[SG_92]

They don't lock the DSP - I know others do. Despite not being interested in tuning this myself, I did ask and he said "if you think I can improve on what we've done, feel free. Let us know how it goes "

Now with that response, I was just about ready to give it a go myself! But then I did the install and was blown away...

[cooolone2]

Ok cool, will take that under advisement

Does the DSP/Amp have line level out for adding a sub if wanted? I don't see anything specs, so is hard to tell.

[SG_92]

Originally Posted by cooolone2

Ok cool, will take that under advisement

Does the DSP/Amp have line level out for adding a sub if wanted? I don't see anything specs, so is hard to tell.

Yes there is a line level sub out.

[cooolone2]

Thank you, is compelling and definitely high on my list now for consideration!

[SG_92]

Originally Posted by cooolone2

Thank you, is compelling and definitely high on my list now for consideration!

If you end up pulling the trigger let me know! Also, let me know what you decide to do subwoofer wise. I honestly havn't been missing any bass, the USW's do work in this tune but adding a subwoofer would be my next move.

[radio3]

Originally Posted by Kevin @ Integral Audio

Yes, still plug and play with the HIFI (we include the OEM mirror sail trim with the tweeter mounts).

No, no rear speakers. Officially, at least. This is why: https://integralaudio.com/blog/the-e...rear-speakers/

I say "officially" because we are starting to soften on this position. Why? As my wife says, "do you want to be right, or do you want to be happy?" Some folks are absolutely convinced they need rear speakers. If they want to give us more $$ for something that isn't going to add much noticeable benefit, I'd rather not lose the sale. The rears may not help much, but they definitely don't hurt. Additionally, in some vehicles - especially some of the older models we have Soundstage's for - the OEM rears are damaged or otherwise not working properly. Replacing the rears now gets all the work done upfront and gets you a bullet-proof system for as long as you own the vehicle.

Hi Kevin, I was just curious what opinions you might have on the value of adding any kind of sound dampening to the doors (or anywhere else for that matter) in this car. I suppose 4” speakers aren’t as prone to excite the door panels as more typically sized woofers, but do you have any opinion on whether or not your system would benefit significantly from some kind of reductions in road noise, back-reflection, or other deadening for optimal sound?

[Trey @ Integral Audio]

Originally Posted by radio3

Hi Kevin, I was just curious what opinions you might have on the value of adding any kind of sound dampening to the doors (or anywhere else for that matter) in this car. I suppose 4” speakers aren’t as prone to excite the door panels as more typically sized woofers, but do you have any opinion on whether or not your system would benefit significantly from some kind of reductions in road noise, back-reflection, or other deadening for optimal sound?

Hey Radio3,

Trey here from Integral Audio. We haven't had anyone need to install any type of sound dampening for this system. It's not really necessary unless there is a specific problem area in your vehicle. Our door panel crossovers are covered appropriately to prevent any noise and provide cloth tape to wrap electrical connectors that may rattle around. Hopefully, this helps!

[Trey @ Integral Audio]

Originally Posted by SG_92

If you end up pulling the trigger let me know! Also, let me know what you decide to do subwoofer wise. I honestly havn't been missing any bass, the USW's do work in this tune but adding a subwoofer would be my next move.

Hey SG_92 we are very actively working through development on the subwoofer for this system. Stay tuned, we will be sharing our development progress here regularly. Here is a pic of the enclosure we are working on:

[Trey @ Integral Audio]

Hey Everyone!

We just announced a group-buy here on 2addicts for this product line. Head over to the thread to check out the details

https://www.2addicts.com/forums/show....php?t=1835190

[the_white_car]

Hi Jeff super interesting reading about your experience with Integral Audio. I've been chewing on an audio upgrade for my 228i and lurking around the forums for some time trying to get more informed and trying to make a decision one way or another on what path to go.

Main question for you is after having had the IA system for some time did the audio joy 'wear off' like it did with the other upgrades or are you still as happy as you were when you first got it?

This thread and a few others got me interested in in the 'tuning' process of the audio system. The idea of having control over the tune seems exciting to me, but I don't really think I'm qualified to do that on my own and in all honesty would probably just make things worse. I like and I think I can recognize great sound, but I'm no engineer in this regard.

I've exchanged quite a few emails with the folks over at Integral Audio over the last month or so and its been interesting learning more about their process directly from them (have learned / they explained a things personally that definitely weren't entirely clear or I didn't understand from the website initially).

The thing I'm finding the most compelling is the amount of time and effort they put into actually measuring - with a microphone array - the actual acoustic response of their stereos in development vehicles and create tunes and audio signal processing around this vehicle specific data to achieve (in their words of course) the best possible results.

Seems like there is a lot of gravity around people wanting DSP, wanting control of their tune, etc... but are they going about it in any more of a scientific manner than just their personal preferences or what they think is best when they sit in the car and listen to songs they're familiar with? Its kinda crazy reading around the forums, getting to see peoples opinions on this aspect of upgrading their audio system and it seems so insanely subjective to me.

The fact that Integral is going through an actual process of taking acoustic measurements and designing systems around this process seems like its pretty next level compared to anything else thats out there that I can find and I'm pretty convinced talking to them this takes a lot of that subjectivity I'm skeptical about out of the equation. I also asked about the DSP being locked and the answer is no, its not locked. Kevin chuckled a bit and said (similar to what someone else on this thread mentioned) that 'You're welcome to create your own tune or change the profile if you like. Anyone who has ever asked about this and done an installation of our products have never taken us up on it' which, if its true, seems really encouraging.

Post got a bit more long winded than I intended but I'm getting pretty close to pulling the trigger just wanted to check in and see if that 'audio joy' has worn off or if you're still super happy with the IA system. Thanks in advance.

Originally Posted by SG_92

Hey Everyone,

I just posted this review in the M2 Nav & Audio forum but wanted to repost here as I found this thread extremely helpful when trying to make a decision. I also think theres not enough traffic around these guys, so the little bump here might help!

Good riddance to that trash stock hifi system!

A solid year or so was spent deliberating between options as I was unsure of how much I wanted to be financially invested upgrading the audio in this vehicle, impacting my options considerably. Though the more I read - and the more I drove - the more I knew I wanted to do this right, and never have to think about it again.

A quick side about me: I work in Film/Tv doing sound design & compositions. I consider myself knowledgeable about acoustics & speaker design and I have worked with building and modifying studio monitors in the past. I remain continually impressed & humbled by the expertise of some of you DIYers, so I’ll try to speak to what I know & let you all make up your mind about some of the points I may not have addressed.

So - I had narrowed my choices down to a Match Up 7 Amp with a set of focal speakers and Integral Audio’s SoundstageDSP for the bmw 2 Series. I own a pair of focal monitors which I use in my home studio - and LOVE them. Huge supporter and fan of that brand, so I was pretty excited about their bmw specific products. From what I had been reading on this forum, the biggest improvements to my system were going to come from an amp upgrade by supplying more power to the drivers and getting more bass out of the under-seats. This, along with finding a decent set of speakers to match, seemed like the upgrade I was looking for. I didn’t question it much until I thought about how many folks were still toying with their DSP/EQ’s post-upgrade. DSP is powerful but really complex, you can quickly run down a very deep rabbit hole and get lost in settings. If so many people are still searching for the correct settings, that says to me that something isn’t right. After doing some more research, I read about Integral’s tuning process. They claimed that their upgrades are tuned to the vehicle, but based on my experience I know the devil is in the details, and claiming is not the same as doing. Yet everything I saw about Integral Audio’s process meshed with what I know to be true from my studio monitor work.

At this point, I was starting to get excited about what Integral Audio had to offer but the price point was a solid $1K north of what I originally set out to spend. After seeing all that went into their system, from wiring harnesses to adapters, to even mirror sail trim with tweeter mounts… (seriously who else is doing that)… I realized how much more I’d have to spend on installation if I went with the focal/bimmertech route. Ultimately, the price isn’t really that different and I thought the overall value was going to be worth it.

Now install was easy & left no trace of vehicle modification. No loose wires, no sign of any changes to the interior - all the parts had fabricated adapters and mounts that integrated seamlessly. The installation instructions are incredibly comprehensive and took me about 6 hours to complete.

Kevin Bennett, president of the company, was extremely accessible for every step of the process. He even offered to be available for Facetime during my installation, should any questions arise.

Here I am, post-installation and I am VERY HAPPY. Audio is tricky because you just don’t know how good something can sound until you experience it and with this system, I ended up with an upgrade that accomplished far more than I had expected to be possible. This exceeded my expectations by a long shot. So my favorite parts?

The soundstage is wonderfully detailed. Without moving my head or shifting in my seat, I feel front and center of a lush, rich, full & balanced stage which leaves me totally immersed in the music. It sounds right for just about every genre. When I play my mixes on the system, they sound exactly like how I intended them from rock to techno. No frilly curves boosting unnecessary frequencies to compensate for a weakness elsewhere in the system.

As I said, I can’t be happier with how this turned out & I encourage everyone to give them some consideration.

Website: https://integralaudio.com/soundstage...ies-coupe.html

[ManlyFlavour]

OP, you're detailed account of how the music sounds has me drooling... I just picked up a 2015 M235i with just the HiFi system and I'm dying to upgrade it! A bit expensive, but I'll save up for it and make it happen!

Thanks for the review!

[quadsbaby]

I too am interested... looks like the group buy didn't go too far... any plans to try it again?

[Phil @ Integral Audio]

the_white_car ManlyFlavour quadsbaby

Thanks for the interest in this and apologies for not getting back to you sooner on the thread.

In consideration of a new group buy on this product we checked inventory on and turns out we actually only have 3 of these left. We made a few phone calls to see about fixing this and unfortunately discovered that the amplifier we use in this kit is going be unavailable for 8-12 months... which means these are the last 3 of this product avail for some time.

Since we're limited in inventory, we can't really do a traditional group buy. But, we'll offer up these 3 kits to people here on the forum - first come first serve - with $200 discount and free shipping.

If you're interested, shoot us a message through our website and mention this forum thread and we can get you set up - as well as answer any questions you might have.

https://integralaudio.com/soundstage...ies-coupe.html

We will, however, spin up a group by in the commercial posts section for the Soundstage Elements later today and run that for folks who might not want to go full Soundstage dsp, but are still interested in making a serious upgrade.

Thanks!

// Phil

[Phil @ Integral Audio]

Group buy is now live in commercial / sponsored post section and will run through May 1, 2022.

Check it out if you're interested and we hope to see some participation.

[quadsbaby]

I'd be interested of course but I went ahead and got the full Soundstage DSP!

[Jeff Jordan]

Reply to "the white car" question..."Am I still happy?" ....

Hi,

Sorry, I just saw your post.

Yes, yes, yes, still LOVE the Integral Audio DSP in the M240i. Still very pleasantly surprised how clean, crisp, tight, full and rich the sound is in the BMW every time. The best part about this system is being able to listen to the music without analyzing, just sheer enjoyment still!

OK, I do have a slight complaint... I kept my MINI when I got the BMW in 2018 and it had the Integral full soundstage with sub which had a lot to do with why I was so unsatisfied with the HK in the BMW. Even after the BMW Eaton upgrade and the sub addition, the MINI audio still sounded better. This is where Integral engineering really shines, the MINI is a very difficult car to engineer a full soundstage in but it beat the sound I "engineered" in the BMW by far...I sent Kevin a message to let him know how my respect had grown for his engineering and how grateful I was since all my efforts in the BMW still did not match the MINI soundstage. Well Kevin said he was just brining to market the F22 DSP system and said it would significantly surpass the MINI soundstage.... I could not resist and had to try it!!!! Now the rub....the BMW sounds soooo good with the Integral DSP that the MINI does not knock my socks off anymore. So the complaint is really a compliment to Integral Audio...We all know how each audio improvement resets our listening "bar" but I can honestly say I have no desire to try to improve the sound in the BMW... it is that enjoyable and so worth the investment!

Some side notes... I did keep the AudioFrog Sub set up I had in the trunk when I installed the Integral DSP system and connected it to the Integral ARC PS8-50 amp (Integral is working on a sub option). I don't need chest pounding base but do enjoy tight, full drum beats and love perfect resonance of lower string notes. The only thing I have added since the Integral Audio install is an ARC Audio LR1 digital remote level control for the sub. It is programable and I set it up for the few tracks I have that have crazy synthesized base (a few Billy Eilish & Labrinth songs, Lil Nas X "Old Town Road" and The Acid "Ghost" come to mind) that tend to over-drive the sub a bit at high volume. But "Ghost" full effect with the sub not distorting is just awesome. I mounted the LR1 control knob inside the little stash compartment above the kick panel to the left of the steering wheel to roll off the bass on those few tracks instead of lowering the volume.

And the last point I'll make is on the discussion about tuning DSP. Integral Audio system is not locked, all you need is a laptop and ARC PS-8 PRO software (free download from ARC). I had never messed with DSP programming (I'm almost 70) and tuning a car or stereo via computer is new ground for me but I needed to integrate my sub with the PS8-50 amp so reluctantly downloaded the SW and PDF guide from ARC website. I only had to learn the sound adjustment screens which were surprisingly easy to make sense of after reading the PS-8 Pro SW PDF guide (https://www.arcaudio.com/resources) but are infinitely adjustable so can be intimidating.

I love that there are 4 presets so you can make changes to an unused preset and toggle back and forth to compare your changes to Intagral's base map. This was humbling since every tweak I made by ear did not stand up when toggling against Integral's map. Like so many, I believed too much in rear speaker fill but no matter how much or little fill I added to the map...would only sound "better" until toggling back to the base map and hearing in real-time how it detracted from the soundstage...that was a revelation and I had to admit it was my conditioning over years and years that "surround" sound was "good" sound...Kevin is 100% correct in that only the slightest rear fill echo (like in a natural setting) is beneficial to the soundstage as a whole.... Anyway the DSP is FULLY adjustable and I am supremely happy with the sound. I did every so slightly smooth the vocals but this is strictly personal taste, not sure if it is my old ears ringing or growing up with vacuum tube analog.... but DSP allows such infinite adjustments and this was the only adjustment I saved.

Anyway sorry for the novel, the short answer is "Absolutely yes", still so happy with the F22 Integral Soundstage and no desire to make any change in the system!

[quadsbaby]

I love mine as well. Was planning on getting a sub but after hearing the system decided I didn't need one.

[Kevin @ Integral Audio]

Update for anyone who is interested in the SoundstageDSP: we've been managing to source amps here and there and have been able to keep some stock on these. However, looks like we will not be doing a new version with a replacement amp, so when the stock of the existing amps is fully gone, that's it....