Subjective review: E46 BSW Rear Midbass Upgrade Speakers

Hello Folks:

Musical sound quality in a car is a subjective thing. That said, I'd like to offer some comments on a rear shelf speaker upgrade I recently did on my 2003 330Ci with the factory Harmon Kardon system. Like many on this forum, I think the HK system is substandard.

However, I focus my aftermarket dollars on suspension, brakes, wheels, and tires. I've never fancied the electrical modifications with major aftermarket sounds systems. It's all about personal choice.

Because of this, I thought I'd order simple a plug and play upgrade - that being the "BSW Rear Midbass Upgrade Speakers", $160 plus shipping.

The install was a snap, taking less than 45 minutes from start to finish.

When I first turned on the system I was very disappointed. All my audio settings were those from prior to the upgrade.

I experimented with the whole range of audio settings, but finally changed only the bass and fade settings from what they originally were set to.

The transformation in sound quality was significant, to my ears at least. With the BSW rear speakers I was able to increase the bass level four "clicks" (two "clicks" below max, treble set full high).

With the stock HK speakers the system would have sounded distorted and muddy. The BSW speakers seemed to provide a noticable amount of additional bass, without the distortion and muddiness of the stock HK speakers.

Also, I changed the fade three "clicks" towards a rear bias (it was originally set neutral). This was the final tweak and resulted in a really noticable improvement in sound quality.

So, just an FWIW. For $160 plus shipping it was very much worth it in my experience. Understand, even with the improvements I realized, the HK system is still rather weak compared to full aftermarket upgrades.

However, at least my BSW modified HK system is now "listenable".

Thanks BSW,

Scott

Glad to hear you are happy with your speakers!

Glad you dig it. You may want to consider moving those rear midbasses to your front doors and putting stock back in the rear. Why? They're the same exact drivers front and rear, and you'll realize higher overall sound quality with them in the front since that's how we're wired to listen (music in front). Give it a shot -- I think you'll be pleased, and if you're not, it's a super-simple swap back to the rear.

BTW, you mind if we throw your review on our site?

Originally Posted by Micah D. Cranman

BTW, you mind if we throw your review on our site?

Sure, go ahead.

As far as moving the BSW speakers from rear to front, I'd rather buy another pair.

That said, I don't want to take my door panels off. Once reinstalled, stuff like door panels never seem to fit as well as they originally did.

Scott

Originally Posted by SLO Town

Sure, go ahead.

As far as moving the BSW speakers from rear to front, I'd rather buy another pair.

That said, I don't want to take my door panels off. Once reinstalled, stuff like door panels never seem to fit as well as they originally did.

Scott

If you reinstall the door panel properly after removing it with care then you won't have any problems. Just make sure to buy some extra clips in case you break any. If you have them ready beforehand then all will go well.

It's super easy. 3 screws on the armrest and then one behind that plastic circle that is behind the door handle. Then the panel just pops right off (there are a bunch of Youtube videos that can show you how).

Originally Posted by SpeedDemon

If you reinstall the door panel properly after removing it with care then you won't have any problems. Just make sure to buy some extra clips in case you break any. If you have them ready beforehand then all will go well.

It's super easy. 3 screws on the armrest and then one behind that plastic circle that is behind the door handle. Then the panel just pops right off (there are a bunch of Youtube videos that can show you how).

Well, based on your comments maybe I'll try it. It's kind of strange, I don't hesitate doing most things "mechanical". But working on door panels, etc. makes me nervous.

Anyway, thanks for the encouragement, SpeedDemon.

Originally Posted by SpeedDemon

If you reinstall the door panel properly after removing it with care then you won't have any problems. Just make sure to buy some extra clips in case you break any. If you have them ready beforehand then all will go well.

It's super easy. 3 screws on the armrest and then one behind that plastic circle that is behind the door handle. Then the panel just pops right off (there are a bunch of Youtube videos that can show you how).

And the one behind the Airbag symbol.

As others have said, it's super easy and there is virtually no risk of damaging the door panel in an E46 or newer car. E36's can be trickier, but honestly it's a breeze for you. Watch our YouTube videos so you can see just how easy it really is:

http://www.youtube.com/bavsound#p/u/44/9UIPUD6H4Ak

Originally Posted by davidmoore

And the one behind the Airbag symbol.

Hmm... I don't think I've ever had to remove that one. Are you guys sure that actually holds the door on????

Hey, does that rear speaker front door exchange work for a 2003 330i (4-door sedan) HK system, too? I have the BSW subwoofer in the trunk but could use a little more oompf up front.

Rear speakers are the same as front speakers in all E46's except convertibles. If you have BSW rear speakers, then putting them up front will improve sound quality in the front, but putting stock rear speakers in the front speaker locations won't do anything for you. Let me know if you have any further questions or if there's anything else I can do for you!