[Mehim]

Disconnected mine this week. I definitely recommend this mod.

[mastrchee]

Originally Posted by JDogSwims

I just completed the advice given about how to remove the center speaker from my M240i and I am now a really happy camper. Awesome advice. The change in sound quality is truly amazing. I know HK and BMW wanted to provide surround sound so they included a center speaker, but that is a really big mistake for listeners of music. What driver listens to movies?! Anyway, thanks to everyone who made me so happy.

Ideally, the listener sits in between stereo speakers at an equal distance. With a decent audio system, it should be able to create a soundstage as if the audio was coming from in front of you. For obvious reasons, this is very difficult in a car, thus the need for a "processed" centre channel.

Its intention is to improve sound imaging, so that the soundstage for both driver and passenger are relatively the same. If you're sat on the right, without the centre speaker, then sound coming from the left speaker will sound far away, shifting the soundstage (vice versa).

Perhaps I'm wrong for this particular car, but if you do some research in to car audio processing, this explanation would certainly come up.

Having said that, I now own a m235i coming from a HK equipped 435i. It definitely does not sound as good, and without Logic 7 processing, the centre channel probably does more harm than good. Sigh.

[Alpintosh]

Guys. Does this speaker have not a connection on the amplifier which is in the trunk? Can we not unhook it from the amp? I don't wanna mess around with the trim, since once you move things around, they are always prone to make rattles.

[sethwas]

Originally Posted by Alpintosh

Guys. Does this speaker have not a connection on the amplifier which is in the trunk? Can we not unhook it from the amp? I don't wanna mess around with the trim, since once you move things around, they are always prone to make rattles.

It does but it's in the harness and is not removable without taking that apart which can mess with the rest of your system. You could just snip it with wire cutters but would be so much more difficult than just removing the speaker which doesn't require taking apart the trunk to access.

The trim and dash top is very thick and squishy with the grille a soft material. Nothing that is there can actually rattle. There isn't anything hard to make a sound. You pry up the grille with a soft wedge/plastic putty knife or trim tool (or a flathead screwdriver if you like to live on the edge) and then just unscrew the 3 screws to lift the speaker. To reassemble just press the grille back into place (place the screws somewhere else in your toolbox).

Seth

[Alpintosh]

Originally Posted by sethwas

It does but it's in the harness and is not removable without taking that apart which can mess with the rest of your system. You could just snip it with wire cutters but would be so much more difficult than just removing the speaker which doesn't require taking apart the trunk to access.

The trim and dash top is very thick and squishy with the grille a soft material. Nothing that is there can actually rattle. There isn't anything hard to make a sound. You pry up the grille with a soft wedge/plastic putty knife or trim tool (or a flathead screwdriver if you like to live on the edge) and then just unscrew the 3 screws to lift the speaker. To reassemble just press the grille back into place (place the screws somewhere else in your toolbox).

Seth

Thanks Seth. I'll follow the steps you described. I've checked the amplifier yesterday after posting. There is no two wire connection to the amplifier like the conventional amplifiers that I'm used to. I've always listened to music on stereo systems. Hate surround sound on music. Center speaker was bugging me too. Completely ruins the seperation.

[Bosozoku]

I removed the center speaker yesterday and it made a huge difference.
More clarity, better soundstage.

[HogFan760]

Just did mine. Not sure about the imaging now though. I'll give it some more listening later. What I do notice is that the bass is no longer muddy. I wonder if replacing the center mid would improve it. I'm sure someone has already done it.

All in all, I "think" it sounds better and that's what counts right? I'm not going to mod the rest of the stereo. This was just a test to see if it sounded any better. if nothing else, it'll take a few minutes to put it back to where it was before.

[Jcoop901]

Pro-tip. disconnect the tweeter portion to broaden the soundstage, but leave the mid connected to anchor the center.

[XutvJet]

Originally Posted by HogFan760

Just did mine. Not sure about the imaging now though. I'll give it some more listening later. What I do notice is that the bass is no longer muddy. I wonder if replacing the center mid would improve it. I'm sure someone has already done it.

All in all, I "think" it sounds better and that's what counts right? I'm not going to mod the rest of the stereo. This was just a test to see if it sounded any better. if nothing else, it'll take a few minutes to put it back to where it was before.

I ran without the center speaker for about 4 years. Over the winter I decided try the plug and play Eton B100XCN center channel replacement. I'm very happy with the sound quality and improvement.

https://www.madisoundspeakerstore.co...-b100xcn-each/

[nickgsa60]

Originally Posted by XutvJet

I ran without the center speaker for about 4 years. Over the winter I decided try the plug and play Eton B100XCN center channel replacement. I'm very happy with the sound quality and improvement.

https://www.madisoundspeakerstore.co...-b100xcn-each/

I thought most people were concerned about the sound stage? Did you find it was more just poor quality of the speaker itself? Are you running the stock f22 amp coding or have you tried the f45 maping? I found that alone made a huge improvement. I have not yet tried disconnecting the center as I have a vert and fear I might lose too much volume potential.

[jv92red]

The problem with how BMW implemented the center signal in this car (no experience with BMW cars with Logic 7) is that the audio signal fed to the center channel is a summed signal AKA Mono. This is terrible for stereo separation as it will only pull the stereo signal to the center because it contains both the left and right signals along with any common signal present in the music. This is why unplugging the center channel in this car improves the sound so much. With it unplugged you go back to having left and right channels played out from their respective positions in the car. With just left and right channels playing, I would argue that the center image is actually BETTER this way than before as now it's a phantom center image. The common music between both left and right channels will be presented by your brain as in the middle of the car.

And no, replacing the center channel drivers with high-quality drivers is not a solution to fix this issue. Sure the quality of sound coming out of the drivers will be vastly improved but now you'll have very good sound reproduction of the same mono signal it's still being fed, and still pulling the stereo signal to the middle.

To implement a proper center channel will require separate processing via a DSP. If you look at for example the Audiotec Fisher DSP (Match UP 7BMW or any of the Helix units), this DSP will create a new processed center channel signal that emphasizes that "common" music that is present in BOTH the left and right channels. So with music, if there is only a right image playing and nothing else then with a proper DSP the sound will ONLY come from the right speaker. So with their proprietary algorithms of handling the left and right signals along with some level attenuation of the signal and some time alignment, THEN is a proper center channel signal fed to the center channel speaker(s)

[Ajowhan]

How much more of a difference disconnecting the center speaker vs coding just the ASD off?

[ClaytonLuke1981]

I guess I was wrong. Does the bass not come from the center speaker? I thought it was strictly bass? If I disconnect, will I lose some bass?

[TwoTonic]

Originally Posted by Ajowhan

How much more of a difference disconnecting the center speaker vs coding just the ASD off?

Aren’t those options trying to solve different problems? My understanding is the ASD is said to add a bit of baseline noise, where the center speaker muddies the overall quality of the music.

I coded out ASD and don’t feel it made an appreciable difference in the overall sound of the system. I do plan on trying the center speaker disconnect, just haven’t gotten around to it yet.

[Ajowhan]

Originally Posted by TwoTonic

Aren’t those options trying to solve different problems? My understanding is the ASD is said to add a bit of baseline noise, where the center speaker muddies the overall quality of the music.

I coded out ASD and don’t feel it made an appreciable difference in the overall sound of the system. I do plan on trying the center speaker disconnect, just haven’t gotten around to it yet.

In that case maybe the center speaker disconnect solve both that muddies quality and ASD at the same time.

My understanding is one of the reason to disconnect the center speaker is because the ASD come primarily from that center speaker.

I finally tried coding the ASD and I definitely "think" I hear the music better but I honestly couldnt tell if its placebo effect or it is better.

[Poochie]

Originally Posted by Ajowhan

In that case maybe the center speaker disconnect solve both that muddies quality and ASD at the same time.

My understanding is one of the reason to disconnect the center speaker is because the ASD come primarily from that center speaker.

I finally tried coding the ASD and I definitely "think" I hear the music better but I honestly couldnt tell if its placebo effect or it is better.

The only reason ASD sounds quiet when you disconnected the center speaker is because the entire system disables when it detects a shadow fault, such as a missing speaker or open circuit. ASD is actually electronically shut off and not just lessen in severity, due to the now missing center channel.

I'm not sure if you also notice; with the center speaker disabled, there is practically no bass since any speaker fault places the entire audio system into sort of a fail-safe mode, since now it can no longer operate as it was designed to, hence the so-called clarity you guys are raving about; which is just a partially functioning sound system you're actually experiencing..


Also, keep in mind, with any of the speakers disconnected, BMW service will not be able to complete any repairs that requires a software update.

.

[jzeiler4]

So that tells me if you do choose to disconnect the center speaker you had better install an 8 ohm resistor on the leads so the car will not notice it is gone.

[jgalaxy]

I stumbled on this thread after trying to find some information on how to remedy what has to be the worlds worst audio system I have ever heard in a car. Reminds me of my first car's audio system (1974 Dodge Dart). A single speaker under the center of the dash. How the name of the baby Jesus does one fix this rolling s**t show of an audio disaster? I've resorted to driving with my iPhone headphones. I have to drive my F150 from time to time to hear some good audio (its actually very good).

Ok, rant over. So seriously, is there is an easy fix to this nightmare?

[jzeiler4]

The quickest and cheapest is to code in the F45 equalizer profile, makes a big difference.

[XutvJet]

Originally Posted by jgalaxy

I stumbled on this thread after trying to find some information on how to remedy what has to be the worlds worst audio system I have ever heard in a car. Reminds me of my first car's audio system (1974 Dodge Dart). A single speaker under the center of the dash. How the name of the baby Jesus does one fix this rolling s**t show of an audio disaster? I've resorted to driving with my iPhone headphones. I have to drive my F150 from time to time to hear some good audio (its actually very good).

Ok, rant over. So seriously, is there is an easy fix to this nightmare?

You must have owned some pretty nice cars with great stock stereos. My wife's 2020 Toyota 4runner is frighteningly bad and makes my M235's HK system sound like $7000 high end setup. I'm getting ready to $1700 to fix the OEM audio in the 4runner.

[XutvJet]

Originally Posted by nickgsa60

I thought most people were concerned about the sound stage? Did you find it was more just poor quality of the speaker itself? Are you running the stock f22 amp coding or have you tried the f45 maping? I found that alone made a huge improvement. I have not yet tried disconnecting the center as I have a vert and fear I might lose too much volume potential.

Stock amp coding.

[seanroberts000]

Originally Posted by jzeiler4

The quickest and cheapest is to code in the F45 equalizer profile, makes a big difference.

I have the F45 coded in and made a big improvement -- has anyone running this EQ profile also disconnected the center? Still worthwhile?