BMW 1 Series stereo upgrade
Discussion
Hi folks. I bought a 2010 BMW 1 Series and am horrified by how poor the sound system is. I know this is not a new topic as I've googled it to death. However, being the technophobe that I am, I have no clue what to do about this. It's got the Business entertainment system and is absolutely awful sound-wise. So I'm hoping to upgrade without spending a fortune. Some folk suggest installing new speakers while others seem to recommend putting in an amp first.
I've got a friend who can do all the installing, but I don't know where to begin and what to buy. Any advice would be most welcome! Cheers.
I've got a friend who can do all the installing, but I don't know where to begin and what to buy. Any advice would be most welcome! Cheers.
I have a 2005 1 series and replaced the business head unit with a professional head unit. I have not changed the speakers but the system had gone from being rubbish to acceptable. I would suggest try this first. Its a straight swap and just keep an eye on ebay. They tend to sell for £70 I think.
The standard (even professional upgrade) sound systems in BMW are absolute crap. One of my only criticisms of my old 1 series. I went for the Harmon Kardon in my 2 series which is at least acceptable but not a patch on the Bose one in my S3. Even the standard system in my mums Fiesta is better than the standard system
gaylebmw said:
Hi folks. I bought a 2010 BMW 1 Series and am horrified by how poor the sound system is. I know this is not a new topic as I've googled it to death. However, being the technophobe that I am, I have no clue what to do about this. It's got the Business entertainment system and is absolutely awful sound-wise. So I'm hoping to upgrade without spending a fortune. Some folk suggest installing new speakers while others seem to recommend putting in an amp first.
I've got a friend who can do all the installing, but I don't know where to begin and what to buy. Any advice would be most welcome! Cheers.
It's not easy to retro fit aftermarket stuff.I've got a friend who can do all the installing, but I don't know where to begin and what to buy. Any advice would be most welcome! Cheers.
Best and cheapest option is actually get the official BMW Alpine audio upgrade kit from a BMW dealer.
aeropilot said:
It's not easy to retro fit aftermarket stuff.
Best and cheapest option is actually get the official BMW Alpine audio upgrade kit from a BMW dealer.
Utter nonsense - you sound like a BMW shill!Best and cheapest option is actually get the official BMW Alpine audio upgrade kit from a BMW dealer.
The BMW Alpine upgrade is expensive, poor value, and no easier to fit than a well researched aftermarket set-up. There are plug-and-play harnesses available for adding aftermarket speakers and head units to 1/3 series BMWs, as well as custom fit multi-way and component speakers that are far-and-away better than the plastic rubbish you get with the Alpine system. There are also adapters available for fitting standard sized 10cm speakers.
The Alpine system does however give a warm cozy "I did the right thing" feeling to the ignorant people who paid over the odds for it. Just like their 'official' DAB upgrades that are just AutoDAB units in a BMW branded box with a £100 premium.
Edited by r11co on Friday 27th February 14:20
r11co said:
aeropilot said:
It's not easy to retro fit aftermarket stuff.
Best and cheapest option is actually get the official BMW Alpine audio upgrade kit from a BMW dealer.
Utter nonsense - you sound like a BMW shill!Best and cheapest option is actually get the official BMW Alpine audio upgrade kit from a BMW dealer.
The BMW Alpine upgrade is expensive, poor value, and no easier to fit than a well researched aftermarket set-up. There are plug-and-play harnesses available for adding aftermarket speakers and head units to 1/3 series BMWs, as well as custom fit multi-way and component speakers that are far-and-away better than the plastic rubbish you get with the Alpine system. There are also adapters available for fitting standard sized 10cm speakers.
The Alpine system does however give a warm cozy "I did the right thing" feeling to the ignorant people who paid over the odds for it.
If I remember here, you have 2 big issues on that car. No, scrap that, 4 big issues....
1. You have 1 woofer under 1 seat. The 2009 and earlier cars had 2, one under each seat, but cost cutting saw the end of that.
2. You have no tweeters in the a-pillars/sail panels.
3. The mid range speakers in the doors are not the best.
4. The head unit has very little power.
First I would fix the speakers. Luckily, because they are rubbish, there are lots of aftermarket options. Rockford Fosgate, Rainbow, MB Quart make *specific* BMW-fit speakers. They fit the woofer boxes under the seat and the door cards. I wouldn't bother messing around with generic speakers, mounting plates, cutting, etc.
Then spend some time with the head unit EQ. The Professional HU is probably a good idea. It should sound pretty fair now and will have cost £300-400
Beyond this, it gets tricky. Really you need more power, but you also need DSP. This means more wiring, routing of power, hiding boxes, etc.
1. You have 1 woofer under 1 seat. The 2009 and earlier cars had 2, one under each seat, but cost cutting saw the end of that.
2. You have no tweeters in the a-pillars/sail panels.
3. The mid range speakers in the doors are not the best.
4. The head unit has very little power.
First I would fix the speakers. Luckily, because they are rubbish, there are lots of aftermarket options. Rockford Fosgate, Rainbow, MB Quart make *specific* BMW-fit speakers. They fit the woofer boxes under the seat and the door cards. I wouldn't bother messing around with generic speakers, mounting plates, cutting, etc.
Then spend some time with the head unit EQ. The Professional HU is probably a good idea. It should sound pretty fair now and will have cost £300-400
Beyond this, it gets tricky. Really you need more power, but you also need DSP. This means more wiring, routing of power, hiding boxes, etc.
The biggest problem with the base Business and Professional BMW systems in BMW's of that era is the lack of amplification which is why the Alpine system is sought after (amp, front tweeters and front midrange speakers). My best advice would be to fit a Professional head unit and then take it down the road to an audio installer for better speakers, tweeters, amp and two decent shallow subwoofers, or an integrated boot installation.
However, to keep it factory feeling you can do this...
1. Install Professional HU which has a more powerful internal amplifier, that's a good start and makes it liveable, but still s
t.
2. Install genuine BMW tweeter mouldings that were destined for a car with HiFi or HK/Logic 7 system. Install HiFi or HK/L7 tweeters: these will plug right into your existing midrange door speakers. This is a massive improvement and allows the midrange speaker to flow trough some more bass, leaving the clarity to the tweeters. This at least gives you the feeling that your system produces bass as the midrange speakers are relieved somewhat.
3. Subwoofer...This gets tricky as some people post-2010 seem to have wiring laid down for a second subwoofer, others don't, but regardless, the base subwoofer is rubbish so you'll be looking at a few quid to buy two HK's. If you do have the wiring then it should be plug and play after you connect the subwoofer but if you don't have any wiring there for a second woofer then you'll have to wire it in and therefore you may as well go aftermarket, with an external 5ch amp, and run everything off of that. In this instance something like Earthquake SWS8's are good if fitting underseat.
Believe it or not, there is merit to fitting good rear speakers and tweeters in order to lift the overal sound in the cabin. You don't nefessarily need to run these off of a separate amp (the Alpine system doesn't) as the professional HU gives them enough. Keep it simple with HK versions which are totally plug and play.
To be fair, these, Prof HU and front tweeters combined make a huge difference. You'll be lacking in the bass dept with one woofer but it's ok. You are limited with the base system to a poor EQ though and past a certain volume, the system "clips" so, like I say, if you don't already have HK, go aftermarket for best results.
I say the above as an ex-1er owner who threw money at the OE options initially before realising that there was such a huge aftermarket scene for this car. BMW didn't make it easy to play with your audio but so many companies have it figured out.
P.S. If you opt for an Alpine system then I recommend buying from German EBay, installing yourself or taking it to a reputable local installer ask BMW dealers in the UK will fleece you.
However, to keep it factory feeling you can do this...
1. Install Professional HU which has a more powerful internal amplifier, that's a good start and makes it liveable, but still s
t.2. Install genuine BMW tweeter mouldings that were destined for a car with HiFi or HK/Logic 7 system. Install HiFi or HK/L7 tweeters: these will plug right into your existing midrange door speakers. This is a massive improvement and allows the midrange speaker to flow trough some more bass, leaving the clarity to the tweeters. This at least gives you the feeling that your system produces bass as the midrange speakers are relieved somewhat.
3. Subwoofer...This gets tricky as some people post-2010 seem to have wiring laid down for a second subwoofer, others don't, but regardless, the base subwoofer is rubbish so you'll be looking at a few quid to buy two HK's. If you do have the wiring then it should be plug and play after you connect the subwoofer but if you don't have any wiring there for a second woofer then you'll have to wire it in and therefore you may as well go aftermarket, with an external 5ch amp, and run everything off of that. In this instance something like Earthquake SWS8's are good if fitting underseat.
Believe it or not, there is merit to fitting good rear speakers and tweeters in order to lift the overal sound in the cabin. You don't nefessarily need to run these off of a separate amp (the Alpine system doesn't) as the professional HU gives them enough. Keep it simple with HK versions which are totally plug and play.
To be fair, these, Prof HU and front tweeters combined make a huge difference. You'll be lacking in the bass dept with one woofer but it's ok. You are limited with the base system to a poor EQ though and past a certain volume, the system "clips" so, like I say, if you don't already have HK, go aftermarket for best results.
I say the above as an ex-1er owner who threw money at the OE options initially before realising that there was such a huge aftermarket scene for this car. BMW didn't make it easy to play with your audio but so many companies have it figured out.
P.S. If you opt for an Alpine system then I recommend buying from German EBay, installing yourself or taking it to a reputable local installer ask BMW dealers in the UK will fleece you.
Edited by 1Addicted on Friday 27th February 17:20
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