[Viffermike]

Originally Posted by illingworth22

3. I'll be installing the BMW weather-stripping on the front doors.
Results: reduces- engine and road noise for an even quieter cabin.
Time: 20 minutes.
Cost: $30.

Is this available for the F87 M2?

The same exact part should fit the M2. That said, the M2 does have different fenders. It looks like you've started a thread here on the M2 forum on it, and one poster has said he's installed the strips. That should be enough for you to know for sure.

[culturedape]

I just swapped out my standard hifi rear speakers for the JL Audio C2-400x. They don't seem to be much louder. From what I've read on the forum, it seems BMW mixed up polarity and phasing. Might that have something to do with it or are they just not that loud? I just cut off the BMW connector and put the positive wires on the positive terminals.

[BMWZ4]

Originally Posted by culturedape

I just swapped out my standard hifi rear speakers for the JL Audio C2-400x. They don't seem to be much louder. From what I've read on the forum, it seems BMW mixed up polarity and phasing. Might that have something to do with it or are they just not that loud? I just cut off the BMW connector and put the positive wires on the positive terminals.

That's what I did as well. Same issue with the "loud" piece, although I wasn't expecting an increase in volume, just improved clarity and less harshness.

[Viffermike]

Originally Posted by BMWZ4

That's what I did as well. Same issue with the "loud" piece, although I wasn't expecting an increase in volume, just improved clarity and less harshness.

culturedape The loudness of a speaker at a given input wattage (or volume) is a function of its sensitivity, not its (relative) quality.

Those JL Audio speakers are rated at 84.5 dB sensitivity -- that's fairly low for a car speaker, especially a coaxial. They won't be any louder -- in fact, they're significantly quieter than the OEM speakers by several dB.

This is why it's important to replace all of the speakers at the same time -- or, at the very least, know what you're going to be dealing with in terms of the speakers you've selected for a given location relative to the ones you're running elsewhere.

Excluding replacing other hardware, the best fix is to adjust the fader toward the rear speakers to make up for the lost output. Unfortunately, the OEM system will also turn down the underseat driver output when you do this (they go down in volume as you adjust the fader away from center), so you will lose some bass and low-mid output -- that said, the C2-400x should make up for some of it because they will go significantly lower than the OEM full-range drivers. You need to give those speakers some juice (and some break-in time) for them to really begin to shine.

[BentZero]

Originally Posted by culturedape

I just swapped out my standard hifi rear speakers for the JL Audio C2-400x. They don't seem to be much louder. From what I've read on the forum, it seems BMW mixed up polarity and phasing. Might that have something to do with it or are they just not that loud? I just cut off the BMW connector and put the positive wires on the positive terminals.

I think when all is said and done you'll have swapped the hi-fi amp as well.

[norvegicus]

I've had my 2017 M240i for a little over a week. Observations:

- Coding out ASD seems to have removed it completely as far as I can hear.

- Disconnecting the center speaker still improves the soundstage.

- My car has the weatherstripping on both sides.

- This is a noisier car than I expected. I will be installing some kind of damping in the doors for sure.

[selmeralto]

Originally Posted by norvegicus

I've had my 2017 M240i for a little over a week. Observations:

- Coding out ASD seems to have removed it completely as far as I can hear.

- Disconnecting the center speaker still improves the soundstage.

- My car has the weatherstripping on both sides.

- This is a noisier car than I expected. I will be installing some kind of damping in the doors for sure.

You might also want to consider sound proofing the trunk. See my photos earlier in this discussion for my attempt to cover every bit of bare metal I could find in the trunk area. It made a big difference.

[norvegicus]

Originally Posted by selmeralto

You might also want to consider sound proofing the trunk. See my photos earlier in this discussion for my attempt to cover every bit of bare metal I could find in the trunk area. It made a big difference.

Definitely planning on it, thanks!

This thread rocks.

[havinfun]

My M240i won't be at the dealership for another month but I have been reading this and other audio threads with great interest since I enjoy good fidelity in my tunes. I also enjoy the exhaust note from performance engines. So I am left wondering if disconnecting the ASD in my new 2017 M240 makes sense for me. Buried somewhere in the many owner comments I have read was a statement that upgrading the rear speakers to the recommended JL Audio C2-400x not only improved the audio but also removed the harshness of the "fake" exhaust sounds. But I also noted that the C2-400x speakers have a low sensitivity (84.5 dB) making it necessary to fade the car audio toward the rear and thereby turn down the signal to the under-seat mid-base speakers (seems undesirable to me).

So finally, my question: would a better rear speaker choice be the JL Audio C1-400x? These speakers have higher sensitivity (87.5 dB better matching the upgraded Eton B100W's with 86.5 dB) and a broader frequency response (64 - 24 KHz compared to the C2's 71 - 22 kHz). The downside in the C1 spec is it handles only 35 watts instead of 50 for the C2's. So I am wondering if the C1's would balance better with the Eton's and also provide a lower, more mellow tone for the "fake" exhaust sounds? Suggestions/comments?

[selmeralto]

Originally Posted by havinfun

My M240i won't be at the dealership for another month but I have been reading this and other audio threads with great interest since I enjoy good fidelity in my tunes. I also enjoy the exhaust note from performance engines. So I am left wondering if disconnecting the ASD in my new 2017 M240 makes sense for me. Buried somewhere in the many owner comments I have read was a statement that upgrading the rear speakers to the recommended JL Audio C2-400x not only improved the audio but also removed the harshness of the "fake" exhaust sounds. But I also noted that the C2-400x speakers have a low sensitivity (84.5 dB) making it necessary to fade the car audio toward the rear and thereby turn down the signal to the under-seat mid-base speakers (seems undesirable to me).

So finally, my question: would a better rear speaker choice be the JL Audio C1-400x? These speakers have higher sensitivity (87.5 dB better matching the upgraded Eton B100W's with 86.5 dB) and a broader frequency response (64 - 24 KHz compared to the C2's 71 - 22 kHz). The downside in the C1 spec is it handles only 35 watts instead of 50 for the C2's. So I am wondering if the C1's would balance better with the Eton's and also provide a lower, more mellow tone for the "fake" exhaust sounds? Suggestions/comments?

It might help to separate out the issues that concern you, even though that they are interactional.

First, there's the issue of exhaust sounds. There's no substitute for actually hearing the sound from the car you own. People have different preferences regarding exhaust sounds. So you might want to first see how the exhaust sounds to you when you get the car stock. You could pre-order the harness and experiment with the stock sound v. the harness defeat and then decide which setup you prefer. It's relatively easy to switch the harness in and out.

As for the speaker, have you checked that the C1 is a good physical fit for the rear deck?

It's true that the choice of speakers will likely affect the ASD exhaust sound, assuming you want to keep the ASD. That's the interactional part. You could - as you are doing - theorize about the likely effect of different speaker configurations but there's really no substitute for hearing how the gear actually sounds.

So I'd sort out the ASD issue first. Then, if the C1 fits and you want to test your theory, that'd be great. Let us know how it works out.

[BEM-S4]

Originally Posted by selmeralto

So I'd sort out the ASD issue first. Then, if the C1 fits and you want to test your theory, that'd be great. Let us know how it works out.

BMW also offers an ASD upgrade package, it's a little pricey but definite improvement. Right around $1K installed. You should definitely check it out, I love mine. Best audio improvement there is for the car.

Ask your parts guy about the M Performance Exhaust

[Viffermike]

Originally Posted by havinfun

My M240i won't be at the dealership for another month but I have been reading this and other audio threads with great interest since I enjoy good fidelity in my tunes. I also enjoy the exhaust note from performance engines. So I am left wondering if disconnecting the ASD in my new 2017 M240 makes sense for me. Buried somewhere in the many owner comments I have read was a statement that upgrading the rear speakers to the recommended JL Audio C2-400x not only improved the audio but also removed the harshness of the "fake" exhaust sounds. But I also noted that the C2-400x speakers have a low sensitivity (84.5 dB) making it necessary to fade the car audio toward the rear and thereby turn down the signal to the under-seat mid-base speakers (seems undesirable to me).

So finally, my question: would a better rear speaker choice be the JL Audio C1-400x? These speakers have higher sensitivity (87.5 dB better matching the upgraded Eton B100W's with 86.5 dB) and a broader frequency response (64 - 24 KHz compared to the C2's 71 - 22 kHz). The downside in the C1 spec is it handles only 35 watts instead of 50 for the C2's. So I am wondering if the C1's would balance better with the Eton's and also provide a lower, more mellow tone for the "fake" exhaust sounds? Suggestions/comments?

You're lucky in that coding out ASD actually removes it completely in 2017 models. I would go that route. There's just no substitute for actual exhaust sound.

Also, anything constantly emitting from speakers can be classified as white noise, which will inherently alter the fidelity of anything else coming through the speakers. That's a golden rule of fidelity. Anyone who cares a whit about good sound should not accept artificial anything coming out of the system.

As for the C1s: They are significantly lower-quality speakers than the C2 series, and are designed as drop-in replacements for poor OEM speakers running off a low-wattage OEM amp. The C1 also uses an aluminum dome tweeter, which will likely sound worse and more harsh than the fabric dome that the C2 uses -- and that C2 tweeter is a big reason why they are such a good match for the Etons. At $70/pair, the C1s might be worth trying out. But if you have any plans for upgrading the amp (and, IMHO, you should), I would not even consider them.

[BentZero]

Originally Posted by BEM-S4

BMW also offers an ASD upgrade package, it's a little pricey but definite improvement. Right around $1K installed. You should definitely check it out, I love mine. Best audio improvement there is for the car.

Ask your parts guy about the M Performance Exhaust

Haha, at first I thought you meant that there was an actual ASD upgrade. I agree though, the stock exhaust is too quiet and ASD actually drones. :/

[BEM-S4]

Originally Posted by BentZero

Haha, at first I thought you meant that there was an actual ASD upgrade. I agree though, the stock exhaust is too quiet and ASD actually drones. :/

Yeah I have the harness from Technic installed too

I'm debating coding the sound off too. Realize the harness eliminates it and I don't understand this stuff well enough to know for sure, but maybe eliminating the signal flowing through the head unit would end up with a cleaner music transmission. Who knows.

[Vyruz Reaper]

Originally Posted by culturedape

I just swapped out my standard hifi rear speakers for the JL Audio C2-400x. They don't seem to be much louder. From what I've read on the forum, it seems BMW mixed up polarity and phasing. Might that have something to do with it or are they just not that loud? I just cut off the BMW connector and put the positive wires on the positive terminals.

I think they fixed that with the 240

[selmeralto]

And just to reiterate what's been said in the last few notes, if you want to hear the car's exhaust, fine, let that sound come from the exhaust ... not from the speakers.

[kohlzor]

Originally Posted by selmeralto

And just to reiterate what's been said in the last few notes, if you want to hear the car's exhaust, fine, let that sound come from the exhaust ... not from the speakers.

I disconnected the center speaker on my 240 and I don't hear the ASD at all anymore.. is that normal thought I would have to code it out.

[havinfun]

I appreciate the assessment of the JL Audio C1-400x (as a downgrade to the recommended C2-400x). And the suggestions on coding out the ASD make sense (I was planning to do a resonator delete for the exhaust system anyway on my upcoming M240).

So I noted that a couple of owner comments mention choosing Morel Maximo Ultra 402 Coax speakers for the rear shelf. Based on price ($140/pair), they may be of equal or higher quality than the C2-400's but also have a higher sensitivity (87.5 dB) to better match the Etons in the front doors. They are 2 1/8" deep, however, and I don't know if there is a depth restriction in the rear shelf (the C2-400's are only 1 15/16" deep).

Any shortcomings/assessments of the Morel's compared to the C2-400's? Is the sensitivity matching worth paying more for the speakers? Would the "warm" sound from the Morel's not work well with the Eton's?

[Lew Carrum]

So it seems like the best bet is to avoid the HK system, my z4 has the standard non complicated speaker setup and I easily made it sound better by installing a decent pair of rear speakers I already had in the shed. Big difference.

[selmeralto]

Originally Posted by Lew Carrum

So it seems like the best bet is to avoid the HK system, my z4 has the standard non complicated speaker setup and I easily made it sound better by installing a decent pair of rear speakers I already had in the shed. Big difference.

Well, a lot depends on how much money and time you want to spend on your system. The upgrade recommended in the initial post combines the HK system (with its premium cost) with a few hundred dollars in parts and a few hours installation time.

If you don't get the HK system you're starting with an inferior system and you'll have to do more than upgrade speakers to get a reasonably good sound. If you go this route, several members have suggested more ambitious overhauls, both in this thread and elsewhere on the forum.

[jase2addict]

I'm thinking about installing a amp/dsp. I would really like to get past this hk amp and hear what this car can do under the right conditions. I was looking at the mosconi one 60.8 dsp amp or the d2.80.6 DSP What would I need to make this work besides Technics amp harness? Can I get around using a MoBridge or bit ten? I've heard great things about mosconi and my bday is coming up. I'm in a place where I splurge a little on myself this year but at the same time don't want to throw money away. Please give me your thoughts if it is worth going this route.

[BentZero]

I like how this thread has basically become the sub-forum.