E90 HiFi - Simple Audio Upgrade Recs?

[jv92red]

Running audio and accessories when the car is running will be getting power from the alternator so ~14.2 volts + or -. When your car is not running you run audio and accessories off battery power, so ~12 volts. No need to worry about battery capacity while the car is running, the battery is just acting like a power buffer at that point. When the car is not running then capacity comes into play as you'll need to be careful how long you listen and at what levels and still be able to start your car.

[jv92red]

Originally Posted by wyatth

presumably you can set the “tune” on any of them?

Don't quote me on this as I don't have any experience with any of these Amp/DSP combo units but there may be a way once your in the DSP software to set your system parameters up (speaker sizes and locations) and hook up a UMIK-1 or other compatible USB microphone and perhaps the software can then listen and 'autotune' the system for you based upon the RTA readings? Worth digging into the manuals on these units to find out.

[wyatth]

https://www.e90post.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1456356


Read somewhere that Bimmertech has some hardware change on the PP82DSP that lets them get more out of it. Can’t tell is BS or not, haha. Also read that maybe the Match Up7 BMW is solid 4 ohm while the others are variable?
Musicar sells a PP82DSP as well as their stage 1, again can’t figure the differences between these amps. Annnnnd BavSound now coming out with their own. Sheesh
I think I’m leaning to one of these over the JL XD600 for now, at least. Although there is a JL for $300 on E90post.
Good info on amps: https://f30.bimmerpost.com/forums/sh....php?t=1547243

So I think I’m content with the OE HiFi underseat woofers. Final confirmation is if the ESP front mids, front tweeters (w/ crossovers), and rear shelf coaxials are all plug and play. Im pretty sure they are. I think the dispositive Q is if the amps can run channels at different ohms, or if that matters? The Match Up7 amp at 4 ohms with the EPS speakers would be the best bang for me, if they work together.

From Technic: “ EPS ... 4” drivers and coaxials are 4 ohms, tweeters are 7 ohms, woofers are 4 ohms..”

If this all fits in, this would be equivalent to the BSW Stage 1 but an easier install with rear coax versus drilling for tweeters.
Also think I’ve confirmed E92 speakers will fit an E90. Either way, HiFi cars do not have the same amount of speakers so I’ll be looking for someone selling them individually or a set for a fair price given that not all can be used. So hard to find this accurate information, lots of misinformation and different terms being used!

So I think the final Qs are:
- Can the ESP component fronts run at 4 ohms? If so, the standard Match amp will do.
- Would ESP midrange or coax be better for the rear [shelf]? I know it’s fill so probably not important either way, but they’re probably priced the same used. I’d think coax since BSW and EPS both add some form a tweeter to the rear.

[wyatth]

And more conflicting info:

https://www.m3post.com/forums/showth...7#post23274602

“EPS (Individual audio) uses 7 ohm subs and 8 ohm front speakers (S752A).”

No clue now about what equipment runs at what ohms. But the Up 7BMW Match amp with fixed 4ohms doesn’t seem to fit anything but stock HiFi which it was made for, and of course after market speakers which run at 4.

[GThex]

Anyone use the Focal direct replacements?

[wyatth]

Focal seemed expensive but good when I was searching.

Bumping this up .. would like to jump on some gear when it comes available. Still unclear on ohms.

[BayE30]

when i was younger, i spent $$$$$ on audio in my cars, and was also in the car audio industry. Nowadays I am constantly thinking to myself, "im glad i got out of the car stereo biz, the sound system in my m3 is so good from the factory, i would never bother upgrading." The EPS system in the m3 to me is a very nice sounding FACTORY sound system. Like the OP, the only time i feel it is kinda weak is on the freeway with the windows down. My way around that issue is to turn off the stereo, and push the gas pedal harder.

I guess the takeway for me is to upgrade to EPS system complete. just wait for a part out, or hollar at mpartsworldwide and see if they have a complete system from a salvage e90m3.

[BMW3DK]

Originally Posted by wyatth

And more conflicting info:

https://www.m3post.com/forums/showth...7#post23274602

“EPS (Individual audio) uses 7 ohm subs and 8 ohm front speakers (S752A).”

No clue now about what equipment runs at what ohms. But the Up 7BMW Match amp with fixed 4ohms doesn’t seem to fit anything but stock HiFi which it was made for, and of course after market speakers which run at 4.

gents...

I have installed several PP62, PP82, PP86 and UP7BW's now.

first - I have created a pp cable for both 'base hifi' and 'bmw hifi' (type 676) for the non bmw amp's. works smooth and expirience so far is that installing any of the ATF DSP amplifiers will prowide the single biggest update you can get - especially compared to the effort from installing speakers etc.

soundwise I find the PP86 is my favourite from sound.
UP7bmw is however great in the F-series cars w. hifi sound from start. GREAT.

when it comes to impedance load it is also not sensitive! in our f31 it is in a system w. 8ohm, 4ohm and 2ohm speakers.
it works sweet. And the car is on competition level with several EMMA cars.

I'm running the PP86 in my daily E91, where it is doing a 3 way front + a dvc 10" - from sound I'm impressed. Not as good as my Helix Psix II DSP, but great!

conclusion - adding an amplifier like the JL is OK, but once you try the DSP you realize that you are now on next level...

btw - before you run out to change speakers, try to add a good passive x-over on the hifi door speakers + add the much needed right amount of damping material on doorcards and door plates = most will be surprised what you can get from the philips speakers..
however, the under seat woofers are crap and must be changed

[wyatth]

Thanks for the feedback, certainly helpful! I think I'll buy some time with the stock HiFi speakers and will just start with an amp. Though the EPS speakers/grills look sweet.
Of the amps you've compared, which would you say is the best from a PnP perspective? I'm not technically savvy and am not an audiophile, so the easiest to install and mostly tune will get some bonus points.

[wyatth]

Bumping this up - anybody have any recs for the best PnP amplifier?

[Icecreamfoo]

Originally Posted by wyatth

Bumping this up - anybody have any recs for the best PnP amplifier?

I am no audio person, so don't quite follow the technical information many have shared here. But about the amp, I have EPS + ghost subs, upgraded to what I believe is the F8X cars' HK amp, and came away beyond satisfied.

The improvement from going to the F8X amp is pretty dramatic, from the sheer volume, bass, to the level of clarity and newly obtained range that simply weren't showing before. And for my EPS equipped car, the switch was "almost" plug and play. Mike @ BPM did the swap for me. Again, I dont know anything about electronics, but it took less than 10 minutes from start to finish, that's with him juggling customer calls in between. I recall there's something about the connector from the F8X amp that needs to be changed in order to mate with E9X EPS system's wire, but that was it.

if you ever end up going the EPS speakers upgrade route, and can source this amp used say from junkyard to keep the cost down, it's a worthy consideration

[wyatth]

Thanks for the input, I’ll keep that setup in mind!

[wyatth]

Bumping this up. Thinking about swapping in EPS equipment since all speakers (mids, tweeters, coax, crossovers, subs) and amp can be found for less than just the cost of a good aftermarket amp, and would be sufficient for me.
Q - is all of this just plug and play in a HiFi car? Any issue running it without the center channel or rear door speakers that would otherwise be in an EPS-equipped car?

[SkysTheLimit]

Do the amp first before replacing your speakers. Doing the speakers carefully will take significantly longer and the amp is definitely still going to be the weak point.

I got a PP82DSP off the forum recently and it took me about 10 minutes to install or less. In fact, to test if the amp worked, I first just popped the cover off and plugged it in. Literally 30 seconds. Sound went from intolerable to great! With the stock amp, I couldn't play music with the windows open without distortion.

I upgraded to the Bav Ghost V2's right before doing the amp. They are much improved over stock subs with the Hi-Fi amp, but the Bimmertech amp made a hugely noticeable difference in overall sound. It's cleaner. I'll do the speakers if one ever craps out but for now the stock speakers are more than adequate. If I had to pick one upgrade I would do the amp. Wish I had done it earlier...

I've had an E92 with Logic7 and E90 with Individual so have heard them all. Hi-Fi stock is pretty terrible.

There are a lot of good PnP amp options now. I'm sure you'll get a great result with PP82/86, Match UP7, Revenant, or even JL with the harness...I just picked the older amp because I had already invested over $500 on the subs alone and didn't care to spend $1k on a new amp. My used 82DSP is well worth the money.

[wyatth]

Good feedback, thanks! I definitely plan to change out the amp. EPS hardware can be found for cheap so that was an idea, but I definitely think a PP##DSP amp is the easiest approach. I will try to start there, the UP7 Match from Audiotec Fischer seems best for me.
Any idea if EPS speakers are PnP later with a PP##DSP amp? They're good, cheap, and look cool, so would be a nice final touch to the upgraded amp, while [hopefully] fitting like and looking OEM.

[kaigoss69]

Install whatever speakers the PP DSP is tuned for!

[wyatth]

That’s good and obvious advice (no sarcasm!). I guess that would just be the OE speakers, or perhaps their Match speaker kits.
Tuning an amp is beyond me, didn’t even know that was speaker specific, ha.

[kaigoss69]

Originally Posted by wyatth

That’s good and obvious advice (no sarcasm!). I guess that would just be the OE speakers, or perhaps their Match speaker kits.
Tuning an amp is beyond me, didn’t even know that was speaker specific, ha.

Yes, IMO a tune can make more difference than the speakers. I think they may have several tunes, and there may even be some out there done by MusicarNW, or others, that can be shared (as long as the car is the same model).

The standard HiFi speakers are junk, so a tune can only do so much. You should consider a good pair for the front doors, and I think a tune will be available for the individual audio speakers, which are good. As has already been said, don't bother with the rear speakers, they don't matter much at all. Spend all your coin on the front door speakers, and the underseats. No need to go crazy with the underseats either, as the L7 or IA ones are very good at producing mid-bass. For sub-bass, you should consider a trunk sub, later on as an add-on. If you are sure you don't want a trunk sub, perhaps the ghosts or something similar will be better, as they will give you better bass from under the seats. The OEM speakers will be limited in that department, and will not be able to keep up with the new system. All depends how much bass you like...but a good first step is the L7 or IA woofers, because they are cheap when you buy used, and you'll get a feel for how much bass they can produce.

[wyatth]

That’s great. Has me narrowing in on IA/EPS front components, tweeters, and crossovers. Cheap and easy. I think that would be easy enough to tune (if even necessary), and should be PnP with the Match amp.
But would IA/EPS underseat subs be a drop in? I know they run at different ohms than HiFi subs.
Bass isn’t my concern at this point, so a trunk woofer is unlikely. I don’t really want to spend money on Ghosts, though I’m sure I’d love them. But IA/EPS woofers are cheap enough if they’d go right in with the front components, tweeters, and the Match amp. Seems to be where I keep gravitating.
Will start with the Match amp. Looking for deals now. Thanks again.

[wyatth]

Alright, final confirmation request.
Looking to install the front door EPS/IA mid/components, high/tweeters, and crossovers from an E9xM into my E90 (with the EPS/IA speaker cover/grills for each). Can somebody confirm that this hardware is plug and play, using the same mounts, plugs, etc. (and regardless if from an E92/3 or E90)? Or what else is needed to install the front door EPS equipment into a HiFi car?
Should be a good and simple install once the door panel is removed, assuming they truly are plug and play.
Found a fair deal on this hardware so will start here and add the amp in due time.

Thanks!

[tdott]

Originally Posted by wyatth

Alright, final confirmation request.
Looking to install the front door EPS/IA mid/components, high/tweeters, and crossovers from an E9xM into my E90 (with the EPS/IA speaker cover/grills for each). Can somebody confirm that this hardware is plug and play, using the same mounts, plugs, etc. (and regardless if from an E92/3 or E90)? Or what else is needed to install the front door EPS equipment into a HiFi car?
Should be a good and simple install once the door panel is removed, assuming they truly are plug and play.
Found a fair deal on this hardware so will start here and add the amp in due time.

Thanks!

Search Technic's threads, he had installed EPS speakers in a HiFi car but with an aftermarket amp.

His threads provide some really good advice/info.

[wyatth]

For sure, a great build and tons of info. But I didn’t see him mention what was needed, if anything, to install the front door speakers. Just that they’re great hardware, ha.