Sound system upgrade

[Rodfeel]

Hello guys,

I am a proud owner of a new *to me* 2007 e92 m3.
It has pretty much every features i wanted (manual, carbon roof, SGM GREY color ,...) except the harman kardon sound system.
It has the base which, as you already know, sounds like ...
I am not an audiophile by any means but i listen to house/deep house and a little bit of pop music which requires nice and crisp highs and relatively good bass (in the rare ocasions where i'm not listening to the exhaust note ).
I have been searching in the forum for the exact setup i want but couldn't find something definite.


What i need is:
-Bluetooth connectivity (I have the older CCC, and the usb/jack in arm rest are not working)
-Rear view camera is a definite plus
-better audio. (i also have the audio system with no AMP)

I was able to find a few informations on the forum but the questions that are still unanswered are the following:
-if i change The head unit or the lcd display will i be able to retain M mode settings and other functionalities
-is there a combo i can buy that has the features i want. if there isnt, which specific ones work together nicely
-can i change the speakers and retain the base wiring, and will it be any good
-i know i need a harness if i buy an AMP. But what AMP, WIRING HARNESS, SOUND SYSTEM, HU work togeher flawlessly


We have a 2010 range rover sport HSE that has the harman kardon sound system equipped and it sound realy nice. If i could get the same sound quality level out of the e92, i would be realy happy.
I am also looking for something that is plug & play as i will be doing the mod myself. ( i live in morocco and nobody i could find is qualified enough to do it ).

Many thanks in advance for your inputs !!

[nrubenstein]

Since you have navigation, what you should do is a CIC plus COMBOX retrofit, which will give you marginally less awful navigation, and a real functional USB port, as opposed to the 30 pin adapter hackery than BMW "devised" for most of the production run.

If you want to be stock, an individual audio retrofit will give you decent sound. There are lots of options if you want better than Individual, but that's a rabbit hole of aftermarket parts and piecing things together.

[akkando]

Originally Posted by nrubenstein

Since you have navigation, what you should do is a CIC plus COMBOX retrofit, which will give you marginally less awful navigation, and a real functional USB port, as opposed to the 30 pin adapter hackery than BMW "devised" for most of the production run.

If you want to be stock, an individual audio retrofit will give you decent sound. There are lots of options if you want better than Individual, but that's a rabbit hole of aftermarket parts and piecing things together.

Combox would also add bluetooth for music support.

There are a bunch of carplay/android auto retrofit kits that support backup cameras. I'm not an expert but browsing the electronics section of the forum most of the units connect to the car audio through the aux support and so bluetooth to the new unit that then goes through aux sounds bad. SOME of the kits will use the bluetooth from the Combox which sounds better. I think one of the new kits the Kremersino that connects via aux has upgraded the internals of the unit to sound pretty decent.. but you if you are interested you should get more details here. https://www.m3post.com/forums/showth...546382&page=59

[nrubenstein]

Originally Posted by akkando

Combox would also add bluetooth for music support.

There are a bunch of carplay/android auto retrofit kits that support backup cameras. I'm not an expert but browsing the electronics section of the forum most of the units connect to the car audio through the aux support and so bluetooth to the new unit that then goes through aux sounds bad. SOME of the kits will use the bluetooth from the Combox which sounds better. I think one of the new kits the Kremersino that connects via aux has upgraded the internals of the unit to sound pretty decent.. but you if you are interested you should get more details here. https://www.m3post.com/forums/showth...546382&page=59

It's worth noting that in addition to the awful audio interface with these units that you have to relocate the stock head unit to the trunk or somewhere because otherwise, you will break all the dealer diagnostics.

[DL335D]

I haven't turned my radio on once! Seriously. All I listen to is the music the exhaust and motor make.

[chocstraw]

Originally Posted by nrubenstein

Since you have navigation, what you should do is a CIC plus COMBOX retrofit, which will give you marginally less awful navigation, and a real functional USB port, as opposed to the 30 pin adapter hackery than BMW "devised" for most of the production run.

If you want to be stock, an individual audio retrofit will give you decent sound. There are lots of options if you want better than Individual, but that's a rabbit hole of aftermarket parts and piecing things together.

I did an individual audio retrofit and it's probably my favorite non-performance modification. Wasn't too hard, and I got a crazy deal on the parts.

[fs34]

Originally Posted by chocstraw

I did an individual audio retrofit and it's probably my favorite non-performance modification. Wasn't too hard, and I got a crazy deal on the parts.

Is individual audio really that good?

I have it in mine but am not blown away by it, then again I have nothing to compare to.

[wyatth]

It’s definitely a step up from the base HiFi.

Did you swap amp, speakers, subs? Center channel?

Looked into varying upgrades but never made the plunge. Ultimately everything seemed to end up in 4 figures which to me is not worth it.

[chocstraw]

Originally Posted by wyatth

It’s definitely a step up from the base HiFi.

Did you swap amp, speakers, subs? Center channel?

Looked into varying upgrades but never made the plunge. Ultimately everything seemed to end up in 4 figures which to me is not worth it.

Yeah, I paid like $600 for all the parts. It's a huge step up, I have a ton of nice audio gear- amps, several headphones, speakers- I'd call Individual / EPS a legitimately great sound system if you play with the EQ and balance a little bit. Logic 7 is also a big step up from base HiFi (maybe 80% as good as EPS), and that can be had a lot cheaper (Top HiFi).

Center channel required the center channel vent but the hole was already there and I routed the wires through the glove box and trans tunnel. Rear deck mids, and rear tweeters required me to cut some holes with a hole saw and then I had to wire everything up, code and program it. Center and rear decks add a lot to the sound projection, they're maybe the most important part.

I guess it actually was a pretty difficult job, especially if there aren't a whole lot of BMW specialists in Morocco. You can PM me if you need help with the retrofit or have any questions.

[timothy2001]

https://www.bavsound.com/

Not sure about compatibility with the HiFi setup you have but you might want to look into Bavsound.

I have read some posts where people have had pretty good luck with upgrading.

[wyatth]

^ They are THE plug-and-play option for HiFi, but the setup adds up fast. $1K amp, $600 speakers, $xxx subs ...

Chocstraw, solid work! $600 + your time was surely money well spent. I would pay $1K for an EPS retrofit (parts + installation) right away, but cannot do that audio work myself. Realize this system was an $1,800 option new!

[DL335D]

So I looked at my original window sticker last night and I have premium sound. I tried it this morning....and wow, it's really bad. Much worse than the Harmon Kardon in my F80. Might want to do a complete rip and replace if you care about sound quality. Glad my exhaust sounds so good.

[wyatth]

^ Window sticker doesn’t lie, but it’s easier to look at the doors. Black speaker covers = HiFi, aluminum speaker cover surrounds with yellow speakers behind = EPS/IA.
It’s not that EPS is the best car audio even produced, but it’s quite good. Cars have natural limitations, and one of this size with our sound deadening is even lower. It would cost a lot of money I think to measurably improve upon this system in this car.

[nrubenstein]

Originally Posted by fs34

Is individual audio really that good?

I have it in mine but am not blown away by it, then again I have nothing to compare to.

Individual is *acceptable.* Aside from adding a subwoofer, it's not worth upgrading for most people.

Note that you really want to tweak the EQ settings, see here: https://www.m3post.com/forums/showthread.php?t=428114

The sound difference is shocking after you do that.

That said, EPS/Individual is nothing special. It's fine. Some people have a massive hard on for it that is completely unjustifiable.

[Ashley_rj]

Originally Posted by DL335D

So I looked at my original window sticker last night and I have premium sound. I tried it this morning....and wow, it's really bad. Much worse than the Harmon Kardon in my F80. Might want to do a complete rip and replace if you care about sound quality. Glad my exhaust sounds so good.

Have you checked that all the speakers are working, mine sounds average at times, then sounds much better all of a sudden. Either it's the radio going to mono or I have a loose connection. Sounds pretty good when it's all working...

[InnerBlueSkies]

Originally Posted by nrubenstein

It's worth noting that in addition to the awful audio interface with these units that you have to relocate the stock head unit to the trunk or somewhere because otherwise, you will break all the dealer diagnostics.

Huh, most if not all integrate iDrive. I've experienced no sound degregation over stock audio, most of that kind of feedback is due to using the $3 AUX cable that ships with the unit. Not saying it's the best solution but a really good one over CCC.

[CTMike]

Originally Posted by nrubenstein

Individual is *acceptable.* Aside from adding a subwoofer, it's not worth upgrading for most people.

Note that you really want to tweak the EQ settings, see here: https://www.m3post.com/forums/showthread.php?t=428114

The sound difference is shocking after you do that.

That said, EPS/Individual is nothing special. It's fine. Some people have a massive hard on for it that is completely unjustifiable.

I thought I was weird for thinking this...

[nrubenstein]

Originally Posted by CTMike

I thought I was weird for thinking this...

I don't get why some people are so in love with it. It's fine. If I had EPS (not possible since no-NAV was an inflexible requirement in my M3 hunt), I'd probably leave it alone. But compared to a good aftermarket system? Not that good. Compared to more modern high end systems? Not that good.

[chocstraw]

It depends on your use. The soundstage is good compared to a lot of cars, and is capable of very flat, reference style audio. I am not a bass-head. Mid-range is where a lot of the detail is, compared to the scooped mids in a lot of cars. I find it a little too bassy out of the box, with a bit of sibilance which is around 5k. This is why I really stress playing with the EQ for your preferences, and try moving the balance towards the rear of the car. It can drastically change the sound. The quality and construction of the speakers puts bavsound and a lot of other companies to shame.

I listen to about every genre, and the genre I find it worst at is music with driven guitars.

I disagree with Malek's EQ advice, I heavily cut 5k and 100 and 200 a bit. Majority of audio complaints can be fixed by EQ'ing.

always always always leave the surround sound settings off.

Originally Posted by nrubenstein

Individual is *acceptable.* Aside from adding a subwoofer, it's not worth upgrading for most people.

bassheads don't like this system from what I've gathered.

[nrubenstein]

Originally Posted by chocstraw

It depends on your use. The soundstage is good compared to a lot of cars, and is capable of very flat, reference style audio. I am not a bass-head. Mid-range is where a lot of the detail is, compared to the scooped mids in a lot of cars. I find it a little too bassy out of the box, with a bit of sibilance which is around 5k. This is why I really stress playing with the EQ for your preferences, and try moving the balance towards the rear of the car. It can drastically change the sound. The quality and construction of the speakers puts bavsound and a lot of other companies to shame.

I listen to about every genre, and the genre I find it worst at is music with driven guitars.

I disagree with Malek's EQ advice, I heavily cut 5k and 100 and 200 a bit. Majority of audio complaints can be fixed by EQ'ing.

always always always leave the surround sound settings off.



bassheads don't like this system from what I've gathered.

The lack of bass is the most glaring flaw that can't be compensated for without hardware (which is fine - temper your expectations of shallow 8" midbasses), but the treble and midrange response aren't great, either.

I don't own EPS, I've just applied the Malek settings to a couple cars (my Dad's E93 and a friend's E90). If they were mine, I'd throw my RTA setup in there and spend some time on it.

Set to defaults, EPS sounds like absolute garbage. I do not understand the factory settings at all. Muffled and muddy is the way that I'd describe it. Apply the Malek settings and it sounds fine. Not great, but fine. Good enough that neither of them are asking about tearing it out and replacing anymore.

I'm going to disagree on the surround settings. In a shitty car environment, surround is a virtue, especially when you have more than one person in the car. Yeah, it'd be way better to get all the speakers in the right spot, but that isn't happening. It's not as good as, say, the MS-8 that I have in my E36, but it's not terrible.

[wyatth]

What do you guys think of the BavSound amplifier but itself in a HiFi car? People say an amp should be the first upgrade, but at $1K it better be the first and last for me! Would it be comparable to EPS at that point (I’ve read mixed things about the HiFi speakers being okay) or still fall way short? I’m simply not interested in $1500-2000 for the full BavSound setup, but nor am I interested in the amp if the speakers are still going to be a weak link and suck overall. I actually don’t mind HiFi at low volumes, but with windows cracked on the freeway and the audio turned up just enough to hear it, it gets pretty harsh and muddy.

[nrubenstein]

Originally Posted by wyatth

What do you guys think of the BavSound amplifier but itself in a HiFi car? People say an amp should be the first upgrade, but at $1K it better be the first and last for me! Would it be comparable to EPS at that point (I’ve read mixed things about the HiFi speakers being okay) or still fall way short? I’m simply not interested in $1500-2000 for the full BavSound setup, but nor am I interested in the amp if the speakers are still going to be a weak link and suck overall. I actually don’t mind HiFi at low volumes, but with windows cracked on the freeway and the audio turned up just enough to hear it, it gets pretty harsh and muddy.

I don't think that I would do that.