replacing oem base speakers with aftermarket

LT5PLA · 03-01-2013, 05:14 AM

hi guys. .

i have a e90 bmw sedan with the base system (front doors, under seats and rear parcel shelf)

so I bought a pair of polk audio dxi 400's (4inch) my question is how do I wire it up. im using the exsisting speaker wire as I am not doing an amp just a straight swap. . the oem speaker wire is split into two wires. blue/black and blue/brown. . my question is which one is the positive and which one is the negative. .

also is it best to solder the wire to the new speaker as I cant use the standard speaker wire connector??

Technic · 03-01-2013, 05:19 AM

Pin 1 is Negative -numbers are molded in at the OEM speaker connector.

Buy these at your dealer and don't cut the OEM wires:

Speaker housing: 61138373583
Speaker housing pins: 61130006664

Quote:

Originally Posted by LT5PLA

hi guys. .

i have a e90 bmw sedan with the base system (front doors, under seats and rear parcel shelf)

so I bought a pair of polk audio dxi 400's (4inch) my question is how do I wire it up. im using the exsisting speaker wire as I am not doing an amp just a straight swap. . the oem speaker wire is split into two wires. blue/black and blue/brown. . my question is which one is the positive and which one is the negative. .

also is it best to solder the wire to the new speaker as I cant use the standard speaker wire connector??

LT5PLA · 03-01-2013, 06:10 AM

so pin 1 negative is the blue/brown wire? just checked

pin 2 blue/black must be positive then. ..

SoCalSam · 03-02-2013, 12:57 PM

I am having a heck of a time determining what speakers fit. I heard an E90 had 50mm for mounting up front.

Crutchfield's site has it slimmer than that. What is it really? I was looking at some JL Audio speakers to replace what I have but like I said, I cannot determine if they fit before I buy them.

MrDummy · 03-02-2013, 02:02 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Technic

Pin 1 is Negative -numbers are molded in at the OEM speaker connector.

Buy these at your dealer and don't cut the OEM wires:

Speaker housing: 61138373583
Speaker housing pins: 61130006664

I cannot stress this opinion enough. Dont cut OEM wires...
I work in auto field with wire harnesses, so as someone who knows buy the above components.

ctuna · 03-02-2013, 02:02 PM

http://www.e90post.com/forums/showthread.php?t=641323

http://www.e90post.com/forums/showthread.php?t=343673

Please read the thread there is a list of known to fit speakers(in the speaker section) and you will
need speaker adapters for most.
I believe Technic is selling adaptors and other hookup kit stuff like his
famous amp harness and factory connectors.
Speakers alone don't offer a lot of improvement in anything but a L7 system
because of weak amplification. In fact your volume will go down if you are replacing the stock 2 ohm speakers with 4 ohm or higher.

In the coupe the speakers that fit are Jehnerts, Focals, and BSW and I don't
think they require adaptors.

LT5PLA · 03-06-2013, 09:40 PM

ok guys. . thanks.

is soldering the oem speaker wire to the speaker not a good idea?? how come?

ctuna · 03-06-2013, 11:30 PM

How good are your soldering skills?
With soldering you can end up with things like cold solder
joints and high resistance connections.
When you go down the path of hacking up the stock wiring
it can snowball in to a big expensive mess.
It's better to keep things clean and the best way to do it is use
factory connectors. I would use crimp on's and add solder
if you want to at strategic points also heat shrink tubing over the solder joints.

bacon33 · 03-20-2013, 12:16 AM

Does anyone know if the JL Audio C5-400cm fit in the front door panels? From what I read and looking at the specs it looks like they would. Any help would be appriciated.

ctuna · 03-20-2013, 01:01 AM

There are no JL speakers that fit in a BMW unfortunately ( in the stock locations)
They do make some pretty nice speakers tho.
1.62+.82 = 2.44 inches

bacon33 · 03-22-2013, 01:57 AM

Ctuna what's that your adding up? I'm a bit lost. Lol.

This is the mounting depth.
Mounting Depth (G) 1.62 in / 41 mm

ctuna · 03-22-2013, 07:50 AM

Look at the speaker spec's G+E
41 is a top mount depth . There is another measurement that
adds in for bottom mount I think.
I haven't seen these in the list and they probably would be if they
worked.

mact3333 · 03-22-2013, 11:05 AM

replacing speakers only for underpowered system to begin with is destined for disappointment.

You have to replace that amp....and if you have the "base" system where highs and lows are artificially boosted, you need something like JL Audio Cleansweep to flatten out the lows and highs.

Doing this would be much better imho than just swapping out speakers only.

kaigoss69 · 03-22-2013, 12:12 PM

Bacon & Tuna, (hmmm I'm getting hungry LOL)

The C5-400cm looks like they would work just fine. Ignore the JL grille, it won't be installed in this case, so the speaker only has 41 mm depth.

I did some reading and while there are few reviews of this particular driver, I found one of the prominent audiophiles on another forum give it very high marks, plus the 653 component set where these mids are used also have very good reviews, which leads me to believe that these are actually very good candidates for replacement midrange speakers for our cars. Just keep in mind that using this driver would require the use of crossovers (external or built-in, in amps or digital signal processors), with the ability to band-pass these drivers between say 200 and 4500 Hz), and the addition of a tweeter set. If I didn't already have some very good midrange speakers installed, I'd be willing to give these a try!

Technic · 03-22-2013, 01:07 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bacon33

Does anyone know if the JL Audio C5-400cm fit in the front door panels? From what I read and looking at the specs it looks like they would. Any help would be appriciated.

This is the only spec that matter of that mid:

Quote:

The C5-400cm is designed to operate within a bandwidth of 300 Hz - 5 kHz.

Ideally, a mid with a bandwith that starts at or less than 100Hz would be a much better mid to use in BMW's.

With 300hz mids the woofers will have to cover all the way to, or slightly above, 300Hz. That would not be a problem at all if the woofers were mounted in the front doors, but they are underseat in our cars.

kaigoss69 · 03-22-2013, 09:33 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Technic

This is the only spec that matter of that mid:

Ideally, a mid with a bandwith that starts at or less than 100Hz would be a much better mid to use in BMW's.

With 300hz mids the woofers will have to cover all the way to, or slightly above, 300Hz. That would not be a problem at all if the woofers were mounted in the front doors, but they are underseat in our cars.

The FS is 124Hz which is quite normal for a 4. I'm sure you can comfortably play this down to 150Hz as long as you use steep slopes. No need to go lower than that anyway, you'd be fighting the laws of physics. The 300Hz number may stem from the crossover setting of the 3-way crossover where this driver is normally used, and/or the manufacturer is just being over-cautious.

http://medleysmusings.com/jl-audio-c5-400cm-midrange/

Technic · 03-23-2013, 10:53 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by kaigoss69

The FS is 124Hz which is quite normal for a 4. I'm sure you can comfortably play this down to 150Hz as long as you use steep slopes. No need to go lower than that anyway, you'd be fighting the laws of physics. The 300Hz number may stem from the crossover setting of the 3-way crossover where this driver is normally used, and/or the manufacturer is just being over-cautious.

http://medleysmusings.com/jl-audio-c5-400cm-midrange/

Thanks... its actual frequency response is 100Hz -> 9KHz.

bacon33 · 03-24-2013, 04:08 AM

I just bought a JL XD600-6 and JL- cleansweep. I just noticed that cleansweep only has for 4 channels. How will I be able to hook up all 6?

I'm planning on upgrading in phases to lower the hit on my pockets plus do note the difference in each stage.

In the end I should have the following on my 2012 335i

JL XD- 600-6
JL Cleansweep
JL C5-400cm (front door)
Still not sure if I want to fill in the rear
JL ZR-100 CT (front tweeters)
JL 8W7AE-3 (installed by battery)

What do you guys think?

ctuna · 03-24-2013, 11:56 AM

The output of the head unit only has 4 channels.
If you bought a Technic Harness it should take care of that as far as wiring is concerned I think.
The under seat channels , for bass ,are generated of the front channels
through the amp .

Technic · 03-24-2013, 12:34 PM

No need of a Cleansweep in your HiFi system.

http://www.e90post.com/forums/showpo...73&postcount=4

Quote:

Originally Posted by bacon33

I just bought a JL XD600-6 and JL- cleansweep. I just noticed that cleansweep only has for 4 channels. How will I be able to hook up all 6?

I'm planning on upgrading in phases to lower the hit on my pockets plus do note the difference in each stage.

In the end I should have the following on my 2012 335i

JL XD- 600-6
JL Cleansweep
JL C5-400cm (front door)
Still not sure if I want to fill in the rear
JL ZR-100 CT (front tweeters)
JL 8W7AE-3 (installed by battery)

What do you guys think?

VF154 · 02-07-2014, 10:08 PM

Quote:

I just bought a JL XD600-6 and JL- cleansweep. I just noticed that cleansweep only has for 4 channels. How will I be able to hook up all 6?

I'm planning on upgrading in phases to lower the hit on my pockets plus do note the difference in each stage.

In the end I should have the following on my 2012 335i

JL XD- 600-6
JL Cleansweep
JL C5-400cm (front door)
Still not sure if I want to fill in the rear
JL ZR-100 CT (front tweeters)
JL 8W7AE-3 (installed by battery)

What do you guys think?

bacon33: did u a crossover for the front speakers? And are you pleased with your speakers?

Thanks

bacon33 · 12-31-2014, 10:41 PM

Sorry about the late reply. I got my JL Audio installed with a JL Audio amp. The vocals sound great, miss fill in perfectly and I didn't change the subs. I want to eventually fill in the back stage as I disconnected the rear but it's ok cause I have little kids that sit back there.

I didn't use a clean sweep. One thing I noticed is that I have a loud hissing sound that comes on after I unlock the car. I put gains down but doesn't help. It didn't do it before when just the amp was installed. Any ideas?

03-01-2013, 05:14 AM	#1
LT5PLA Private 17 Rep 99 Posts Drives: BMW E90 Join Date: Jun 2011 Location: AUSTRALIA iTrader: (0)	replacing oem base speakers with aftermarket hi guys. . i have a e90 bmw sedan with the base system (front doors, under seats and rear parcel shelf) so I bought a pair of polk audio dxi 400's (4inch) my question is how do I wire it up. im using the exsisting speaker wire as I am not doing an amp just a straight swap. . the oem speaker wire is split into two wires. blue/black and blue/brown. . my question is which one is the positive and which one is the negative. . also is it best to solder the wire to the new speaker as I cant use the standard speaker wire connector??
	Appreciate 0 Tweet Quote

03-01-2013, 06:10 AM	#3
LT5PLA Private 17 Rep 99 Posts Drives: BMW E90 Join Date: Jun 2011 Location: AUSTRALIA iTrader: (0)	so pin 1 negative is the blue/brown wire? just checked pin 2 blue/black must be positive then. ..
	Appreciate 0 Quote

03-02-2013, 12:57 PM	#4
SoCalSam New Member 0 Rep 8 Posts Drives: 2010 335d Join Date: Feb 2013 Location: Los Angeles, CA iTrader: (0)	I am having a heck of a time determining what speakers fit. I heard an E90 had 50mm for mounting up front. Crutchfield's site has it slimmer than that. What is it really? I was looking at some JL Audio speakers to replace what I have but like I said, I cannot determine if they fit before I buy them.
	Appreciate 0 Quote

03-02-2013, 02:02 PM	#6
ctuna Lieutenant General 2045 Rep 13,359 Posts Drives: 325xi 06 wagon MT Join Date: Jan 2010 Location: Santa Cruz, Ca iTrader: (0)	http://www.e90post.com/forums/showthread.php?t=641323 http://www.e90post.com/forums/showthread.php?t=641323 http://www.e90post.com/forums/showthread.php?t=343673 Please read the thread there is a list of known to fit speakers(in the speaker section) and you will need speaker adapters for most. I believe Technic is selling adaptors and other hookup kit stuff like his famous amp harness and factory connectors. Speakers alone don't offer a lot of improvement in anything but a L7 system because of weak amplification. In fact your volume will go down if you are replacing the stock 2 ohm speakers with 4 ohm or higher. In the coupe the speakers that fit are Jehnerts, Focals, and BSW and I don't think they require adaptors. Last edited by ctuna; 03-02-2013 at 02:07 PM..
	Appreciate 0 Quote

03-06-2013, 09:40 PM	#7
LT5PLA Private 17 Rep 99 Posts Drives: BMW E90 Join Date: Jun 2011 Location: AUSTRALIA iTrader: (0)	ok guys. . thanks. is soldering the oem speaker wire to the speaker not a good idea?? how come?
	Appreciate 0 Quote

03-06-2013, 11:30 PM	#8
ctuna Lieutenant General 2045 Rep 13,359 Posts Drives: 325xi 06 wagon MT Join Date: Jan 2010 Location: Santa Cruz, Ca iTrader: (0)	How good are your soldering skills? How good are your soldering skills? With soldering you can end up with things like cold solder joints and high resistance connections. When you go down the path of hacking up the stock wiring it can snowball in to a big expensive mess. It's better to keep things clean and the best way to do it is use factory connectors. I would use crimp on's and add solder if you want to at strategic points also heat shrink tubing over the solder joints.
	Appreciate 0 Quote

03-20-2013, 12:16 AM	#9
bacon33 Private 9 Rep 75 Posts Drives: 335i Join Date: Mar 2013 Location: San Diego iTrader: (0) Garage List 2012 BMW 335i Dinan 3 [0.00]	Does anyone know if the JL Audio C5-400cm fit in the front door panels? From what I read and looking at the specs it looks like they would. Any help would be appriciated.
	Appreciate 0 Quote

03-20-2013, 01:01 AM	#10
ctuna Lieutenant General 2045 Rep 13,359 Posts Drives: 325xi 06 wagon MT Join Date: Jan 2010 Location: Santa Cruz, Ca iTrader: (0)	There are no JL speakers that fit in a BMW There are no JL speakers that fit in a BMW unfortunately ( in the stock locations) They do make some pretty nice speakers tho. 1.62+.82 = 2.44 inches
	Appreciate 0 Quote

03-22-2013, 01:57 AM	#11
bacon33 Private 9 Rep 75 Posts Drives: 335i Join Date: Mar 2013 Location: San Diego iTrader: (0) Garage List 2012 BMW 335i Dinan 3 [0.00]	Ctuna what's that your adding up? I'm a bit lost. Lol. This is the mounting depth. Mounting Depth (G) 1.62 in / 41 mm
	Appreciate 0 Quote

03-22-2013, 07:50 AM	#12
ctuna Lieutenant General 2045 Rep 13,359 Posts Drives: 325xi 06 wagon MT Join Date: Jan 2010 Location: Santa Cruz, Ca iTrader: (0)	Look at the speaker spec's Look at the speaker spec's G+E 41 is a top mount depth . There is another measurement that adds in for bottom mount I think. I haven't seen these in the list and they probably would be if they worked. Last edited by ctuna; 03-22-2013 at 07:57 AM..
	Appreciate 0 Quote

03-22-2013, 11:05 AM	#13
mact3333 Captain 126 Rep 876 Posts Drives: 16' YMB/Blk F82 Join Date: Mar 2011 Location: Portland Area iTrader: (1)	replacing speakers only for underpowered system to begin with is destined for disappointment. You have to replace that amp....and if you have the "base" system where highs and lows are artificially boosted, you need something like JL Audio Cleansweep to flatten out the lows and highs. Doing this would be much better imho than just swapping out speakers only.
	Appreciate 0 Quote

03-22-2013, 12:12 PM	#14
kaigoss69 Brigadier General 301 Rep 3,969 Posts Drives: '08 335i Join Date: Jul 2008 Location: JAX iTrader: (6)	Bacon & Tuna, (hmmm I'm getting hungry LOL) The C5-400cm looks like they would work just fine. Ignore the JL grille, it won't be installed in this case, so the speaker only has 41 mm depth. I did some reading and while there are few reviews of this particular driver, I found one of the prominent audiophiles on another forum give it very high marks, plus the 653 component set where these mids are used also have very good reviews, which leads me to believe that these are actually very good candidates for replacement midrange speakers for our cars. Just keep in mind that using this driver would require the use of crossovers (external or built-in, in amps or digital signal processors), with the ability to band-pass these drivers between say 200 and 4500 Hz), and the addition of a tweeter set. If I didn't already have some very good midrange speakers installed, I'd be willing to give these a try! __________________ Mobridge DA2 > JBL MS-8 > ARC XDi 600/4 > JBL Gti 408 Mids & Vifa OT19 Tweeters; PG Ti2 1600.5 > Morel HCW-10 & IDMax 15
	Appreciate 0 Quote

03-24-2013, 04:08 AM	#18
bacon33 Private 9 Rep 75 Posts Drives: 335i Join Date: Mar 2013 Location: San Diego iTrader: (0) Garage List 2012 BMW 335i Dinan 3 [0.00]	I just bought a JL XD600-6 and JL- cleansweep. I just noticed that cleansweep only has for 4 channels. How will I be able to hook up all 6? I'm planning on upgrading in phases to lower the hit on my pockets plus do note the difference in each stage. In the end I should have the following on my 2012 335i JL XD- 600-6 JL Cleansweep JL C5-400cm (front door) Still not sure if I want to fill in the rear JL ZR-100 CT (front tweeters) JL 8W7AE-3 (installed by battery) What do you guys think?
	Appreciate 0 Quote

03-24-2013, 11:56 AM	#19
ctuna Lieutenant General 2045 Rep 13,359 Posts Drives: 325xi 06 wagon MT Join Date: Jan 2010 Location: Santa Cruz, Ca iTrader: (0)	The output of the head unit only has 4 channels The output of the head unit only has 4 channels. If you bought a Technic Harness it should take care of that as far as wiring is concerned I think. The under seat channels , for bass ,are generated of the front channels through the amp .
	Appreciate 0 Quote

12-31-2014, 10:41 PM	#22
bacon33 Private 9 Rep 75 Posts Drives: 335i Join Date: Mar 2013 Location: San Diego iTrader: (0) Garage List 2012 BMW 335i Dinan 3 [0.00]	Sorry about the late reply. I got my JL Audio installed with a JL Audio amp. The vocals sound great, miss fill in perfectly and I didn't change the subs. I want to eventually fill in the back stage as I disconnected the rear but it's ok cause I have little kids that sit back there. I didn't use a clean sweep. One thing I noticed is that I have a loud hissing sound that comes on after I unlock the car. I put gains down but doesn't help. It didn't do it before when just the amp was installed. Any ideas?
	Appreciate 0 Quote