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      06-09-2012, 11:58 AM   #1
Fabio555
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Drives: X1 20d
Join Date: May 2012
Location: Italy

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Audio Upgrade on X1

Hi all,
I open this topic hoping to help someone to improve the poor audio system of our BMW X1.

My X1 is a s20d Futura and has the Business radio.

There are many option to improve the system, many people choose to install an audio dsp (like Audison Bit ten or Helix pdsp) connected to the source using speaker cables but i don't like this option for basicly 3 reasons:

-Many A/D D/A conversion.
-Poor quality of the Business source
-Noises caused by hi -level interface


SOURCE:
At the end i decided to install an aftermarket source, a Pioneer deh 80 prs
and create a parallel system that not need to remove the original source from the car because I installed the new source in the passenger compartment except the faceplate that i installed in the compartment at the center of the console. The faceplate is connnected to the source with a flat cable.
This basicly has many advantages:

-Integrated dsp that avoid multiple conversions
-CD,mp3,usb, Bluetooth,sd card reader all in one
-Hi level audio quality (Pioneer reference serie)
- Not loose the park sensors
- Not change the look of the console
- Invisible to the thefts

The Pioneer source is powered directly by the car battery, I took +12 and ground directly from the back so the ground is in the same point of the amplifiers ground, the switch on cable of the source is taken directly by the "cigar lighter" so the source is on only when engine is on.

AMPLIFERS:
I used for mid-hight section an Audison Lrx4.300 with the input stage modified using Burr Brown OPA, this amp is heavely modified and is completely different by a normal Lrx amplifier.
It assure a very precise soundstage reconstruction and a dettailled sound...really a great amp

I used for woofers a Zapco Z150s2, small amplifier but with a great midbass section.

Speakers:
Woofer: Rainbow w 200 xplain under the seats
Midrange: Res an100fco
Tweeter: Res Superdetector
There are many others possibilities, for example we can use a pair of udimension rm208sl under the seats or a Scan speak discovery midrage, we just look at the deepness od the speakers. I choose Res because are really good speakers and Rainbow because are a hight efficency, very fast and the price is good.

To install the woofer i create a wood structure composed by two layers of 19mm mdf wood, i dismounted the plastic box and tried to recreate a perfect structure (not nice to see ) but without vibrations and air loses.
I put a sheet of soundproofing material on the bottom of the box (under the speaker) and a gasket to avoid air loses between the wood and plastic. It sound very good, very deep bass and no resonance.

For the midrange i create a mdf support and another wood support on the front (better see the picture) and at the same put soundproof sheet on the back of the speaker.

The tweeter installation needed to modify the original support. i remove same plastic to have the necessary space from the tweeter. I used a dremel.

Last edited by Fabio555; 07-21-2012 at 02:19 PM..
Appreciate 0