musicalmike

As many of us realized after we dropped $40k for our sweet ride, the sound system is less then desirable. Of course my wife can't tell the difference but then again I couldn't tell you the difference between the quality of Ross vs Nordstorm. The first thing I do when I purchase any vehicle is replace the worthless paper cone stock speakers. Having never owned a vehicle of this caliber, I was a bit hesitant to do any modifications myself. First for fear of voiding the warranty and second for fear of messing up the electronics. I took my last vehicle to a professional install center and when I left, none of the steering wheel controls worked. So you can see my concerns. With that being said, this time a did a little of both.

I started with the speakers becase I wasn't sure if wanted to do a complete makeover and as I mentiond earlier, the spekers are usually the worst quality compenents contained in the vehicle. After a fair amount of research, I decided to purchase the BSW (Bavarian Sound Works) stage 1 system. I guess I should mention the type of car I have is a 2008 530I with a standard sound system. I do have the navigation with I-drive but not the logic 7 with DSP. There were several reasons I decided on the BSW. First and most important was the ease of installation. The drop in plug n play capability was very appealing. I did not want to do any wire clipping or door modifications. Second was the reviews I had read and the unconditional return policy. Third, they had a very nice section devoted to self install and the videos made me feel all warm and fuzzy. Yes they are a bit pricey, but then again they are not much more then getting a nice new set of alpine or any other quality major brand speakers on the market. I did the install myself and it was as easy as described in the instructions and videos. It took me less then 1 hour to complete both doors and the rear panel. I was impressed with the quality of the speakers and even more impressed with the clarity of sound these little guys produced. I have used many different types of speakers over the years, like JL, Alpine, Eclipse, Infinity, Kenwood, Pioneer, ect...and these BSW's are just as good.

After only installing the speakers, the sound quality inside my car was dramatically improved. Of course these can not produce the low end frequency, but the mid bass and treble was crisp and clear.

This led me to the next issue or two. First, the amount of power supplied to the internal speakers is not enough, and second, there is no bass. I was considering using the Basslink II made by Infinity, but I was worried about a built in amp and sub combo. Even though I had read good reviews about this product, I am very hesitant about consolidating any stereo equipment. I think it's always better to seperate the components for better quality sound. I decided to go with the JL 360/4 amp for the interior and the JL J2 250.1 monoblock for the sub and a single JL 12w3v3-4 subwoofer. The amps I had installed by a local stereo shop who basically tapped into the rear speaker harness and mounted the amps to the rear of the trunk. Everything sounds awesome!!!! The only issue I have is I can't get enough of the subwoofer to penatrate through the trunk space into main cab. You can still hear and feel it, but I think it could be better. Any ideas?

stel_i79

i did this...and the sound is inside the cabin..


https://5series.net/forums/gallery/i...0-dscn0232jpg/

https://5series.net/forums/gallery/i...9-dscn0203jpg/

kdarcia007

Bro, I had 2 12" infinitys producing 800RMS, aNd that wasn't enough!, bass wasn't the best out the trunk, they had to be run so hard that they blew up after a few days...

Now I have 2 12" Kicker CVT SUBS pumping 1500 RMS, that makes a huge difference.

U can get a custom sub box for our cars On ebay, I bought it and it is class!, just serach "e60 subwoofer box", it costs like $146, but it's so well made, it is worth it.

U need a mono amp to run the sub(s), kicker makes the best ones IMO.

Check and see if u have ur center channel speaker installed.

I woldn't recommend a 4 channel amp for ur inside, use a 5 channel so u can use the subwoofer line out to feed the underseat woofers.

I am working on upgrading my sound system, you are where I was a year ago, don't make the mistake I made of trying to save too much on the sound system, you'll regret it down the road, go step by step but buy the best possible.

musicalmike

Kdarcia007......I am running a mono amp for the sub!!!! I'm not a big fan of Kicker, that's why I went with JL. I think they are a clean running amp. As I mentiond in my original post, I have the standard non DSP system that does not come with a center channel and does not offer subs under the front seats. That's the reason I went with the 4 channel and the mono amp for the sub. Trying to save money on a sound system defeats the whole purpose, That's why I went with JL equipment.....IMHO it's the best!! I'm already in over a $1000. I'm not sure why a custom sub box will help me in this situation any more then what I currently have?

crazyj23

What color wires is the lineout convertor connected to? Its hard to tell in the pics. I am looking to do the same with the subwoofer. Thanks

chalankanoa

I think all USA Spec models come with the subs under the seat. I have a non DSP model (2006 550i) and it has the subs under the seat. If your sub signal is just off the rear speakers, they are not getting anything lower than around 120HZ, that might be why you are not getting the bass you expect.

musicalmike

Chalankanoa.....You are correct.. I noticed recently there are subs under the front seats and there isn't much sound if any coming from them. How did you go about getting sound from them?

chalankanoa

I have not done it..yet. I have the equipment, just not the time. The following link has a ton of info

https://5series.net/forums/topic/477..._1#entry500195

chopgsxr

What color are the wires that the converter is wired too? Thanks

mazekid15

Dam If my seats didn't fold down I'd be doing the same! I need a flush setup not blocking the trunk