gsdye

iTrader: (1)

picked up a used car for my wife. currently stock system. cannot stand the sound system as it's our family vehicle on the weekend and long distance drives. especially compared to my daily driver (system)

don't want to go all out with a Bit One / MS-8 / or even Alpine Imprint...although the Alpine isn't that expensive compared to the first two.

goals
- fully OEM integration...that means steering wheel controls, full iDrive control, ideally no separate pre-amp control (bit one/MS8)
- replace front 4" and tweeter with a better set (Hertz Energy 4" component and 25mm tweeter)
- a modest 4 channel Amp.
- install a 8" sub fully concealed or stealth
- the rear speakers will still be powered off the deck or built in amp.

question can I use any high level / speaker level input product? I just saw an Audio Control LC7 for a steal of a price and it's peaked my interest that I can do this project for half of the price I was originally quoted.

Add a simple D-class amp like the Pioneer GM-9500F that's on sale this week at Best Buy...maybe reuse my Boston Pro 8.4LF that I just took out of my car, buy some cables + amp kit and I'll just be paying for 5 hours labour to get this done and this would be under $1200

thoughts or opinions with others who have upgraded BMW's? the web is full of systems withOUT the iDrive and that's where it gets harder when you have the iDrive. Also, most of the web has examples with the Audison Bit One pre amp processor. not too many basic systems where the goal is modest.

Dukk

I think your idea sounds fine: Stock deck, replace fronts, add 4ch amp and sub.

gsdye

iTrader: (1)

turns out the "deal" is for a LC6 not a LC7 with aux input

have to reconsider

also with many amps having built in HIGH level inputs, what's the short term advantage of getting a LC6/7?

wouldn't getting an amp to amplify the front and rear speakers and changing the front set be a meaningful upgrade? The OEM system already sets the cross over points for the high level output after the amplifier. or is the cross overs in a BMW done at the speaker with an inline cross over?

the advantage of getting a LC6 or LC7 or similar product is the ability to sum up all the channels to create a full range signal....cleaning it up and properly out putting it to the amps. if I got this route, I'll be neglecting the centre channel and sub under the seat as driving ten speakers seems stupid

Dukk

The only real advantage of the LC6/7 is the channel sum feature. Not sure you need it though. Does the deck put out a full range signal to the amp and it is split there or does it split the signal at the deck? If it is full range from the deck, just grab the signal there.

A friend just upgraded his BMW doors and the factory tweeter used an inline capacitor. The mid used nothing I could see so potentially a high-pass from the factory amp but not sure.

gsdye

iTrader: (1)

thanks for the reply...no idea how BMW's work due to the fibre optics

gsdye

iTrader: (1)

still don't know 100% what speaker orientation I have on my E60 car

a) 10 speakers is known, but is it 4 in the front, 4 in the back and 2 on the deck?

b) or is it 4 in the front, 4 in the rear, centre and one mid bass driver under the seat?

c) or lastly 4 front, 4 back and 2 mid bass drivers under the seat?

so many variations on the E60 speaker layout on the web. No clear information on various Bimmer sites.

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the current plan is to pick up an amp with high level inputs and install 4" coaxials in the front door and power the rear stock doors speakers from this 4 channel amp. I may still pick up the LC6 to add the option of a sub (go back to stock power for the rear doors)

my thinking and discussion with the installer is that even if BMW still sends a cut off signal to the front stage from the OEM amp it doesn't matter to tap that input. You don't want to send a full range signal to the 4" coaxials.

the OEM floor mid bass drivers will probably be getting the lower frequencies which is the input to tap into for the SUB.

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my only concern is the quality of the amp to use high level inputs vs the quality of using the LC6 as a summing device. I would assume the LC6 is basically a higher quality sum and line driver than what the built in option on an amp can do? or I'm really reading too much into this.

Stearnzy

you should have a tweeter mid in each door, a tweeter and mid in the rear and a 6" sub under each seat, Focal is coming out with a speaker system that will directly plug into the factory plugs and will mount using the factory mounts, the kit will come with extra door clips and screws, it will replace every speaker in your car while utilizing the factory amp, i have used some of the new focal speakers and if this system works like it is supposed to it should be awesome im sure they will be showing this stuff at ces this year for the usa and canada I believe there already available in Europe, but if you don't want to wait do a audison voce 3" and tweeter set and a cache coe8 you should be able to get eh coe8 for around $250 and a sub of your choosing depending on how much room you want to loose

here is a link to one example of what focal is going to be making
http://www.focal.com/en/car-audio-so...edicated-kits/

gsdye

iTrader: (1)

thanks....I was considering HL 70 3" instead of the EM100 4" due to more efficiencies in the driver and actually reaching a lower frequency to blend in with the underseat drivers

I've been eying Hybrid audio L3 driver too. The only issue is the cost of the passive cross overs for their L1 tweeters

but L3's need an amp