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Just a follow-up to say that I am very happy with the amp now that I have managed to come up with a tune that I think actually sounds good. I don't normally like to complain in a public forum, but I did give Bimmertech a chance to respond privately first and they didn't have a good solution, and when Tony88 opened the floodgates, I couldn't help myself...
After having driven and listened a lot more yesterday evening, I am once more totally happy that the amp is a worthy upgrade, even with the stock HK speakers. The clarity and authority is greatly improved, and (at the risk of it sounding like a cliche) I really have heard some things in some familiar music that I haven't heard before (breathy backing vocals, subtle percussion, string tone etc.)
The speakers are definitely now the limiting factor, as they are still a bit rough in the lower mid (cheap cones, pitiful magnets) and at the top end (cheap metal-dome tweeters). The only thing holding me back about immediately ordering some front door replacements is the idea of having to rip the doors apart to fit them, and maybe I have better things to spend my car-mod money on for the time being, like the Dinan springs I've been coveting.
I would still like to hear from others who have been using the Bimmertech tune. Are you actually happy with it, or are you just not in this thread, or keeping quiet because you don't like it but are embarrassed to admit that you spent all that money on something you don't like. Or maybe you've tweaked the tune and fixed it yourself? (but if so, why didn't you post it back here?)
I'm not a professional car stereo guy, but I have done community theatre sound for many years, and I have tuned rooms using RTAs and SMAART and other such tools. I believe myself to have a good ear, and a taste for all sorts of music, and I know what sounds good, and most people seem to agree with me. I believe my tune to be a huge improvement, and I hope others find it so too.
There are a couple of things I want to tweak (I rushed the front time alignment because I was late for a dental appointment!) and the bass is a little boomy (I took out most of the rather drastic 125Hz notch that was in the F30 tune, and maybe I took out too much), but did 20 miles last night with the music cranked and a big smile on my face, so that says a lot.
My contention with Bimmertech about their provided F22 tunes stands, as do my concerns about the geometry of the mounting plate, at least in my car (see the install thread about how the amp is wedged hard under a plastic vent frame that I now fear is under stress and may break or pop out) but none of these are insoluble. It just takes people like us to point them out and give feedback.
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