Base Stereo Upgrade Questions

gnubbs · 09-01-2015, 08:04 PM

Hey everyone,

I am just getting started on my budget audio upgrades. The easy (smart?) route would just be to call up MusicarNW and have them set me up with something well thought out and ready to go. For me, that takes all the fun out of it - no troweling the forum classified sections (you might mistake it for trolling if you think my offers are lowballs), no cutting myself on sheet metal, no questionable workmanship that a future owner will shake their head at...

I have a base stereo system (no tweeters, no amp) with iDrive in my 2011 135i. For speakers (at least initially) I have L7 speakers all around (front mids + tweeters, rears, subs) in my garage to install. Tonight I got a very cheap Zapco DC 1000.4 and DRC-SL and all the associated wiring.

I am currently planning on just turning the rears all the way down at the HU, but want to keep my options open.

Long intro for two questions:
1 - If I get the Technic e82 Base 4/6 harness, can I still leave the rears connected to the stock HU?
2 - With that harness, do you have to run any wiring to the speakers? Or is it just from the HU to the amp? I would like to install all the speakers while I am waiting on my amps/harness - but don't want to have to tear apart my doors more than once.

Look forward to any advice / heckling.

reisf · 09-03-2015, 09:38 AM

Maybe i didn't read your post properly but why do you want to turn your rears all the way down?

I'm not familiar with any of the "technic" harnesses, but if it is what i think it is, it will go between the head unit and the quadlock connector to the car. Do you have any photos of it?

The way that i *think* it will work is that it will intercept the audio signals coming from the head unit, run them to the amp, get the post amp signals from the amp and return them to the factory wiring. So you won't need to run any wiring directly to the speakers themselves. You will need to recode your head unit to "HIFI" which will output low/balanced signals. This is really important because the base speakers are supremely crap and the head unit does A LOT of processing to compensate for this.

Your rear speakers will work fine with this implementation.

gnubbs · 09-03-2015, 09:59 AM

Thanks. General consensus seems to be that the 4" rear speakers provide next to nothing when it comes to sound in our cars - so I don't want to drop a bunch of cash on amplifying them for no reason. That is why a lot of folks just suggest turning them down all the way at the HU when you upgrade the fronts and add amps.

The Zapco amp I am installing has a DSP built in - so should be able to correct for the HU equalization without needing recoding.

reisf · 09-03-2015, 07:23 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by gnubbs

Thanks. General consensus seems to be that the 4" rear speakers provide next to nothing when it comes to sound in our cars - so I don't want to drop a bunch of cash on amplifying them for no reason.

Haha i have never come across anyone saying that, but how many channels are on that amp? Even so, amplifying them regardless would definitely yield a better result.

Quote:

Originally Posted by gnubbs

The Zapco amp I am installing has a DSP built in - so should be able to correct for the HU equalization without needing recoding.

Just trust me on this one, you will need to get your head unit recoded. It will make all the world of a difference

09-01-2015, 08:04 PM	#1
gnubbs Enlisted Member 2 Rep 42 Posts Drives: '11 135i Join Date: Oct 2013 Location: Lansdale, PA iTrader: (0)	Base Stereo Upgrade Questions Hey everyone, I am just getting started on my budget audio upgrades. The easy (smart?) route would just be to call up MusicarNW and have them set me up with something well thought out and ready to go. For me, that takes all the fun out of it - no troweling the forum classified sections (you might mistake it for trolling if you think my offers are lowballs), no cutting myself on sheet metal, no questionable workmanship that a future owner will shake their head at... I have a base stereo system (no tweeters, no amp) with iDrive in my 2011 135i. For speakers (at least initially) I have L7 speakers all around (front mids + tweeters, rears, subs) in my garage to install. Tonight I got a very cheap Zapco DC 1000.4 and DRC-SL and all the associated wiring. I am currently planning on just turning the rears all the way down at the HU, but want to keep my options open. Long intro for two questions: 1 - If I get the Technic e82 Base 4/6 harness, can I still leave the rears connected to the stock HU? 2 - With that harness, do you have to run any wiring to the speakers? Or is it just from the HU to the amp? I would like to install all the speakers while I am waiting on my amps/harness - but don't want to have to tear apart my doors more than once. Look forward to any advice / heckling.
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09-03-2015, 09:38 AM	#2
reisf Lieutenant 128 Rep 525 Posts Drives: LBB M2 Join Date: Sep 2014 Location: Sydney, Australia iTrader: (0)	Maybe i didn't read your post properly but why do you want to turn your rears all the way down? I'm not familiar with any of the "technic" harnesses, but if it is what i think it is, it will go between the head unit and the quadlock connector to the car. Do you have any photos of it? The way that i think it will work is that it will intercept the audio signals coming from the head unit, run them to the amp, get the post amp signals from the amp and return them to the factory wiring. So you won't need to run any wiring directly to the speakers themselves. You will need to recode your head unit to "HIFI" which will output low/balanced signals. This is really important because the base speakers are supremely crap and the head unit does A LOT of processing to compensate for this. Your rear speakers will work fine with this implementation.
	Appreciate 0 Quote

09-03-2015, 09:59 AM	#3
gnubbs Enlisted Member 2 Rep 42 Posts Drives: '11 135i Join Date: Oct 2013 Location: Lansdale, PA iTrader: (0)	Thanks. General consensus seems to be that the 4" rear speakers provide next to nothing when it comes to sound in our cars - so I don't want to drop a bunch of cash on amplifying them for no reason. That is why a lot of folks just suggest turning them down all the way at the HU when you upgrade the fronts and add amps. The Zapco amp I am installing has a DSP built in - so should be able to correct for the HU equalization without needing recoding.
	Appreciate 0 Quote