Originally Posted by Brian-bmw (Post 655232)

If I were pulling a DSP amp, I would replace the amp and speakers. Here's why...

The DSP amp has 14 individual outputs that are actively crossed over. (I am guessing you know this, because you know that you will need crossovers.) Here's the challenge: You will need a three-way crossover for the front doors, a two-way crossover for the rear doors, and a low-pass crossover for the sub. The trick is finding the correct crossover frequencies for the factory speakers. You will probably not like the sound of mixing generic crossovers with the factory speakers.

I would get a 5-channel amplifier that has a built-in active crossover for the subwoofer output. Then, I would buy two pairs of two-way full-range speakers for the front and rear doors that come with their own crossovers. That way, you will get a correctly matched sound from all the new parts. You can mount the crossovers in the trunk and utilize the existing wiring pretty much as is. Or, you can use one pair of wires that feeds to each door, and mount the crossovers inside the doors. I would probably install the crossovers in the trunk and utilize the existing wiring.

Originally Posted by Reecard (Post 655260)

Is it real hard to disassemble the X5 for this kind of surgery??

Originally Posted by Brian-bmw (Post 655369)

Depends on your confidence, skill, and experience. If you have done any car audio projects before, then this is no problem. Even if you have not done this kind of work before, it is pretty easy to learn on the fly.

There is one more trick option for you... The DSP amp is dependent on the factory radio are co-dependent. If you remove the radio, the DSP amp gets lost. So, if you connect your radio's "I-Bus" wire anywhere else in the car, then the DSP amp will be fooled into thinking that it is talking to a normal factory audio system.

In a nut, if you connect the radio to switched power, constant power, ground, and I-Bus anywhere else in the car, this trick will work. The volume control on the steering wheel and MID (if you have your MID) will still work. You just need to feed your current radio's front channel audio outputs to the DSP amp in place of the factory radio. Then, you set the volume level on the aftermarket radio to a maximum level to your taste, and leave it. After that, you adjust volume from the steering wheel or MID.

Originally Posted by Brian-bmw (Post 655369)

Depends on your confidence, skill, and experience. If you have done any car audio projects before, then this is no problem. Even if you have not done this kind of work before, it is pretty easy to learn on the fly.

There is one more trick option for you... The DSP amp is dependent on the factory radio are co-dependent. If you remove the radio, the DSP amp gets lost. So, if you connect your radio's "I-Bus" wire anywhere else in the car, then the DSP amp will be fooled into thinking that it is talking to a normal factory audio system.

In a nut, if you connect the radio to switched power, constant power, ground, and I-Bus anywhere else in the car, this trick will work. The volume control on the steering wheel and MID (if you have your MID) will still work. You just need to feed your current radio's front channel audio outputs to the DSP amp in place of the factory radio. Then, you set the volume level on the aftermarket radio to a maximum level to your taste, and leave it. After that, you adjust volume from the steering wheel or MID.

Originally Posted by Reecard (Post 655631)

Do you know if this works??

Originally Posted by Brian-bmw (Post 655677)

Yes, this works. A couple folks over on an E38 forum have done this. The E38 and X5 nav/audio/video electronics are identical. The most recent guy is TonyB. Here is his post.
Aftermarket Flip Screen Radio Installed & Working Great.