A client from Allentown recently contacted Mobile Edge about a BMW-specific audio system upgrade. As with most BMW owners, the client wasn’t overly thrilled with the sound of the factory sound system and wanted something with more realism and volume. We had a look at the client’s vehicle, then proposed an upgrade that would make use of the factory speaker locations and new speakers, new subwoofers and an amplifier upgrade.
Audison BMW-Specific Audio System Upgrades
Audison has created an entire line of Prima series speakers specifically for BMWs and Minis. The series includes four sets of mids and two subwoofer options. For this client’s X5, we used a set of APBMW K4M component speakers and a pair of APBMW S8-2 subwoofers. We retained the factory rear speakers and eliminated the center channel.
The APBMW K4M component speaker sets include a pair of 4-inch midrange drivers with BMW- and Mini-specific mounting locations cast into the aluminum baskets. The cones are made of water-repellent pressed paper for a clean, natural sound. The soft-dome Tetolon tweeters are designed to install into the front speaker locations without any modifications. We ran speaker wires into the doors of the X5 to feed the woofers so that we could bi-amp the system.
The 8-inch APBMW S8-2 subwoofers mount in the factory-installed enclosures under the driver and passenger seats. The subs are optimized for these enclosures, and each one features a 38mm voice coil to handle 150 watts of power.
BMW Sound System Amplifiers
The client already owned an Audiotec Fischer Match series amplifier with an integrated digital signal processor from a previous vehicle. We used the Match amp along with a Hertz HCP2 to power the new speakers and subwoofers. Our team created a compact amp rack that located the amps on the left side of the trunk behind the carpeted trim panel.
The last step was to tune the system with the Match DSP-equipped, BMW-specific audio amplifier. We set the crossovers on the tweeters, mids, rear speakers and subs, then configured the signal delay so that the output of each driver arrived at the listening position simultaneously. Finally, we tuned the equalizer of each amp channel to produce a smooth and natural-sounding balance to the system.
BMW X5 Audiophile Upgrade
We expected great things from this BMW-specific audio upgrade, and it delivered in spades. The SUV sounded amazing, and the client was thrilled with the realism, dynamics and volume capabilities. If you live in the Lehighton area, drop by Mobile Edge to find out how we can upgrade your sound system into something amazing. You can reach us by e-mail using the red button below.
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