Is the Alpine upgrade worth it?

AlanQS · 01-08-2009, 09:34 AM

I've already fitted the Logic 7 tweeters to my standard set-up and, quite frankly, if you up the bass to about 4 and you play a loud music source (you may have noticed that when you burn various albums to a MP3 disc, the volume levels can be quite different between different artists) although it won't blast your head off, the tone and depth of bass is very good for a non specialised system. It is better than any standard system I have had in any car and better than any typical after market head unit I have bought in the past.

Fitting the tweeters introduces high sounds that I just didn't hear before and the sub woofers give a better bass than any standard door speaker in a typical car. I admit that once you go to additional amplification, it is going to lose out big time but as a basic system - once you add the tweeters - it is rather good.

In absolute terms, I agree, it is pants, but I think you've convinced me to go the way of the Alpine upgrade - it's just too bad I've already bought the tweeters so I'll have a pair going a-begging sometime in the future.

AlanQS · 01-09-2009, 10:35 AM

Well, it's ordered. After the mess I made of my passenger door card re-fitment when I fitted the tweeters I decided that I should pay the dealer to fit the kit.

It's going in on Thursday at a total cost of £510 so, whilst still painful, it's a bit better than some of the prices people have quoted in these threads.

And, if anything goes wrong, I have someone to blame.

As I have a spare pair of tweeters, does anyone know if they would fit the rear seat cards and if the card itself has a knockout in the back for the tweeter - as per the factory hi-fi installation?

RCUK · 01-10-2009, 01:09 PM

Having tweeters in the rear will really mess up your sound stage.

Ideally in any car the sound should be coming from in front of you with only the bass behind - as you cant really detect where bass is coming from.

AlanQS · 01-10-2009, 01:37 PM

Well both the standard hi fi and Logic 7 systems have rear tweeters.

I must be funny, because most of the comments on the forum stress the importance of the sound at the front yet I quite like the sound coming from all round - I set the fader to slight rear bias and some songs sound really good when major sections of the instrument sound slightly to the rear - it seems to fill the car more.

sheps · 01-10-2009, 01:54 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by AlanQS

it's just too bad I've already bought the tweeters so I'll have a pair going a-begging sometime in the future.

Alan, I'll have them off you if you decide not to/can't install them in the rear 1/4's

AlanQS · 01-10-2009, 02:07 PM

Certainly. Half price plus postage all right?

sheps · 01-10-2009, 03:23 PM

Cool and the gang!
Do you prefer funds via Paypal or do you want me to post a cheque?

AlanQS · 01-10-2009, 05:23 PM

Prefer cheque, but I'll pm you on Thursday night to let you know what happened.

Steve748 · 01-13-2009, 08:46 AM

If you have about £350+ to spare then I would deffo get the Alpine upgrade!

The bass is much better, more defined because it is making better use of the sub under the seat. The tweeters in the mirror corners lifts the sound and it is much clearer. The speakers in the doors are of much better construction than the weedy OEM paper fitted ones. The magnet is about twice the size and the cone is a much better quality construction. If you appreciate decent Hi-Fi at home then you will be happier with this upgrade. Took two guys from Mobile Music in Harrogate about 1.5 hours to do it and it cost £120. It is all plug in, everything is tagged and if you are able to take trim off and replace it properly then you should be ok to DIY

Recommended!

RCUK · 01-13-2009, 10:00 AM

paper cones on a £37k car??? damn.

Would have preferred better sound as standard and reached for my own seatbelt instead!

Think this is the first item on my upgrades list.

Ant Man · 01-14-2009, 04:19 PM

BMW is certainly not the ultimate sound machine

Are the underseat subs standard with the standard sound option?

marriedblonde · 01-14-2009, 04:27 PM

Yep

Ant Man · 01-14-2009, 04:41 PM

Ta v. much

Steve748 · 01-15-2009, 04:19 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ant Man

BMW is certainly not the ultimate sound machine

Are the underseat subs standard with the standard sound option?

Yes but they are not used to their full potential until you install the upgrade kit!
The increase in bass is just amazing even with the bass set at - or o. The sound is lifted so it is right in front of you instead of being low down and the quality in sound is so much better.

The standard system just does not compare

RCUK · 01-15-2009, 05:07 AM

This is def gonna be my first upgrade ... just need to see if my fitter can do it one weekend soon!

btw for those considering doing it DIY - if you do a search on one of these alpine threads someone has kindle posted the BMW install instructions!

AlanQS · 01-15-2009, 07:35 AM

Yes, but the BMW instructions don't tell you which panels have to be removed, how many screws there are etc. and how best to refit them - which is what put me off D.I.Y.

It's in the dealer's getting it fitted right now - their first install of the Alpine kit and it's taking them forever. They took me home and are delivering the car to me once it is done. I reckon it will take them four to five hours for this first shot and the Tech doing it is the slow steady type who won't be rushed.

Fingers crossed!

Steve748 · 01-15-2009, 09:36 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Steve748

Took two guys from Mobile Music in Harrogate about 1.5 hours to do it and it cost £120. It is all plug in, everything is tagged and if you are able to take trim off and replace it properly then you should be ok to DIY

I took it to specialist audio fitters as my local BMW service said they hadn't done one before. I have used them before years ago and they know what they are doing.

AlanQS · 01-15-2009, 10:59 AM

The car is back.

I now have a SOUND system

If this is supposed to be pants next to the Logic 7 system then what must it sound like

Turned up a bit, the bass shakes my chest. The best it could manage before was to allow you to feel a bit of vibration through the seat base.

I tried it on selected songs and it's all good.

Downsides: the reverse PDC beeper can hardly be heard when the music is at high volume and I suspect that will apply to other warning beeps.

My Parrot bluetooth system mutes the head unit and uses its own power for the front speakers. Since the Alpine intercepts the speaker output, I assume that means the Alpine will now amplify the Parrot system which could be quite scary if you are blasting along with the music loud - and the phone rings.

If you are in any doubt to the difference it makes, play a disc and switch the car off without touching the CD unit. Turn the car on again and for a split second you will hear the rear speakers by themselves before the fronts come on - chalk and cheese does not adequately describe it - try Mr Universe versus a weedy child.

Shep, I have the tweeters! I'll pm you later.

RagingKileak · 01-15-2009, 11:45 AM

I was outraged when I got to the dealer and we talked the options through on my recently bought, used 335D.

I have the IPOD kit, factory fitted Parrot kit, DAB radio, Pro Nav - more or less anything I can think of thats sound related except standard speakers....

I had two points.

I firstly made it clear to the dealer that I thought it was an absolute disgrace, I kicked off so much I got a free T-Shirt (I had been driving to London for what seemed like hours in my old S4 Convertible) and in the end they just had no answer....

Following that I ranted about what sort of donut would pay £1000 + on the IPOD and DAB options without getting uprated speakers.

At this point, they advised me of the Alpine upgrade which they could fit for £500. (seems cheap reading this)

Anyway, since I brought the car back up to Leeds I have not found any dealers who would own up to even knowing about this kit - let alone to fitting it.

I am so glad I now have the part numbers, and a keen lad at work here wants to fit it for me. So I will add a +1 to the reviews when I get chance.

Regards
Matt

marriedblonde · 01-15-2009, 12:05 PM

I'll be placing an order for this upgrade I think :-)

TMP · 01-15-2009, 01:48 PM

I am getting tempted too

Can anybody recommend a good installer in the Manchester area? I noticed somebody used one in Harrogate worst case (as I am in Leeds sometimes, suppose that's not too far!)

Steve748 · 01-15-2009, 02:09 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TMP

I am getting tempted too

Can anybody recommend a good installer in the Manchester area? I noticed somebody used one in Harrogate worst case (as I am in Leeds sometimes, suppose that's not too far!)

Try google this...Car Audio Manchester....and phone a couple up, fitting is about an hour and a half for two guys so a reasonable charge will be about£120 to £150 and £500 at the BMW dealer is way too expensive

01-08-2009, 09:34 AM	#23
AlanQS Colonel 248 Rep 2,815 Posts Drives: Jaguar XE P250 HSE Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: Glasgow iTrader: (0) Garage List 2016 430i m-sport G ... [0.00]	I've already fitted the Logic 7 tweeters to my standard set-up and, quite frankly, if you up the bass to about 4 and you play a loud music source (you may have noticed that when you burn various albums to a MP3 disc, the volume levels can be quite different between different artists) although it won't blast your head off, the tone and depth of bass is very good for a non specialised system. It is better than any standard system I have had in any car and better than any typical after market head unit I have bought in the past. Fitting the tweeters introduces high sounds that I just didn't hear before and the sub woofers give a better bass than any standard door speaker in a typical car. I admit that once you go to additional amplification, it is going to lose out big time but as a basic system - once you add the tweeters - it is rather good. In absolute terms, I agree, it is pants, but I think you've convinced me to go the way of the Alpine upgrade - it's just too bad I've already bought the tweeters so I'll have a pair going a-begging sometime in the future.
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01-09-2009, 10:35 AM	#24
AlanQS Colonel 248 Rep 2,815 Posts Drives: Jaguar XE P250 HSE Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: Glasgow iTrader: (0) Garage List 2016 430i m-sport G ... [0.00]	Well, it's ordered. After the mess I made of my passenger door card re-fitment when I fitted the tweeters I decided that I should pay the dealer to fit the kit. It's going in on Thursday at a total cost of £510 so, whilst still painful, it's a bit better than some of the prices people have quoted in these threads. And, if anything goes wrong, I have someone to blame. As I have a spare pair of tweeters, does anyone know if they would fit the rear seat cards and if the card itself has a knockout in the back for the tweeter - as per the factory hi-fi installation?
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01-10-2009, 01:09 PM	#25
RCUK Lieutenant Colonel 102 Rep 1,672 Posts Drives: 911 Turbo Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: Orpington, Kent iTrader: (4)	Having tweeters in the rear will really mess up your sound stage. Ideally in any car the sound should be coming from in front of you with only the bass behind - as you cant really detect where bass is coming from. __________________ Been there, done that, driven the 'Ring
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01-10-2009, 01:37 PM	#26
AlanQS Colonel 248 Rep 2,815 Posts Drives: Jaguar XE P250 HSE Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: Glasgow iTrader: (0) Garage List 2016 430i m-sport G ... [0.00]	Well both the standard hi fi and Logic 7 systems have rear tweeters. I must be funny, because most of the comments on the forum stress the importance of the sound at the front yet I quite like the sound coming from all round - I set the fader to slight rear bias and some songs sound really good when major sections of the instrument sound slightly to the rear - it seems to fill the car more.
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01-10-2009, 02:07 PM	#28
AlanQS Colonel 248 Rep 2,815 Posts Drives: Jaguar XE P250 HSE Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: Glasgow iTrader: (0) Garage List 2016 430i m-sport G ... [0.00]	Certainly. Half price plus postage all right?
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01-10-2009, 03:23 PM	#29
sheps Colonel 77 Rep 2,396 Posts Drives: C63 AMG Join Date: Feb 2007 Location: Cambs, UK iTrader: (2)	Cool and the gang! Do you prefer funds via Paypal or do you want me to post a cheque? __________________ Gone but not forgotten: 325i M Sport (E92), Black Sapphire, Coral Red Dakota, 19" 225's, Seat Heating, 6FL and de-badge Replaced by 6.2 litres of AMG powered C class.
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01-10-2009, 05:23 PM	#30
AlanQS Colonel 248 Rep 2,815 Posts Drives: Jaguar XE P250 HSE Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: Glasgow iTrader: (0) Garage List 2016 430i m-sport G ... [0.00]	Prefer cheque, but I'll pm you on Thursday night to let you know what happened.
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01-13-2009, 08:46 AM	#31
Steve748 Lieutenant 12 Rep 564 Posts Drives: Corvette & Jeep Commander Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: North Yorks & Granite Hills CA iTrader: (0)	If you have about £350+ to spare then I would deffo get the Alpine upgrade! The bass is much better, more defined because it is making better use of the sub under the seat. The tweeters in the mirror corners lifts the sound and it is much clearer. The speakers in the doors are of much better construction than the weedy OEM paper fitted ones. The magnet is about twice the size and the cone is a much better quality construction. If you appreciate decent Hi-Fi at home then you will be happier with this upgrade. Took two guys from Mobile Music in Harrogate about 1.5 hours to do it and it cost £120. It is all plug in, everything is tagged and if you are able to take trim off and replace it properly then you should be ok to DIY Recommended!
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01-13-2009, 10:00 AM	#32
RCUK Lieutenant Colonel 102 Rep 1,672 Posts Drives: 911 Turbo Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: Orpington, Kent iTrader: (4)	paper cones on a £37k car??? damn. Would have preferred better sound as standard and reached for my own seatbelt instead! Think this is the first item on my upgrades list. __________________ Been there, done that, driven the 'Ring
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01-14-2009, 04:19 PM	#33
Ant Man Major 79 Rep 1,179 Posts Drives: E92 M3 Individual Edition Join Date: Jun 2008 Location: East Anglia iTrader: (1)	BMW is certainly not the ultimate sound machine Are the underseat subs standard with the standard sound option?
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01-14-2009, 04:27 PM	#34
marriedblonde Lieutenant 11 Rep 434 Posts Drives: e92 330 sport Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: Sunny south coast iTrader: (0)	Yep
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01-14-2009, 04:41 PM	#35
Ant Man Major 79 Rep 1,179 Posts Drives: E92 M3 Individual Edition Join Date: Jun 2008 Location: East Anglia iTrader: (1)	Ta v. much
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01-15-2009, 05:07 AM	#37
RCUK Lieutenant Colonel 102 Rep 1,672 Posts Drives: 911 Turbo Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: Orpington, Kent iTrader: (4)	This is def gonna be my first upgrade ... just need to see if my fitter can do it one weekend soon! btw for those considering doing it DIY - if you do a search on one of these alpine threads someone has kindle posted the BMW install instructions! __________________ Been there, done that, driven the 'Ring
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01-15-2009, 07:35 AM	#38
AlanQS Colonel 248 Rep 2,815 Posts Drives: Jaguar XE P250 HSE Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: Glasgow iTrader: (0) Garage List 2016 430i m-sport G ... [0.00]	Yes, but the BMW instructions don't tell you which panels have to be removed, how many screws there are etc. and how best to refit them - which is what put me off D.I.Y. It's in the dealer's getting it fitted right now - their first install of the Alpine kit and it's taking them forever. They took me home and are delivering the car to me once it is done. I reckon it will take them four to five hours for this first shot and the Tech doing it is the slow steady type who won't be rushed. Fingers crossed!
	Appreciate 0 Quote

01-15-2009, 10:59 AM	#40
AlanQS Colonel 248 Rep 2,815 Posts Drives: Jaguar XE P250 HSE Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: Glasgow iTrader: (0) Garage List 2016 430i m-sport G ... [0.00]	The car is back. I now have a SOUND system If this is supposed to be pants next to the Logic 7 system then what must it sound like Turned up a bit, the bass shakes my chest. The best it could manage before was to allow you to feel a bit of vibration through the seat base. I tried it on selected songs and it's all good. Downsides: the reverse PDC beeper can hardly be heard when the music is at high volume and I suspect that will apply to other warning beeps. My Parrot bluetooth system mutes the head unit and uses its own power for the front speakers. Since the Alpine intercepts the speaker output, I assume that means the Alpine will now amplify the Parrot system which could be quite scary if you are blasting along with the music loud - and the phone rings. If you are in any doubt to the difference it makes, play a disc and switch the car off without touching the CD unit. Turn the car on again and for a split second you will hear the rear speakers by themselves before the fronts come on - chalk and cheese does not adequately describe it - try Mr Universe versus a weedy child. Shep, I have the tweeters! I'll pm you later.
	Appreciate 0 Quote

01-15-2009, 11:45 AM	#41
RagingKileak Brigadier General 202 Rep 4,655 Posts Drives: M3 CS Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: Yorkshire iTrader: (2)	I was outraged when I got to the dealer and we talked the options through on my recently bought, used 335D. I have the IPOD kit, factory fitted Parrot kit, DAB radio, Pro Nav - more or less anything I can think of thats sound related except standard speakers.... I had two points. I firstly made it clear to the dealer that I thought it was an absolute disgrace, I kicked off so much I got a free T-Shirt (I had been driving to London for what seemed like hours in my old S4 Convertible) and in the end they just had no answer.... Following that I ranted about what sort of donut would pay £1000 + on the IPOD and DAB options without getting uprated speakers. At this point, they advised me of the Alpine upgrade which they could fit for £500. (seems cheap reading this) Anyway, since I brought the car back up to Leeds I have not found any dealers who would own up to even knowing about this kit - let alone to fitting it. I am so glad I now have the part numbers, and a keen lad at work here wants to fit it for me. So I will add a +1 to the reviews when I get chance. Regards Matt
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01-15-2009, 12:05 PM	#42
marriedblonde Lieutenant 11 Rep 434 Posts Drives: e92 330 sport Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: Sunny south coast iTrader: (0)	I'll be placing an order for this upgrade I think :-)
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01-15-2009, 01:48 PM	#43
TMP Brigadier General 357 Rep 3,022 Posts Drives: M6 Join Date: Nov 2008 Location: Cheshire iTrader: (0)	I am getting tempted too Can anybody recommend a good installer in the Manchester area? I noticed somebody used one in Harrogate worst case (as I am in Leeds sometimes, suppose that's not too far!) __________________ M2 Arrived! Family 5er
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