I need some ICE

[TW]Fox

[TW]Fox

[TW]Fox

Man of Honour
Joined
17 Oct 2002
Posts
160,171
It's really time the stereo in my car didn't suck totally. It's a shame and it spoils and otherwise excellent car.

So, I'd like to remove and then set fire to my standard front speakers, and replace them with a decent setup that actually sounds good.

I think I'm going to keep my standard, yet awful, BMW Business head unit simply becuase nothing else fits in with the dash.

So, I guess I'm going to need an amplifier, two front component speakers and perhaps some sort of Maccy D's crew style sub in the boot.

What should I get? Lets say a budget of £200-£300 for the three items. Now, I dont want to be driving down the road shaking the windows. I want enough bass to make music sound good and no more. I also don't want my entire boot taken up with a Sub. There is also the problem that the boot of the 5 Series is a sealed compartment.

Front speakers are something like 6.25".

So what should I buy and why?
 
JBL 75.4 4 channel amp
Some front components (I don't know what size the bmws are)
10/12" sub, nothing crazy.

£200-300 will get you some good stuff easily.
 
A 10" box is hardly going to ruin a 5 series boot... I'm sure the bmw forums have found a way of getting cabling in there? :)
 
Firstly you need to find out if the standard headunit has pre-outs and a remote cable (tells the amps to power on when radio is on) in order to connect an amplfier. If you wish to keep the stard unit you may need an accessory thats hidden away to allow the connection of the amplifier.

If you want small bass and loads of space, Active Subwoofers like Redrum posted would suit you. They don't have to go under the seat however the sealed boot might mean they're not that effective.

What I would advise is getting a quote for similar from a local fitters and see what they say. They will be used to middle-aged weathly people wanting upgraded standard systems in luxo barges so will be able to advise you better on how to proceed. I can't see routing cables etc in a BMW being very easy either, so it might be worth getting a pro on the job if you're not so DIY minded.
 
Saloons all have issues with the boot being sealed, I tried my sub in the boot of mine and could hardly hear it, where in my old car it made plenty of noise (Was powering it off the speaker outputs of my head unit, mind :o so a powered one will probably be better.

Those Underseat ones are tempting I must say
 
Shame really, because I found the best upgrade to my sound system to be the head unit itself. So much so, that I returned the front speakers and sub because I could barely tell the difference. For what I needed it for, the head unit turned out to be a bargain!
 
Booner! said:
Shame really, because I found the best upgrade to my sound system to be the head unit itself. So much so, that I returned the front speakers and sub because I could barely tell the difference. For what I needed it for, the head unit turned out to be a bargain!
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I agree, i upgraded the speakers in my clio, as well as the head unit and i found the head unit to be the limiting factor - the difference was incredible, and that was with a £170 head unit
 
The fact that he is going to install an amp means that the effect of the old HU wont be as severe.

Pesonally i wouldnt bother with a sub,get a decent set of components and amp them, you will be surprised at the amount of bass that you get, i havent had a sub in a car for nearly two years, and this is coming from a bloke that used to have 2 15's in a car:eek:
 
Fox, I think you are barking up the correct tree. If you want to improve your sound quality a good power amplifier and quality speakers is going to make more difference than fitting a new head unit. It is also the most appropriate option for this car unless you want to start hacking up the dashboard. It may well be the case that the BMW unit can provide a decent source and with quality speakers and amplification your woes will be sorted. Ok so you won't have the "bling" factor of a shiney new headunit with 1million lights and displays but you should get a quality sound without ruining the standard look of your car.
 
:o
Booner! said:
Shame really, because I found the best upgrade to my sound system to be the head unit itself. So much so, that I returned the front speakers and sub because I could barely tell the difference. For what I needed it for, the head unit turned out to be a bargain!
Click to expand...

Interesting that this was the case for yourself. It is really going to all be down to the different components the manufacturer originally used. In my Honda the quality of the sound is actually ok. However, it lacks beef. Therefore logic would suggest why not just add a power amp?

Perhaps the way forward is to try and listen with a discerning ear and try and decide why you want to upgrade. Is the sound puney, does it distort at the volume you need, is there a distinct lack of detail, is there not enough bass for your tastes? All these problems require different solutions and it does not necessarily mean you need to install new HU, sub, speakers, amp and cables. For example I would never install a sub because I consider it a waste of boot space and totally inappropriate for the styles of music I listen to.
 
I have still got the the HU I had in my Mondeo, a high end Sony CDX-M9900 but I put it into the 5 Series and it looked totally craptastic :(
 
[TW]Fox;10516415 said:
It's really time the stereo in my car didn't suck totally. It's a shame and it spoils and otherwise excellent car.

So, I'd like to remove and then set fire to my standard front speakers, and replace them with a decent setup that actually sounds good.

I think I'm going to keep my standard, yet awful, BMW Business head unit simply becuase nothing else fits in with the dash.

So, I guess I'm going to need an amplifier, two front component speakers and perhaps some sort of Maccy D's crew style sub in the boot.

What should I get? Lets say a budget of £200-£300 for the three items. Now, I dont want to be driving down the road shaking the windows. I want enough bass to make music sound good and no more. I also don't want my entire boot taken up with a Sub. There is also the problem that the boot of the 5 Series is a sealed compartment.

Front speakers are something like 6.25".

So what should I buy and why?
Click to expand...

Before installing a sub consider what sort of music you actually listen to. Coldplay et al is surely not worth installing a sub for!!! Of course if you listen to "Happy Hardcore Part 60000" and cruise round pedestrianised town centres then you will want to ignore all the advise I have give and probably add a sub and some neons to your shopping list. I am not approaching this from an ICE problem, rather a hifi/pro audio one which is where my knowledge is.

What I would do is change the amp first. See how it goes. If the music lacks detail or still sounds "tinny" to you then change the speakers and review how that goes. If the sound lacks bass for your tastes then consider a sub.

I think it will be immediately apparent if the headunit really is a terrible source when you hook up the new amp. If it is awful then the amp is going to really show it up and make it sound bad. Chances are it will be the rubbish amplification that is letting your setup down at the moment. Speakers also may not be hot. Yes you also want a good source but unless it really is rubbish then you may end up hacking up your car and buying something with many lights and buttons on for no reason. On the otherhand if you really want a nice bluetooth HU packed with features that you think you will use then don't hesitate to go get it.
 
[TW]Fox;10517477 said:
I have still got the the HU I had in my Mondeo, a high end Sony CDX-M9900 but I put it into the 5 Series and it looked totally craptastic :(
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You will be able to use the Sony then to isolate which components in your current setup are rubbish. You should compare the sound of the Sony to the standard HU. Perhaps do this once you have the power amp installed so that you can establish if the BMW HU is a crap source. Otherwise it is not a fair contest because the built in amplification on the sony may be superior to the BMW HU.
 
Fox, as I've said about a million times to you, just fit a Sony sound on top amp which improves the sound quality from the stock HU a lot!
 
[TW]Fox;10517527 said:
I listen to all sorts but mostly Linkin Park atm.
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I don't really see why you should need a sub for that sort of stuff. Look at proper hifi systems. They sound amazing with guitar music and do not have subs. Subs only tend to be used in hifi for AV installation (for watching films) or in hifi systems used by clubbers/dance/trance etc. However, go with your own ears at the end of the day cos you're the one who has to live with your choices and spend the money.
 
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