[DBinOC]

After a recent group-buy and years not being happy with H/K sound, I finally installed the Integral Audio product in my M235i.

For those looking to spend less money by just upgrading the door speakers (Soundstage Elements), I took this setup for a 2-day test drive. I started by just doing the passenger door and comparing sound IA vs. HK. To put it in Covid terms, it's like the difference between listening to someone wearing a mask and someone who isn't. The Integral Audio clarity allows you to really pick apart vocal harmonies, and adds a crispness to things like high hat sizzles and cymbal crashes without the harshness of the HK system. High horns like saxes and trumpets sound _so_ much better. I'm convinced the magic is in the crossover. The clarity is very impressive.

But that setup, while better than HK, felt a little top-heavy, even when I boosted the bass while leaving the treble flat. The sound wasn't supported by the bass and the punch of a bass drum or resonance of a bass guitar just wasn't there because the HK woofers and amp aren't up to the task.

So next up were the under-seat woofers and the amp. This made a considerable difference to the lower frequencies and the overall punch of the system. I do not have a true subwoofer in the car, so that 20Hz-40Hz is still missing, but what an overall improvement! The amp helps the door speakers truly sing, while the underseat woofers can now punch enough that you feel it. I am still playing with the tone, but for me, an extra few clicks of bass and only a click or 2 on the treble really gave a dynamic sound without losing the midrange. The clarity of vocals really does stand out.

Overall, I'm very pleased with the system, but there are some caveats - other posters noted some of these things in their reviews.

1) Just like when 4k came out and we discovered some celebrities weren't really that attractive, this system will show the flaws in your source material. If your audio is compressed or if the recording engineer added crap, you'll hear it. Good source material sounds pretty amazing, crappy source material ...doesn't. I find I am going back and looking for my original CDs to compare to music playing off my phone and finding the CD sounds noticeably better, even when the music on my phone is "lossless." I chalk this up to the wireless CarPlay connection. I need to see if this is still true if I use a wired connection for my phone.

2) Installation will take a bit of time if you are not used to prying door panels and interior plastics apart and putting them back together again. I probably spent 5 hours doing the door speakers, 3 hours with the underseat speakers, and another 2 hours with the amp installation. Most of that is my own technical (in)ability (I could do it faster now). If this is all new to you, just take your time...but _know_ that you aren't getting the whole thing done in an afternoon.

3) The stickers for the tweeter sails were a little fussy - I got them on correctly eventually, but in retrospect, I would probably just leave the HK badge on there. The IA badge _does_ look good once you get it right, but I spent 30-45 minutes between the 2 tweeter sails just getting everything lined up and put back together correctly.

All that said, here are some things I do like.

1) It looks factory, uses factory mounting points, and factory wiring connectors. There is no cutting, splicing, soldering, etc. If I had to, I cut put everything back to stock. If I ever get an F87 M2, the IA system is getting moved and the M235i will get the HK system back.

2) The sound. This is why I did this and I enjoy it.

3) The support. I had a little installation issue with the amp - Kevin was very quick with email and even hopped on the phone with me on a Saturday. He helped me get things figured out quickly. I inadvertently bent a pin in one of the harnesses putting things together - he pointed it out and I was able to tweak it back into place with an eyeglass screwdriver.

4) The "Extras" - extra door clips, foam tape, even a CD with tones at different frequencies so you have an easy way to test the system. The amp has a lead to support a passive amp if IA ever makes one for the 2 series or I decide to install one from someone else. Overall, you can tell someone has taken the time to figure out what you might need to get this installed correctly and given you everything you need to get it right.

5) The Amp is tunable - I need to go see what is required to change the tune. I noticed another poster said he got the "subless" tune for the amp, which I don't know if I have or not. Still, the ability to be able to change the DSP settings in the amp on my own is too tempting to pass up. I'll probably revert to what's on there now, in all honesty, but I still want to play with it.

Songs used:
Come Sail Away - Styx
Xanadu - Rush
If that Ain't It, I Quit - BB King
Trip Like I Do - Crystal Method
Weird Science - Oingo Boingo
I've Got Rhythm - Charlie Parker
(Yeah, I'm old, but I can still hear!)

TLDR - The door speakers are worth doing by themselves if you are on a modest budget. Doing the amp and underseat woofers takes it up another level.

DBinOC