[2breezy]

Ok, lots of different options given, but has anyone gone with oversize speakers in custom housings?

On my e30 vert, had very poor audio. I put 6.5" reasonably priced coaxial speakers (Polk) in front and back, running on amp, with an underseat powered subwoofer. Sound was plenty good with tons of clear volume for driving top down. Smaller speakers just couldn't produce big clear sound, per the R3v audio gurus. Loved the stereo in the e30 10x more than my HK 2 series.

On the e30 fronts, I made custom housings in the lower doors. In the rear, I just used a surface spacer 1" ring and the magnet protruded into where the old small speakers were. Total price without head unit was about $400.

My question is: Will the current HK amp drive 4-6.5" speakers effectively without having to upgrade? I already have ASD coded off and will unhook the center soon.

Project will most likely be this summer when I have more time.

I am fully willing to chop up my car a bit for clear cruising music. Own my 2015 M235i outright and not planning on selling it.

[sethwas]

So there's no cut and dry answer here because it all depends.

But the HK amp will certainly power the speakers with no trouble you just might not like what you are hearing.

If you are going the expense to custom the drivers and fitment, you may as well go the expense to get a clean signal from the head unit and amplify that separately. Just leave all the HK stuff in place and run a new setup in parallel.

Seth

[2breezy]

Thank you Seth, appreciate the input.

Anyone have guidance to where to find the wiring diagram, access points for doing so DIY? Or a connector, Crutchfield style? I wouldn't mind adding a seperate, reasonably priced amp. Not looking to drop 1k on this project.

I unhooked the center last night. WOW! That makes more of a difference than I ever imagined. That mixed center speaker just turned stereo separation into "mush."

All the comments are correct. ASD off and center channel delete are two of the best audio upgrades for the car (at any cost under 4 figures.)

[sethwas]

Originally Posted by 2breezy

Not looking to drop 1k on this project.

Since you already did all the speakers and wiring, that number might be achievable. You can really get any 4 channel amp you like for the 'mains' and any mono amp for the subs, or do what many people do and get a 6 channel amp for all 6 speakers.

[editing since I put wrong info here]

Seth

[2breezy]

So using a TechnicPNP harness, reasonable amp and speakers will/won't work?

Budget creep, but I really want sound from 6.5 speakers, not 4".

[MarcoZandrini]

Try www.newtis.info. Enter the last 7 characters of the car’s VIN. Hit enter and bookmark the page. The wiring diagrams are there.

I just finished upgrading my 2018 M240i. Here’s the link:
https://www.bimmerforums.com/forum/s...-MATCH-7UP-amp

[sethwas]

Originally Posted by 2breezy

So using a TechnicPNP harness, reasonable amp and speakers will/won't work?

[editing this post out since I put some wrong information here. ]

Seth

[Maynard]

Just to confirm, the 'hifi' version is the base system if I didn't order the HK? I have a '16 and hoping this is the case for my car.

[sethwas]

Originally Posted by Maynard

Just to confirm, the 'hifi' version is the base system if I didn't order the HK? I have a '16 and hoping this is the case for my car.

there are 3 versions.
'base' which is like 2 speakers running off head unit
'hifi' which is 4 paper cone speakers (2 door/2 rear deck not counting subs)
'hk' which adds tweeters and a different amp.

Seth

[2breezy]

Update: TechnicPNP harness works great for adding whatever traditional amplifier you choose on the HK sound system. I used the Soundstream Picasso Nano PN5.640D 5 channel amp.

[2breezy]

My next idea is to custom fit a small box in the pass through area when the seat folds down. Will put a pair of 6.5" drivers in there and not try to oversize the side speakers. Will just add another 2 channel amp to drive them with a remote switch to kill it when I have rear passengers (rarely, but it happens.) Will be able to just fold the seat up to hide them when parked with the top down.

[2breezy]

Rainy day. Got some projects done. This should fix that missing middle range and add some volume when the top is down on the freeway. Polk DB+ 6.5" in fully enclosed (separated L and R box.)

Still need to finish adding a two channel amp to drive these and make an automatic cut off switch for the amp. When the seatbacks fold up, the amp wil turn off.

Now the wifey wants the bathroom painted. Should have stayed in the garage.

[2breezy]

I installed the front Polk DB+ 4" today. Used some 3d ABS printed adapters i found on Thingiverse. No issues, sound great. I left the OEM tweeters in, but they are non-functional.

System is good now. I have another pair of DB+ 4" Polks for the back, but may or may not ever get around to putting them in. The 6.5s in the back are fantastic at producing mid-range.

This is a convertible, so not worried about perfect concert hall, etc. Mainly need very loud tight music for top down cruising (98% of my driving, as the car is a garage queen, not a daily.)

[2breezy]

I constructed the box for the 6.5s with seperate L/R enclosures each measuring about .25 cubic ft of interior volume. Using an online port calculator this provides a .5" port length for a 1" port.

Should i port this box? (1 each on L/R sides.) Or leave it as a sealed unit. I don't know hardcore audio, so I am wondering if my sealed small volume box (vert top, so not willing to sacrifice trunk space.) is too restrictive for these speakers.

As per last post. Nice reasonably loud cruising music is the goal. Tastes are varied, but Wilco, Sublime and alt rock on the HD radio.

I can easily 3d print whatever size/shape port I need. Assuming port firing forward into the car?

[sethwas]

that looks pretty slick

Seth

[2breezy]

Installed a 20mm x 20mm deep port on one speaker. Tested both. Definitely need ports on a small enclosure box like this. The sealed small volume box was inhibiting cone travel. Ported both sides of the enclosure.

[MarcoZandrini]

Originally Posted by sethwas

That's correct - the HK system is using a digital output not analog output.

So you can use the "technics harness, reasonable amp, and speakers" as long as you add a DAC (digital to analog converter) and DSP (digital signal processing) to the mix as well. You would also benefit from the technics ASD removal harness to eliminate an electrical noise source too.

Remember the car doesn't just have tweets and mids - there are also subs under the seat. So you aren't just getting sound from the small mids it's supplemented. The general wisdom on the subs are, they never need to be replaced. They are good enough. You can give them more power certainly to make them better, but the only way to improve if you are really picky is to put a sub in the trunk.

The million thread 'strangelove' post above basically says that, due to the noisy nature of the car most people are happy with simply getting the 'best' components they can afford in the door (and run off the supplied crossover). And to remove the center channel speaker. Start there, see if you are happy (you'd be surprised what a high end set of 4" mids can do).

After that you can go the route to remove the amp and replace with the Mobridge, DSP.
If you still aren't happy put a sub in the trunk. The kit that puts it in the fenderwell to not take up too much room is popular.
Most people stop after the component replacement though (and rear deck at a lesser level the JL audio C2 is popular although I went with Morel to timbre match to my mains) because it's 'good enough' over the tire and wind noise.

For the record I didn't have the HK setup and just the hifi which 'luckily' has an analog output so a plain amp and harness works. I haven't gone the amp route yet because I started with the door mains (I went from a 4" paper cone woofer to the morel hybrids and got OEM sail panels to house the tweets plus some deadening of the doors). The sound improvement was drastic.

Seth

The HK system is analog. The differences between hifi and HK are the amp and the speakers.

[sethwas]

Originally Posted by MarcoZandrini

The HK system is analog. The differences between hifi and HK are the amp and the speakers.

I double checked and you're right. It's the 3 series that's digital. The 2 is analog. I stand corrected. I think I've been reading too many audio forums.
I'll edit my posts so it's not confusing.

Seth