RnrdTheFox

Do you know how many Amps are in the standard sound system and were they are located? Is it two? One for the front and rear speakers and one for the Sub? If so, do you know if the pre-amp signal running into the Amps are already crossed over (limited freq) or full range? Thanks.

acribb

Do you know how many Amps are in the standard sound system and were they are located? Is it two? One for the front and rear speakers and one for the Sub? If so, do you know if the pre-amp signal running into the Amps are already crossed over (limited freq) or full range? Thanks.
[/quote]

I am almost finished installing a JL 250/1 and 12 w3 (sealed box) setup in my lightly optioned 530. I gave it a quick test run and everything sounds GREAT. It?s just the bass punch the car needed. The stock stereo is not bad ? it just needs some low end, which this setup provides without overpowering the stock system. Now I need some input on where to mount the small amp. I?m thinking on the left side somehow, but I don?t want to drill holes in the car. Any ideas?

As for the stock sound system: The MASK (head unit basically) feeds crossed over power to the mids and highs and the cars. The bass frequencies are fed to that little silver box in the trunk on the left hand side and then that amplifies a whopping 40w x 2 to the pathetic subs under the front seats. I was right on about the polarity of the stock wires which I made an educated guess on earlier in this post.

BTW, the post earlier in this thread with pictures showing an ?amp? is really the TCU, not the amp. The only amp back there is the silver box shaped thing. The head unit feeds the mids and highs, the little amp in the back feeds the central bass.

I'm not sure if the head unit outputs only sub frequencies to the amp in the back or if the amp crosses them over before going to the central bass. You'd have to test that yourself. The little black wires in my picture of the wiring harness are the ones coming from the head unit, a left and right pair of black wires.

I?ll try and post pictures of the finished product, once done.

E60fun

Hello !
Is it anyone, who is installed aftermarket radio to E60 ?
How I can dissassembling dashboard , so that I can install
aftermarket radio to place, where now is CD-slot.
Sorry , my english is , "not so good" !
Ok, thank?s in advance !
E60fun

Merzbow

Welcome to the forum. People have taken out the CD slot and put in a new head unit, but by all accounts this is a risky procedure. Instead think of running the existing high-level output from the factory amp to a LOC, then to your own new amplifiers and speakers. And do not think of doing this yourself, go to a high-end car audio shop that specializes in expensive cars.

E60fun

[quote name='Merzbow' date='May 7 2005, 10:34 PM']
[quote name='E60fun' date='May 7 2005, 09:45 AM']Hello !
Is it anyone, who is installed aftermarket radio to E60 ?
How I can dissassembling dashboard , so that I can install
aftermarket radio to place, where now is CD-slot.
Sorry , my english is , "not so good" !
Ok, thank?s in advance !
E60fun
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Welcome to the forum. People have taken out the CD slot and put in a new head unit, but by all accounts this is a risky procedure. Instead think of running the existing high-level output from the factory amp to a LOC, then to your own new amplifiers and speakers. And do not think of doing this yourself, go to a high-end car audio shop that specializes in expensive cars.
##############################################

Ok all...
That?s right , my plan is, new headunit, new DSP unit, new amplifiers,
and new Speakers incl. subwoofer.
I have already all these components.
So I don?t make any change?s to existing system.
E39 was easy to install new headunit...but now, to E60 , I dont
know yet, how I can dissassembling that CD-slot.
Here is very spesialist of car audio, with me, so it?s ok.
See you later.....E60fun

Merzbow

Well, I've seen pictures of people replacing the CD with a new headunit, but so far I haven't been able to talk to anybody who has done this. Everyone I have talked to, including a top-notch local installer, says it's very risky. I'm getting new amps and speakers put in now that run off the factory head unit. If I'm not satisfied with the sound, I still won't consider ripping out the CD; I'll get them to install a separate aux input direct to the new amps into which I can plug my MP3 player.

But good luck if you go ahead with this.

E60fun

Well, I've seen pictures of people replacing the CD with a new headunit, but so far I haven't been able to talk to anybody who has done this. Everyone I have talked to, including a top-notch local installer, says it's very risky. I'm getting new amps and speakers put in now that run off the factory head unit. If I'm not satisfied with the sound, I still won't consider ripping out the CD; I'll get them to install a separate aux input direct to the new amps into which I can plug my MP3 player.

But good luck if you go ahead with this.
[/quote]

Hi..
Ok, I know, we must be carefull, with that installing.
My E60 have Standard Sound System, and sound is very
poor,
I try to take some pictures, when /if I start that job.
cheer?s.....E60fun

subterFUSE

As someone with extensive experience with high-end audio in cars.... let me just say.... good luck finding one of these shops. There are not very many. And even if you find one of these shops, don't count on the installers having much, if ANY, experience on the E60. And even if they do.... your options are limited.

The days of high-end car audio have nearly ended, thanks to innovations such as iDrive. These days you can't even remove the headunit on a Honda Accord, which used to be one of the best platforms for upgrading audio. It's really sad to see.... because even the Logic 7 system sucks ass compared to the quality of a basic aftermarket system.

Merzbow

I'm far more optimistic. From what I read on some of the car audio forums there's been a burgeoning effort to try to convince some of the car manufacturers to open up these OEM systems a bit. As these sorts of systems move downmarket into the mass-market vehicles from the luxury segment, the pressure on the manufacturers by the multi-billion dollar aftermarket audio industry is going to increase commensurately, not to mention greater availability of aftermarket integration kits. It can't be THAT hard to develop a plug-in component for, say, the MOST network in a BMW to pull out the WAV packets being sent to the amps.

And in the end, there is ALWAYS a solution for high-end car audio for those willing to spend the money, even if it requires custom construction of a fiberglass add-in above the driver's knees to house an aftermarket head-unit.

subterFUSE

Correct. But that's my point. It shouldn't be so difficult to add a high-quality source unit which doesn't affect the aesthetics of the vehicle, or the ergonomics. But nowadays this is exactly the problem. Even on low-end cars the radios are being integrated with air conditioning controls and the like... so removal becomes impossible without either severe functionality losses, or extreme customization which costs $$$$$.

If only a professional sports player can afford to put in a decent audio system because of having to work around a dash which won't allow a replacement headunit, then the high-end audio industry will ultimately fail.

I don't share your optimism with respect the the "audio industry" having any degree of leverage with the automotive industry. I personally think the auto industry has thumbed its proverbial nose at the audio industry and made aftermarket audio more difficult intentionally. In fact, I think that car companies don't want anyone adding aftermarket audio.... and that's why they have begun to design cars the way they do now.