[Sirrus]

Hi Guys,

This is my thread about upgrading my 2009 335i Coupe (E92). Here are the components I went with:

Speakers
Front: Rainbow SLC 210.25 NG
Rear: OEM HiFi
Underseat: OEM HiFi
Subwoofer: JL 10W6v2 (Already own)
Amplifiers
Fronts / Woofers: JL XD400/4
Rears: JBL MS-8
Subwoofer: MTX Thunder 801D (Already own)
DSP
JBL MS-8
Misc
(Removed due to cost) Custom fiberglass corner enclosure
Small MDF subwoofer enclosure
Technic's harness

Here were my initial questions:
1. How well can I expect the OEM HiFi woofers to hold up / sound? I was planning to highpass at 80 Hz...
2. Would I get better performance out of a PDX-F4 amp? Any other amps I should consider in the price range? I think VP mentioned the ARC KS 125.4 Mini in one thread. I want everything hidden, so smaller is better.
3. I can't find a stealth place to hide my MTX amp, so I'll have to mount it to the trunk's ceiling. Is it possible to do this without drilling holes in my leased car?
4. Any other tips / recommendations?

Rather than adding a lot of new information to this first post, I'm going to keep adding new posts as I finish my installation.

I hope this helps others going through the same process. Thanks for all of the advice!

[kaigoss69]

1. I have no experience with those woofers. My guess would be that they will work, but you may get the "itch" to replace them sooner or later with something like the Kicker SSMB8, Morel ADMW SW 9 or EQ SWS-8.

2. You will likely not notice a huge difference between the two. Keep in mind, if you end up upgrading the underseats later on, you may want to plan ahead and get an amp with at least 100W / ch. into 4ohm, better 150W. The XD600/6 would be my recommendation, as you can bridge 4 channels into 200W x 2.

3. Once you take out your hifi amp, you can put the XD in its place. You can also put the MS-8 above the XD amp, but you will have to buy the CD changer side panel with the raised compartment (that's what I had to do to mount the MS-8 out of sight).

[Sirrus]

Thanks, I meant to check on that bridging option. I'll have a closer look. I wish there was a cheaper (in production) option for midbass than the Morel ADMW SW 9. VP did say he got decent performance out of the SWS with DSP though.

As far as the amps go, I was planning to put the XD amp in the satalite module spot (since I don't have one), and the MS-8 where the stock amp is. My big issue is how to make the MTX amp do it's best "spider man" impression.

[kaigoss69]

Get the SSMB8 then, they are cheap and Technic swears by them.

[oca123]

Also, once you are done, since you have a trunk sub, please let us know how much volume you get after you run the MS8 acoustic measurements (sweeps) as for me and some other members the MS8 reduces the output of the underseat woofers to almost nothing when set as a 2-way front (mid+tweets for highs and underseat for lows). So far the way we deal with this is by increasing the gains for the underseat channels AFTER the calibration. I also reduce the sub gain because it is always too loud post-calibration.
Also post in this thread.

I have the Morels and they sound great. Easy fit too, feel free to PM me or post here if you do get them and need help/pictures of the install.

Pascal

And yes, you can mount your amps to the trunks ceiling using bolts without drilling - there are lots of holes up there already. Also take a look under the floor. Depending on what options you have you may have more or less room. I have room under one of the BMW modules. I have also seen an amp installed under the carpet of the front passenger seat, but i dont recommend it for heat reasons.
Look into the CD changer and Sirius trims for the trunk. You can also take out the stock amp and mount an amp there. Technics harness should help with your lease, PM him.

[Sirrus]

So now I'm a little unsure about the front speakers. I received a PM from VP warning me that the Rainbows won't fit without some modification. I'm waiting to hear back from him for more information, but in the mean time I'm considering going with the Focal 100 VRS since they have a shorter mounting depth. Any thoughts?

I'm having the hardest time finding successful E92 speaker installs without modification.

[Technic]

Originally Posted by Sirrus

So now I'm a little unsure about the front speakers. I received a PM from VP warning me that the Rainbows won't fit without some modification. I'm waiting to hear back from him for more information, but in the mean time I'm considering going with the Focal 100 VRS since they have a shorter mounting depth. Any thoughts?

I'm having the hardest time finding successful E92 speaker installs without modification.

The Focals 4" K2 and the VRS should fit without issues in the E92 doors, as they are 39mm deep.

Anything else, including the Morel, requires custom spacers and the modification of the OEM grille:

[Sirrus]

I had another idea: Is there any reason I couldn't put some Logic 7 component in there instead? How would they compare sound-wise to the Rainbows, both having MS-8 DSP applied?

[kaigoss69]

Originally Posted by Sirrus

I had another idea: Is there any reason I couldn't put some Logic 7 component in there instead? How would they compare sound-wise to the Rainbows, both having MS-8 DSP applied?

Well, I may be the only one to say this, but that is a very good option. One, because the L7 speakers are pretty much a drop-in, and two, because they are very efficient and are 2ohm. I would even take it a step further and get the L7 mid and tweeter for the center so all the speakers for the front stage are the same. This way, the MS-8 will output 3 x 30W RMS to the front stage which in my car is plenty loud. In comparison, going with aftermarket speakers and no center channel, you are left with 18W x 2, which in my mind cannot be enough.

Another option would be BSW speakers, but I cannot vouch for their quality in comparison to the L7 speakers.

[Technic]

Originally Posted by Sirrus

I had another idea: Is there any reason I couldn't put some Logic 7 component in there instead? How would they compare sound-wise to the Rainbows, both having MS-8 DSP applied?

That should work, and if you want to be fancy you can get a crossover network from CDT or equivalent and make a real component system out of the OEM L7 mid and tweeters.

[oca123]

don't get the BSW. I got them and even though they are a perfect fit, they are not meant to be used with external amplification. I wonder if that's why BSW yet has to launch their amp for the E9x.
I popped the front tweeter and I've had these speakers for less than 2 months.

Also, i've noticed that the MS8, Morels as midbass and a trunk sub make them sound even worse. The tweeters sound harsh and the mids muddy.

They are only fine with the stock BMW amp IMO. Just get the individual or l7 stock speakers if in doubt

[fdriller9]

If you mount your amps to the rear deck make sure you dont mount them upside down...the heatsinks need to be facin upwardfpr proper heat dissipation. Otherwise you risk over heating your amp and damaging it.

[Sirrus]

So as far as front speakers go, the Logic 7 components are the least expensive option, but as Technic mentioned, they don't include a crossover. I looked at those CDT crossovers he mentioned, but they are so expensive, I might as well get the Focal or Individual Audio speakers. I guess I could always make my own crossovers, that might be an interesting project, but I don't really have the time for it.

It looks like kaigoss69 made the assumption I was going to run off MS-8 power. That wasn't what I stated, but to be honest I am giving it a good consideration, at least in the short term.

And thanks ********* for the tip, I hadn't thought about that. Since I've decided to go with an MDF enclosure, I'll think I'll be able to mount the MTX amp to the back of that. I'm going to try to make everything "quick release" connected so I can take out the whole unit when I need extra space.

[oca123]

I found the Focals for roughly $300/pair (components+grille+crossovers * 2) brand new if you are interested.

[Sirrus]

Are we talking about somebody selling them out of his van? More info please...PM if necessary.

[oca123]

no no, I happen to live in France at the moment (was in OC before too ) and, well Focal being a french company and all, they're cheap over here. See PM. I'm willing to order, receive, remove/scan invoice and forward marked as gift for customs for a couple of members.
I dont see shipping being more than $50 to socal, and I'd be doing this for no profit.

[VP Electricity]

Only problem is, they still sound like Focals. Now if you were in Israel, I'd be asking Morel prices

[ctuna]

What is the difference? Around here they stock Focals but I haven't seen any Morels?

[KSP]

Originally Posted by Technic

The Focals 4" K2 and the VRS should fit without issues in the E92 doors, as they are 39mm deep.

Anything else, including the Morel, requires custom spacers and the modification of the OEM grille:

For the Morels, are there any issues with finding a place to stick the crossover in the door? They look HUGE in the pictures on woofersetc.

[jjmanda]

Originally Posted by KSP

For the Morels, are there any issues with finding a place to stick the crossover in the door? They look HUGE in the pictures on woofersetc.

If you are looking at the Morel Hybrid Ovations, the pictures on Woofersetc shows the previous MX22.2 version passive crossovers. The latest Hybrid Ovation II sets have a newer MX22.4 version which are smaller.

The MX22.2 casing is quite heftier and the crossover allows you to bi-amp/bi-wire. The MX22.4 casing is smaller and with lighter plastic and has no bi-amp/bi-wire connections.

I am able to fit both versions of the crossover in my E90 doors, but I can't speak for the E92 doors.

[KSP]

Originally Posted by jjmanda

If you are looking at the Morel Hybrid Ovations, the pictures on Woofersetc shows the previous MX22.2 version passive crossovers. The latest Hybrid Ovation II sets have a newer MX22.4 version which are smaller.

The MX22.2 casing is quite heftier and the crossover allows you to bi-amp/bi-wire. The MX22.4 casing is smaller and with lighter plastic and has no bi-amp/bi-wire connections.

I am able to fit both versions of the crossover in my E90 doors, but I can't speak for the E92 doors.

Thanks. Yes, I was looking at the Ovations. I guess worst case it looks like that plastic clam shell (or Iron Man's head as I think Technic called it on another post ) could be removed from the crossover board to make it fit easier.

[danchee]

Originally Posted by VP Electricity

Only problem is, they still sound like Focals. Now if you were in Israel, I'd be asking Morel prices

Which Morels are you interested in? I have a lot of Israeli co-workers.