gone with a standard front rear sub set up and not active.

Went with front end wired to 2ohm so have 92w rms per channel running off cross overs for 3 ways

Rear end wired at 4 ohm so have 66w per channel running coaxials

Sub in booted wired to 2ohm giving 556w rms on dual 4 ohm voice coil. Bass controller mounted in flap in dash under steering wheel.

We ran out of time to complete
Boot floor, but everything is wired up. Will complete install next week. I have taken lots of photos with SLR and video of complete install. Will take me a few days to edit the video.

Spent far too much money today about double what I intended.

I have not time aligned of played with eq settings so am listening flat.

One word.

Shamazing
Hi This is a very informative thread, I'm planning a similar upgrade, what was the issue with the MB Quarts as rears, could they have been shoe horned in, and which Hertz speakers did you use?
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      07-14-2013, 03:03 AM   #60
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The rear are smaller then the fronts and the shape of the parcel shelf does not allow the mb quartz to fit in.

The hertz where their top of the range coaxial at 70w rms from memory.
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