X5 Audio Project Underway

[mylifeasapc]

I haven't been on here in a year and started this thread on the Bimmerfest forum and thought I'd share. A LOT of information on this site has been a TON of help in getting this underway. Once I get into the DIY mode this weekend I'll be sure to document more to add to the community.

To start things off, I'm a frickin nerd. I love video games and gadgets. I've had all sorts of gizmos but my iPhone is my most loved/hated of them all. I've been waiting for a complete iPhone/car audio solution and think I just stumbled upon the closest thing I've seen so far today.

Recently, the pixels on my radio decided they have had enough and gave up doing their job. They've been perfect for years until the past 3 months. Now all functionality other than a few of the more useful functions such as Range and Consumption are all but useless. Its an eyesore I'll admit.

To add to my pixelated frustration, I've been jealous of my wife's 545i iDrive setup. It wasn't hard setting up the AUX in a decent place so she has full control of her phone and music without having to spend much money. Say what you want about the system itself but being able to control everything in one place is what I've been dying to figure out in my X5.

I've got one of the rare Sport but not Luxury, Premium but non-Navigation or DSP models making it both frustrating, since I'll need to overhaul everything audiowise eventually, but reasonable, since its not anywhere near as hard as the other systems. There are some great sales going on right now for last year's models of head units, speakers, amps, etc. I stopped in on a few today and walked out a happy camper.

What I wanted:
1. Decent Sound
2. Bluetooth Handsfree
3. iPod/iPhone Ready
4. Touchscreen
5. Looks

I first considered one of the Dice Mediabridge solutions that many of you have. For those that aren't familiar, these units are wired into your existing OEM system through the CD Changer connections and allow full control of your MP3/iPod/iPhone etc. Song titles, playlists, everything shows up in text on your OEM radio and is controllable from the steering wheel when your phone/iPod is plugged into the sync cable. For $299, I seriously thought this was going to be the way to go since it would retain the interior and controls all without having to do any heavy lifting. Why I decided against this option was above, the dead pixels and the lack of functionality along with having to pay for the install anyway. It didn't seem to add anything more than my current AUX line-in offers which isn't what I was looking for. Thats just me.

For a bit more, $399, I picked up a Pioneer AppRadio SPH-DA01 including install (read: $399 is its normal price tag in stores.) This thing looks pretty friggin' sweet.

What it has:
-Complete iPhone/iPod Control
-Ability to use Apps on screen such as Pandora, Netflix and Motion-X GPS; all things I use regularly anyway.
-GPS Antenna to improve Navigation
-No CD Player (I haven't burned/bought a CD in years)
-A 6" Screen

For the Geeks:
Having played with it for 20 minutes I can tell you its exactly what I've been looking for. My only concerns have nothing to do with the unit itself and more to do with AT&T and Apple iCloud. (I'll rant on that later) Its an awesome head unit with a great interface.

For the audiophiles:
I don't think this is for you, yet. It only has one pre-amp with the next version coming out sometime this year will have one each for front/rear and sub. This will still sound better than stock as is but don't expect the world, this is just another pretty face with an assload of widgets to play with.

The deal is live right now if you're interested.

What's missing in the $399?:
-4 Year Warranty - $50
-The Double Din frame - $40
-Wiring Harness - $15
-Antenna Connector - $10
-Steering Control Harness - $100
-Additional Labor (Steering Controls/Microphone) - $60

None of the above was instock at BB so I had to head to Car-Toys and a small speaker store for the rest. One finished however, the steering controls will work for everything including the phone option which I've been really looking forward to. I'm going to have the mic wired into the existing yet unused mic location near the sunroof controls from another user's install recommendation.

Here's a look at the deck:


Here's a complete install in a new Mustang so you can get an idea:


Here's a recent review.


Out the door, this ran me $675. A little more than I would have liked to have spent but its step one of many towards completing this audio system. Normally I wouldn't let BB anywhere near my car but this was too good of a deal to pass up. For those familiar with BMW audio systems, I'm not going to bypass the existing stock amp for at least a week or two so anyone else thinking of doing this can get a feel for how good it sounds as is as well as how long they have before the OEM dies.

Next steps:
-Rewire and replace factory amp
-Replace factory speakers
-Install hidden sub and amp in cargo right trim

I'll put up finished photos after the install is complete.