E90Post
 


 
BMW 3-Series (E90 E92) Forum > E90 / E92 / E93 3-series Technical Forums > AUDIO/VIDEO + BLUETOOTH + Electronics/Alarm/Software > speakers sound distorted when loud or bass lound



Reply
 
Thread Tools Search this Thread
      04-21-2019, 10:29 AM   #1
Blk6spd328
New Member
2
Rep
6
Posts

Drives: 2008 328i 6spd with sport pkg
Join Date: Apr 2019
Location: Toronto

iTrader: (0)

Speakers sound distorted when volume or bass is turned up

I'm new to the forum, recently purchased a 2008 328i Sedan, six speed with sport package. So far, really happy with everything with this car. The only issue I have is the sound sounds normal when listening to the radio/CD/aux at normal volume, but as soon as I turn it up the speakers the sound becomes distorted, especially the subwoofers under the seat when the bass is turned up. I've searched the forum, but can't find an answer to this. Any help would be greatly appreciated.
Appreciate 0
      04-21-2019, 11:08 AM   #2
Blk6spd328
New Member
2
Rep
6
Posts

Drives: 2008 328i 6spd with sport pkg
Join Date: Apr 2019
Location: Toronto

iTrader: (0)

forgot to mention, I have hifi audio
Appreciate 0
      04-21-2019, 11:36 AM   #3
spazzz
Private First Class
spazzz's Avatar
116
Rep
148
Posts

Drives: 2008 535xi MHD&XHP,2013 X1 35i
Join Date: Jul 2015
Location: Madison,WI

iTrader: (0)

The bass is too much when it is flat, so I dunno about that turning up business.

Sounds to me like you need to spend some money on new speakers.
My daughter bought a 2008 328xi E92 with blown speakers and toast amp from previous owners trunk water problem.

We bought an E92 Logic 7 speaker set from Ebay and a new HiFi amp to resolve her crappy audio problem.
Appreciate 0
      04-21-2019, 12:20 PM   #4
bluewater328
Colonel
United_States
626
Rep
2,100
Posts

Drives: 2011 bluewater 328i LCI sedan
Join Date: Aug 2010
Location: Hawaii

iTrader: (0)

I could talk a lot about the difference upgraded speakers and amp would do, but just to check:

Have you looked under your seats first? The covers for the underseat mids are plastic. If a pen, coins, errant rail cover, etc are hanging out on the plastic cover under the seat, it WILL sound like you have a blown speaker or poor insulation when the mids start hitting.
Appreciate 0
      04-21-2019, 01:32 PM   #5
ctuna
Lieutenant General
1904
Rep
13,088
Posts

Drives: 325xi 06 wagon MT
Join Date: Jan 2010
Location: Santa Cruz, Ca

iTrader: (0)

The Hi Fi setup just isn't that good.
If you turn it up it falls right apart.
The doors get distorted and harsh and the underseat really do
not provide any listenable low end .
Someone described is as the perfect mudrange.

In order of things to fix the amplifier is way underpowered .
The power ratings are achieved using 2 ohm speakers and the
power rating they state is at 10 percent distortion.
The speakers aren't much behind especially the underseats.

If you replace the amp with an aftermarket amp it will clear up the
doors quite a bit and you can hear the under seats but they will
still be muddy.

https://www.e90post.com/forums/attac...3&d=1329017429

BMW stereo types
http://www.e90post.com/forums/showthread.php?t=352586
http://www.e90post.com/forums/attach...2&d=1266451970
http://www.e90post.com/forums/attach...2&d=1260829447
http://www.e90post.com/forums/showthread.php?t=343673
http://www.e90post.com/forums/showthread.php?t=138949
http://www.e90post.com/forums/attach...1&d=1209780605
http://www.e90post.com/forums/attach...1&d=1209780865
http://www.e90post.com/forums/showthread.php?t=641323
http://bmwcoders.com/forum/3-er-8/bm...1-e92-e93-291/
http://technicpnp.com/menuDiagrams/d...e90_92_93.html
http://www.musicarnw.com/page-2/
http://www.e90post.com/forums/attach...3&d=1169133185
http://www.e90post.com/forums/attach...4&d=1278871872


HI Fi upgrades
http://www.e90post.com/forums/showth...ighlight=level
http://www.m3post.com/forums/showthread.php?t=540446
http://www.e90post.com/forums/showth...hlight=technic
http://www.e90post.com/forums/showthread.php?t=532585
http://www.e90post.com/forums/showthread.php?t=833581
http://www.m3post.com/forums/showthread.php?t=443043
http://www.e90post.com/forums/showthread.php?t=324214
https://www.bimmer-tech.net/blog/ite...-audio-for-bmw
http://www.e90post.com/forums/showth...hlight=level+3

Also the aux is a known low fi input . People do all kind of things to improve
it but is best not use it.

If I was upgrading now I would use a Helix 86dsp amp or there BMW7.
Bimmertech and Bavsound offer these as a package with mounting
hardware and tune.
I would also upgrade the Speakers . For the front locations.
The Helix Match speakers seem like a reasonably priced.
There are others depending on what you want to spend but
not really any good cheap substitutes although some people like
the Logic 7 and Individual audio speaker which is the two next
level up BMW systems.
You have to find BMW compatible speakers because of size restrictions.

Last edited by ctuna; 04-21-2019 at 01:45 PM..
Appreciate 1
Phyrexia502.50
      04-21-2019, 02:20 PM   #6
Blk6spd328
New Member
2
Rep
6
Posts

Drives: 2008 328i 6spd with sport pkg
Join Date: Apr 2019
Location: Toronto

iTrader: (0)

Thanks for all the info and replies, I checked to see if anything fell through the plastic covering where the subwoofers are, nothing fell through. The weird thing all the speakers sound distorted, so it can't be all the speakers are blown, and it just can't be that a car which costs close to 45k when new has a worse sound system than a Hyundai accent..lol. I'm just not convinced that this is just the way the audio sounds, there has to something else.
Appreciate 0
      04-21-2019, 03:32 PM   #7
mweisdorfer
Major General
mweisdorfer's Avatar
United_States
1900
Rep
6,968
Posts

Drives: 2007 Black/Black 335i e90
Join Date: Apr 2011
Location: Holly, MI

iTrader: (0)

Garage List
2007 BMW E90 335i  [0.00]
2008 bmw x5  [0.00]
Quote:
Originally Posted by Blk6spd328 View Post
I'm new to the forum, recently purchased a 2008 328i Sedan, six speed with sport package. So far, really happy with everything with this car. The only issue I have is the sound sounds normal when listening to the radio/CD/aux at normal volume, but as soon as I turn it up the speakers the sound becomes distorted, especially the subwoofers under the seat when the bass is turned up. I've searched the forum, but can't find an answer to this. Any help would be greatly appreciated.
Insulate the door panels, under the subs & around the speakers on the rear shelf. This will bring some clarity to the speakers
Appreciate 0
      04-21-2019, 04:30 PM   #8
ctuna
Lieutenant General
1904
Rep
13,088
Posts

Drives: 325xi 06 wagon MT
Join Date: Jan 2010
Location: Santa Cruz, Ca

iTrader: (0)

Go compare it to another car with the same system .
(For a sanity check)

Little patches to this system will not make it a lot better.
Appreciate 0
      04-21-2019, 07:21 PM   #9
spazzz
Private First Class
spazzz's Avatar
116
Rep
148
Posts

Drives: 2008 535xi MHD&XHP,2013 X1 35i
Join Date: Jul 2015
Location: Madison,WI

iTrader: (0)

Quote:
Originally Posted by Blk6spd328 View Post
Thanks for all the info and replies, I checked to see if anything fell through the plastic covering where the subwoofers are, nothing fell through. The weird thing all the speakers sound distorted, so it can't be all the speakers are blown, and it just can't be that a car which costs close to 45k when new has a worse sound system than a Hyundai accent..lol. I'm just not convinced that this is just the way the audio sounds, there has to something else.
Yikes, all speakers distorted?????!!
Look at your amp for any tell tale water intrusion. White dried film.
Check the plug to the amp. Pull it out and use a mirror to look at the amp side for corrosion.
My daughters speakers were ALL distorted on her 08, E92 HiFi.
When we replaced the speakers the doors had melted the magnets, one had come off and was in the door. Every speaker except the right rear and 1 sub was toast.
After replacing them everything was cool except for the passenger door and pillar tweeter, fuzzy sound
That's when I ran across an old post here from someone saying water in trunk , then a plastic burning smell and no speaker volume. Bingo, everything fell into place.

---------Look at your amp.---------
I should have taken a picture of those speakers. It looked like someone went to town with a bic lighter on them and the door panels.

She bought a new HIFI amp and all good.
She spent 400 for the better Logic7 speakers and new HIFI amp.
It took me and her boyfriend a few hours to do the whole change out.
It took longer researching the whole BMW sound options.

We started with the pull out the head unit and check plug scenario.

Look at your amp. or did I say that already??
Appreciate 0
      04-21-2019, 09:39 PM   #10
Blk6spd328
New Member
2
Rep
6
Posts

Drives: 2008 328i 6spd with sport pkg
Join Date: Apr 2019
Location: Toronto

iTrader: (0)

thanks for the info, the amp is clean and looks almost new, so I know for sure its not the amp. If it was the amp the gong sound wouldn't work either, so I don't think its the amp, however I did some digging around and I found a bmw service bulletin related to the exact same problem I am having. The problem seems to be related to a strange buzz from the speakers I also occasionally have with the audio off. I think I am thinking it is the second of the two problems listed in SI B65 13 10, look at this thread

https://www.e90post.com/forums/showt...=105325&page=3
Appreciate 0
      04-21-2019, 11:14 PM   #11
spazzz
Private First Class
spazzz's Avatar
116
Rep
148
Posts

Drives: 2008 535xi MHD&XHP,2013 X1 35i
Join Date: Jul 2015
Location: Madison,WI

iTrader: (0)

K, gong works, daughters didn't.

That's the problem that made me pull out the radio and reseat the plugs which of course wasn't my problem.

Good luck!
Appreciate 0
      04-22-2019, 12:31 AM   #12
ctuna
Lieutenant General
1904
Rep
13,088
Posts

Drives: 325xi 06 wagon MT
Join Date: Jan 2010
Location: Santa Cruz, Ca

iTrader: (0)

Yes it is totally the case that a car that costs 50k can have a
crappy sound system. And they actually have a system below
that that has no amp and no tweeters. And in the new x1 and x2 they don't even give you tweeters with the hi fi system. The two levels above hi fi are better. But most of the pro installers wouldn't consider the Logic 7
system very good.
Why would the exterior appearance of and amp have anything to do with
how it sounds. This is flawed Logic.

http://www.bimmerfest.com/forums/sho...t=disappointed

Last edited by ctuna; 04-22-2019 at 12:39 AM..
Appreciate 0
      04-22-2019, 10:20 AM   #13
Blk6spd328
New Member
2
Rep
6
Posts

Drives: 2008 328i 6spd with sport pkg
Join Date: Apr 2019
Location: Toronto

iTrader: (0)

Spoke to dealership, he said replacing the amp won't solve this problem. The issue of the buzzing of the speakers with the car off and distorted audio at high volume is related to the tsb below where they need to reprogram and update the software related to the audio, now I have to decide whether to get this done for $250 or find an alternate way to resolve this issue.

https://bmw-worldzz.blogspot.com/201...sound.html?m=1
Appreciate 0
      04-22-2019, 01:30 PM   #14
ctuna
Lieutenant General
1904
Rep
13,088
Posts

Drives: 325xi 06 wagon MT
Join Date: Jan 2010
Location: Santa Cruz, Ca

iTrader: (0)

If you have hiss this

https://www.e90post.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1606086

But that is not the title of this thread.
Appreciate 0
      04-22-2019, 04:28 PM   #15
Blk6spd328
New Member
2
Rep
6
Posts

Drives: 2008 328i 6spd with sport pkg
Join Date: Apr 2019
Location: Toronto

iTrader: (0)

Quote:
Originally Posted by ctuna View Post
If you have hiss this

https://www.e90post.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1606086

But that is not the title of this thread.
[QUOTE=ctuna;24687694]If you have hiss this

https://www.e90post.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1606086

But that is not the title of this thread.

Thanks for the info, I'll try reseating the head unit and see if it cures the hiss and the distortion at high volume...
Appreciate 0
      04-22-2019, 05:29 PM   #16
ctuna
Lieutenant General
1904
Rep
13,088
Posts

Drives: 325xi 06 wagon MT
Join Date: Jan 2010
Location: Santa Cruz, Ca

iTrader: (0)

Usually a noise problem takes place or is most noticeable at low levels.
Almost anything will have some noise at maximum volume.

Find another car with the same system and compare it or you may
be chasing your tail.
Appreciate 0
Reply

Bookmarks

Thread Tools Search this Thread
Search this Thread:

Advanced Search

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off



All times are GMT -5. The time now is 01:31 AM.




e90post
Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.11
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, vBulletin Solutions Inc.
1Addicts.com, BIMMERPOST.com, E90Post.com, F30Post.com, M3Post.com, ZPost.com, 5Post.com, 6Post.com, 7Post.com, XBimmers.com logo and trademark are properties of BIMMERPOST