welll guys it is kinda subjective , as speakers do tend to sound better after a " run in " period.
Your best bett is to run the system for a good 50 - 100 hours to get the best out of it and bed in then you can do a really compare. I dont doubt that the sound is diffrent but it may not be as far removed as you think from the older one.

 

Ok... so... when I took the LCI from the dealer I was really in a hurry so I just jumped from the pre-LCI (2004) in to my new car, so from Logic7 to Logic7, same radio station setting... result: "what the f**k is happening here?" that was my first thought at the moment, but I had to run away.

Then I though it needed some set up: no improvement, then I gave the system some time for "run in" period, same shit...

Just BMW is actually giving you worse system for same price as before and this is not correct.

If someone is looking for a "result" and not to add one more feature in his forum signing, better to know that HIFi professional, for same price of old Logic7, offers much much much much much less audio quality... so my suggestion is: check individual or go aftermarket

 

I have a 2 week old '08 535xi with L7. I think the sound system is pretty good (although not great). I'd caution anyone trying to compare the sound systems using a radio station though. They put out a highly compressed signal with a limited frequency response. Compare with either a real CD or your ipod with songs that have been ripped at 192k or better.

 

If you read my first post, you'll see that I've done it.. tried some cds I know very well

 

sorry... I read it yesterday (3 pages ago), didn't keep re-reading all the posts :-) I'm out of suggestions, it's all highly subjective however I can't characterize it as "sucks". I listened to the standard sound system before ordering and picked the L7.

I think here in the US an aftermarket system will cost a lot more, not interface well with the I-Drive and will detract from resale. For those that lease (not I), it's not an option.

You could consider replacing the speaker elements, I can't imagine that replacing the amplifier would make any audible difference in a car. If you still didn't like it, I guess one could replace the headend too.

Best of luck...

 

After years of sub-standard sound systems, BMW made vast improvements with the implementation of Logic 7. I have heard pre-LCI and LCI systems back to back with the same settings and sources (CD and FM radio). The quality of the LCI Logic 7 sound system is poor and customers should not pay a premium for what is advertised (in name) as the same system. Pre-LCI Logic 7 sound quality is vastly better and the base systems from compentitors are better as well. Eventually someone will do a full comparison of pre-LCI and LCI components (speakers, amp, etc) to determine the true differences. Meanwhile, a number of customers will look elsewhere for their next vehicle purchase.

 

Fyi, the belief that speakers sound better (or simply different) after being "broken in" is a fallacy.

What does change, however, is the human perception of the sound. Different speakers have different characteristics, and the more you listen to a set of speakers, the more you get used to their character and the more natural they tend to sound.

My guess is the idea of speakers "breaking in" was likely either created purposefully by high-end audio salesmen to reassure someone of a purchase, or was simply mistakenly induced by the fact that the sound from speakers seems to change, but the source of the change was mistakenly ascribed to the speakers and not the listener.

For more info, you might be interested in:

http://www.audioholics.com/education/louds...fact-or-fiction

While there are some speakers that have relatively non-natural frequency responses (ie. B&W) that are great speakers once you get used to them, my general preference is for speakers that are neutral and sound natural out of the box (ie. Paradigm). This is, of course, very subjective.

I have a pre-LCI 5-series with L7. The speakers are not neutral, so you may have to play with the EQ to get closer to something that actually sounds real. I have no idea what the LCI L7 sounds like, but you should listen to it for a while to get accustomed to it, and try fiddling with the EQ.

Note that you can buy a Radio Shack sound meter:

http://www.radioshack.com/product/index.js...oductId=2103667

Down load a tone generator:

http://nch.com.au/tonegen/

to create audio files that simply produce a tone at a specific frequency, burn them to a CD, and then perform your own course-grained frequency sweep to help set the EQ.

 

I just picked up a 535xi with the L7. My previous BMW's ('99 323i and '02 530i) had the base sound systems which I thought were awful. My '08 sounds great compared to them - my question...are there any guidelines for getting the best sound out of the L7, i.e., guidelines for setting the equilizer? What is the difference between "concert hall" and the other choices?

 

There are a handful of us who have upgraded their cars from Pre to Post LCI. The Pre-LCI L7 received well deserved raves resulting in a no brainer decision to spend on the option again. Needless to say the disappointment is hard to overcome. It is not related to the the source of the audio. I can only hope that it is software related because the chances of BMW replacing audio components on this issue are slim. This disappoints me even more than the door seal rattle, which is still there in the 5th year of production.

 

Hmm...

The "quality" of sound is always subjective, but here is my 2 cents:

I recently replaced a 1995 540i with a 2008 550i. The 95's sound wasn't bad, but I noticed that the amp began to distort when I drove the volume high enough to get the "punch" (bass response) that I wanted. The solution to that problem was adding a subwoofer in the trunk. This reduced my trunk space, but my enjoyment of the car from the improved sound was greatly enhanced.

I ordered the Logic7 system for the 550i. I think the sound is pretty good, especially at the low end, but the highs seem less crisp than my prior car. I haven't really figured out the best solution for this that would help--at some point, I'll seek out a car audio store and review the options with them.

On another note, I really don't like the "surround sound" algorithms [concert hall/theater] all that much...I think it colors the sound in a way that seems unnatural compared to just listening to the unadulterated original recording. If this is the hallmark of the Logic7 system, then I may have overpaid for this option.

My followup questions to ya'll are these:

1) What do *you* think of the high end in the L7 system?

2) Do *you* use the surround sound algorithms, or not?