What kind of audio setup do you have in your E36?

[dirsh]

I'm planning on upgrading my stereo in my E36 and wanted to know what kind of setup everyone is running. So far i've only upgraded my deck. Anybody know what kind of speakers will fit in the door panels? I also came accross these adapters that allow you to use 6X9s on the rear deck: http://caraudiosecurity.com/catalog/product_info.php+products_id+1890

I've only been able to find them on UK sites and was unable to find a US dealer

 

[Madd Fajita]

That looks like an interesting device. I wonder if it fits both 2dr and 4dr. Would be cool to figure out how far down the 6x9 speakers would go, would also like to see a review of the adapter.

As for my system, check out http://www.sounddomain.com/id/madd_fajita

It has:
Alpine MRV-450 5 channel amp
JL 10w3v2 10" Sub in a custom box
Clarion DXZ835MP CD/MP3 head unit
Apple iPod 20gb, line level audio + charger

 

[VANCE]

Stock And My Nokias Are Blown

 

[jszar]

You dont want 6x9's period. just replace the 5.25" speakers with better ones.

I'll have in the next few months:

1 12" Resonant Engineering SX - in a custom fiberglass box built by myself
1 Arc Audio XXK 1500d to power the RE SX

1 Arc Audio 2050 to power:
1 set of Arc ACS230 components (5.25" - rated at 80wrms) (no rear speakers, leaving them open for the bass to come into the cabin from the trunk)

1 Arc DigiCap
1 Arc MX-1 Active crossover

Knukonceptz Wiring and Distribution

Total Cost: about $2000, prolly a lil more.

 

[dirsh]

After consideration, i've decided to go with 4" speakers in the back just for rear fill. I'll be adding subs in later.

As for the front, i've seen a lot of people using 5.25 seperates with the mid in the kick panel and the tweeter in the stock midrange location. I think i'll try doing that also

 

[jszar]

why 4"? just they wont fit without drilling holes. just buy 5.25 coaxials, not components. they are components in the back too.

 

[jjjjjjj]

check it out

I have done much (maybe even too much....) to my bimmer, but i'm pretty hardcore into music so it's gotta be loud!

Check it out here:

http://www.cardomain.com/memberpage/647996

Tell me what you think and if you are near Dallas i can definately hook it up...

 

[Nexus1]

Currently I just have an infinity 12 added on to the stock system. It sounds pretty decent, but I do plan on upgrading all of the other stuff when I get the money.

 

[dirsh]

why 4"? just they wont fit without drilling holes. just buy 5.25 coaxials, not components. they are components in the back too.

how do 5.25's fit without drilling. I checked crutchfield and they have specially shaped 4" speakers. I looked at the speaker hole and it looks like I could put a 5.25 coax but it would just be sitting there with maybe 1 or 2 screws holding it in.

 

[andreyiv]

I was thinking of getting an Alpine 9813 headunit and connect it straight to some Infinity Kappas but I don't know how soon I'll be able to do that, I've been a little tight with money lately. Thought it would sound nice with the 50.5cs components in the front and 6x9s in the back. jszar, why do you advise so strongly against getting 6x9s? Somebody told me that because the speaker is not round, it distorts sound and it doesn't sound as good, is that it? Thanks for any help, I appreciate it.

 

[jjjjjjj]

IMO 6x9's sound like crap! you just don't/won't get a clean sound from them, great for an old chevy truck, but not in the tightly sealed bmw cabin. if you are worried about bass response, then you will need some kind of subwoofer. anything will help for that final touch, not for the rumbling 'boom boom boom', but to round out each note with a clean bass hit. go for the 4"s or even 5.25"s and 4"s for a more balanced sound, and throw a sub in that trunk eventually!

 

[jszar]

6x9's have uneven stress points. they are ovals. with round speakers, everything is symetrical, meaning stress wears evenly. the reason people buy 6x9's is because they are so big, they do have a bigger cone and give the idea of better/more bass.

in all reality, 6x9's are still coaxials with a tweeter and a mid...not a subwoofer. 6x9's tear and wear out fast, they are a complete waste of space, and they sound terrible just because of the way they are engineered.

jjjjjjjj is right in saying they are good for a boat or a cheap car truck that you want some music in, but not for overall quality and life endurance....such as in a nice car as yours and mine.

 

[andreyiv]

wow, thanks a ton guys, I will sure forget about 6x9s. I guess it would be sweet to get something that fits in the factory box in the rear so I can make a sealed box with minor alterations. jjjjjjj thanks for all that advice, really appreciate it and jszar same goes for you. I guess it would be a good idea to go with the same size as it came from the factory, anyone know what kappa speaker/speakers would fit into the rear box? Crutchfield says its 4T but I don't see too many speakers that are that size on their site. Also, any replace all 3 speakers up front with something different or did you just put in a component set consisting of 2 speakers. Once again thanks a ton guys, really appreciate your help.

 

[jszar]

yeah, i'd just leave one of the stock tweets there for looks. later on you can change it out with another better tweeter. so all you have to buy is a component set, which consists of 2 mids and 2 tweeters.

 

[jjjjjjj]

i had no idea that there were speakers down low in the kick panels, i unhooked all my nokias and still heard sound...i thought i had done something wrong! i removed my front door panels and mounted a 4" and a 1" tweeter (and the crossover too) with some really thick high temp. tape ((6" tyvek tape, meant to seal windows on a house before bricking)) where the little factory ones were, and just disconnected the kick speaker, as it is so hard to actually hear it down there anyways...and everything fit great when the door panels were put back on. stealth installation is always the best! as for the rears, i used the exsisting nokia 'box' and had to cut it a little to fit a 5.25" and another tweeter. (and used more of the tape to seal it all) the crossovers were mounted on the back of the 'box' so i could easily get to them from the trunk. hope this gives you some ideas!

 

[andreyiv]

jjjjjjj, that sounds pretty good, I just might put the same kappa set in the back then. You said you modified the rear box to fit the 5.25" and a tweeter, is it possible to get a sealed box when doing that or did you have to cut through the walls of the box?
jszar, thats a good idea to leave it there but why would you want to put two tweeters so close to each other and so close to your ears? That would equal to 6 tweeters in the car with only four 5.25", you will be able to pierce your ears with the highs, hehehe. I'm going to look at the whole thing and maybe figure something out. There are so many things to consider, I mean, what I would really want is I guess all three ranges without too much bass and that would be a bit hard. What BMW considers a mid speaker is closer to a tweeter by everyone else's standards. Not only that I have to limit myself to Kappas because they are good and a deal I can get on them is just as good.

 

[jjjjjjj]

jszar, 6 tweeters?!? whoa...

andreyiv, i did not cut the walls, i simply enlarged the hole and used the same ol' nokia box and taped up the gaps so it was still sealed. i also put in a piece of damping material (similar to the cotton-like stuff in a bass speakerbox) so it wouldn't "ring" and try to distort.

however i did have a lot of trouble getting those rear deck speaker covers off...i broke both of them! it's ok, i'm sure if you spend a little/lot more time and have a tiny screwdriver or knife they should pop right off. i ended up cutting open/replacing my entire deck lid with a custom box with subs firing straight up into the cabin (and bouncing off the rear glass, makes your hair move!!) after blowing my 10"s in the trunk box because you just cannot hear them from that airtight trunk. it sounds great with just 2 component sets and 400 watts, the 1200 watts of bass is pure, sweet overkill. all in all i spent about $2500 over a year to get it where it is now. a 180-200 watt system with a 300 watt sub would also rock just plenty in that cabin!!

if i could have done the entire stereo again (with more funds...), i would have put some 6" in the kick panels, 4" and tweets in the front doors, 5.25" with tweets in the rear deck, all on an 800 watt 4-channel amp, and 2 dual voice 12" subs on a 2000 watt mono sub amp, touch-screen flip-out cd/dvd player with a screen in the dash, with 8" screens in the rear headrests (ok, i'm just dreaming here) but all that would just cost about $10,000-$15,000 make you deaf a lot sooner, or probably all get stolen...

 

[andreyiv]

Hmm, that sounds pretty good. It really does sound like a good plan, I mean 6 inchers in the kickpanel, then 4 inchers and tweeters in the doors and then a 5.25" component set for the rear, except I wouldn't go with the subs, just overkill for me. I just looked it over at crutchfield (just an easy way to see what infinity has) and I had everything planned out but it turns out, all of their speakers (even the 4 inchers) have tweeters in the middle except for the component sets which have tweeters separate. I guess I can get the 6.5 inch component set for the kickpanel and put the tweeter in the door but then I need a 4 incher in the door and all of them come with the stupid tweeters, don't feel like wasting money on something I won't use and don't want to leave that space out but I don't know, I'll see. Thanks for all the info guys. Oh, one more thing, a theoretical question. I am not putting an amp in the car (well at least not yet) because money is tight now and I was wondering, if I am going to put a 6.5', a 4" and a tweeter on one channel (27rms output) with passive crossovers for each frequency will that be almost like putting each speaker on a different channel because of crossovers? Or will all of them go from the 27rms? I guess what I want to know is will it be overkill to put all those three speakers on one channel of a 27rms (per channel) mosfet amp? Thanks again for all the advice and jjjjjjj, you have a killer sound system, just make sure you don't shatter the rear window.

 

[andreyiv]

Oh, I forgot to tell you one thing, I don't know how you managed to break the rear deck speaker covers, I took them off a few times already and they still fit perfectly, just have to pry from the rear of the car I guess.

 

[jjjjjjj]

...i don't know, i guess i'm just clumsy with plastics...one thing you gotta remember, the more speakers you add, the less power each one gets! i considered putting an additional set of 6" in the kicks, but then i'd need a new front amp, then i'd need more bass...it's pretty much an addiction i tell ya!!

and as for the speakers with tweeters in the middle..have you heard them? i've never been pleased, (my 4" JBL set had the option of mounting them in the center, or separating them, which i did) plus with a component set you get a crossover and the added option of boosting, leveling, or decreasing the tweeter level! (i have all of mine on -3db , as opposed to flat or +3db) it just gets too noisy with the high sounds echoing off all that leather, i already can't listen to it without at least the sunroof popped open.

if you don't want a subwoofer, try the larger 6" or 6.5" component sets in the kicks for a little more bass response, and try the tweeters (maybe even both sets?) in the door spots. 5.25" in the rear sound awesome, that's the best seat in the house for acoustics. i've been trying my best to bust that glass, but the only time you can really crank it is with the windows down!! be sure and post what you decide on!