[bfoolish1339]

Ok,

Backdrop... 2010 335i with 4k miles. Basic audio system with 6 speakers and NO amp. I was looking for an amp and 1 12 with about a 1k budget. Considered Audison or Hertz package with another local shop but they were about 1500 for the same set up.

So after reading about 50 hours worth of threads and tinkering with the idea of a self install, I go with my better judgment and decide to take her to a shop for the install. They were recommended by a couple of people and have a decent rep around town. First question I ask is "have you done one of these before" "Yes Yes Yes, we do them all the time".

Thursday:
So I order a Sound Stream (http://www.soundstream.com/AudioProd...ofers-main.htm) R1 12" and a 1200w Sound stream amp (http://www.soundstream.com/AudioProd...rs/stealth.htm). They tell me it should take a couple days to get in and a couple hours to install.

Tuesday:
Sub/amp are not in yet...I will give you a call

Friday: Yea sub came in.. no one called you?

Tuesday: Go in for install. Come back Tuesday afternoon expecting to hear my car from the front of the store... the set up is nice.. but when they turn it up.. nothing. Horrible sound quality not much louder than it was before. They tell me its the volume.. it must be stuck because it wont go up any more.

I check out the set up and he has the RCA's tapped in behind the deck. Well from my research on E90 Post i know you have to tap into the subs so I tell him that and he's like "there are subs under your seat

Ok that must be the problem. Come back tomorrow and we will have it take care of.

Wed/ no call

Thursday. go back in and they have the same look. No bueno. The sound is better but they are insisting to me that the HU is not putting out enough voltage to push the amp.. "it's your head unit that is the problem!"

Long story short... i make them take it out because it sounds like shit.. FM mode hits pretty hard but CD and aux are about half the volume. I agree to pay 200 bucks for the labor even though i didnt get anything out of it (they left the relay/amp kit/ and RCAs wired in)

To top it all off.. They gave it back full of mud and smelling like smoke

Rant almost over....

Couple of quotes I should have keyed in on.

"what do you mean it has subs under the seats"
"your sub/amp hasnt come in yet....let me get a 400 deposit so i can place the order"
"yea the 7 series has fiber optics in their systems"
"your headunit is only pushing out ABOUT 8 volts"

So E90 post... I know someone here knows what they did wrong. is this a salvageable install... the wires are already in.. what can I do?

[oca123]

what wires did they tap into exactly? so you have the system with no tweeters?
The amp you are talking about looks like a single channel amp, so you were going to power this 12'' sub in your trunk and feed it all this power, but you have no amp for the rest of your speakers?
I doubt you will get decent sound output from this car without some kind of amplification for your front stage.
I would consider the JBL MS8 if I were you. Add a trunk sub so you don't need to modify the underseat. Drive all of your speakers off the MS8 integrated amps, and add a separate amp for your trunk sub. It will sound great.

[ctuna]

So all you want to do is shake the ground?

[oca123]

they are right that the head unit is the problem, but I disagree that it is related to its voltage being too low to drive the amp. the head unit is too weak to power your speakers. also i believe the underseat woofers are hooked up to the door speakers in parallel, and most importantly, you have no tweeters and since at these frequencies sounds are highly directional your door speakers are going to be useless in trying to reproduce anything a tweeter should be reproducing.

I am really not familiar with the 6-speaker setup with no tweeters, but I have heard that there is an Alpine kit that can be had for ~$500 which adds tweeters. You would still have some money left over to get a sub+amp.

I suspect that a cheap-o sub+amp would do the job for you with the above-mentioned kit and would meet your SQ standards.

[bfoolish1339]

Originally Posted by oca123

they are right that the head unit is the problem, but I disagree that it is related to its voltage being too low to drive the amp. the head unit is too weak to power your speakers. also i believe the underseat woofers are hooked up to the door speakers in parallel, and most importantly, you have no tweeters and since at these frequencies sounds are highly directional your door speakers are going to be useless in trying to reproduce anything a tweeter should be reproducing.

I am really not familiar with the 6-speaker setup with no tweeters, but I have heard that there is an Alpine kit that can be had for ~$500 which adds tweeters. You would still have some money left over to get a sub+amp.

I suspect that a cheap-o sub+amp would do the job for you with the above-mentioned kit and would meet your SQ standards.

I really have no clue what you just said. but OK... Yes.. my car has 6 speakers with no tweeters and no amp. The HU is powering all 6 speakers. My production date was Jan 10.

For some reason I thought all the HU's were the same model... and that the amp made the sound quality. Maybe I can find an HK HU on ebay???

[bfoolish1339]

Originally Posted by oca123

what wires did they tap into exactly? so you have the system with no tweeters?

Yes

[/QUOTE]
The amp you are talking about looks like a single channel amp, so you were going to power this 12'' sub in your trunk and feed it all this power, but you have no amp for the rest of your speakers?[/QUOTE]
Yes... everyone i have asked told me not to put an amp to factory speakers because they would blow. I Just wanted to add a sub to add some base

[oca123]

the problem with adding just bass to a system that is only powered by a head unit is that the bass will overpower the rest of the system.
the factory speakers can handle quite a bit of abuse from an aftermarket amp... just don't blow them, i.e. if you hear distortion back down on the volume. I am not 100% sure on this but I'm pretty sure they can handle at least 30W RMS.
I think that combined with a trunk sub+amp, the JBL MS8 will make your car sound extremely good. I used to have one powering the stock speakers and it got stupid loud.

[ctuna]

The one you have only has head unit power only, the other two have amps in the trunk with moderate to Ok power.

http://www.e90post.com/forums/attach...2&d=1266451970

http://www.e90post.com/forums/showth...mp+2010&page=2

To really improve the system you need to upgrade at least all the front speakers,add tweeters , add a processor to flatten the Eq curve and and an amp (multichannel).

There are numerous threads on this as the 2010 stereo is a POS

http://www.e90post.com/forums/showthread.php?t=365866

[VP Electricity]

I expect they pulled the typical rookie move. They connected the sub amp to the rear speaker wires for signal. The rear speaker wires carry no signals below 150 Hz, and subwoofers sound like crap being driven with mids and highs.

At my shop we have had to fix two new BMWs with this problem from other shop's installs. I don't understand how the systems were ever delivered to the customer with such a horrible problem.

If they change their connection to the front speakers, that would solve that problem.

Then you will have a Soundstream amp and Soundstream 12" in your 335... but let's fix one problem at a time.

[bfoolish1339]

Originally Posted by VP Electricity

I expect they pulled the typical rookie move. They connected the sub amp to the rear speaker wires for signal. The rear speaker wires carry no signals below 150 Hz, and subwoofers sound like crap being driven with mids and highs.

At my shop we have had to fix two new BMWs with this problem from other shop's installs. I don't understand how the systems were ever delivered to the customer with such a horrible problem.

If they change their connection to the front speakers, that would solve that problem.

Then you will have a Soundstream amp and Soundstream 12" in your 335... but let's fix one problem at a time.

Soooo are you saying that Soundstream is a problem? Why does everyone speak in code here If it's junk let me know. i'd appreciate it.

Anyone know a good shop in the MD/DC area?

[VP Electricity]

I gave you a lot of detailed and specific info. I then made a joke at your expense, which is pretty common for me when dispensing free advice soundstream gear used to be good before they went bk. Now they just have a sticker.

But the gear is not the issue.

Go to Rob at 12voltz in Glen Burnie MD outside Baltimore.

[VP Electricity]

Oh, by the way, you should really warn other members about what shop NOT to go to...

[bfoolish1339]

Originally Posted by VP Electricity

I gave you a lot of detailed and specific info. I then made a joke at your expense, which is pretty common for me when dispensing free advice soundstream gear used to be good before they went bk. Now they just have a sticker.

But the gear is not the issue.

Go to Rob at 12voltz in Glen Burnie MD outside Baltimore.

Ok.. thanks.. I think I get it now

[Delta0311]

I have no idea why BMW went so cheap on the LCI stock sound system. When ever I use one of the new loaner cars (thank god it's not often) I cringe when I try to turn up the volume. CD and radio does not sound too horrible but when using the AUX port the sound is down right horrible at higher volumes. Then I noticed that the car had no tweeters; like WTF. Not to hate on BWM but the stock system in a Civic sound better than the stock system in the LCI 3-series models.

[Atomicteal_M3]

Don't mind me, I'm just getting info for when I get my AMP & Sub installed.