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2011 E90 335i Base Stereo Upgrade
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10-20-2010, 05:48 PM | #1 |
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2011 E90 335i Base Stereo Upgrade
I know this has been discussed like a 1000 times before but as we all know the base stereo sucks miserably. I have an early 2011 build e90 which has the Base Stereo (completely inappropriate for a 50K car). Not only do the speakers pop when turned up, the overall sound quality is horrendous. I was wondering, are there any within reason ~$500 upgrades available for me to make this stereo considerably better (which probably won't take much !). I know I don't want to replace the head, so maybe an amp, speakers/tweeter combo and head reprogram of some sort. Note: Upgrades need not be BMW OEM but I would prefer to keep stock speaker look and would prefer no drilling if it meant adding speakers on the inside of my mirrors (where the HIFI speakers would normally be). Does anyone make speakers outside of HK/BMW that would nicely fit in that location?
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10-20-2010, 06:24 PM | #2 |
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The cheapest solution may be the Alpine upgrade package. You may also want to get in touch with forum member Technic, who also lives in FL, but the kind of upgrades he normally does are way more than $500...
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10-20-2010, 06:44 PM | #3 | |
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This means that any decent aftermarket upgrade to your system will require a DSP processor to normalize that OEM EQ curve. That will add at least $200 to your total budget (Cleansweep). You can try the OEM Alpine upgrade (amp, pair of OEM Logic7 speakers, harness) which is made specifically for this system for $500 or so, installation extra. That keeps the OEM woofer and the rear speakers in place and may keep your OEM audio system warranty if you let your local dealer install it -it is after all an OEM part, but it is European. That will blow your $500 budget in no time. For ~$750 I would do: - SSMB8 woofers ($170) - HiFi tweeters ($80) - OEM tweeter pods ($60) - Cleansweep ($210) - Pioneer GM-6400F 4-channel amplifier ($140) - Stereo harness ($65) 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. Last edited by Technic; 10-20-2010 at 06:53 PM.. |
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10-20-2010, 08:02 PM | #5 | |
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1. I have a leased car which I plan on returning, how stock will this setup look, I prefer to have almost no visual alterations? 2. Is it possible to place amp and subs under seats?, I prefer not to have anything in my trunk. (once again, visual alterations). 3. Will there be drilling involved (i.e. for the tweeters)? 4. Will stock head unit keep all original functionality and will I get any more EQ settings (or how is all that adjusted?) Thanks again for all of your help and when I am in South Florida again, I just may hit up up! |
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10-20-2010, 08:34 PM | #7 | ||||
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- the front doors mids stay put, the new OEM tweeters plug into those mids. - the OEM tweeter pods replace your current pods. - the SSMB8 woofers are mounted in a 1/2" plastic spacer, which bolts into your existing OEM woofer enclosures (replacing the OEM 6.5" woofers). New wires are run from the amp in the trunk to these woofers as the existing OEM wires are shared (parallel connection) with the front door mids. A custom jumper is used in the OEM woofer connector to restore the signal path to the door speakers. - the Stereo harness will take both the inputs/outputs and the remote turn on signal from your OEM HU to the trunk and back to the back of the OEM HU. The front outputs will be connected to the Cleansweep for the De-EQ and then input to the Pioneer amp. The Pioneer 4-CH amp will power the front and the woofers, the rear OEM speakers will be kept driven by the OEM HU. Quote:
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Once you normalize the front outputs you will have a much better signal to work with. |
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10-20-2010, 10:05 PM | #8 |
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Technic, you are awesome. This is exactly what I've been looking for. I have read threads that seem to require a complete overhaul and I'd prefer an OEM or PnP solution like this one. I just need to find some time to do this mod...
Last edited by javaperson; 10-20-2010 at 10:14 PM.. |
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11-13-2010, 03:23 AM | #9 | |
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I'm thinking of doing a budget upgrade to the base stereo based on your recommendations above, but I have a few, maybe naive, questions. I've never installed a stereo/speakers in a car, but I enjoy tinkering and I'm looking for a fun project.
Do the OEM mids already have a connector for the OEM tweeters, or do i need another harness/tap? Quote:
Since the Cleansweep processes the front outputs, the bass or treble settings I use in the OEM HU won't matter, right? Those settings would only affect the rear speakers which are still driven by the OEM HU, right? If this is true, I worry that I wouldn't be able to make any adjustments and would rely on the new tweeters to produce decent highs. I guess this is a limitation of going on a budget? Do you have any recommendations if I wanted an EQ on a budget? Thanks. Last edited by javaperson; 11-13-2010 at 03:34 AM.. |
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11-13-2010, 07:14 AM | #10 | |||
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The only "budget" EQ that I can recommend is an Audiocontrol EQS after the Cleansweep, but that combo will be within $200 of a JBL MS-8. So this upgrade is limited by your budget. |
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11-13-2010, 07:44 AM | #11 |
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If you are getting an eq like EQS to tweak manually, do you still need the cleansweep?
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11-13-2010, 08:03 AM | #12 |
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11-13-2010, 04:57 PM | #13 |
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Hey, Technic, would you like to install one of our kits with a preprogrammed Zapco DSP amp, one of your harnesses, and SWS-8?
We could find out what you think of our EQ curve... |
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11-13-2010, 05:04 PM | #14 |
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Our $1300 upgrade with new fronts, new underseats, a new amp/processor with DSP preprogrammed, gets great reviews. All looks stock, OEM tweeter trim used, no cutting, but it's not $500.
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11-13-2010, 08:38 PM | #15 |
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Pleases PM with the details of this upgrade. I am interested for my 08 e90 M3
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11-14-2010, 02:20 AM | #16 | |
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Is there a particular reason why you recommended the Pioneer GM-6400F? Is it just good bang for the buck? I'm trying to plan out the upgrade before I start. How do people typically route the harness away from the HU? I presume the harness be snuck out at the back of the footwell (need to remove a panel in the footwell) and then under the doorsill (on its way to the trunk)? |
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11-14-2010, 08:35 AM | #17 | ||
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11-14-2010, 08:36 AM | #18 |
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11-26-2010, 11:53 PM | #19 | |
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I like sticking with OEM, unless the performance is noticeably worse. |
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11-27-2010, 12:45 AM | #20 |
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11-27-2010, 01:48 AM | #21 | |
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11-27-2010, 08:37 AM | #22 |
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