[VP Electricity]

It's been a long time since we've posted a build thread, and now that we have official dispensation to post build threads as a vendor (we just renewed our sponsorship vendor status, and there is vague language in the agreement, so we just recently were informed that we can post these!)

2010 335d, client lives in Portland.

For those wondering (it's increasingly harder to find our three-year-old posts on the topic) the base stereo system is laid out like this:



The signal to the rear speakers is high-passed (the bass is attenuated) the signal to the front doors and the underseats is full-range, but both signals have significant equalization:

FRONT



REAR


So, the rear speakers are currently the best-sounding speakers in the car. That's because they don't "see" the lowest bass notes, so they distort the least when those notes happen.

This roller-coast needs some correction before good speakers will sound good. It doesn't need a $1000 processor (we offer that level of performance, but it's not essential for an upgrade). It needs to be flattened out, and this system used the lowest-cost way to do that, the JL CL441. If you calibrate this wrong, the door chime will rip your head off.

Our Base Stereo upgrade systems are available with Rear Speaker Retail or Rear Speaker Upgrade. This client selected the most common version, RSR.

With this package, we use our Stereo PnP harness to "grab" the front channel outputs of the deck and the door speaker leads, and extend them to the trunk. We also incorporate dedicated speaker wires for the underseat woofers.

Then we run the signal into the lowest-cost correcting processor on the market, the JL CL441dsp. (I know some people want to recode, we can discuss why we use this method later).

In three-way, no-added-sub systems, that feeds the 4 channels of the Arc Audio KS125.4 Mini amplifier. It uses Class G, not Class D, and we think it sounds a bit better than Class D.

The speakers vary. This customer got a Level Two system, with Morel front components and the Jehnert underseat woofers. We prep it all for BMW bolt-in, plug-in installation, as the pics below will show.

Here's where the amp would have been in a HiFi or Top HiFi car:



Here's where the optional Sat Tuners used to go:



Here's the stock door speakers and stock underseat speakers:





Here's the Musicar system as it would arrive to a customer outside our area (you buy the tweeter trims locally, too big to ship economically).



The gray tray in the right front corner is the new trunk tray, which we do include, so that an amp will fit under it and the entire trunk will look stock.

And here are some build pics:

Stock speaker off:




New speaker on:



Crossover installed and PnP harness attached (we supply the gaffer's tape):



New woofer bolted in place of stock speaker:



Trunk before we started:




Amp, premounted on plate, ready to insert speaker wires into (this is 99% of the wiring in the install):



Where the processor goes:



Attach the power harness to the battery:




Route the signal harness from the processor to the amplifier following factory wiring:



Finished install:











Car sounded great. Blew away harman/kardon, better than Enhanced Premium, and it can ALL go back to stock in future if desired.

[mkPOTO]

very nice upgrade!

[taibanl]

Well done and jealous!

[sunmans]

Sweet install!!!!

[Dbcgolf1]

I'm interested. I just saw a M3 with your system installed last weekend in NJ. Awesome!

Please PM me with your packages and prices. I have a 2011 M3 sedan with the HIFI system.

Dave

[Hopeful]

Ken, is there a good reason to always go the long way round with the power and ground cables? On the E91 it certainly looks like there's room to go behind the plastic panel at the back of the car. That plastic panel is a bitch to remove though so I may not be able to use the chassis ground bolt there like you can on the E90.

[nato-main-man-5am]

Are the rear deck speakers disabled or running off the head unit "amp" still?

[kaigoss69]

Originally Posted by Hopeful

Ken, is there a good reason to always go the long way round with the power and ground cables? On the E91 it certainly looks like there's room to go behind the plastic panel at the back of the car. That plastic panel is a bitch to remove though so I may not be able to use the chassis ground bolt there like you can on the E90.

I ran a 4 gauge power wire along the bottom edge behind the plastic panel (running parallel to bumper). It is actually very easy to remove, takes a couple of minutes if you're slow. You will have to cut off some of the fins from the back of the panel, but it makes the wiring soooo much easier! The ground you can connect at the grounding point on top of the left reat fender well.

[Hopeful]

Originally Posted by kaigoss69

It is actually very easy to remove, takes a couple of minutes if you're slow.

... on an E91? The trim is tucked up behind other trim and I figured I'd have to take half the back apart to get it off. I tried and gave up.

[perzonal]

Nice job! It looks really clean! Myself Im still in progress with a build in my 320D E90.
I am using the Gladen 200 BMW kit as front amplified by a DLS CA41 and before going to work I just made a quick install of a 12" sealed enclosure to see if it made any difference. The music just felt amazing compared to the base, I had just as you.

Now when I'll get home next time I'll install a Mosconi 6to8 processor and make a better install for my sub.

Im also wondering if its worth amplifying the rears, already changed to a pair of coaxials... Ofcourse after a signalsum trough my dsp :P

[ctuna]

Hopefull see the email I sent you e91 is not that bad.
At first it looks like a nightmare but there is a way around taking
everything off.


http://www.e90post.com/forums/attach...3&d=1329017429

[Hopeful]

Originally Posted by ctuna

Hopefull see the email I sent you e91 is not that bad.
At first it looks like a nightmare but there is a way around taking
everything off.


http://www.e90post.com/forums/attach...3&d=1329017429

... to go around the long way, yeah. I can get the power cable behind the plastic panel no problem (parallel to the bumper) but I can't get access to the ground point behind that panel so it'll have to be the wheel arch. Just wondering why most installs go the long way round.

[VP Electricity]

As an e91 owner, I would much rather run the wires where the factory did than cut plastic tabs off and then run wires underneath. Kai, I'm surprised at you

Why does BMW go the long way round? Because that's where the room is.

[Hopeful]

Originally Posted by VP Electricity

As an e91 owner, I would much rather run the wires where the factory did than cut plastic tabs off and then run wires underneath. Kai, I'm surprised at you

Why does BMW go the long way round? Because that's where the room is.

I don't think that there's any need to cut tabs off the plastic panel on the E91.

Ken, as an E91 owner, which ground point did you use (as the one behind the panel is difficult to access)?

[VP Electricity]

We ALWAYS ground to the back side of the bumper, the other end of the ground cable from the battery terminal. Best place, and we never have noise issues.

This isn't a wagon, but it also gives you the best view of the bolt.

[Hopeful]

Originally Posted by VP Electricity

We ALWAYS ground to the back side of the bumper, the other end of the ground cable from the battery terminal. Best place, and we never have noise issues.

This isn't a wagon, but it also gives you the best view of the bolt.

So how do you go about getting access to that bolt on an E91? It's behind the plastic panel which looks v. difficult to remove without removing other trim first, i.e. the plastic trim that goes all the way up to the side windows.

Sorry, I didn't mean to hijack this thread Just looking for a bit of advice from someone who's done this before (Ken)

[coyote95667]

Wow looks great and I'm contemplating a level II. Is it optional to display the Morel badge on the speaker grilles? Not positive how I feel about that.

[VP Electricity]

Those badges were only for a photo to post on Morels FB page - then try came off. Sorry I forgot to mention that

[coyote95667]

awesome. As soon as I can convince my wife it isn't crazy (either that, or hide the whole trip somehow), I'll be driving up.

[wilbur_the_goose]

I just ordered a kit for installation here in PA.