[morellomax]

I also ordered a set of Eton B100 N's, and have installed one of them in the dash. The mid doesn't sit quite right but with some longer screws and some packing it is fine.

Verdict - even with the better quality sound coming from the Eton drivers, I prefer having no centre channel. The biggest and most enjoyable soundstage is achieved by just having front and rear L and R pairs, and by throwing the fader forwards a little so that the front dominates the sound with the rears just providing a little fill.

[aturk]

Originally Posted by aturk

Just finished my install up, coming from the stock 2014 M235i HK system...

Eton's up front.
JL Coax's in the rear.

Sound deadening in both locations.

I had a local shop do the install as I just separated my shoulder mountain biking. I purchased a few extra door clips just in case, and looks like the audio shop used most of those. I'd advise anyone to do the same.

I have the ASD harness to install, but will be a few more days for me to feel good enough to get in the trunk. I will also do the center channel as well.

I only have about 30 minutes of listening on the new setup, but it's a solid upgrade. The bass is not as ridiculously muddied sounding as it was from the factory, the mid range is way better, and the treble is clean.

It gets loud enough to enjoy all music, but currently I'm enjoying Raggae the most as it really brings some good notes out.

Note, I'm no audiphile, and I've dabbled with car audio in my younger days. This is probably the cleanest sounding stereo I've had. I'd like little bit more subwoofer, but I don't need to spend any more money or add any more weight. I'm sure adding the bimmertech amp at this point would make a healthy difference, but that's an expense I'm not willing to tackle at this point.

Installed ASD harness yesterday, took all of 20 minutes. Zero issues, and my separated shoulder is still healing. Would have been ten minutes if I had a proper size Torx socket for the tie down in the trunk.

Car sounds better with the windows down, quieter with them up. Can't notice much difference in the stereo however.

Should be a perfect mod once the downpipe goes in the car.

Next step is the weatherstriping to round the sound portion of the car down.

[morellomax]

After a week of running the Etons, I wasn't completely happy. They sounded a bit shut in, like the amp wasn't capable of driving them properly. They were also still significantly quieter than the factory HKs despite being run in.

So today I swapped to some Bavsound units I had spare. Much happier. Sensitivity is higher (than the Etons, a tiny bit less than HKs) but more importantly the sound has really opened up.

If I was in the US I would definitely order Bavsound in preference to the Etons. In Europe, the extra taxes and duties and 3rd party postage issues make it a trickier call.

[Audioholics]

Originally Posted by Viffermike

Glad to see you've got MusicarNW on the case. I'm seriously considering using one of its packages for my Cayman when the time (and funding) comes. The challenge will be finding a competent installer here to do the dirty work if I go that route ...

Definitely start a new thread with this, Audioholics . Give it as much play as you can.

OK I will do for the next video. I plan on 2 more videos and editorial followups too. thanks.

[selmeralto]

Originally Posted by Audioholics

Hi all;

After finally trading in my crashed BMW M235i with HK system from last year, I now have a brand new 18 M240i with the stock HiFi system.

I can tell you I actually miss the HK system after hearing how bad the hifi system sounds.

I am in the process of fixing that with a package solution that is tunable for 3 different seating/listening environments.

Here is Part 1 of 3 Videos I will be shooting on YouTube to document the experience:

This is a terrific contribution, Audioholics. Thanks so much.

If you do follow-ups, please include them in this thread since this thread is a basic resource for the many people who come to it for the breadth of knowledge and experience that audiophiles and others have brought to the car in an effort to make the system listenable.

[PAC]

I know it's beating a dead horse but I was riding in my parents Passat last evening and I can't believe how the stock system in a VW kicks compared to the HK system. Even their old Chrysler Pacifica had a nice radio in comparison.

I just want something neutral with a bit of punch like the Passat and my old Jetta GLI. I take it that some people aren't so keen on Bavsound, although that seems to be a decent option for plug and play. I have some decent handyman skills and some friends who are better and can hold my hands doing the install. But I am stuck on what to do when I do it. I consider myself an audiophile with my personal headphones (Sony MDR-7520 and urBeats3 Lightning for the gym which sound shockingly good) but for car audio I just want something that doesn't sound tinny and bland for the car. It doesn't have to be concert hall/ several thousand audiophile good but would at the minimum put my M2 on par with a stock VW Passat :/

[ctemkin]

COYS,

There may be some people who are not keen on Bavsound, but I love it. I got the stage one speakers, the version 2 Ghost subs, and the Bimmertech amp from Bavsound, and I think that the sound is excellent, way better than the HK setup. In addition, they are plug and play. I had the stage one speakers and the amp installed by a dealer, but I swapped out the subs myself.

[M235SDCA]

Originally Posted by ctemkin

There may be some people who are not keen on Bavsound, but I love it. I got the stage one speakers, the version 2 Ghost subs, and the Bimmertech amp from Bavsound, and I think that the sound is excellent, way better than the HK setup. In addition, they are plug and play. I had the stage one speakers and the amp installed by a dealer, but I swapped out the subs myself.

+1 on the Bavsound. Just got the Stage 1 kit to replace the HKs in my vert. Big difference. A bit pricey but I wanted the plug and play. It's a nice kit. Just a note if you are doing the install yourself some of the things in the install are a little harder than they look in the Bavsound video (handle trim on doors, rear panel re-assembly). To get the clip on handle trim off had to use some additional trim tools from HF. Take your time.

[BEM-S4]

Originally Posted by M235SDCA

+1 on the Bavsound. Just got the Stage 1 kit to replace the HKs in my vert. Big difference. A bit pricey but I wanted the plug and play. It's a nice kit. Just a note if you are doing the install yourself some of the things in the install are a little harder than they look in the Bavsound video (handle trim on doors, rear panel re-assembly). To get the clip on handle trim off had to use some additional trim tools from HF. Take your time.

Convertible is a bitch. I took mine to dealer to have rear door cards reinstalled. Took them 10 mins no charge.

[M235SDCA]

Originally Posted by BEM-S4

Convertible is a bitch. I took mine to dealer to have rear door cards reinstalled. Took them 10 mins no charge.

You're not kidding. I remember reading your post about this and then looked at the video thinking 'how bad can it be?'. Well a lot harder than the rear on an E46 vert and the video. Once I finally figured it out after many many minutes it popped in and I heard one of the metal clips on one side drop in to forever gone land. It didn't seem like it made a difference and I wasn't going to go through that again.

BTW, how do you like the BSW subs with the trunk sub? I still have the stock subs, but was thinking about upgrading the others to get more mid range hopefully.

[BEM-S4]

Originally Posted by M235SDCA

You're not kidding. I remember reading your post about this and then looked at the video thinking 'how bad can it be?'. Well a lot harder than the rear on an E46 vert and the video. Once I finally figured it out after many many minutes it popped in and I heard one of the metal clips on one side drop in to forever gone land. It didn't seem like it made a difference and I wasn't going to go through that again.

BTW, how do you like the BSW subs with the trunk sub? I still have the stock subs, but was thinking about upgrading the others to get more mid range hopefully.

Overall I like the whole package that I ended up with - but I'll tell you I wouldn't do ghosts and the amp upgrade without adding the Focal in the trunk. Let me explain...

Speakers sound better with amp upgrade but with the ghosts the bass seems too forward to me. You need to crank the bass down (the Helix remote is awesome for this) then everything sounds great but you're lacking low end. Hence the trunk Focal.

If you're not going to add anything in the trunk I'd do speakers then either ghosts or their amp, but not both. I'd probably lean towards ghosts. That's what I have in the F31 hifi car which is basically the same thing as HK in the F23 and it's a very enjoyable setup. Once I have that car on a more full time basis I'd think about mirroring the upgrades I've done on the F23 but honestly may not even bother. The wagon format seems sonically better to me that a convertible to begin with.

[M235SDCA]

Originally Posted by BEM-S4

Overall I like the whole package that I ended up with - but I'll tell you I wouldn't do ghosts and the amp upgrade without adding the Focal in the trunk. Let me explain...

Speakers sound better with amp upgrade but with the ghosts the bass seems too forward to me. You need to crank the bass down (the Helix remote is awesome for this) then everything sounds great but you're lacking low end. Hence the trunk Focal.

If you're not going to add anything in the trunk I'd do speakers then either ghosts or their amp, but not both. I'd probably lean towards ghosts. That's what I have in the F31 hifi car which is basically the same thing as HK in the F23 and it's a very enjoyable setup. Once I have that car on a more full time basis I'd think about mirroring the upgrades I've done on the F23 but honestly may not even bother. The wagon format seems sonically better to me that a convertible to begin with.

OK thanks BEM. This is good info and makes sense - was thinking about the Ghosts first but will wait and get the amp and Ghosts if I go that far. Already have the 8" trunk sub. Will probably wait a bit as I will certainly get some grouchiness if another $1500 in mods rolls in on the UPS truck.

[BEM-S4]

Originally Posted by M235SDCA

OK thanks BEM. This is good info and makes sense - was thinking about the Ghosts first but will wait and get the amp and Ghosts if I go that far. Already have the 8" trunk sub. Will probably wait a bit as I will certainly get some grouchiness if another $1500 in mods rolls in on the UPS truck.

I didn't realize you already had something in the trunk. Then yeah I'd do amp first then ghosts, but probably wait until I got on sale or preowned in the forum. In your case I don't think it's worth full price $. So really whatever you find cheap first do first.

[PAC]

Originally Posted by ctemkin

COYS,

There may be some people who are not keen on Bavsound, but I love it. I got the stage one speakers, the version 2 Ghost subs, and the Bimmertech amp from Bavsound, and I think that the sound is excellent, way better than the HK setup. In addition, they are plug and play. I had the stage one speakers and the amp installed by a dealer, but I swapped out the subs myself.

Thanks for the response, did you stay with a center channel or no?

Do you think the subs are 100% necessary? Or is there enough added bass from the Bavsound speakers alone? I typically listen to stuff like YES, Genesis and an assortment of classic rock. Throw in some hip-hop now and then.

Also if I don't mind asking how much should an install typically cost? If I decide I don't have it in me to take apart my car lol.

[ctemkin]

COYS,

The center speakers are included in the stage one package.

I initially bought the stage on package and the amp, because the installer said that the Ghost subs did not make that much difference and, in any event, were not available at that point. I recall having paid a couple of hundred dollars more for the equipment and installation than the online price of the equipment alone.

These made a huge improvement over the original HK system, but the bass still did not sound right. I listen to classical, rock, and some jazz and blues, and the sound balance was noticeably off, and it was not something I could fix with the idrive tone controls. Bavsound then came out with version 2 of the Ghost subs, and I went for them. Since installation did not involve removing any trim panels, I ordered them on line and installed them myself. That did the trick. I am very satisfied with the overall sound.

All told, it cost me about $2,400.

I had also bought a basic microphone, planning to play around with the DSP using my laptop, but once the new subs were in, the DSP the amp came with sounded so good that I decided it was safer not even to plug my laptop into the amp. I personally do not find the bass too forward, which was BEM-S4's observation in this thread, but I would think that this could be corrected through adjusting the DSP program.

Whatever you decide to do, best of luck, and given what the car sounds like from the factory, you can only improve things.

[BEM-S4]

I don't know that I'd go with Bavsound if you're not doing DIY. Part of the value prop is that you're paying more for easy DIY. If you're going to have a pro do the work I'd look at something like Focal with a JL amp you'd end up with a very nice system and save a few bucks. Upside there is installers in the States can actually tune the JL vs the Audiotech F. amp and it's proprietary software that they don't want to fuck with.

[tennisfreak]

So when my car went in the shop I was given a loaner with the harmon kardon system.

I can say if my car had this I could have "lived" with the sound. Its not awesome but it is not painfully crappy like the HiFi system.
BMW should be ashamed of putting such crappy sound in a "luxury" vehicle.

With that said the harmon kardon still does not hold a candle to the bavsound speaker upgrades and I still have not done the bimmertech amp (it will come as soon as a sale happens).

[BEM-S4]

Originally Posted by tennisfreak

So when my car went in the shop I was given a loaner with the harmon kardon system.

I can say if my car had this I could have "lived" with the sound. Its not awesome but it is not painfully crappy like the HiFi system.
BMW should be ashamed of putting such crappy sound in a "luxury" vehicle.

With that said the harmon kardon still does not hold a candle to the bavsound speaker upgrades and I still have not done the bimmertech amp (it will come as soon as a sale happens).

Wow this is interesting. You might be the only person who has direct HiFi + Bavsound versus stock HK experience.

This confirms what many of us have suspected - if your stereo budget is $1K better off going with HiFi plus Bavsound versus HK and not modding.

[selmeralto]

Fair enough. But do remember that the initial impulse of this thread was to figure out a (relatively) low cost way to live with the HK set-up. If you do order the HK and put in another $450 or so plus the elbow grease, you've got a very smooth, naturally sounding system that'll put a smile on your face. That's a little over $1K. We don't have the A/B tests of comparing systems but, as a long-time audiophile with wide-ranging musical interests with very high audio standards, I'm pretty happy with what I've got: I now drive and listen to the music. The system becomes close to invisible ... which is the way things ought to be.

[BEM-S4]

Originally Posted by selmeralto

Fair enough. But do remember that the initial impulse of this thread was to figure out a (relatively) low cost way to live with the HK set-up. If you do order the HK and put in another $450 or so plus the elbow grease, you've got a very smooth, naturally sounding system that'll put a smile on your face. That's a little over $1K. We don't have the A/B tests of comparing systems but, as a long-time audiophile with wide-ranging musical interests with very high audio standards, I'm pretty happy with what I've got: I now drive and listen to the music. The system becomes close to invisible ... which is the way things ought to be.

Fair - and didn't mean to derail. But for folks contemplating a new car purchase whose goal is simply something that doesn't suck, HiFi + ~$500 w/ elbow grease probably gets you there vs HK + ~$500 w/ elbow grease. What is HK these days anyway $1000? Was trying to identify path of least $ and least effort to not sucking.

[tennisfreak]

Originally Posted by BEM-S4

Fair - and didn't mean to derail. But for folks contemplating a new car purchase whose goal is simply something that doesn't suck, HiFi + ~$500 w/ elbow grease probably gets you there vs HK + ~$500 w/ elbow grease. What is HK these days anyway $1000? Was trying to identify path of least $ and least effort to not sucking.

HK system upgrade is $875

BavSound upgrade (speakers and subs) is $1094

For that price, and having heard both first hand I would go with the BavSound every time.
And that is with the factory 200 watt amp.
No clue how much better it will sound with the bimmertech amp.

If you caught the BavSound on sale you could probably get it for the same price as the HK system upgrade would be.

[BEM-S4]

Originally Posted by tennisfreak

HK system upgrade is $875

BavSound upgrade (speakers and subs) is $1094

For that price, and having heard both first hand I would go with the BavSound every time.
And that is with the factory 200 watt amp.
No clue how much better it will sound with the bimmertech amp.

If you caught the BavSound on sale you could probably get it for the same price as the HK system upgrade would be.

The next step would be compare HK+Bav to HiFi+Bav to see if starting with the HK is worth the $ too.

This all gets complicated quickly.

I would add that Bav stuff trades pretty well in the classifieds so assuming you return to stock when you get rid of your car that $1k isn't really $1k more like $500.