I mean seriously... how hard is it to add aftermarket amp to stock premium sound?

xjeeper · 04-23-2009, 09:17 PM

I have the premium 10 speaker (hifi, not carver) stereo in my car. I took it to my local car audio place along with a printout of this http://users.telenet.be/AcousticSolu...navigation.htm . After fooling with the car for some time, they determined that the webpage had some errors in the labeling of the wires (perhaps the wiring is different in the hifi vs the carver?). Anyways.... apparently it is a huge PITA to get my amp to work..... something about the crossovers being inside the factory amp, no way to access them so I wouldnt be able to send the correct signals to the correct speakers due to the way BMW has the tweeters and woofers crossed and the mids crossed some other way.... (I forget exactly what the deal was).

My question is..... is it REALLY that hard to hook up an aftermarket amp to control all of the stock speakers? I know a sub amp is a piece of cake, but I want a full range amp. I just want to give the stock speakers more power to work with. Is that too much to ask for???

xg3 · 04-27-2009, 10:54 AM

pretty damn hard

S2peed · 05-04-2009, 02:19 PM

My factory mids are already gone, so if the factory amp blew my mids you can be sure with a aftermarket amp the factory speakers won't last.

nickpapa · 05-04-2009, 02:53 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by xjeeper

I know a sub amp is a piece of cake, but I want a full range amp. I just want to give the stock speakers more power to work with. Is that too much to ask for???

a sub amp and a a full range amp will be installed the same exact way. so one is not easier than the other. the only difference is that you only have to wire 1 speaker rather than multiple.

if you bought a 4 channel amp you would need to run wiring to each individual speaker and you would need to purchase a line out converter if you plan on keeping the stock headunit.

in my opinion since the stock speakers are 10ohm speakers (if i recall correctly), it would be useless to add an aftermarket amplifier unless you were changing the stock speakers.

strokeZ · 05-05-2009, 11:25 AM

Nick - even if you dont keep the stock head unit dont you need to keep amp functionality for the antenna to still work properly? Best way (IMHO) is to install a new headunit with speakers and run one or more amps. Connect a line out converter downstream of the amp (such as cleansweep or similar) and then run to amps then out to new speakers. I dont have the fiber optic system but still have to replace speakers if I want to hook up for instance a new set of subs. Its obvious BMW designed this system to make it very costly to upgrade with after market components.....

nickpapa · 05-05-2009, 12:55 PM

yes strokeZ the amp cant be removed or you'll have no radio reception.

your recommendation is probably the best one except iyou wouldnt need the line out converters. if you dont plan on running any of the speakers off of the headunit, then you def dont need the line out converters since the speakers would be connected directly from the new amp (along with the RCA's to the headunit). but even if you planned on running the stock speakers off of the headunit, you would have to run the wiring from the headunit to each speaker (this is how i ended up doing it).

prophetx2 · 05-14-2009, 09:21 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by nickpapa

yes strokeZ the amp cant be removed or you'll have no radio reception.

your recommendation is probably the best one except iyou wouldnt need the line out converters. if you dont plan on running any of the speakers off of the headunit, then you def dont need the line out converters since the speakers would be connected directly from the new amp (along with the RCA's to the headunit). but even if you planned on running the stock speakers off of the headunit, you would have to run the wiring from the headunit to each speaker (this is how i ended up doing it).

Hi Nick,

I'm thinking about adding an aftermarket navigation/bluetooth/etc to my car and I'm more than satisfied with the speakers in the roadster (it's not like we're setup for a good sound stage anyways..).

The z4 roadster has the premium package which I assume has the 10 speaker/dsp (at least it has dsp in the business cd radio settings). What would be the best way to KEEP the 10 speakers with the new headunit without buying an external amp (i realllllllly don't want to lose trunk space here..).

04-23-2009, 09:17 PM	#1
xjeeper Private 3 Rep 58 Posts Drives: M3 Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: Mandeville, LA iTrader: (0)	I mean seriously... how hard is it to add aftermarket amp to stock premium sound? I have the premium 10 speaker (hifi, not carver) stereo in my car. I took it to my local car audio place along with a printout of this http://users.telenet.be/AcousticSolu...navigation.htm . After fooling with the car for some time, they determined that the webpage had some errors in the labeling of the wires (perhaps the wiring is different in the hifi vs the carver?). Anyways.... apparently it is a huge PITA to get my amp to work..... something about the crossovers being inside the factory amp, no way to access them so I wouldnt be able to send the correct signals to the correct speakers due to the way BMW has the tweeters and woofers crossed and the mids crossed some other way.... (I forget exactly what the deal was). My question is..... is it REALLY that hard to hook up an aftermarket amp to control all of the stock speakers? I know a sub amp is a piece of cake, but I want a full range amp. I just want to give the stock speakers more power to work with. Is that too much to ask for??? __________________ Interlagos Blue over black extended leather E86 M coupe. 0-60 in 4.21 (calculated from E.T.) 1/4 mile in 13.1 @ 106. Bone stock.
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04-27-2009, 10:54 AM	#2
xg3 Private First Class 5 Rep 145 Posts Drives: Was 03 Z4, now 10 GTI Join Date: May 2008 Location: Toronto iTrader: (0)	pretty damn hard
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05-04-2009, 02:19 PM	#3
S2peed Second Lieutenant 23 Rep 240 Posts Drives: 07 Black Z4MC Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: NYC (shaolin) iTrader: (1)	My factory mids are already gone, so if the factory amp blew my mids you can be sure with a aftermarket amp the factory speakers won't last.
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05-05-2009, 11:25 AM	#5
strokeZ Private First Class 9 Rep 165 Posts Drives: '11 e92 M3 6MT Join Date: Mar 2009 Location: Houston, TX iTrader: (0)	Nick - even if you dont keep the stock head unit dont you need to keep amp functionality for the antenna to still work properly? Best way (IMHO) is to install a new headunit with speakers and run one or more amps. Connect a line out converter downstream of the amp (such as cleansweep or similar) and then run to amps then out to new speakers. I dont have the fiber optic system but still have to replace speakers if I want to hook up for instance a new set of subs. Its obvious BMW designed this system to make it very costly to upgrade with after market components.....
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05-05-2009, 12:55 PM	#6
nickpapa First Lieutenant 23 Rep 374 Posts Drives: Z4 3.0 Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: North Jersey iTrader: (3)	yes strokeZ the amp cant be removed or you'll have no radio reception. your recommendation is probably the best one except iyou wouldnt need the line out converters. if you dont plan on running any of the speakers off of the headunit, then you def dont need the line out converters since the speakers would be connected directly from the new amp (along with the RCA's to the headunit). but even if you planned on running the stock speakers off of the headunit, you would have to run the wiring from the headunit to each speaker (this is how i ended up doing it).
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