speaker size in 2004 X5

[admranger]

Originally Posted by Lowblock

Interesting, but it only works with the alpine products correct?
Im not impressed with the alpine DSP peices.

Yes, that appears to be correct.

However, it's a good mid-fi solution and you don't have to run an extra wire and lose steering wheel controls like with a bitone or a cleansweep.

If you have an RTA, it's unnecessary to do any of this and you can custom tune like randomy is going to do with his new zapco.

I'm just using the intravee in the X5 as an ipod adaptor, but it does a lot more like actual coolant temp, recording of previous few on/off so you can monitor how the dealer drives your car when it is in for service, etc. It's quite a capable device. Not the best for SQ, but a very functional piece.

[Lowblock]

SWC is not lost using the bit one nor the clean sweep. The whole point of both those products was to retain OEM parts and add too it.

One thing I dont know about the alpine product if it offers summing, as our vehicles, and many new vehicles have multi crossovers, and eq settings that the Bit1, CS, and the Audio control peices can overcome and get you a true full range output.

[TheRipster]

Originally Posted by oztme

Hi Guys,

Not sure if it helps, but I have a 2005 E53.

In the front doors, I installed Dynaudio Esotec System 342 3-way splits. The woofers are 6.5" inch I think, and would not fit in the standard plastic bracket. I had to make an MDF spacer to mount the woofer onto the door. I'm not using the std plastic bracket at all. This isn't ideal; there will be some audio artefacts with the woofer sound diffracting off the edge of the hole in the door, as the plastic tunnel isn't there to guide the sound nicely from the speaker out the hole in the door like the factory ones do..

Putting 6.5"s in the front doors was not easy, and not sure I'd bother again. At the time I didn't have a sub, so wanted as much bass as I could in the doors...

I bought a reprappro 3d printer (should arrive in a few weeks), and want to print a customised bracket for bigger speakers. Will post here when I eventually get the brackets sorted (will post the 3d file so you guys can print them too)..

I put extra noise dampening felt carpet stuff under my carpet in the car (took all seats and carpet out, and put in a whole extra layer (1/2") of noise absorbent carpet. The car's a diesel, and I'm a bit anal, so I wanted that extra quietness.

While putting in the felt carpet stuff, I ran really heavy gauge wiring from the rear wheel well, through the doors, into the door cavities. I have these wires going to the System 342's in the front, and some Focal splits in the back doors. I think the wires made a little difference in the quality of the bass, but not a great deal.

FYI: My amp is an Alpine PDX5, mounted in the back near the spare wheel. I also got an Alpine PXA-H800 and RUX-C800, which do a great job of cleaning up some of the low frequency standing waves and resonant peaks etc..

I hooked the output of the factory radio + CD player into the speaker level inputs of the PXA-H800 (via alpine adapter plugs), just so I have std audio and retained standard head unit..

I use optical input on the PXA-H800 for my main audio input, with the iPhone -> Optical adapter (Pure), and an optical cable from the Pure into the PXA-H800.
Big bummer is that the steering wheel volume controls won't change the volume on the PXA-H800. If anyone solves this, please let me know!


FYI: I have an Alpine PXA-H100 in the Missus car, and it is quite good. The PXA-H800 is much much better though, if you can scrape the $ together...

HTH.
Scott.

sheeeyittt.... so maybe i'll just go with some 5.25" woofers in the doors.... i have a subwoofer, so there will be bass.

i don't have the funds right now to do a 3-way. maybe later on down the road, but for now, i just need to get thumpin

can you take a picture of where you mounted your amp? you said near the spare wheel... so is it hidden under the carpet? or above?

i was thinking of just putting these in both the front and back doors

https://www.woofersetc.com/p-10296-e...-speakers.aspx

[TheRipster]

Originally Posted by Lowblock

This is what I was talking about...

OP have you looked into what you will lose?

yes... i have an e39 that i put an aftermarket radio in. didn't miss the OEM radio at all.

other than a stopwatch and some other bs, there's nothing special about the OEM radio is there?

plus, i want a nice nav unit in my dash

[Lowblock]

You should look at these;

https://www.woofersetc.com/p-9614-hs...nt-system.aspx

Well, anything that you set using the Mid you will lose....the clock for one, but probably not a deal breaker. I also pulled everything out of my e39, but for my e53 im just going to install AC pieces and Hertz speakers and one, maybe 2 JL amps, oh and the SB.

As far as the 6's in the door...no pain no gain.....

[TheRipster]

Originally Posted by Lowblock

You should look at these;

https://www.woofersetc.com/p-9614-hs...nt-system.aspx

Well, anything that you set using the Mid you will lose....the clock for one, but probably not a deal breaker. I also pulled everything out of my e39, but for my e53 im just going to install AC pieces and Hertz speakers and one, maybe 2 JL amps, oh and the SB.

As far as the 6's in the door...no pain no gain.....

i might actually get those... i was checking them out at the local stereo shop and was thoroughly impressed.

i'm going to just put in my head unit, radar detector, and subwoofer for now and run with the factory speakers until i can save up enough to get some bas ass speakers like the hertz.

do you just have a front stage? or are you running rear-speakers as well?

[Lowblock]

I have the 3 way setup for the front, and the 2 way comp set for the rear. I received my Audio control Lc's today and my Stealthbox should arrive next week. I haven't decided if I'm going to just run one amp or multiple.

Are you running an multi channel amp when you install your head unit, or just the head unit? You realize that's a lot of speakers for a HU to drive right?

I have done this so many times, I don't like to do it in stages, I know that without all the pieces, its not going to sound right, so I just use what I have till I can assemble everything then do it all at one time. That would drive me nuts when I was an installer, people coming back every week changing their shit around.......

[TheRipster]

Originally Posted by Lowblock

I have the 3 way setup for the front, and the 2 way comp set for the rear. I received my Audio control Lc's today and my Stealthbox should arrive next week. I haven't decided if I'm going to just run one amp or multiple.

Are you running an multi channel amp when you install your head unit, or just the head unit? You realize that's a lot of speakers for a HU to drive right?

I have done this so many times, I don't like to do it in stages, I know that without all the pieces, its not going to sound right, so I just use what I have till I can assemble everything then do it all at one time. That would drive me nuts when I was an installer, people coming back every week changing their shit around.......

i know what you mean when you say you'd rather just get it all done in one shot, but i can't right now... i don't want to settle for some BS components, so i will wait and save up to get the hertz hi-energy.

this week, i'm putting in the following:

-Pioneer Avic 150
-ZED Minotaur amp (for sub)
-12" IDmax

i'm going to have the RCAs ran now for the door speakers, so when i'm ready to change the speakers, i will already have the RCAs in place.


also, if anyone is interested, i have the CD player and MID for sale on e-bay:

BMW x5 E53 Business CD Player in Perfect Condition Radio Display Stereo | eBay

BMW x5 E53 Radio in Perfect Condition Audio Display Control Mid Stereo | eBay

[admranger]

No one wants to put Hybrid Audio Technology (HAT) Imagine or Clarus speakers in? They seem to get better reviews than the Hertz do (at least with my limited google search skills...).

I have the HAT Clarus in my wife's E46M3. Tweeters are a bit too shrill than I care for, but that could be due to my amp (Blaupunkt Velocity 2100 for the fronts) or my install... With the Alpine DSP I'll be able to notch that down a bit as I plan to separately amp all of the speakers (tweets, mids, and the one sub all on separate channels).

So is the concensus to not go with 6.5 inch speakers in the front doors and just stick with 5.25 inchers?

BTW Ripster: the BMW wiring is pretty good and most people just use it instead of running new wires. Even Musicarnw.com (el_duderino) uses the stock BMW speaker wiring and their systems are pretty hi-end.

[Lowblock]

Originally Posted by admranger

No one wants to put Hybrid Audio Technology (HAT) Imagine or Clarus speakers in? They seem to get better reviews than the Hertz do (at least with my limited google search skills...).

For me it boils down to really side by side comparison. I work in the Car audio field and have actually installed, and listened to both sets of speakers and I can tell you, atleast for me that for the price I believe the Hertz sounds better. I have heard systems designed around the HAT stuff and there has been nice results but I have to say that we sell hertz 5 to 1 of the HAT stuff.

As far as the 6.5's im doing it....no pain no gain.