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BMW 3-Series (E90 E92) Forum > E90 / E92 / E93 3-series Technical Forums > AUDIO/VIDEO + BLUETOOTH + Electronics/Alarm/Software > E90 Professional HiFi stereo upgrade



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      08-31-2009, 10:46 AM   #111
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Quote:
Originally Posted by mObridge View Post
You do need to unplug the existing external amp MOST connection of course so only our unit does exist.

cheers,

mObridge
There is no MOST connection in the HiFi OEM amp...
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      09-04-2009, 03:44 AM   #112
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Quote:
Originally Posted by VP Electricity View Post
But do we yet know if the BMW HU's analog outputs work at the same time as its MOST output?
No they do not. Once a HU has been enabled for an external amp, regardless of whether the external amp is there or not, the HU will never use it's analog outputs again.

cheers,

mObridge
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      09-04-2009, 09:56 PM   #113
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Which means that you can't use your gateway in a BMW to push a BitOne unless both your Toslink and analog outputs work simultaneously, right?
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      09-27-2009, 12:40 PM   #114
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Quote:
Originally Posted by INeedHelp1234 View Post
Hi Technic, Wondering if you could help me? Basically, i just want to add a subwoofer into my car, 320D. And was wondering what is the best way? I do not have a stock amp. Was just wondering, Is it best to T the cables from the headunit or the back speakers? Also what would i use for best results? Cud i just twist the cables together or do i need some connectors? Thanks.
What amp are you using for your sub?
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      09-27-2009, 12:52 PM   #115
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Originally Posted by INeedHelp1234 View Post
800W Amp, 1600 Watts sub. Thanks in advance
Brand and model, I meant...
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      09-27-2009, 01:07 PM   #116
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Originally Posted by INeedHelp1234 View Post
Its a Boss Sound amp 800N
2/3/4 channel amplifier
Boss Audio or Boss Sound? I cannot find any specs on a Boss 800N amplifier in the 'net...
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      09-27-2009, 01:25 PM   #117
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Quote:
Originally Posted by INeedHelp1234 View Post
Boss sound it says on there. I'm from the uk
Nothing shows up under "Boss Sound" only "Boss Audio".

Regardless, I want to know if this amp has high level inputs and how much voltage they can take before any recommendation. Most probably they can take your 15W max (around 8V) per channel directly but I want to make sure.

If so then you could either tap the OEM HU rear outputs in the back of the OEM HU or at the rear speakers inputs. If you do not want to cut or tap anything in the car itself then you can buy this type of harness
http://www.installer.com/item/displa....php?it=BT9003 and make all your speaker and remote taps there, and just plug this harness between your car and the OEM HU.

Run those 3 wires to your amp, get 12V and ground form your battery and that's it for the amp portion wiring.

If your amp cannot handle those high level inputs then you will need a LOC between your OEM HU and that amp. Any LOC that can handle more than 15W max will do; you can use the same harness as above to make all your connections to facilitate the wiring work.

If you ever want to sell your car then the benefit of having that harness will be very evident: just unplug it and sell it. Your car will remain 100%OEM.
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      09-27-2009, 01:40 PM   #118
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Quote:
Originally Posted by INeedHelp1234 View Post
Hi, Yeh the amp has a High input, its like 4 pin thing lol
Also the website you included, when i click it "The Page Can Not Be Displayed" Also thanks for the fast replys and help.
This is what it is in that link:

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      09-27-2009, 01:52 PM   #119
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Quote:
Originally Posted by INeedHelp1234 View Post
What i was thinking of doing was buying one of these..

http://www.amazon.co.uk/PAC-SNI35-Ad...4076637&sr=8-6

But a much better one with maybe four Rca ports as i have a four channel amp and i have twin subs. But as i was saying, If i get one of these and T the connections of the back speakers that would save alot of work at the front of the car? Also by T'ing the connections the back speakers would still work and i would not have to run long cables as the battery is also in the back. But Then get the Rca cables and run it to the amp from that product. Could you confirm this would work? And on a side note, If i have 2 800 Watts Subwoofer, Is a 800W amp ok to use? Each channel gives out 200W.
That connection could work as well. As I cannot get any specific technical information about that amp or the subs from the 'net, I cannot give any opinion about this amp and the subs. My only opinion is about how to connect a generic high level input amp to the OEM HU...
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      09-28-2009, 06:22 AM   #120
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Quote:
Originally Posted by INeedHelp1234 View Post
Could you just awnser my last few questions?

1. Will i loose any quality doing it this way?
2. Can i get a remote cable from anywhere near the rear speakers?
3. Do i have to T both rear speakers or just one?

As i am about to start in the next half hour.
Thanks.
Come on, man... you should take your car to a professional.

I'm done here...
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      10-08-2009, 12:14 PM   #121
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Any update on DA1000? is it available now? what about BMW software version?
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      10-21-2009, 06:47 PM   #122
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hey guys. im still not understanding what you guys choose to use as sws-8 subs. 2ohm or 4 ohm?

i have the standard system. with a business stereo. i want to order the sws-8 subs, and buy tweeters and midrange speakers and a blaupunkt amp.

or the alpine kit + sws-8. so, wich upgrade should i make? blaupunkt or alpine oem?

should i buy 2 ohm or 4 ohm? please help me!
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      04-14-2010, 07:35 PM   #123
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update

Quick update - first THANK YOU Tecnic and others - I could not have gotten this project off the ground without you.

One of my amps developed an intermittent problem and with the warmer weather I got around to re-vamping my setup. It took about 6 hours to take it all apart, re-wire, and put it back together.

Brief recap:
Started with the hifi setup (sucks)
used an audiocontrol eqs as the oem interface
just replaced my 2 amps (4 chan and a 2 chan) with 1 6 chan jl audio g6600
replaced the 8" factory "subs" with sws 2 ohm
replaced the front set of door tweets (rock)
added an infinity (powered) basslink to the trunk which I had from the past.

when replacing the amps, I moved the EQ under the trunk floor:



and installed the jl amp which is pretty darn big:



which cleaned up the trunk nicely:



I have arrived
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      08-25-2010, 11:21 AM   #124
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What is my System:

Guys I want to upgrade:

Here is my current system (BMW E90 2006 325i, Business Navigation, Idrive)

Head Unit:



Close Up: (Use DVD for arrow type navigation)



Has space and bracket for center speaker but no speaker and speaker cover is solid ie. no mesh.



Have front tweeter OEM:



Front Door Speaker OEM:



Under Seat Subs OEM:



Read Deck OEM:




No CD Shuttle:



What Apears to be amp ( sticker on amp reads - E90 BMW 2 P L HIFI)

Also had a IPOD ki t installed that interface with a cable in cubby and works great with IDRIVE. ( Iphone works with Bluetooth ove the car speakers)



OK now with what do I replace this:

After all the reading im thinking:

Focal 4 inch FR _FL 2ways.
SWS 8 Inch under seat.
OEM rears, or should I change:
Nothing mid or should I add ( Can my system run that mid)

I have a PPI 4200 AM 4 x 50 amp that I can use, and or should I get something like the JBL MS8

Hoping to hear from you and thnks for all the advise.
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      08-25-2010, 11:28 AM   #125
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You definitely have the HiFi system, and that is an amp back there.

This document probably describes your system pretty well: http://www.e90post.com/forums/showthread.php?t=407085

The HiFi speakers which your system (and mine) came with aren't that great. You can actually it a noticeable and worthy improvement in sound quality (if not loudness and dynamics) by upgrading just the front mids and tweeters.

There are a lot of paths you *can* take. The HiFi system in my opinion is the simplest to upgrade of any of the various audio packages. The head unit is coded such that the output is flat and unprocessed and its balanced signal type can be used by several amps on the market.

So what you do should be a function of what you want.

- What bugs you about the stock system

- What you'd like to get out of any upgrade

- What music is most important to you to sound right (Fifty Cent vs. Indigo Girls : )

- Your budget

- Your willingness to DIY (I'm guessing with that pic of the missing center speaker grille, you're willing : )

BTW, I hates the Focals, so you weren't reading my stuff.

Regards,


Ken
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      08-25-2010, 04:51 PM   #126
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RE : E90 HIFi

Well this weekend I upgraded my dads Maxima with 5.25 MB Quarts coaxials and I missed my old competition sound system

So to be honest I have the PPI 4200 amp, that does 4 x 50 @ 4 Ohm.

I want to get a bigger fuller sound in my car, and sound quality is important to me since my weekend hobby is being sound engineer at our local church and I have a nice Nexo Line Array ( about 15kw) to play with.

So for sure I want to change the subs and then then splits, add the amp and some device that put control in my hands in terms of tuning ie. some sort of EQ.

I dont know what to use for the splits though.

I am a MB Quart fan but heard they are not made by the same people anymore.

Focal is more in my budget range but im willing to consider Morel aswell.

But again I am open to suggestions.
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      08-25-2010, 05:29 PM   #127
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The PPI may or may not have balanced inputs, but it doesn't matter if you are getting a processor of some sort.

The audison bitone is popular but pricey. The MS-8 is hard to get internationally at present, and doesn't give you much to tweak with.

I would consider the bitone or Zapco DSP-6 if you can afford them, or the Rockford 360.2 or the Audio COntrol DSP EQ/Xover secondarily.

MB Quart is not made by the same people. That factory and staff now make German Maestro in Germany.

I would suggest the Morel Dotech or Hybrid Ovation 4, the Rainbow ProFi 4, the Helix H234, the DLS PS4, the the Rainbow Vanadium 4 (titanium tweeter you might like), and I hear Focal has two 4" sets that fit. You will need to make an adapter bracket for any of them.

The underseat is gonna be another fun bit. Morel, Rainbow, Earthquake, and a few others make some flat 8" that fit with more or less work.
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      08-26-2010, 12:02 AM   #128
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Hey all! I was stuck reading the thread last night after I found it, because I have an ongoing project with my e90. I already replaced the deck speaker set with Rainbow SLX 210 Deluxe set. The most challenging part in that (apart from removing the back seat) was to find a place for the passive crossover that comes with the set. Well I found places for them under the deck and replaced the factory wiring almost up to the OEM Amp. I'm planning to add an aftermarket amp later on, that's why the new wires.

But last night I ran into problems when I was trying to find out places for new wires for new front door speaker sets (also Rainbow SLX 210 Deluxe). There seems to be no way to use the existing rubber tube, because it's end on the car side is blocked by big harness or something. In other words, there seems to be no way I can insert wires into the rubber tube. Have you all used just the (thin) factory wiring when replacing the front door speakers sets? If you have, where have you installed the passive crossover for your new aftermarket speaker sets? I guess somewhere inside the door, which isn't probably the best option, because the door gets slammed and the components in the crossover might get loose at some point...

Thanks for you advise in advance! Already had a lot of important information out of this thread
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      08-26-2010, 12:17 AM   #129
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If you pull the boot off the molex and unbolt the molex, you will see there's enough room to pull new wire. You can't just push the wire through, you have to disassemble things a bit, and on the driver kick panel, there is a module in the way you have to temporarily loosen with a 10mm socket.

There are also foam plugs in the wire passage openings, and you need to take them out temporarily, but they will fall out when you pull the wire through.

You'll sort it out.
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      08-26-2010, 10:02 AM   #130
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Hi again and thanks for the quick reply. I took two pictures to help me out with this. The first picture has the rubber tube and the molex in it. I couldn't get it out more than that with limited amount of power, should it come out more? Does the parts pointed with red and cyan arrow come apart somehow? I couldn't see much space above the molex, but could the wires fit below the molex where the purple arrow is pointing?

The second picture is taken under the driver's kick panel. I'm guessing that the buch of wires with cyan arrow is the bunch that is connected to the molex? The module you mentioned is the big black thing and it can be loosened only by opening the bolt where the red arrow is pointing, right?
Attached Images
  
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      08-26-2010, 11:06 AM   #131
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Quote:
Originally Posted by TeeS View Post
The first picture has the rubber tube and the molex in it. I couldn't get it out more than that with limited amount of power, should it come out more?
Yes, you probably have to compress the boot a bit. I think it's hooked on the bottom.

Quote:
Originally Posted by TeeS View Post
I couldn't see much space above the molex, but could the wires fit below the molex where the purple arrow is pointing?
Yep.

Quote:
Originally Posted by TeeS View Post
The second picture is taken under the driver's kick panel. I'm guessing that the buch of wires with cyan arrow is the bunch that is connected to the molex? The module you mentioned is the big black thing and it can be loosened only by opening the bolt where the red arrow is pointing, right?
I dunno, I never stuck my head under there, I did it all by feel. It's pretty obvious when you do it by touch what lines up with what.
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      08-13-2011, 07:02 PM   #132
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The final analysis....

I enjoy reading all of the posts and understand, from experience, all of the concerns and questions about how to convert an oem system into something that sounds the way we as individuals want it to. I originally started checking into these posts to find the factory wiring diagram for the 07 E92 HiFi system, and I have to say that the member bluelake knocked the ball out of the park with his wiring diagram post, atta boy, thanks for sharing your work. So for what its worth to anybody, here is my final analysis, Number 1, use the factory head unit, unless you never plan on selling or upgrading cars, the value of the vehicle will always take a hit if you dont convert back to stock. The real goal for any head unit is to produce a balanced FLAT signal, The signal comming from the factory head unit in the Hifi systems is solid, 5v output, balanced and flat, with steering wheel controls on top of that. You can convert the the head unit output wires into RCA connectors in a snap. from that point you run those connections into a line driver, such as the DQXS from Audio Control, and adjust the system from that point, not the head unit, And before getting ahead of myself, the importance of QUALITY power sources for any car audio system is huge, spend the money on the right battery, power source wiring, and if mulitiple amps are used, use a power cap, I cant emphasize the need for absolute power. From there your choice of Amps should come next, and trust me, if you have to break the bank to afford the highest quality of amps, and have to wait on the rest of the system, then that is the better decision, seriously, but most of us find out the frustrating way. The number of speakers and what type should always be determined by what you like to listen to, In order of importance: powersource, signal quality, power distribution and then sound delivery.
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