audio upgrade sedan

IMO, do not replace your head unit unless you are missing major features. The factory unit has a clean signal and you can save money and lots of time/hassle by using it.

You can't sound any better than your speakers and their install.

If you really want midbass, spend your time and money here. Pick a good set of drives, cut the door and mount them directly to the door.
RSL (e46fanatic) Starting my first install
jvr826 (e46fanatic) Midbass issue - "tunnel effect"
jvr826 (e46fanatic) Midbass issue - "tunnel effect" FIXED
Others have tried to avoid this and none have been happy with the results. Everyone that has done this has raved

Also, midbass requires power. The factory amp is not adequate for any kind of dynamic volume. There are lots of affordable options out there and a huge used market. If you stay with the factory HU, avoid using an LOC (adds cost and noise) by using an amp that accepts the balanced differential signal directly from the HU. If you send the front and rear signals to 2 different amps and use the HU's fader as a bass control

Tapping into the BMW signal, speaker wiring and power is easy compared to most cars. The only new wire you need to run is power for amp(s). The HU and speaker wires are great as is.

You can see my 04 M3 build log over on DIYMA. In it I provided links to all the other build logs (multiple forums) I used to help me...like wiring and such.

Good luck and enjoy your project!

so i got the dash kit, radio and the kickers. for the back im planing to get Alpine SPE-6000 since they are in my budget and they seem pretty good for the price.
Now for the wiring. I plan to by pass the stock amp however by looking at the front door it would be hard to run the wires i think. Also i would have like no place to mount the crossover.
so here is my idea:
At the amp in the back. splice the wires coming from the radio into the cross over and than splice the wires for the bass and mid, that run into the door, into the other end of the cross over.
As for the rear speakers just slice the output from the radio to the midbass(located in the rear deck)
This would eliminate the speakers in the rear door and the speakers by the mirrors.
Any ideas if that would work??
Any ideas on the colors of the wires to splice??

Bump
I want to do it tomorrow

No one knows about the amp??
couldnt do it today, woke up late and now its snowing

really no one?? come on guys. someone has to know something about this

Check the links I provided...its all there

Originally Posted by ultimatemj

Check the links I provided...its all there

so for the amp i would be ok doing that i guess.
By any chance you know which wire is for what? I cant seem to find a diagram for that.
Do i just leave the rest of the wires just hanging there(of course wrapped in electrical tape)

Originally Posted by michalt95

so i got the dash kit, radio and the kickers. for the back im planing to get Alpine SPE-6000 since they are in my budget and they seem pretty good for the price.
Now for the wiring. I plan to by pass the stock amp however by looking at the front door it would be hard to run the wires i think. Also i would have like no place to mount the crossover.
so here is my idea:
At the amp in the back. splice the wires coming from the radio into the cross over and than splice the wires for the bass and mid, that run into the door, into the other end of the cross over.
As for the rear speakers just slice the output from the radio to the midbass(located in the rear deck)
This would eliminate the speakers in the rear door and the speakers by the mirrors.
Any ideas if that would work??
Any ideas on the colors of the wires to splice??

Yes, wiring the doors is a pain. You can get great results just using the stock wiring. Mount the crossovers for the components in the trunk where the factory amp used to be. That way you can tap into the factory speaker wiring. You don't need the tiny rear door speakers - you will not miss them. Just mount your tweeters for those Kicker components in the front upper door / mirror location. Should sound really nice with a decent amp.

Here's how mine went in, with stock speaker wiring to keep things simple. This is the drivers side of the trunk sidewall, where the H/K amp used to reside:

http://specializedcaraudioinc.com/wp...-43-06_313.jpg

(This is just mocked up in the picture at this point, it's all neatly wrapped up at this point and behind the panel, very clean looking.)

I have the wire colors. I'll look...

Here is the wiring info:

http://forums.bimmerforums.com/forum....php?t=1403303

Good luck!

Originally Posted by RJDaly28

Yes, wiring the doors is a pain. You can get great results just using the stock wiring. Mount the crossovers for the components in the trunk where the factory amp used to be. That way you can tap into the factory speaker wiring. You don't need the tiny rear door speakers - you will not miss them. Just mount your tweeters for those Kicker components in the front upper door / mirror location. Should sound really nice with a decent amp.

Here's how mine went in, with stock speaker wiring to keep things simple. This is the drivers side of the trunk sidewall, where the H/K amp used to reside:

http://specializedcaraudioinc.com/wp...-43-06_313.jpg

(This is just mocked up in the picture at this point, it's all neatly wrapped up at this point and behind the panel, very clean looking.)

I have the wire colors. I'll look...

Originally Posted by RJDaly28

Here is the wiring info:

http://forums.bimmerforums.com/forum....php?t=1403303

Good luck!

Thanks a lot !!! This is what i was looking for and somehow couldnt find it. As for the rest of the wires do i just leave them??

Originally Posted by michalt95

Thanks a lot !!! This is what i was looking for and somehow couldnt find it. As for the rest of the wires do i just leave them??

Yeah, you can just leave them, but I'd wrap up any exposed copper with electrical tape to eliminate any possibility of a short.

This took me way longer than i expected. 3 days, total of 20 hours and still not 100% completed.

Made some brackets out of 3/4 mdf for the mids. Kicker DS 65.2.




For the tweeters used 1/4 mdf. Used a hole saw to cut out a circle so that it would fit into the stock housing and than drilled a hole in that that would fit the new tweeter.


Put it in and used some hot glue to hold it in place.


Completed. My goal was to make it look factory.


As for the wiring.
Door- cut the factory connectors and put on connectors that came with the speakers.


For the rear got some Alpine SPE-6000
Made 3 tabs out of 1/4 mdf to screw them in place.

Bypassed the stock amp (dont have a pic of that) have to clean it up a bit.

As for the radio. Its a Sony CDX-gt565up. Got the mounting kit off of ebay.
Here is where i ran into a small problem. I could not get the factory plug and the adapter into a place where the radio would slide in. I left it at this.


After a little thinking i figured that i could remove the center vent, then the whole bracket that holds the radio and climate control. After that i could move the factory plug above the bracket and below the center vent and then run the adapter back behind that and the radio could possibly fit. However i have to wait for warmer temperatures to come. Hands get too cold to work with the the plastics are very brittle so i figured the warm temperatures would loosen the up a bit.

Dude, I know you don't want to hear it...
You need to cut a hole in the door and mount the drivers directly to it...
Many have been down this path and the difference in bass response is HUGE!

P.S. Move your tweeters up and forward. Either to the mirrors or a-pillars...

just noticed how big those pictures are haha
keep in mind this set up was made without modifying anything in the car except for the connectors and the amp bypass. No cutting to the doors have been done which is what i wanted to do.
I want to think as this set up is a "Stage 1" of the audio upgrade.
As for cutting the hole in the door I do not think there is a need to for these speakers. I just did a trip (2 hours one way) and i gotta say i like how it sounds for now. This is without really playing around with the settings in the radio and the sub is still not in. I have to sit one day and play around with the radio and also when I put the sub in that is going to make a huge difference too. As for cutting the hole I want to wait until the sub is in and I will go from there.

finally got a box for the sub and picked up a wiring kit.
picking up an amp from a buddy to run this.
I got a couple questions though.
Do i need to run the "remote" (blue) wire from the radio to the amp? or is it not needed?
also would i need to buy a condensator or would it not draw too many amps?

yes you need to hook up the remote wire in order for the amp to turn on.

what is a condensator?

Hmm

Originally Posted by ccaudio1

yes you need to hook up the remote wire in order for the amp to turn on.

what is a condensator?

Wow haha what was i thinking writing that. I meant a capacitor lol facepalm

I would love to cut a hole in my doors and attach some mids to the actual frame. Hate the speakers dancing on my doorcards. Good job anyways op.

ah lol well to answer your question.. i for one dont believe on the use of capacitors. theory is that it stiffens the power to the sub amp ( a burst per say)


i would rather invest in a good battery. optima, kenetik (i have this), an a few others having highter amperage (cca). all made for upgraded stereo demands.