[taibanl]

Originally Posted by Technic

If you are close to Ft Lauderdale I would be willing to install all that for free just to show how the Stereo harness would work for a combo like that. That will make up for the extra $250 over your budget.

Technic....any chance you'd be interested to work with me on my car if I were to drive down to Tampa for Christmas? Of course I would not expect the same deal.

[Technic]

Originally Posted by taibanl

Technic....any chance you'd be interested to work with me on my car if I were to drive down to Tampa for Christmas? Of course I would not expect the same deal.

If you pay for a rental car we can do something just before or after Chrismas...

[tafan321]

Originally Posted by Technic

If you pay for a rental car we can do something just before or after Chrismas...

Same offer for coming to Germany??

[mech888]

For the cars with the Hifi stereos can you upgrade the subs while using the head unit to power them or is it best to get a new amp?

[Technic]

Originally Posted by mech888

For the cars with the Hifi stereos can you upgrade the subs while using the head unit to power them or is it best to get a new amp?

All depends on the woofer; for example the SWS-8 require external amplification to sound good, the SSMB8 will sound slightly better than stock with just the OEM amp power output.

But the general rule is to add a separate 2-channel amp to aftermarket woofers if you really want to notice a significant difference.

[Technic]

Originally Posted by tafan321

Same offer for coming to Germany??

[VP Electricity]

Originally Posted by Technic

All depends on the woofer; for example the SWS-8 require external amplification to sound good, the SSMB8 will sound slightly better than stock with just the OEM amp power output.

But the general rule is to add a separate 2-channel amp to aftermarket woofers if you really want to notice a significant difference.

I have not tried the Kickers off the HiFi amp - Technic, how do they sound? I also have not tried the 2-ohm SWS off any OE amp - Earthwuake recommends it, but that doesn't mean much to me. The Jehnerts probably are similar to the Kickers in sound improvement off the OEM amp.

You can also get an improvement off the oem woofer and amp by upgrading to slightly less efficient fronts. This is the BSW "trick" - but you can do it with Rainbow 210.20 - makes the woofers louder.

[Technic]

Originally Posted by VP Electricity

I have not tried the Kickers off the HiFi amp - Technic, how do they sound? I also have not tried the 2-ohm SWS off any OE amp - Earthwuake recommends it, but that doesn't mean much to me. The Jehnerts probably are similar to the Kickers in sound improvement off the OEM amp.

You can also get an improvement off the oem woofer and amp by upgrading to slightly less efficient fronts. This is the BSW "trick" - but you can do it with Rainbow 210.20 - makes the woofers louder.

I tried the SSMB8 but with the Individual Audio amp, and they sound louder than the SWS-8. I tried them also in a VW MKV GTI and the OEM HU, and they also sound louder with just 20W. They just can't go lower than the SWS-8, though. They clip like crazy at anything below 40Hz...

They should be the ticket for the HiFi amp and those Rainbows of yours.

[javaperson]

Technic, assuming I made the changes you recommended to OP without the woofer replacement, then the speaker composition would be similar to the Alpine kit. Which upgrade do you think would be the better one? Does the Alpine normalize the EQ? Thanks.

I thinking of going the aftermarket route...

[mech888]

Hmmm, perhaps the kicker is the route I should go since I don't want to install an external amp.

[Technic]

Originally Posted by javaperson

Technic, assuming I made the changes you recommended to OP without the woofer replacement, then the speaker composition would be similar to the Alpine kit. Which upgrade do you think would be the better one? Does the Alpine normalize the EQ? Thanks.

I thinking of going the aftermarket route...

Yes, it will be in concept similar to the Alpine kit, but with lower quality front speakers.

There are at least three P/N of the Alpine Kit, the main differences are the harness (one is PnP, the other require splicing) and the amplifier (one requires coding of the car, the other does not).

It seems that one amplifier normalizes the OEM HU outputs and the other amplifier requires the OEM HU to be coded to output flat as the amplifier does not correct/normalize the signal. We have discussed these changes before in the forum. AFAIK, no USA dealer will be able to code the Alpine kit as this is not an USA retrofit, so by default the non-coding Alpine kit (splicing harness) is the only kit that may be easily installed in the USA.

There are forum members in Europe adding OEM tweeters to the Stereo system -they are PnP- without any other upgrade and not complaining about harsh highs (or so they say). So it could be possible that the OEM HU outputs are usable as they are, especially if a component set with adjustable tweeter output is used as OEM replacement.

It is also my opinion that just a MS-8 with a decent front component set -and using one of the replaced OEM speakers as the center channel- can satisfy most owners of the Stereo system in a budget. There's a new MS-8 on eBay for $499 shipped, add a pair of the DLS PS4A speakers for $140 (Sedan; Coupe will require custom spacers), OEM tweeter pods, OEM center speaker grill, pair of front speaker connectors and harness and that's less than $750.

[mech888]

So in theory the earthquake sws-8 with Hifi system to power it should sound fine then right?

[Technic]

Originally Posted by mech888

So in theory the earthquake sws-8 with Hifi system to power it should sound fine then right?

The SWS-8 requires more power than the HiFi OEM amp can provide to really sound great, as stated above.

[mech888]

I suppose I could always go back and power them via external amp if need be.

[VP Electricity]

That wasn't my question. I have a learned opinion too I asked if you had tried it

[VP Electricity]

Originally Posted by VP Electricity

That wasn't my question. I have a learned opinion too I asked if you had tried it

I meant to add, they certainly won't sound as loud - but I wonder how it does compared to stock.

[Technic]

Originally Posted by VP Electricity

That wasn't my question. I have a learned opinion too I asked if you had tried it

I think that I answered your question... I have used the SSMB8 not with the HiFi system.

[adrianBMW99]

I am still shocked at how bad the base stereo for 2010-early 2011 is. I had a Chevy Cobalt as a rental this weekend and a Ford Focus as well, both had more responsive and better sounding stereos. They were base vehicles too. BMW should retrofit anyone's stereo for those years, it's pathetic and a little offensive to the owners that they asked more money for the same car which two years earlier was better equipped and cheaper. Unfortunately I don't see myself spending $800 to upgrade my stereo to still have it sound worse than the current logic Hi-Fi which is standard. I mean hell, from BMW the ultimate HK system is $875 and the BMW individual system which comes on an M3 is $1900. I guess this should teach everyone to choose their vehicles options wisely, it did me...

[mech888]

I agree, its pretty embarassing...

[kaigoss69]

If the cars all came with premium stereos, you guys would be complaining that the price of the car is too high and that you did not want to pay extra for the stereo. At least now you have the option, so if you're a music lover, you pay extra for the HK system, if you listen to nothing but AM radio, you stay with the base stereo. IT IS THAT SIMPLE. Everybody is happy, except those who did not do their due diligence before buying their car, and then come here to complain about their own mistakes.

[adrianBMW99]

Originally Posted by kaigoss69

If the cars all came with premium stereos, you guys would be complaining that the price of the car is too high and that you did not want to pay extra for the stereo. At least now you have the option, so if you're a music lover, you pay extra for the HK system, if you listen to nothing but AM radio, you stay with the base stereo. IT IS THAT SIMPLE. Everybody is happy, except those who did not do their due diligence before buying their car, and then come here to complain about their own mistakes.

I agree with what you're saying, I would have had no problem paying more for the better sound system if I had known this one was so bad. What I do not agree with is a company like BMW which is a luxury car manufacturer putting such dump into a $50K car (I did not expect it to be this bad) where a base civic's stereo is better. I also disagree with the fact that the vehicle I have costs $4K more than it did in 2008, yet came with less options. <- I believe this is something all can agree with and if this wasn't a problem, why have they reverted back to the good stereo (for free if I might add)?

[kmarei]

the 335i should never come with the base stereo
this is the most premium (and most expensive) 3 series
at least Hifi