Remove DSP
 

Just wondering if anyone has removed their dsp from their x5. If so, what was involved? thanks in advance, mark

At a minimum you would need to remove the DSP amp (located down below where the CD changer is mounted) and replace it with the non-DSP amp. You would lose the rear sub that's in the back.

Mark from Tucson went from non-DSP to DSP (see http://www.xoutpost.com/articles.php?...cle&artid=160), so going the opposite direction should in theory be possible.

I believe non-DSP systems have fewer speakers... so what exactly are you trying to do? What's your goal?

i am planning on installing aftermarket amplifiers and i do not want the dsp in the loop since it is just another source for noise.

mark

I believe the number of speakers to be the same minus the sub.

There are specific aftermarket DSP amps as well, el_duderino should be able to assist in this area.

Have you seen a schematic of the system yet? The DSP processing is all internal to the OEM amp. If you are bypassing the OEM amp, you are bypassing the digital processing.

It seems that for many years the DSP systems worked with an analog signal into the amp and a digital signal into the amp from the CD changer.

BUT... the 2005 X5 I upgraded a few weeks ago had DSP, and the HU output to the OEM amp was FIXED in level, and there was no digital coax from the CDC to the amp. The volume and fader changes occured inside the amp. The balance and EQ settings were affecting the signal from the HU.

Have you read http://www.xoutpost.com/showthread.php?t=3896 ?

What year is the vehicle, and what exactly are you planning on doing to it? You might have volume control issues to solve.

Head unit output to the DSP amp has always been fixed level. But if you remove the DSP, and disconnect battery for a few minutes, the HU goes to regular mode where output is variable so adding amplifiers is easy. You will lose EQ and echo effects but bass, treble, fader and balance will work, now the head unit controls and adjusts them.

The 2005 X5 4.8is I worked on had only L and R outputs to the amp.

There is no way that the HU fader could possibly work on a two-channel system. Nothing to fade.

I have seen other cars where unplugging the OEM amp caused the output to change from fixed to constant. I'm not too excited about disconnecting the battery to test this suggestion, though.

What year and model are you describing?

Yes, the DSP takes just front L&R but the HU also has outputs for rear L&R, if you want those you just need to add connectors/wires.

I'm not sure if battery unplugging in necessary, it may be that the i-bus resets after a while but still, unplugging the battery is a quick way of doing this. If you wait until navi computer shutdowns, there will be no problems or lost data.

For quick test you just need to unplug the 18 pin audio input connector from the DSP amp, i-bus is also in that same connector and disconnecting i-bus from the DSP amp makes the DSP disappear from the whole system.

I'm describing just general things based on BMW technical documents and BMW messageboards, my own experience is from E39 which I upgraded from Hifi to DSP amp from -02 and radio from -04.

Have you read these?
http://www.unofficialbmw.com/e39/ste...reo_posts.html

I have seen the list and I've read many of Bob H's posts, but since the newest of these is 5 years old, I did not choose to apply most of that data to current MY vehicles.

If you CAN get a variable full-range line out of the X5 HU, janix is going to excrete a Miata.

:rofl: :bustingup :wow:

Hey, TJJ, I've scanned this list and I haven't found any post specifically referring to what you're saying (in his posts Bob H seems unaware of this trick). I'm not saying it's not there, but by any chance can you help me find that exact post or refrence? Thanks,

Ken

Hmmmm- this make me want to ask the following question. I have a 2001 X5 4.4i with navigation and the cd changer and I want to add a subwoofer and change the speakers to some JM Lab Focal speakers, using the same size speakers that are already in the vehicle. I am sure i would also use a different amp for the speakers as well. Is this doable? Am I being realistic in my approach- don't want to change the electronics in the stereo system itself, but the speakers. LEt me know what u think

I beleive that we tested the 2005 X5 system with the amp both disconnected and connected.

Since Bob didn't mention the battery trick, I'm not sure where to go with that.

I hope to see the last car we upgraded soon and I will test that theory (at the risk of having to send the car to the dealer for a trouble code reset: )

If any Portland Oregon X5 owners are willing to have me measure their vehicle in the meantime, just contact us at 503.222.1305 or at kenw at avincar.com

Maybe Bob always disconnected battery so he did not notice this?

Also, there was a change in DSP amp in -98, after that it became programmable and actually uses DSP for frequency filtering. Earlier DSPs used DSP chips just for EQ and echo and filtering was done with regular op-amps before power amps. Maybe this programmability also changed how the car handles the DSP i.e. does it disappear immediately or only after the battery trick.

When I upgraded to DSP I made an adapter lead so that I can quickly go back to the regular BMW hifi amp setup. And during the test time I noticed that I had to disconnect battery after trying the DSP if I wanted to use regular hifi amp, otherwise HU would output fixed level. But when going from hifi to DSP I just needed to plugin the DSP amp, switch ignition to 1 and HU would output fixed level. I also tried to unplug just radio and navi fuses, but that was not enough. Looks like DSP info that the HU uses for output selection is stored to the car main module and that reboots only when you disconnect battery and wait few (5) minutes.

I also noticed that if you unplug the DSP and switch ignition to 1, the DSP menu selection goes to grey and after turning ignition off and again to 1
DSP has disappeared but HU still outputs fixed level. Only disconnecting battery made HU output again variable. This same thing happened with dash mounted Professional CD and also with BM54 navi radio.

man, i realy wish i understood what u all were saying because it does sound really cool.

am i even close to understanding this?
are u saying that if i have dsp, by disconnecting the battery and disconnecting the dsp amp, i can then install aftermarket amps using the factory HU w/o having to go thru all the stuff Janix did w hi-voltage LOC's?

He's saying that's how his E39 worked.

so, whether or not this is possible on an '03 X5 is still up in the air then?

Yes, that is what I'm saying.

You'll need amps with balanced inputs or some balanced to unbalanced converter box. You need just one or two boxes since there are now just full range L&R front and rear channels. I think also an amplifier with speaker level inputs will work but may pick up noise more easily that a dedicated converter box.

Earlier HUs actually outputted speaker level signals (same wires were used to drive speakers in basic systems), I'm not sure what the current models do, they may still have the same circuit.

Btw. the same navi radio that I'm using is also used in X5 and was used until spring 2005 so I think this will work.

So SOMEBODY in Portland needs to stop by my store... I'll buy you a beer...

TJJ was totally right.

See my new post on this:

http://www.xoutpost.com/showthread.php?t=5369

Thanks!