[kdog26372]

Originally Posted by 123Britt

So looking into front door and sail tweeters for my HK replacements which I think are the most important speakers in the system.
.
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Etons are certainly a choice . Leaning to the more costly Focals.
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Are they worth the extra $$$. The BAVsound speakes look as cheap as the original HK.
.
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Are the Focals considered the Best?
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Recommendations Appreciated

Not heard either, but from other posters I thought I recall the Focals are a little on the bright side as they use metal tweeter vs. silk dome of the Etons. I guess it's a matter of preference.

[Scaleybrat]

After reading this thread on many occasions I decided to spend some money and go for the speaker changes. I tackled the rear shelf speakers first and replaced the HK speakers with the JL Audio C2 400x. I cut off the BMW speaker connectors and soldered on the spade connectors for the JLs without too much difficulty although soldering inside the car with not a lot of wire to play with meant I had to be very careful.
I then got to work on the front doors to fit the Eton speakers and my troubles started. On the drivers door the torx bolt behind the door opening handle just continuously spun while I tried to remove it. Eventually I was forced to unclip the door panel and while pulling on the panel I managed to get the torx to unscrew from the mounting nut. As the torx finally released itself from the nut it was followed by the rattle as it fell off inside the door. Once I had the panel off, I removed the sound proofing from the lower half of the door in an attempt to recover the nut but I was unable to find it.
After fitting the speakers, I reattached the door panel minus the one screw as I didn't think it would be a problem.
This morning I decided to do the passenger side to complete the job. Once again, the torx behind the door opener is spinning and also one of the screws behind the handle trim is also doing the same
I've had to stop until I can get to a BMW dealer and source the replacement torx nuts that mount in the door and I still have the problem of trying to get the 2 torx screws out. Hopefully pulling on the clip released door panel will work because there is no way I can get something down the recess on the door handle to pull on the screw as I try to remove it.
To say I'm frustrated is putting it mildly. Has anybody had similar issues or have I just been unlucky? Anybody out there know the part number of the torx nut mounts that I will need to get?
Any help, greatly appreciated.

[e30if]

Originally Posted by 123Britt

So looking into front door and sail tweeters for my HK replacements which I think are the most important speakers in the system.
.
.
Etons are certainly a choice . Leaning to the more costly Focals.
.
Are they worth the extra $$$. The BAVsound speakes look as cheap as the original HK.
.
.
Are the Focals considered the Best?
.
Recommendations Appreciated

I've always preferred silk dome tweeters. Focal makes some very good woofers but their tweeters tend to be extremely bright and harsh to my ears. Everyone's ears are different though so the best advice I can give is try to go listen to a few sets of Focal speakers and see what you think.

There is a pretty huge range of 4" component sets out there from very good companies, it all depends what you are looking to spend. Hybrid Audio, Helix, Morrel, Audison, Hertz, far too many to list off all of them.

[ed.k]

Originally Posted by Scaleybrat

After reading this thread on many occasions I decided to spend some money and go for the speaker changes. I tackled the rear shelf speakers first and replaced the HK speakers with the JL Audio C2 400x. I cut off the BMW speaker connectors and soldered on the spade connectors for the JLs without too much difficulty although soldering inside the car with not a lot of wire to play with meant I had to be very careful.
I then got to work on the front doors to fit the Eton speakers and my troubles started. On the drivers door the torx bolt behind the door opening handle just continuously spun while I tried to remove it. Eventually I was forced to unclip the door panel and while pulling on the panel I managed to get the torx to unscrew from the mounting nut. As the torx finally released itself from the nut it was followed by the rattle as it fell off inside the door. Once I had the panel off, I removed the sound proofing from the lower half of the door in an attempt to recover the nut but I was unable to find it.
After fitting the speakers, I reattached the door panel minus the one screw as I didn't think it would be a problem.
This morning I decided to do the passenger side to complete the job. Once again, the torx behind the door opener is spinning and also one of the screws behind the handle trim is also doing the same
I've had to stop until I can get to a BMW dealer and source the replacement torx nuts that mount in the door and I still have the problem of trying to get the 2 torx screws out. Hopefully pulling on the clip released door panel will work because there is no way I can get something down the recess on the door handle to pull on the screw as I try to remove it.
To say I'm frustrated is putting it mildly. Has anybody had similar issues or have I just been unlucky? Anybody out there know the part number of the torx nut mounts that I will need to get?
Any help, greatly appreciated.

Same thing happened to me. I had one on each door that was stripped and one of them was behind the handle. I left the broken plastic inside the door and didn't bother trying to pull it out. I went to the dealer and using his part sheet for the door and one of the broken nut mounts I was able to get the correct part. Good news is they cost around a dollar so I bought a couple of extras. Gently pull on the door while unscrewing it should work.

[Scaleybrat]

Originally Posted by ed.k

Same thing happened to me. I had one on each door that was stripped and one of them was behind the handle. I left the broken plastic inside the door and didn't bother trying to pull it out. I went to the dealer and using his part sheet for the door and one of the broken nut mounts I was able to get the correct part. Good news is they cost around a dollar so I bought a couple of extras. Gently pull on the door while unscrewing it should work.

Went to my local dealer today and luckily he had a bag of 5 in stock. Hopefully I will manage to get the door card off with some gently pulling as you describe. For anyone who has the same problem in the future, the replacement nuts are part number 07147265039.

[selmeralto]

I finally was able to do the harness fix. If you have a harness that has not been corrected by Technics you really should do this. The system sounds much different, with lots of mid- and lower-bass. I've changed my settings accordingly:

Treble: +3 or +4 clicks, depending on source
Bass: -3 or -4, depending on source
Balance: 0
Fader: 2 to rear

These are for high volume settings, somewhere around 80-90%.

These settings take advantage of the added bass and punch without muddying things up.

I now understand why my ears were telling me to set the balance to favor the left side. That adjustment is no longer needed.

Makes me appreciate the Technic harness all the more.

[Robimplicit]

Switched the white and black/white wires on the harness yesterday. Nice bump in bottom end. But, in addition, there seems to be enhanced clarity of sound at both the low and high ends. Wonder if others have noticed this? If so, maybe there is muddle related to the cross wiring?

[selmeralto]

Originally Posted by Robimplicit

Switched the white and black/white wires on the harness yesterday. Nice bump in bottom end. But, in addition, there seems to be enhanced clarity of sound at both the low and high ends. Wonder if others have noticed this? If so, maybe there is muddle related to the cross wiring?

It's funny you say this. I had exactly the same reaction.

I wonder whether anyone can hazard a guess or even an answer based on the schematic about what might account for this. The system as a whole sounds lots better. I'm really enjoying listening to the audio in the car now.

[Questofthetune]

Originally Posted by Robimplicit

Switched the white and black/white wires on the harness yesterday. Nice bump in bottom end. But, in addition, there seems to be enhanced clarity of sound at both the low and high ends. Wonder if others have noticed this? If so, maybe there is muddle related to the cross wiring?

Is this easily done?

[selmeralto]

Yes, just cut two wires, cross-connect and protect with connector caps or even (gasp) electrical tape. For instructions on various methods see posts above.

[Questofthetune]

Originally Posted by selmeralto

Yes, just cut two wires, cross-connect and protect with connector caps or even (gasp) electrical tape. For instructions on various methods see posts above.

Where is the actual harness located- forgive my ignorance lol

[selmeralto]

Originally Posted by Questofthetune

Where is the actual harness located- forgive my ignorance lol

Technic is a vendor who makes an aftermarket add-on, a harness that eliminates the fake engine noise created by BMW and some high frequency noise that comes through the speakers. You have to order the harness and install it yourself, which is an easy procedure.

The original version of the harness had a minor wiring issue that requires the correction mentioned above. If you order a new harness from Technic you'll get a corrected version that won't need any alteration.

The installation is straightforward. If you look through this thread you'll find the information you need for ordering along with links to a handy installation tutorial.

[Questofthetune]

Originally Posted by selmeralto

Technic is a vendor who makes an aftermarket add-on, a harness that eliminates the fake engine noise created by BMW and some high frequency noise that comes through the speakers. You have to order the harness and install it yourself, which is an easy procedure.

The original version of the harness had a minor wiring issue that requires the correction mentioned above. If you order a new harness from Technic you'll get a corrected version that won't need any alteration.

The installation is straightforward. If you look through this thread you'll find the information you need for ordering along with links to a handy installation tutorial.

Ahh. Gotcha. Been meaning to pick it up, just saw a 'fix' and was curious

[selmeralto]

Originally Posted by Robimplicit

Switched the white and black/white wires on the harness yesterday. Nice bump in bottom end. But, in addition, there seems to be enhanced clarity of sound at both the low and high ends. Wonder if others have noticed this? If so, maybe there is muddle related to the cross wiring?

In rereading Silver6spd's description I see that the harness wiring issue affects the polarity of the left front speaker. That would explain why the fix not only restores the bass to what it should be but also improves the clarity of the system and tightens up the soundstage.

[Scaleybrat]

Initially I decided to swap out the speakers as mentioned in this thread - Eton up front and JL at the back. When I had managed to complete the speaker swap outs I was even more frustrated by the ASD hiss. So reluctantly I bought the ASD harness to see if it could provide any improvement. After fitting the harness today, all I can say is why didn't I do this first? Suddenly the sound has burst into life, no annoying background hiss and a real clarity to the sound. Without this thread I would never have found the 'solution' so thanks to all who have contributed to this great improvement to the F22 sounds

[selmeralto]

Originally Posted by Scaleybrat

Initially I decided to swap out the speakers as mentioned in this thread - Eton up front and JL at the back. When I had managed to complete the speaker swap outs I was even more frustrated by the ASD hiss. So reluctantly I bought the ASD harness to see if it could provide any improvement. After fitting the harness today, all I can say is why didn't I do this first? Suddenly the sound has burst into life, no annoying background hiss and a real clarity to the sound. Without this thread I would never have found the 'solution' so thanks to all who have contributed to this great improvement to the F22 sounds

Glad you're enjoying the sound. People considering the upgrade suggested in this thread should really think about doing all four steps recommended in Post #1. It's the combination that makes the system sing.

[Hrothgar]

Originally Posted by selmeralto

And finally, a point that Solarphil has made in another thread but that bears repeating here.

Watch the color coding of the wiring on the rear speakers.

BMW positioning of the wires is not consistent, left to right. It can be confusing if you're using the E-bay pigtail. If you don't get the polarity right one rear speaker will be out of phase with the system which will reduce the bass response, interfere with the the smoothness of the spectrum, and muddy up the soundstage. Here is Solarphil's memorable visual aid.

I switched out the rear speakers in my M240 today. Wire colors are different. I don't know if I wired them up right or not as this was unexpected. This is what it had:

Right (looking towards the front of car):
-Wire 1:Yellow with black stripe
-Wire 2: Yellow with black stripe and some dots
Left:
-Wire 1: White with black stripe
-Wire 2: White with black stripe and some dots

Not sure which is positive or negative. I think the black dots indicate positive given a little Google searching, but not sure. Can anyone confirm?

[jase2addict]

I'm a big sennheiser fan. Can the etons be compared to that sound signature? Grado is another sound signature I really like.

[Viffermike]

Originally Posted by jase2addict

I'm a big sennheiser fan. Can the etons be compared to that sound signature? Grado is another sound signature I really like.

You're talking about two earphone manufacturers who do not dabble in non-personal audio reproduction (i.e., loudspeakers). It's nearly impossible to make a meaningful comparison between the sonic traits of a pair of earphones and loudspeakers because the products -- and the way they're used -- are so different from each other.

Furthermore, Sennheiser and Grado are known for different things sonically: the former for accuracy and clarity, the latter for warmth and revealing details -- and only above a certain price point for both (unless you're talking about the Sennheiser PX100, which IMHO is the best pair of sub-$50 headphones you can buy.)

Sorry that your request is confusing to those who know enough ...

[selmeralto]

Originally Posted by jase2addict

I'm a big sennheiser fan. Can the etons be compared to that sound signature? Grado is another sound signature I really like.

I've had a few Sennheiser headphones over the years though none in the last decade. What I liked about the Sennheisers were that, to my ears, they were very clear and detailed, especially in cases where there were lots of sounding sources (symphonic music, big band jazz, large vocal groups) or sources with voicings whose delineation was demanding (vocal groups with close voicings or complex and subtle piano voicings), that the sound remained focused at all volume levels, even very loud, and that the sound spectrum was linear, with no abrupt spikes from low to high. They didn't have a false or thumpy bass. The headphones were really unflappable. I also remember liking the timbral quality of the voices and instruments heard through the Sennheisers.

I don't know if you'd agree with me about the Sennheisers but I think the Etons are very much like this.

What I don't remember was the treble performance of the Sennheisers. The Etons are not as bright as other speakers I've heard but they are nevertheless very good at the upper end and very easy to listen to in that regard.

But I'm older now and I probably have lost some of my upper hearing so I wouldn't trust myself to make a judgment with respect to the upper end anyway.

[jase2addict]

Sel, I have the etons the mail. Sounds like I made the right choice. I feel that same away about the senns. Vocal clarity and sharpness. They sound great to my ears. Thank you gentlemen for your fast responses. Mike I had the px100 I loved them. It took the ultimate ears triple fi 10 to beat them. (they are also $300!)

[Viffermike]

Originally Posted by jase2addict

Sel, I have the etons the mail. Sounds like I made the right choice. I feel that same away about the senns. Vocal clarity and sharpness. They sound great to my ears. Thank you gentlemen for your fast responses. Mike I had the px100 I loved them. It took the ultimate ears triple fi 10 to beat them. (they are also $300!)

selmeralto To answer your question about Sennheiser treble: Because Senns are known for good overall tonal balance, treble is exactly as you describe: clear and detailed but not overpowering. I'll put it this way: you won't be taken aback by a diese Miles Davis trumpet 'blatt' through a good pair of closed-ear Senns like you would through, say, a set of Focals. ;P

jase2addict : I hear you (pun partially intended). I'm on my third pair of PX100s as my go-to "use 'em anywhere" headphones ... but I own eight pair for different uses, including a set of Shure SE425s (second set of Shures; @$300 new ... the first in-ear Shures I had lasted 9 years and were $500 new), which are easily the most accurate pair I own. LOVE wired in-ears.