Base Stereo Upgrade - BavSound /w Hifi Coding review

[LeoBurr]

I'll preface this: I've got a set of Focal IFBMW-S, IFBMW-Subs and Focal IC-100s in the rear of my 135i. I've had it EQ'd with a mike, and it sounds as close as I can get it to my Adam A7Xes /w Benchmark DAC2 HGC.

I wanted slightly better sound in my 2011 X5 XDrive35i but didn't want to spend too much/go through the trouble of adding an amp, since I thought I made a terrible decision and got an X5 with base audio. The EQ was sufficient to make the stock speakers sound slightly better than terrible. Making midranges play the highs was kludgey, but sufficient for a base stereo, I guess.

I decided to give BavSound's X5 replacements a try, but only in the front. I didn't think it'd be worth using their speakers in the rear, since they only gave you the midrange. So it was either go with coaxials and pull the sound stage back some, or just use some other mids - I replaced the stock mids with silver BMW Hifi Top midranges I snagged for $50 off eBay. The speaker magnet is significantly larger and they're much better built.

Post-install, I was less than thrilled. The EQ that made the stock speakers sound somewhat less than bad, made the high end shrill. The low-end was incredibly boomy. Tolerable when dialing both the treble and bass back, but anything above about 9k was still really bad.

On a lark, hoping the iDrive had enough power, I recoded the iDrive from base stereo to Hifi. I heard everywhere that I might have issues with PDC/gong volumes or the sound not playing loud enough. Everything I read was incorrect. While with the stock coding, I could hear the tweeters distinctly from the midranges, the flat EQ coding to Hifi provides made the fronts seamless. The bass is now tamed, and I actually upped it a couple ticks in the tone settings. I moved treble down two ticks and surprisingly, aside from the stock subs still being a tinge muddy (Comparing this to the setup in the 135...not entirely fair), I'm extremely pleased with the results from just doing the BavSounds combined with the Top Hifis.

The BavSounds are efficient enough to be driven off of the iDrive. Even to what I consider fairly high volumes.

The disappointing thing is that BavSound doesn't mention that the way to get optimal sound out of their own speakers is to get the iDrive unit coded to Hifi. I even emailed them expressing displeasure in the quality of the sound from their speakers and asked if getting the iDrive coded to Hifi would help. I didn't get a response.

Cliff's Notes: BavSound fronts + BMW Top Hifi rears + Hifi Coding = Legitimately decent sound upgrade from a base Stereo without adding an amp.

Very pleased and happy. Just thought I'd share.

[-c-]

Originally Posted by GeoffS

I'll preface this: I've got a set of Focal IFBMW-S, IFBMW-Subs and Focal IC-100s in the rear of my 135i. I've had it EQ'd with a mike, and it sounds as close as I can get it to my Adam A7Xes /w Benchmark DAC2 HGC.

I wanted slightly better sound in my 2011 X5 XDrive35i but didn't want to spend too much/go through the trouble of adding an amp, since I thought I made a terrible decision and got an X5 with base audio. The EQ was sufficient to make the stock speakers sound slightly better than terrible. Making midranges play the highs was kludgey, but sufficient for a base stereo, I guess.

I decided to give BavSound's X5 replacements a try, but only in the front. I didn't think it'd be worth using their speakers in the rear, since they only gave you the midrange. So it was either go with coaxials and pull the sound stage back some, or just use some other mids - I replaced the stock mids with silver BMW Hifi Top midranges I snagged for $50 off eBay. The speaker magnet is significantly larger and they're much better built.

Post-install, I was less than thrilled. The EQ that made the stock speakers sound somewhat less than bad, made the high end shrill. The low-end was incredibly boomy. Tolerable when dialing both the treble and bass back, but anything above about 9k was still really bad.

On a lark, hoping the iDrive had enough power, I recoded the iDrive from base stereo to Hifi. I heard everywhere that I might have issues with PDC/gong volumes or the sound not playing loud enough. Everything I read was incorrect. While with the stock coding, I could hear the tweeters distinctly from the midranges, the flat EQ coding to Hifi provides made the fronts seamless. The bass is now tamed, and I actually upped it a couple ticks in the tone settings. I moved treble down two ticks and surprisingly, aside from the stock subs still being a tinge muddy (Comparing this to the setup in the 135...not entirely fair), I'm extremely pleased with the results from just doing the BavSounds combined with the Top Hifis.

The BavSounds are efficient enough to be driven off of the iDrive. Even to what I consider fairly high volumes.

The disappointing thing is that BavSound doesn't mention that the way to get optimal sound out of their own speakers is to get the iDrive unit coded to Hifi. I even emailed them expressing displeasure in the quality of the sound from their speakers and asked if getting the iDrive coded to Hifi would help. I didn't get a response.

Cliff's Notes: BavSound fronts + BMW Top Hifi rears + Hifi Coding = Legitimately decent sound upgrade from a base Stereo without adding an amp.

Very pleased and happy. Just thought I'd share.

So if I bought just a bunch of top hifi speakers off a wrecked x5 and replaced them instead of the normal hifi in my car and coded the system would it work as if it came with the top hifi system ? I thought the top hifi system had a bigger amp?


Cool non the less....

[LeoBurr]

Originally Posted by -c-

So if I bought just a bunch of top hifi speakers off a wrecked x5 and replaced them instead of the normal hifi in my car and coded the system would it work as if it came with the top hifi system ? I thought the top hifi system had a bigger amp?


Cool non the less....

I do not have a "hifi" system in my car. I'm running the base stereo using the iDrive as the "amp", coded to hifi. The only top hifi speakers I have are midranges in the rear doors.

You could upgrade your hifi to top hifi, but that's beyond the scope of my post.

[-c-]

Originally Posted by GeoffS

I do not have a "hifi" system in my car. I'm running the base stereo using the iDrive as the "amp", coded to hifi. The only top hifi speakers I have are midranges in the rear doors.

You could upgrade your hifi to top hifi, but that's beyond the scope of my post.

Ok was just curious .

I think I have just the hifi but would like the top hifi or equivalent and just wondering how hard it would be to convert it.

[JMX5D]

Originally Posted by GeoffS

I'll preface this: I've got a set of Focal IFBMW-S, IFBMW-Subs and Focal IC-100s in the rear of my 135i. I've had it EQ'd with a mike, and it sounds as close as I can get it to my Adam A7Xes /w Benchmark DAC2 HGC.

I wanted slightly better sound in my 2011 X5 XDrive35i but didn't want to spend too much/go through the trouble of adding an amp, since I thought I made a terrible decision and got an X5 with base audio. The EQ was sufficient to make the stock speakers sound slightly better than terrible. Making midranges play the highs was kludgey, but sufficient for a base stereo, I guess.

I decided to give BavSound's X5 replacements a try, but only in the front. I didn't think it'd be worth using their speakers in the rear, since they only gave you the midrange. So it was either go with coaxials and pull the sound stage back some, or just use some other mids - I replaced the stock mids with silver BMW Hifi Top midranges I snagged for $50 off eBay. The speaker magnet is significantly larger and they're much better built.

Post-install, I was less than thrilled. The EQ that made the stock speakers sound somewhat less than bad, made the high end shrill. The low-end was incredibly boomy. Tolerable when dialing both the treble and bass back, but anything above about 9k was still really bad.

On a lark, hoping the iDrive had enough power, I recoded the iDrive from base stereo to Hifi. I heard everywhere that I might have issues with PDC/gong volumes or the sound not playing loud enough. Everything I read was incorrect. While with the stock coding, I could hear the tweeters distinctly from the midranges, the flat EQ coding to Hifi provides made the fronts seamless. The bass is now tamed, and I actually upped it a couple ticks in the tone settings. I moved treble down two ticks and surprisingly, aside from the stock subs still being a tinge muddy (Comparing this to the setup in the 135...not entirely fair), I'm extremely pleased with the results from just doing the BavSounds combined with the Top Hifis.

The BavSounds are efficient enough to be driven off of the iDrive. Even to what I consider fairly high volumes.

The disappointing thing is that BavSound doesn't mention that the way to get optimal sound out of their own speakers is to get the iDrive unit coded to Hifi. I even emailed them expressing displeasure in the quality of the sound from their speakers and asked if getting the iDrive coded to Hifi would help. I didn't get a response.

Cliff's Notes: BavSound fronts + BMW Top Hifi rears + Hifi Coding = Legitimately decent sound upgrade from a base Stereo without adding an amp.

Very pleased and happy. Just thought I'd share.

thanks for shareing, i too have base audio, think about upgrade! could you please point me direction for coding idrive to hifi? Thanks
did u add tweeter to the rear? or just midrange top hifi?

[jiggz]

Originally Posted by -c-

Ok was just curious .

I think I have just the hifi but would like the top hifi or equivalent and just wondering how hard it would be to convert it.

I don't think you'd hear much difference between the Hi-Fi (option code 676) and Premium Sound (option code 677), they're nearly the same system. The base audio (option 645) sounds distinctly different…not sure what year X5 you have but 645's last year in the U.S. was 2011.

[-c-]

Originally Posted by jiggz

I don't think you'd hear much difference between the Hi-Fi (option code 676) and Premium Sound (option code 677), they're nearly the same system. The base audio (option 645) sounds distinctly different…not sure what year X5 you have but 645's last year in the U.S. was 2011.

It's a 2012, Is the bavsound worth it ?

They have a full retrofit with amp.

Just looking for something that wouldn't require a full gut job.

[LeoBurr]

Originally Posted by JMX5D

thanks for shareing, i too have base audio, think about upgrade! could you please point me direction for coding idrive to hifi? Thanks
did u add tweeter to the rear? or just midrange top hifi?

You need to have a dealership or one of the online coding guys do it if you don't have a laptop and the knowledge. I'd recommend bmcoding.com and picking up a cable.

I just added the Top Hifi midrange to the rear. For $25/speaker, it was fine. I didn't want to spend too much money on rears, since I don't have a DSP to set up surround sound.

But the BSW+Top Hifi midrange, with iDrive coded to Hifi sounds very good.

[jiggz]

Originally Posted by -c-

It's a 2012, Is the bavsound worth it ?

They have a full retrofit with amp.

Just looking for something that wouldn't require a full gut job.

I think we'd all agree sound quality is pretty subjective… With that said there's some Bavsound reviews on this forum, and as I recall the reviews were mixed. Some thought it was well worth the $ while other's didn't. If you search and find some I'd note what their stock audio system was.

I have 676 and I'm fine with it. I priced out an upgraded system (not Bavsound) and it was pretty expensive given all the speakers you'd have to replace and the amplification required. If I had 645 (which I've heard several times) I'd probably have done an upgrade of some kind. I believe that setup is only 6 speakers or so?

Sorry about the thread-jack OP

[LeoBurr]

Originally Posted by jiggz

I think we'd all agree sound quality is pretty subjective… With that said there's some Bavsound reviews on this forum, and as I recall the reviews were mixed. Some thought it was well worth the $ while other's didn't. If you search and find some I'd note what their stock audio system was.

I have 676 and I'm fine with it. I priced out an upgraded system (not Bavsound) and it was pretty expensive given all the speakers you'd have to replace and the amplification required. If I had 645 (which I've heard several times) I'd probably have done an upgrade of some kind. I believe that setup is only 6 speakers or so?

Sorry about the thread-jack OP

Regardless, I'll throw in my $.02. On my E83 (2009 X3 /w Hifi), the BavSound upgrade to my Hifi system yielded slightly better results. The main problem with that car is its amplifier. The speakers only can do so much.

On the E70, when iDrive is coded to Hifi (entirely different head unit), the BavSounds /w Top Hifi rears sound significantly better. There's a whole lot of "it depends".

I just wanted to post this to share that this is a combo that, to my fairly well-trained ears, sounds very good for the money.

[JMX5D]

Originally Posted by GeoffS

You need to have a dealership or one of the online coding guys do it if you don't have a laptop and the knowledge. I'd recommend bmcoding.com and picking up a cable.

I just added the Top Hifi midrange to the rear. For $25/speaker, it was fine. I didn't want to spend too much money on rears, since I don't have a DSP to set up surround sound.

But the BSW+Top Hifi midrange, with iDrive coded to Hifi sounds very good.

thanks man, i do have laptop and cable running Rhiengold and Inpa for diagnostic, like to mess around with these things ,havent done any coding yet,but shouldnt be too hard for me, ill dig more on coding forum.

[shoneb]

GeoffS could you please share the instructions for the coding to hifi? Thanks