[matt96]

Originally Posted by makkan00

Not sure mate.
You may wish to travel to Essex or Dartford to get it done by me.

HTH.

I still haven't got around to sorting the recode. We had our first baby at the end of jan and lets say life has been a little 'chaotic'!

I'll hopefully get around to it when the dust settles. It will settle, right?

[maurauth]

Hi guys, I am a total newbie to ICE but I've done a fair bit of research and I think that the alpine kit will be within my budget to replace my base stereo system in my E92, however I want a little bit more power to it.

Would it be possible to get the Alpine kit and wire in a 10" sub enclosure fitted to the ski-hatch, or is the alpine kit not compatible with further upgrades? Sorry if this is an incredibly obvious question but I have absolutely no experience in ICE- had a Bose system in my mx5 and a hifi in my e90 before that...

[gIzzE]

If you're going to want more just buy better to start with.

BMW L7 tweeters and a pair of Earthquake subs with a decent 4 channel amp will be excellent, and just as easy to install as the Alpine.

Tweeters £60
Subs £200
Amp £150.
Cables £50.

[makkan00]

Originally Posted by matt96

I still haven't got around to sorting the recode. We had our first baby at the end of jan and lets say life has been a little 'chaotic'!

I'll hopefully get around to it when the dust settles. It will settle, right?

It will but in about 6-12 months time.

[Dragon88]

I currently have the base professional head unit with no tweeters.

Looks like I will need:
1) Alpine Kit 110878214627 eBay
2) Tweeter Housing x 2
3) L7 Sub x 2
4) Fitting & Coding

I don't know much about sound systems, just want better than what I currently have. Anything I am missing out?

[TheBlondeFella]

Originally Posted by gIzzE

If you're going to want more just buy better to start with.

BMW L7 tweeters and a pair of Earthquake subs with a decent 4 channel amp will be excellent, and just as easy to install as the Alpine.

Tweeters £60
Subs £200
Amp £150.
Cables £50.

Do you have makes and model numbers for the above?
Why a 4 channel instead of a 5 channel? don't you need to power the sub as well?

[gIzzE]

Because powering the rear speakers is completely pointless and ruins the overall sound.

[TheBlondeFella]

Originally Posted by gIzzE

Because powering the rear speakers is completely pointless and ruins the overall sound.

How can powering the rear speakers be pointless. I've never heard of that ... ever. There are some great sound systems in cars and they all have more that front speakers and subs.

Anyway, I'm so tall and have my seat so far back, by ears are closer to the rear speakers than the front.

[DocD]

Originally Posted by TheBlondeFella

How can powering the rear speakers be pointless. I've never heard of that ... ever. There are some great sound systems in cars and they all have more that front speakers and subs.

Anyway, I'm so tall and have my seat so far back, by ears are closer to the rear speakers than the front.

The audio from the factory H.U. is filtered to the rear channels, try putting your fader all the way to the rear, it will sound like a telephone.

The idea is to create a sound stage that sounds like it is in front of you.

[gIzzE]

Originally Posted by TheBlondeFella

How can powering the rear speakers be pointless. I've never heard of that ... ever. There are some great sound systems in cars and they all have more that front speakers and subs.

Anyway, I'm so tall and have my seat so far back, by ears are closer to the rear speakers than the front.

Because for a start with a decent audio system you are trying to get the soundstage up on the bonnet, adding rears you would normally only do to add a little fill and reinforce the bass weight, and ideally use time alignment to bring the sound of the rears up to the front of the car so they sound like they are in front of you. Plus you would ideally low pass them so you have only 80hz and below going to them.

The rears in the E90 are fiktered so only above 120hz is going to them so all they are doing is dragging the soundstage backwards. Amplifying them will only make it worse.

Depends what you want from your system I guess, I just think if doing all this you might as well go for a nice sound quality rather than just louder.

[TheBlondeFella]

Originally Posted by gIzzE

Because for a start with a decent audio system you are trying to get the soundstage up on the bonnet, adding rears you would normally only do to add a little fill and reinforce the bass weight, and ideally use time alignment to bring the sound of the rears up to the front of the car so they sound like they are in front of you. Plus you would ideally low pass them so you have only 80hz and below going to them.

The rears in the E90 are fiktered so only above 120hz is going to them so all they are doing is dragging the soundstage backwards. Amplifying them will only make it worse.

Depends what you want from your system I guess, I just think if doing all this you might as well go for a nice sound quality rather than just louder.

If I have 50/50 sound front to rear split at the moment and I'd like to eep it this way if possible.
If I only amp the front speakers won't I loose the majority of the rear sound? Will it even be enough for 'fill in'? Wont I need to fit a smaller amp at least to the rear?
If i only amp the front, won't that mean that when I have music on at a hi volume I wouldn't be able to hear the rear parking gong?
Won't changing the rear speakers upgrade the sound at all? From my experience (which is limited) stock speakers are usually rubbish and can always do with swapping.

[gIzzE]

Originally Posted by TheBlondeFella

If I have 50/50 sound front to rear split at the moment and I'd like to eep it this way if possible.

You don't have 50/50 at the moment, the crossover is giving you around 80f 20rear anyway.

Originally Posted by TheBlondeFella

If I only amp the front speakers won't I loose the majority of the rear sound? Will it even be enough for 'fill in'? Wont I need to fit a smaller amp at least to the rear?

Rear sound is usually added to make up for fronts that don't fill the cabin.

Don't bother adding an amp to the rear, spend more on an amp for the front along with new speakers is money much better spent.

On all the BMWsI have had with this set up disconnecting the rears completely has given the best sound over all.

Originally Posted by TheBlondeFella

If i only amp the front, won't that mean that when I have music on at a hi volume I wouldn't be able to hear the rear parking gong?

You will still hear it fine. With an amp it is about control as much as volume. Filling the cabin with a smooth sound, not running out of puff and sounding harsh at moderate levels like you get with stock.

Originally Posted by TheBlondeFella

Won't changing the rear speakers upgrade the sound at all? From my experience (which is limited) stock speakers are usually rubbish and can always do with swapping.

The speakers just need driving properly, they are teh last thing I would upgrade, amp first, then add tweeters and then change the subs under the seat.
If you are definitely going to change front speakers look at one of the systems you can buy, sub mid and tweeter.

Do that lot first and if you then think you need rear speakers, well, take it somewhere to get installed properly.

[TheBlondeFella]

Thanks for the info!

Are you saying to disconnect the rears completely then?

I'll probably upgrade in stages, mids and tweeters first, then an amp lastly if I think I need them the subs. I'm not really a bass junky and I'm hoping that adding an amp may produce all the bass that I require.

Can you or anyone recommend a reasonably priced mid and tweeter combo (£100 max) ? Everything I've looked at seems to be either way less or way way more.

A recommendation for an amp would be nice too has to fit an e93 though which has less space.

I looking for the cheapest way together the best sound. I simply can't afford ( orappreciate) the higher end stuff. After all its in a convertible which destroys any proper hifi sound anyway

Cheers

[gIzzE]

I think for £100 budget get the L7 tweeters, arond £70 new and plug and play.
Then buy a 4 channel Pioneer or Alpine amp for £100-150.

[makkan00]

Originally Posted by gIzzE

Plus you would ideally low pass them so you have only 80hz and below going to them.

No comments.

[makkan00]

Originally Posted by TheBlondeFella

Can you or anyone recommend a reasonably priced mid and tweeter combo (£100 max) ? Everything I've looked at seems to be either way less or way way more.

Cheers

Don' t spend your money in stages. Keep saving them and get it done all in one stage and go for better drivers + amps.

[gIzzE]

Originally Posted by makkan00

No comments.

Comment away.

Every single one of the audiophile systems I have ever heard that does not use time alignment sounds better when only the lower (non directional) frequencies are playing from the rear.

[makkan00]

Originally Posted by gIzzE

Every single one of the audiophile systems I have ever heard that does not use time alignment sounds better when only the lower (non directional) frequencies are playing from the rear.

Matey
Just for the sake of discussion...and food for thought...
1- Can 4 inch drivers handle below 80Hz at moderate volume?
2- With P99RS, I have experimented so many things. Using the rear speakers to complement the front stage is an art. It does not depend on what xovers you uses, but it depends on what angular frequencies you use.
3- I know Americans are different to us, but most of the competition level cars HP the rears and more specifically to get ambience from the rears.

Again we all are different. Good to hear your experience as well.

[gIzzE]

1) No. Therefore why bother?
2) You telling me you don't use the TA on the 99RS?
3) Ambience is a good thing, and I have heard so great systems where only the top end is used from around 800-7,000hz and a delay added to add space, but all these system had very high end head units or DSP units that could do the crossovers properly and/or add the correct TA.



Going back a few years before TA was the norm, the best sound from rears tended to be when the rears where crossed over so only lower frequencies were playing, to the point where you didn't notice them until they were turned off, this kept the soundstage as upfront as possible.
Using the OEM head unit I just think a bit of old school thinking is needed.

Personally I would whack a 80PRS in there and an amp and not bother trying to mess around with the oem head unit, those stock speakers can sound pretty remarkable with a nice pre amp and some decent power going to them along with some decent TA and the right crossovers set.

[TheBlondeFella]

Originally Posted by gIzzE

I think for £100 budget get the L7 tweeters, arond £70 new and plug and play.
Then buy a 4 channel Pioneer or Alpine amp for £100-150.

Really? Are the stock tweeters that good? Normally OE speakers cost 50p and are made of paper.
I did try to find a pair of DLS R4s but they're discontinued. Is there nothing comparable in price now that are as good? (Sub £150)

You guys are all far too technical for me too. Half of what you're talking about is going right over my head. Whatever happened to just playing with adjustments until things sound good. :0)

I've also decided that BMW electrics have just been designed to confuse and bamboozle.

[gIzzE]

I just think that to many people buy a speaker and then install it incorrectly so it actually sounds worse than the stock speaker.

I would try and find a pair of Morel 4" components, these mount nicely and sound divine, even their Maximo (cheapest) but think they may have dropped teh 4" in that. But look on ebay.

Pay around £120 for a pair of those.


Amp first, and then decide imho.
That will make the most difference, if you don't want to change the head unit.

[TheBlondeFella]

Just found these ....

http://caraudiosecurity.com/esk163l-...5cm-components

The supplier rekons it should be a straight swap and should sound excellent.

What amp type then for is needed underseat and front doors speakers? 2 way or 4 way. Any good reasonably priced recommendations in this area too?

Just found doors only option this from the same company also:
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/3308286726...84.m1423.l2649