[short_circuit]

I've been reading through all of the info up here and was hoping to get some input about what I'm planning. I've only done a couple of car audio upgrades in the past.

I have a 2010 335xi with a base stereo system. I'd like to keep the factory HU. I have been considering a couple of different approaches.

Approach 1: Use my existing amps and subwoofer.

I have a Rockford Fosgate Punch PBR400X4D, an AudioControl ACM-1.300, and a JL Audio 10W1v3 sitting around doing nothing right now. If I could use them it would be great.

I could pick up Technic's "Stereo 2/4 harness" and power the front speakers and under seat woofers with the PBR400X4D. I couldn't tell for sure from the pictures but I'm guessing that harness is long enough to feed back to where a factory amp would be installed in the trunk. I've read that differential-balanced inputs are a requirement for the amp, the crutchfield site doesn't say anything about the PBR400X4D inputs being balanced. Would it work?

I would pick up a musicar E90 OE-Look Subwoofer Enclosure to house the 10W1v3 and power it with the ACM-1.300 using a signal I'd probably splice off the harness coming back to the PBR400X4D.

I could get this far into the upgrade spending under $700.

Approach 2: JL Audio XD600/6v2.

Crutchfield has a Black Friday deal going on right now that would save $200 on the JL Audio XD600/6v2. I'd go this route if the PBR400X4D isn't suitable and approach 1 wouldn't work. I have BimmerGeeks ProTool and I'm pretty sure it can recode the head unit to HiFi. I am still a bit confused about whether this changes the output level or if that even matters feeding into the XD600/6v2.

It sounds like going this direction I'd need a custom harness that plugs in behind my factory head unit. I'm having trouble finding where to buy the right harness for this approach.

Going this route I'd still like to probably try to do the custom sub enclosure and use the 10W1v3 I have.

Speakers

I haven't spent as much time yet looking at current recommendations for upgrading the front speakers to components with crossovers or what works best for under-seat subs. Any recommendations on that would be great. Any good holiday sales going on for some right now?

Thanks in advance for any advice. It's taken me a couple evenings of reading to get to this point in planning. It's a lot to digest.

[ctuna]

base system wiring pre/post 3/09

http://www.e90post.com/forums/attach...5&d=1493273253

the above is the best way to understand a base system upgrade.

equipment may vary now and there are a lot of DSP/amps that provide decent power
per channel and Audio Tech Fisher has some of the best.

It's only when you get up to the Technic 6/4 harness that you get a complete front to back harness and I don't know if he even makes those anymore.

BMW stereo types
http://www.e90post.com/forums/showthread.php?t=352586
http://www.e90post.com/forums/attach...2&d=1266451970
http://www.e90post.com/forums/attach...2&d=1260829447
http://www.e90post.com/forums/attach...1&d=1209780865
http://bmwcoders.com/forum/3-er-8/bm...1-e92-e93-291/
http://technicpnp.com/menuDiagrams/d...e90_92_93.html
http://www.musicarnw.com/page-2/
http://www.e90post.com/forums/attach...3&d=1169133185
http://www.e90post.com/forums/attach...1&d=1209780605
http://www.e90post.com/forums/showthread.php?t=641323
http://www.e90post.com/forums/attach...4&d=1278871872
http://www.e90post.com/forums/showthread.php?t=343673
https://www.bimmerfest.com/threads/e...n-752.1275694/

base system wiring pre/post 3/09
https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=...tDpLJPcGkw_ui_
Base System Guide
http://www.e90post.com/forums/attach...5&d=1493273253

[short_circuit]

Hey ctuna, thanks for taking the time to respond. I went through all of the links you posted. Most of them I've been reading through to get as far as I have.

Originally Posted by ctuna

http://bmwcoders.com/forum/3-er-8/bm...1-e92-e93-291/
http://technicpnp.com/menuDiagrams/d...e90_92_93.html

These two links seem dead.

Originally Posted by ctuna

It's only when you get up to the Technic 6/4 harness that you get a complete front to back harness and I don't know if he even makes those anymore.

Yes, this is the harness I'm unable to find on his site. I did try to send him a message through his site. I can't PM here yet. On his site I found his "Stereo 2/4 harness"

Stereo 2/4 harness is for use with an aftermarket 4-channel amp to power the front speakers and under seat woofers. Rear speakers are kept powered by the OEM HU/iDrive unit. No need to remove OEM HU/iDrive unit – Stereo 2/4 harness connects directly to the OEM woofer connectors.

The Stereo 2/4 harness requires an aftermarket 4ch amp with high level inputs and signal sensing, component speakers than can lower the built-in treble boost of the OEM signal or a DSP unit with signal sensing.

This is what led me to looking at whether my 4 channel PBR400X4D would work with this harness. I think I'd be OK with an upgrade that left the rear speakers powered by the stereo. Since it says it requires a solution to dealing with the treble boost in the OEM signal, but doesn't mention recoding as one of the options, I was wondering if that would work. From what I've read it seems like it should.

[ctuna]

Recoding to Hi Fi is the standard solution to solve most of the eq problem
without having to buy a frequency flattening device or adjusting device like
a dsp.

http://www.e90post.com/forums/showth...ighlight=graph