E39 stereo - it's rubbish, where do I start with upgrade?

[bramley]

2003 530i sport touring, with the basic stereo and OBC. It sounds awful, very hollow with no bass and it hates any sort of volume.

I sat in a friends 2003 touring (with factory satnav/tv) and the sound quality was a lot better, richer sound and it coped with a bit of volume.

What I'm keen to know is which part of my stereo system is the really st bit? Would a speaker upgrade help or keep speakers and change stereo, or replace both.

I have an Alpine head unit with iPod function but I don't really want to fit a non-BMW stereo as it'll look pants, so I'm kinda ruling that out.

I'd be happy losing the tape player, and having the single cd player in the dash (have a changer in the boot).

Ideally I don't want to spend too much, so an idea of costs would be extremely helpful.

Thanks

ETA: This is the stereo - thanks to Mr Fox for the pic

Edited by bramley on Tuesday 2nd September 15:03

[Fox-]

Are you a keen DIY'er?

There is a cost neutral way.

It will result in you getting this:



That is the BMW Business CD player with Multi Information Display. The MID looks a heck of a lot better, has more screen space, and works far better with iPod integration systems such as the Intravee II.

The good news:

Your stupid, crappy tape player is worth a fortune. About £150-£180 infact, because they are pretty rare and the facelift models have different connectors. Whack it up on Ebay advertised as a flat pin radio and you'll get 150+ for it. Buying a MID and a comnpatible tape or CD player (It comes in two parts, unlike your current radio) will cost you considerably less than £150.

The bad news:

Installing it is not Plug and Play. You need a wiring harness from your BMW dealer, which costs £16. This is because the MID is seperate to the CD or tape unit (The CD/tape just plugs in in exactly the same way as your old radio). Common sense would dictate the wiring harness links the MID with the CD. Oh no. It actually requires wiring into the cars main wiring junction box, just behind the ECU. Once you've done that, it also requires wiring into the fusebox behind the glovebox.

But once thats done, it all works, looks loads better.... but sounds just as crap so I put a Sony Sound on Top amp in. Now its better.

Now if want more, ie Ipod control, google for Intravee II. You need one of these. Comes in at about 200 quid. But dont forget you've offset a lot of the cost by selling the crap tape player for a small fortune.

Edited by Fox- on Tuesday 2nd September 15:15

[bramley]

Thank you, that's very helpful.

If I went for the MID unit, does that mean I get the high OBC features or is it not that simple? Perhaps that requires even more wiring?

I'll have a look for the Sony amp you mention.

Thanks again

[Fox-]

To get high OBC features you need a new instrument cluster at circa £250.

[Sam964]

I had the same problem with the stereo on my E39 540i.... the stereo just sounded dead with little or no bass. I fixed this very easily.... I fitted a 12" amplified bass box in the boot with a high level to low level converter so it took the amp input directly from the speakers. The difference is totally amazing!! The standard speakers can really pound out the volume and sound quite good if you don't try to push the bass out of them and the bass box provides more than enough bass for my needs.

The whole system sounds great and I haven't touched the standard factory fit stereo at all..... a perfect solution if you just want a more solid deep sound in your car.

[David87M3]

Fox- said:

Are you a keen DIY'er?

There is a cost neutral way.

It will result in you getting this:



That is the BMW Business CD player with Multi Information Display. The MID looks a heck of a lot better, has more screen space, and works far better with iPod integration systems such as the Intravee II.

The good news:

Your stupid, crappy tape player is worth a fortune. About £150-£180 infact, because they are pretty rare and the facelift models have different connectors. Whack it up on Ebay advertised as a flat pin radio and you'll get 150+ for it. Buying a MID and a comnpatible tape or CD player (It comes in two parts, unlike your current radio) will cost you considerably less than £150.

The bad news:

Installing it is not Plug and Play. You need a wiring harness from your BMW dealer, which costs £16. This is because the MID is seperate to the CD or tape unit (The CD/tape just plugs in in exactly the same way as your old radio). Common sense would dictate the wiring harness links the MID with the CD. Oh no. It actually requires wiring into the cars main wiring junction box, just behind the ECU. Once you've done that, it also requires wiring into the fusebox behind the glovebox.

But once thats done, it all works, looks loads better.... but sounds just as crap so I put a Sony Sound on Top amp in. Now its better.

Now if want more, ie Ipod control, google for Intravee II. You need one of these. Comes in at about 200 quid. But dont forget you've offset a lot of the cost by selling the crap tape player for a small fortune.

Edited by Fox- on Tuesday 2nd September 15:15

Are there any instructions anywere on this upgrade?

Thanks

[Fox-]

I never found any Most people say you cant do it.

[David87M3]

Fox- said:

I never found any Most people say you cant do it.

So did you do it?

[Fox-]

David87M3 said:

Fox- said:

I never found any Most people say you cant do it.

So did you do it?

Yes I did - as explained above. Those two pictures are before and after shots from my car

[David87M3]

ok how were did you get info on wiring into the main harness, I wouldnt mind doing this upgrade myself

Many thanks

[Fox-]

The way the harness works is that there are banks of identical coloured wires. You just plug the corresponding wires into this.

I say 'just' - its not quite that simple as the ECU is in the way so this needs to come out first.

[bramley]

Fox - where did you locate your amp? I think I'll go for the Sony one that I've seen mentioned on BMWLand, seems very cheap.

I'm guessing it's glovebox area or did you put it by the cd changer?

Hoping it's easy to wire in - it's been ages since I fiddled with amps and things.

[Fox-]

I shoved it up behind the glovebox. If its an XM423 you've been offered its the same one. It should have a simple plug and play wiring harness.

[bramley]

Excellent, thanks.

Yes it's the 423.

[gizlaroc]

Go for the Blaupunkt plug and play amp, 100x better than the Sony.


You can add some nice speakers up front like the DLS R5's. Buy one sheet of dynamat and completely cover the cabinet they sit in, this will give you some nice mid bass that will go down to 60hz.

You can then add a sub if you feel the need.

[bramley]

Any idea of model number or a link mate?

Ta

[crackedfinger]

I've a good condition flat pin cd unit and separate display unit (same as pic above) going spare if someone would like it for this conversion. I was going to do this conversion but ended up selling the car. Happy to sell them for what i bought them for off ebay. PM me if interested.

[gizlaroc]

bramley said:

Any idea of model number or a link mate?

Ta

If you want the 2 channel it is the THA-275 PNP

4 channel is THA-475 and the 5 channel (which has mono sub out) is the THA-555 PNP.

[biggymaccy]

I currently have a 1997 E39 525 TDS SE which I have lovingly got in to great shape with a full respray, 18" M Tec Alloys, new leather interior (waitng to be fit) and a Dice Silverline Ipod Kit. One problem, I still have a Crappy Business Radio Tape deck combo that doesn't really work with my Dice Silverline. It has no text display and no search, I have to control playlists and artists etc from the IPod itself!!

If I try and perform this swap as described at the top will I have full functionality and text display over my Ipod using the Dice Silverline?

Thanks in advance

Also, crackedfinger, how much do you want for the MID and CD and do all the pixels work on the MID??

[Fox-]

You can indeed do the swap but you must be aware of something important.

For the facelift of the E39 in October 2000 they changed the audio connecions - newer ones have flat pin connectors, older ones have round pin connectors. Your car will need a round pin CD or Tape component in order to work - the MID's luckily are interchangeable.