High-Fidelity Audio System in 2005 4.8is

[el_duderino]

Originally Posted by X5 Sport

Nice install!!!

I wanted to ask a couple of questions which I hope you may be able to answer!

I Can get Dynaudio speakers at a good price however I dont want to put amps and all the other stuff in my car, as BMW in the UK would invalidate my warranty.So if I just put the same speakers that you used will they fit easily,So old speakers could go back,and would I need to use any cross overs or would the standard BMW work and would I gain a much better sound ? I have DSP if that helps

Many thanks

I hope I understand your post.

1) I guess the good price you are getting on Dynaudio speakers does not include any knowledgable support from the seller - otherwise you wouldn't be asking me, right? Maybe you should pay a higher price and find an ICE shop that can answer your questions. The money you're possibly saving seems to be allowing you to make a higher class of mistake (see more below).

2) I would NEVER install Dynaudio speakers onto ANY OEM amp (except maybe a Volvo or a Passat: ), and I have yet to find ANY aftermarket speakers I would connect to a BMW X5 DSP system. Please see http://www.xoutpost.com/showthread.php?t=3896 as this thread answers the questions you ought to be asking. (If you're not asking these questions, see 1 above).

3) No, "easily" isn't the word I'd use.

I suggest you rethink your approach - you are trying too hard to save a few pounds and you are risking a very disappointing result. Make sure you're prepared to spend what it takes - don't want to get halfway there and find out the fare's too steep.

Best of luck.

[X5 Sport]

I would not expect the same sound as that install. Just wondered if was worth the time and the money by upgrading the dynaudio speakers,if I would notice any gain in sound quailty? if you think it is not worth it will just leave it stock.The other post was far to tech for me.

[x5GuyInLA]

El Duderino,

Great posts, this one and the one on the factory system. I have a couple of questions. First, if I just wanted to install a subwoofer and leave the rest of the speakers stock, could I just connect a LOC to the subwoofer wires only and wire in a sub that way? I can deal with the so-so speakers up front, and couldn't care less about the rear speakers as I'll never sit in the back seat, but I'm a basshead and need more bass (I had a 95 maxima with 2 15" round Solobarics in the trunk). I want to keep the stock look in the cargo area and was wondering what the dimensions are of the box you built? I want to put in a Solobaric 10L7 (a 12L7 would be preferable) , but I'm not sure if there is enough room. I'd prefer to use 3/4" MDF over fiberglass but I'm not sure if that will give me enough volume for the 10L7. I had the 15s in a box that had an MDF face and was fiberglassed into the spare tire well and IMO, it didn't sound nearly as loud or as deep as when I put them into a full MDF box . I like what you did with the sub box more than what Janix did(a nice install as well) because other than the grill, it appears exactly like stock. Lastly, I was wondering if there is anyone you'd recommend here in Los Angeles for the install? Thanks for your help and input.

[darkside]

I'm looking into upgrading my 05' X5 w/DSP w/o NAV system. But i have no idea what size the speakers are and if they are 2way or 3way. I just stop by a local car audio shop.. they were suggesting to go with this Dego speakers and rockford fosgage amp and sub.. don't know if they are what they are talking about. BTW, i'm located in Asia.

[el_duderino]

Thanks for the kind words.

Originally Posted by x5GuyInLA

if I just wanted to install a subwoofer and leave the rest of the speakers stock, could I just connect a LOC to the subwoofer wires only and wire in a sub that way?

Yes. The Sub is not equalized heavily and the crossover point isn't weird... I'd probably use a crossover in the amp too, though.

Originally Posted by x5GuyInLA

I want to keep the stock look in the cargo area and was wondering what the dimensions are of the box you built?

One of the problems with making a fiberglass box in car stereo is taht t ends up beng very emperical - you estimate the size and you try it and if it works, you catalog it - but I do more actual measurement than many, and I didn't measure the volume of that box. We estimated it aafter building it at .65 or so.

Originally Posted by x5GuyInLA

I want to put in a Solobaric 10L7 (a 12L7 would be preferable) , but I'm not sure if there is enough room.

I think that woofer depth might be an issue, but I'd also caution you that our good experiences with older Solobarics might not apply to the current drivers - they don't sound as good as they used to.

Originally Posted by x5GuyInLA

I'd prefer to use 3/4" MDF over fiberglass but I'm not sure if that will give me enough volume for the 10L7. I had the 15s in a box that had an MDF face and was fiberglassed into the spare tire well and IMO, it didn't sound nearly as loud or as deep as when I put them into a full MDF box .

Your experience with your two different boxes should NOT be applied to all MDF vs ALL fiberglass. I've been involved with many fiberglass enclosures, and usually they are put where they're put for space reasons, so you can't do a useful A/B comparison, because a wood box just isn't in the same location.

You can get really good bass out of a 10 without building out the side panel. If you build a wooden box it's gonna take up a lot of room, and the acoustics of the X5 are verry different than a sedan.

Originally Posted by x5GuyInLA

Lastly, I was wondering if there is anyone you'd recommend here in Los Angeles for the install? Thanks for your help and input.

Competition Soundworks is good. Tell Jason Ken from DEI sent you.

[silkster]

El duderino I sent you a pm!!

[x5GuyInLA]

Thanks Ken for the info. How much do you think a project like that would cost? It looks like I would use the DLS MW110 you used as it has the shallowest mounting depth I've seen for a 10" (I take it the woofer sounds good if you're using it). Do you think the MW112 could be installed without building out of the side panel and do you recommend any other subwoofers? Not sure which amp to use as I like the old Kicker XS and ZR series, but I've seen too many refurbs on eBay of their new KX and SX amps to think that they're good anymore.

Originally Posted by el_duderino

Competition Soundworks is good. Tell Jason Ken from DEI sent you.

Are there any other shops you recommend? I've checked out CSW before for the Maxima and they seem to be on the more expensive side; I ended up going to Kenny Williams at Audio Concepts in Anaheim who charged me considerably less for the same work. I don't mind paying for good work, I just don't like to pay more than I should just because a shop is in high demand. Also, CSW and AC are a bit far from me to leave my car there (I'm in Santa Monica).

Thanks again for taking the time to help me out.

[el_duderino]

I've been gone from SoCal for 10 years now, and I knew Jason and CSW from before then, so I don't have a lot of other options, sorry. I can ask some people.

Of course, it's a little late to look for lower-cost options (I hear that Sedona is winning praise! : )

I suspect that there are shallower woofers, but I don't know if the 12" would fit or not... but if you look at the pic of the sub box, and the width, it can't get any wider and fit in that spot. The customer was worried about the 10" fitting (we were willing to use a very-long-throw 8" if we had to, but it worked out: )

We would probably charge like $600 for that box installed (lotta disassembly and reassmbly to get it in). The woofer lists at $160. The amp would cost $250-300, and installation would cost $100. So realistically, you're looking at a gee-whiz all together.

But in an aside: If you liked how 2 15"s sounded, that might not be your 10 - it's very tight and fast, but it's not boomy like a 15'" usually is. The UR10 is too deep to fit without acing the OEM sub cover panel, but if you made a new front panel, you could get a lot more volume and some more sub-sub bass. Probably cost $250 more total though.

I liked the ZR series too. Now the JL "slash" are good, and the DLS Reference are good and will fit under that load floor.

Why do you have the cold weather package in LA?

[x5GuyInLA]

Originally Posted by el_duderino

Of course, it's a little late to look for lower-cost options (I hear that Sedona is winning praise! : )

Supposedly the B9 Tribeca is good too, haha. If CSW's price is right around yours, then I don't mind. I just don't want to pay $3K for something that is only worth half that just because a shop is "hot" or they see that I'm not driving a jalopy and figure they can gouge more money out of me.

Regarding the subwoofer, I don't expect the 10 to perform like the 15s. As long as I can hear the lows, that's all I want. Right now, a lot of the songs I listen to don't sound the same as they did because the OEM "woofers" don't go that low. I thought about changing the woofers with a couple of 6.5" Kicker Free-Airs that I had to see how it would sound, but the geniuses that designed the box molded the woofers into the box, and I don't think they can be changed out.

Thanks for the suggestions for amps. I'll definitely look into those.

Originally Posted by el_duderino

Why do you have the cold weather package in LA?

I bought my X5 from the dealer as opposed to ordering it because I didn't want to wait the 6-8 weeks for it to arrive. For whatever reason, most dealers here have the cold weather package for the 4.4s they keep on the lot. But you're right, I have absolutely no use for it here.

Thanks Ken for all your help and I'll let you know when I finally put the sub in. (My fiancee is giving me a hard time about it; she says I don't need it, but what does she know, right?)

[el_duderino]

Originally Posted by x5GuyInLA

Supposedly the B9 Tribeca is good too, haha. If CSW's price is right around yours, then I don't mind. I just don't want to pay $3K for something that is only worth half that just because a shop is "hot" or they see that I'm not driving a jalopy and figure they can gouge more money out of me.

Regarding the subwoofer, I don't expect the 10 to perform like the 15s. As long as I can hear the lows, that's all I want. Right now, a lot of the songs I listen to don't sound the same as they did because the OEM "woofers" don't go that low. I thought about changing the woofers with a couple of 6.5" Kicker Free-Airs that I had to see how it would sound, but the geniuses that designed the box molded the woofers into the box, and I don't think they can be changed out.

Thanks for the suggestions for amps. I'll definitely look into those.



I bought my X5 from the dealer as opposed to ordering it because I didn't want to wait the 6-8 weeks for it to arrive. For whatever reason, most dealers here have the cold weather package for the 4.4s they keep on the lot. But you're right, I have absolutely no use for it here.

Thanks Ken for all your help and I'll let you know when I finally put the sub in. (My fiancee is giving me a hard time about it; she says I don't need it, but what does she know, right?)

The 6" are dual voice coils - any single voice coil replacement would have 1/2 the power.

I bet my price and CSW's aren't that far off. Just print pics of our box and show them. Then they'll talk smack about how it sucks and tell you how theirs is better (all installers do this ; )