Upgrade standard 325i audio system?

[Scott549]

Hi,

This is my first post here. I just got my new red 325i sedan on Thursday, and I love it. My first car was my dad's old 1974 BMW 2002, so I am on pace for another BMW in model year 2034.

My question -- the standard audio system I would say is mediocre. I was not able to find a car with the HK system. I went to a car stereo store, and they do not recommend upgrading the head unit (which I agree with), and they thought the only reasonable upgrade would be to replace all the front speakers, which would run $600 to $1,000. The guy didn't sound too optimistic that this would improve the sound substantially.

So at this point I am stuck. Does anyone have any advice? Can the HK upgrade be installed by a BMW dealer?

Thanks.
Scott

[dorkus]

what exactly does the HK premium system consist of anyway? upgraded head unit and speakers?

i'll be in the same boat... stock stereo on my new 325i when i get it. based on my experience in a rental 3, i agree, it is very mediocre... i'd give it a 4 out of 10 at best as far as these things go. sadly, the sound in a 2003 Toyota Corolla or Matrix is actually a little better (surprisingly clear). but at least the bmw isn't as bad as the Saab 9-5 Arc i rented last time - that was horrendous. must have been a re-badged AC Delco system from GM or something.

[Dr. Phil]

hk in sedans gets you a total of 12 speakers. Bass/mid/tweeter in each front door, tweeter in rear doors, 6.5" mids on rear deck and 2 6x9 "woofers" (wtih their own amp). The standard system has only the 10 (no woofers and 1 amp).

Upgrading to the hk after the fact can be done but if you go to dealer would cost more the origianl $675 as an option. You would likely be able to find someone willing to sell the hk stuff b/c they went after market.

Scott - I would check out some other shops. You can work with the OEM head unit and add amps/speakers. IMO the head unit will always be a weak link but for looks I understand why many chose to keep them. If I were wanting to upgrade a base system and keep head unit, I would get a JL 500/5, a set of 5.25" components for the front, some 6.5" mids (or coaxials) for the rear deck and a single 10" sub.

[dorkus]

hey Dr. Phil,
i was digging through some old threads last night on aftermarket upgrades and came across a lot of helpful tips. also noticed you have spent a lot of time and $$$ on your own system. :p so, you seem to be the man to talk to.

i agree that no matter what you do with amps and speakers, the HU will become the weak link. as a home audiophile myself, it's been my experience that the source quality is as important if not sometimes more important than the speakers. good speakers + bad front-end can only go so far. but, the HU is such a pain to change, i don't think i'll ever get around to it. just how "weak" is it - compared to say a mid-level HU like Nakamichi CD400?

i listen to mostly classical, with some jazz and pop mixed in now and then. i don't need much bass or output - just looking for clean midrange and treble, good detail, and a solid bass/lower midrange. most importantly, i need natural timbre and minimal listening fatigue. will probably just go the usual route - a clean amp, 5.25" components up front, new coaxes in the rear. is it possible to add the 6x9 "subwoofers" to the stock system w/o HK upgrade? where are those speakers located? i assume the cutouts and everything are all in place...

i was looking at some Morel units as i really like the sound quality of their drivers (my reference monitors at home use a Morel woofer/tweeter combo), but they don't seem to have anything that'll fit in the front, and they're a little pricey. i've also had good experience with JM Lab/Focal speakers, so i'm looking at the 130V2 set as a reasonable-cost option.

oh, in your own system, have you managed to change any of the factory wiring (HU to amp, amp to speakers) or is that too much of a pain?

cheers,
dorkus

[Dr. Phil]

hey Dr. Phil,
i was digging through some old threads last night on aftermarket upgrades and came across a lot of helpful tips. also noticed you have spent a lot of time and $$$ on your own system. :p so, you seem to be the man to talk to.

i agree that no matter what you do with amps and speakers, the HU will become the weak link. as a home audiophile myself, it's been my experience that the source quality is as important if not sometimes more important than the speakers. good speakers + bad front-end can only go so far. but, the HU is such a pain to change, i don't think i'll ever get around to it. just how "weak" is it - compared to say a mid-level HU like Nakamichi CD400?

i listen to mostly classical, with some jazz and pop mixed in now and then. i don't need much bass or output - just looking for clean midrange and treble, good detail, and a solid bass/lower midrange. most importantly, i need natural timbre and minimal listening fatigue. will probably just go the usual route - a clean amp, 5.25" components up front, new coaxes in the rear. is it possible to add the 6x9 "subwoofers" to the stock system w/o HK upgrade? where are those speakers located? i assume the cutouts and everything are all in place...

i was looking at some Morel units as i really like the sound quality of their drivers (my reference monitors at home use a Morel woofer/tweeter combo), but they don't seem to have anything that'll fit in the front, and they're a little pricey. i've also had good experience with JM Lab/Focal speakers, so i'm looking at the 130V2 set as a reasonable-cost option.

oh, in your own system, have you managed to change any of the factory wiring (HU to amp, amp to speakers) or is that too much of a pain?

cheers,
dorkus

Focals would work nicely for your setup :thumbup: The 6x9 woofers mount on the under side of the rear deck (you should notice the holes there). I am not familiar with any good applications in that size (you can get some kickers I believe). You might be a good candidate for some JL Stealthboxes, they do not produce thundering bass but would likely fit your needs. If you went this route, I believe that they take the space of the original 6.5" rear speakers.

As for my wiring.....the headunit runs via a cnet hookup to under my passenger seat where the siganl goes from the headunit brain through a 5.1 processor. The signal then runs through 1 ft rca cables into symbilink convertor boxes (Zapco amps use this type of hookup). The output from the boxes runs via Symbilink wiring to my 2 amps. The rear speakers and sub have completely new wiring while the fronts are run via the 3 sets of wire for each side (OEM wire used).