[Stormbitch]

E93 coupe or convertible owners, welcome to the greatest debate since the VAT rise, God and Jesus and why girls wear flat shoes.

The debate is: How on heavens do you get your sound from "Please kill me" to "Hey girl why don't we go for a drive and listen to Heatwave"

Please list what you have done, if you have had an upgrade as I am now only going to believe the collective genius on these forums, the real people, the owners, who have been there, done that and who have heard, seen or done the deed. Not a dribbling audiophile with yellow teeth who works in Radio Road.

We all know that the 3 series has an abomination of a sound system one you would not play to any future girlfriend, and that the only speakers that will fit belong to Stuart Little.

We also know that we do not want to spend 8 million pounds on components and subs so that we can bounce our way along the high street to 2 Unlimited.

Here is the irony:

None of these sometimes friendly, sometimes brilliant, often useless, out of their depth, anoraks, genius or bonus hunters EVER recommend the same!!!!


Sales Man 1 -

You need to keep your existing speakers and add an amp.

You need a thing called an Imprint which tunes your sound and makes it pretty.

This still costs £1200 and we cannot finish the install job or set up in one day. So if you could pay us then drive off and come back in 3 weeks, brilliant.

Sales Man 2 -

Pha! Scoff, scowl - You don't want to keep the existing speakers they are rubbish!
"You need a Clean Feed box, because BMW spend days cunningly removing bands and EQ from their system ON PURPOSE so that..er..well so that..well they just do and this clean feed box which costs a lot, takes the sound and makes it nice again"
An Amp
Some tweeters
And a Hertz rent a car 3 way speaker set up for the fronts.
Oh, And you might need to come back 3 weeks later.
Sub? Yes we can cut a big hole in your rear seats cause the underseat subs are not worth replacing.
£1700 - I "think" it will sound good sir

Sales Man 3

Nah, you need the Jen hart door cards at £1100
And an amp
And some wires for £800

Website on the interweb

Hi we specialise in making subs and speaker packs especially for all BMWs except the E93.
Oh, and sure yeh you can order easily providing you LIVE IN AMERICA.

Sales Man 4

Leave the speakers as they are
Add an Amp
Add some tweeters
Job done
£733

Sales Man 5

You need 2 subs under each seat - SMS 8 or Slimline from Rainbow
Some tweeters
Leave the four mids
Add a JL6 Amp
RCS connections
Job done
£1395

--

And so it goes on!!!! Not one person says the same, in fact they all seem to contradict one another.

So ... the only theory is FIND SOMEONE WHO UPGRADED AND ASK THEM!

--

Lets be fair and I am not being stupid, we can all spend £1500 or £2000 and get a good sound... but I can't help but be a grumpy old man and think its all a complete F*(& rip off wool eyes pull over dribble yellow teeth load of nonsense.

If I can buy a Bose Companion 5 for £299 yes £299 and I don't need a clean feed an infinity, a blow job or a bling blong capacitor and 50 leads at then why can't my BMW sound better and warmer for less than £1300!!!!! JEEZ.

Yes yes, I know I know in car is different to HIFI, I have had enough salesmen spitting bits of biscuit at me telling me that. I also have 3 Kef systems in my home and 2 Bose systems. Go figure...

There is an owner out there who has the answer...

I want to invest in sound - But I , like everyone else THINKS he knows about sound... and gets pissed off when nobody can give me a straight answer.

And as for the LABOUR rates....OH ...... MY...... GOD .... more than a Las Vegas dentist... WTF

[quattrogmbh]

Welcome

[Stormbitch]

Originally Posted by quattrogmbh

Welcome

Humbled.

[willhollin]

Check out E92fan's audio install.

http://www.e90post.com/forums/showthread.php?t=414745

[Stormbitch]

Originally Posted by willhollin

Check out E92fan's audio install.

http://www.e90post.com/forums/showthread.php?t=414745

Thanks... then I saw

£3500 and fell over!

- But I did note he had big speakers in the front!!! Wow ALL 800 people I spoke to said NOOOOOOOOO ONLY A 4 inch speaker.

[Undies]

Hey Man,

i have a 2007 E93.

I kept the L7 speakers cause they are phenominal but disconnect the subs. I connected the speakers to a Pioneer double din navigation deck that has a built in amp and a manual EQ. i then installed a 10" subwoofer, along with a seperate amp, and connected this to my pioneer.

THe L7 speakers provide very good quality high and mids, very clear, and my sub does the rest.

I am very happy with this set up. CAD $ 2700 including labor. so this is 1400 in pounds?

[wza]

Ha, nice post!
I have also looked and searched for the best way to upgrade sound system as is lame, however didn't get very far.
Easy solution, IPOD and good headphones!

[wza]

Have you seen the Alpine upgrade that is a sticky in the UK technical forum...???

http://www.e90post.com/forums/showthread.php?t=182752

[MB London]

The BMW Alpine upgrade is a decent improvement for circa £500, wont win you any trophies but is a much bigger sound. Tons of info on here about it

[Stormbitch]

Alpine Upgrade is not available any more... So the EXPERTS say

[Mike in Hampshire]

Welcome OP, entertaining post, like it.
Another type of salesman says "oooh, well its one of them new E-ninety Beemers, isn't it? Nah mate, they are too complicated to even quote for, sorry guv." Which isn't much help, now is it? Especially since mine was made in 2006, you'd think they would have cracked it by now.

Anyhow, I got the Alpine upgrade for £500 (dealer fitted). As MB says above, the Alpine system is reasonable value, a noticeable upgrade if not the last word in ICE, and is seen as OEM-ish when it comes to resale time. Shame if it isn't available any more.

Mike.

[dxb335d]

You want a proper sound Bitch!!!!!





































Buy a facking M3!!!

[MB London]

Originally Posted by dxb335d

You want a proper sound Bitch!!!!!




































Buy a facking M3!!!

Chill Winston

[MEGA]

Alpine upgrade with the upgraded whatever they are slimline subs. 800 all in. Stock head unit. DEFINITELY cheapest route to "good" sound.

I'm in the "spent more than 4k" club.. So probably not the one to ask.

Re: labour. What do you expect. Audio wiring is a skill so I don't think £40/50 an h is unreasonable. Considering BMW charge 120 for a complete f--ing mongoloid to destroy your pride and joy every time it is service-o-clock

So yes. When it then takes them 20 hours, it can hurt. But when fabrication etc is involved: I'm not shocked at the time taken. Letalone ripping the very innards of the car apart, sorting the optical network adapters necessary in E9* etc.


So imho: go with Alpine, a worthwhile upgrade you won't be dissapointed with: or accept that true quality costs money.

[kaishang]

If you already have the Business HiFi ie the stereo with the amp in the boot..... what's a good way to upgrade that?

[BGM]

Originally Posted by Stormbitch

Alpine Upgrade is not available any more... So the EXPERTS say

fucking better be cos mine is BROKEN

[Vaheed1]

Originally Posted by Undies

Hey Man,

i have a 2007 E93.

I kept the L7 speakers cause they are phenominal but disconnect the subs. I connected the speakers to a Pioneer double din navigation deck that has a built in amp and a manual EQ. i then installed a 10" subwoofer, along with a seperate amp, and connected this to my pioneer.

He/She said no anorak with yellow teeth need not reply

Great post by the way.

I've just stuck to the Logic 7 option the car came with. Plenty of poke there for me.

[parapaul]

Is the Alpine upgrade really not available any more? That sounds like a serious own goal if it's conscious decision by BMW.

You could probably re-create the quality of the Alpine upgrade for similar money - a 4 channel amp, improved 4" components and the Earthquake 8" subs.

[Stormbitch]

Thanks so far. I did look at the thread someone asked me to.. and I also found the Alpine upgrade thread herein.

I am going short term for the Alpine Upgrade... and will report back.. prices have gone up £595 fitted. And it is still available.

Fingers crossed. I figured that the people on these forums are or would be quick to say something is shit and nobody has actually said shit... in fact bordering on it being very good value for money... and that... is more a testimonial than I have got from anyone else sub £1500.

If its shit......ooh you can rest assured that I will report it here, and woe betide those BMW people as it will come up in the SERPS as this forum has Google juice x 10!!!

You lot are alright... standby for report.

[dxb335d]

Good luck with it and I wait with anticipation for full in depth review!!!

[BGM]

Originally Posted by Stormbitch

I am going short term for the Alpine Upgrade... and will report back.. prices have gone up £595 fitted. And it is still available.

wonder if this is due to the group buy last year where ALPINE ran out of them

[creepy coupe]

I find this system does me