stereo system upgrade

[jnike1414]

Hello all,

I'm new to this so please bear with me. I have a 96 328i conv. with the crappy oem stereo system. My 5.25" woofers are shot so I'm deciding to upgrade my system. This is what I'm thinking:

JL Audio VR Series components in the front and back.
(2) 8" Solo baric subs in the truck in a custom box.
Shearwood amp to power the subs and a sony amp for the speakers.
Also a Kenwood pre amp deck.

Please let me know what you think. People are suggesting the MB Quarts but they are pretty expensive. Also, I'm getting mixed feelings about the 2 8" subs. Think they'll be enough base?

Thanks guys..

 

[epj3]

Next time please post your stereo related stuff under the stereo topic

http://forum.bmwboard.com/forum/forumdisplay.php?s=&forumid=22

2 - 8" subs should be plenty. If you port them, they will sound boomier.

 

[bmw4life13]

sony amp??? i would stay away from sony amps. they have a tendency to go krappy. heck i would stay away from ANY sony car audio equip. they are of very poor quality. anyone who knows their stuff about car stereo's will tell you there are much better amps out there. try getting a rockford or alpine.

 

[KBoogie]

Ok, now this is right up my alley! I use to work for a big car stero shop.
First off.... GREAT DESCION going wiht JL. Its the best stuff out there. And if your going to go with 8's, they might as well be the L7 solobarics. But, psonally.... i would just go with a single 12...thats just personal preference though.
Like bmw4life13 says.. tay away from sony... espically amps... te make decent head units... and there subs/speakers arent THAT bad... But the amps.. wouldnt touch em...
Most amps dont put out the power that they claim.... But, if u want an amp that will but out MORE than it claims, and will be pretty much bullet proof?? You better spend the money and get a JL amp.... best amps out there.
and as far as headunits go...... Alpine! Once agian, best stuff out there.
as far as you box goes... i am not a 100% sure what the trunk of oa convert is like.. but if i anything like the trunk of my 328iS... a ported box wont be a bad idea.. if you dont mie keeping the back seats don... its ALOT louder with the seats down, due to the extra area for the air to move coming out of the ports. a ported box will make a sub wih tess power sound louder. I have a ported box i my 328 right now, and its pretty damn loud... it still sounds good with the seats up tho....
Just tryin to help!
If you have any questoins or need any advie on like places to get stuff at a right price, let me know man!
KB

 

[jnike1414]

KBoogie,

Thanks for the advice. I think I will go with the JL audio speakers. The kenwood deck, 8" subs, and amps I had already from a previous system in my truck. Because of finances, I will probably stick with the 8" subs and port them like everyone recommends, and I will stick with the shearwood to power the subs. I'm considering getting rid of the sony amp since everyone hates it!. What kind of JL audio amp would you recommend. I the 300/4 or the 450/4 to power the speakers. Also, do you know where to get it at a decent price?

Thanks again....

 

[bmw4life13]

well said Kboogie. i definitely agree with you!!! i might as well ask you this question since i've got you on this thread. is it possible to port my Rockford HE2 12" in the size 2 (medium) q-logic box? according to my crutchfield manual, the HE2 12" should be placed in a size 2 q-logic SEALED box. these boxes already have a built in ported site but i think the tube that came with it was too big to fit it and the sub together. any input would be greatly appreciated.

 

[MaTTerZ]

Ahh, stereo stuff. My favorite addition thus far to the bmw.

I got a JL 10W7 in a sealed box for the trunk, and an alpine cda 7894- 60wx4 and mp3 player with aux input <laptop for mp3's or movie sound from laptop>--and an alpine mrd m500 amp to power it up. It sounds awesome and is easily adjustable for different music, have gotten a lot of compliments from all sorts of people on the sound and most can't believe the interior speakers are still stock after the head unit replacement and addition of the sub, they sound MUCH better.

The box is also not too big leaving me enough space for golf clubs, bags, whatever to put in the trunk. See attached pic if you like. I don't particularly like the amp install though, and will probably try to have it done in a different way but it's in for now, they made a custom board that sits over the battery where the storage tray used to be. Sounded good in theory but didn't fit like I thought it would.

I was going to go with JL 8"s in rear but got too good a deal on the 10w7 to pass it up.($350+shipping on eBay) I've thought maybe when I upgrade the interior speakers I'll get the 8"s in the rear and keep the sub??? Madness! Let me know how that sounds for you-

For prices, check out eBay sellers. You can find some steals on there, and sometimes places around town will try to match their prices if you try to bargain with them.

Cheers,
Matt

 

[MaTTerZ]

Also liked the alpine b/c I could use the orange illumination buttons- see pic for how it blends in fairly well.

Enjoy whatever you get.

 

[bmw4life13]

damn!!!! you've got way more trunk space than me!!! my Rockford HE2 12" takes up almost my entire trunk. now i'm thinking that my q-logic box is probably way too big!! oh well can't do much about it know.

 

[KBoogie]

Ya, i am thinkin about selling my two JL 10w3v2's and going with either the 12w7 or the new 13W6.
And the interior speakers are good speakers. They are some of the best OEM speakers i have seen.
And as far as the Q-Logic boxes go, i have never really messed with them. I did a install for a friend with one, and that was the only time i ever messed with them, sorry man.
E-bay is a good place to find stero stuff for a good deal, ut if there is something ou cant find, check out onlinecarstero.com , they have prety good pries, not always as cheap as E-bay, but, a wide selection!
LAter!
KB

 

[kerph32]

To resurrect this thread... how much wattage should I look for to push my MB Quart reference speakers, front and rear?

 

[jszar]

for the sake of informative to anyone that reads this...

alpine is not the best, neither is JL. many factors play a role in every decision.


kerph32 - i wouldnt go more than 50-60 per speaker....to be on the safe side. and that would be at full volume, which you shouldnt do. also, make sure you get a good clean amplifier.

 

[kerph32]

Thanks jszar for the info.. so I need to look for an amp that has 50-60 watts x 4 channels? I know not to use peak wattage as a deciding factor but the 50-60 you're talking about, is that RMS? I have done a little research with this but not nearly enough to understand what 'type' of power is needed for the speakers.
Thanks!!
Mike

 

[SKycity_BMW]

Like Tim Allen say's "More power ! ! ! ! ! "LOL

 

[mstar]

Also liked the alpine b/c I could use the orange illumination buttons- see pic for how it blends in fairly well.

Enjoy whatever you get.

Mattterz what model Alpine is that?? blends in nicely with the dash

 

[bobby]

hi guys, i just recently bought a 93 318is. i wanna change the rear speakers but dunno how. can any one help me? i had a look at them throught the truck buck cant see and clips or screws, only two balck boxes that are right under the speakers.
any help would be greatly appreciated.