REVIEW: JL XD600/6V2 + HK Speaker/Subs

[rocksarntpeople]

This is mostly a review of the speakers vs the amp as Ive seen a bunch of posts (although nothing super current) about amping the HiFi system using the standard Technic style harness and a good 6 channel amp, however I couldn't really find any info on weather replacing the speakers with specifically the HK/L7 ones would get a good result. It seems that most people either leave the HiFi speakers in place, or replace everything with aftermarket, well I'm here to say that before going aftermarket, I would seriously consider this relatively cheap upgrade as a serious option and here's why:

Original Setup:
2008 BMW 135i w/ Hifi

New Setup:
Technic PnP Harness, JL XD600/6v2 Amp, Full HK/L7 system (doors, woofers, rear decks, front and rear tweeters)

HARNESS: PnP Harness

You need this. Period. Unless you want to cut up your factory harness to get the same result, but for $60 why bother. Its a BMW, don't be cheap


AMP: JL XD600/6v2

I won't go too much into detail on this, as its pretty much the gold standard for this setup. There are technical reasons to use the amp, but again, not part of the review process. There are write-ups on how to wire it to the battery junction box (which I recommend for a clean OEM style setup) and I am working out a good baseline for the settings, but have it pretty well dialed in for what I like.

PROS:
-This thing is loud. Full Stop. Roughly 2-3 times the power of the factory amp
-When dialed in provides crystal clear sound at high volumes and a great mixing of highs, mids and lows while adding some punch out of the factory seat woofers that probably isn't possible without it
-Supports a multitude of setups so you can add things later if you'd like
-Can be tuned to your liking
-Small form factor providing a bunch of mounting options

CONS:
-This thing is expensive. I was lucky enough to get a good deal on eBay, but they don't seem to come up often. But hey, you get what you pay for I say.
-A tad power hungry as I did notice that the idle compensates by moving up 100 RPM as if the AC were on. This also could be the result of a 4 year old AGM battery, but I figured it was still worth mentioning.

DRIVERS: HK/L7 10 Speaker System out of an E82

So I chose the HK speakers mainly due to quality of the name (weather that means anything IRL who knows), OEM fitment and PRICE

PROS:
-Replaces all original speakers in OEM locations
-Much clearer and fuller even when utilizing the factory HiFi amp*
-Super cheap. I paid $230 for the whole set on eBay which included the door pods with the logos on them. For reference the Bavsound speakers are like $250 just for the fronts alone and while they may be better overall, for the price here, I really don't think you will find better.

CONS:
-A tad lacking in the mid-bass area but Im currently still tuning the setup so that may change
-You won't get huge car shaking bump out of these, its just not gonna happen.
-*Cant run the HK subs with the HiFi amp as the impedance is higher and will likely burn the amp out. Impedance is lower on the HK speakers and thus allows for a little more sound, but technically not matched properly

The Good Stuff:

I think this is a very solid, budget friendly upgrade. The power and clarity over the HiFi setup is night and day. Very well defined highs, mids and lows as well as a fair bit of extra punch out of the floors that definitely was not present before.

I am currently tuning this little by little, but I find where it is to be almost perfect for the different types of music I listen to (Rock, EDM, Symphonic, etc.).

As stated, this will not shake the mirrors off the car or make your neighbors hate you, but it gets very very loud and ramps up nicely as the volume increases (highs get higher, mids get fuller, bass gets punchier).

FINAL THOUGHTS:

For around $250 (at least for the speakers) this is honestly a no brainer if your just looking for better, clearer, fuller sound. The amp makes things more expensive, but if you're savvy, you can do the whole thing like I did for around $600 which is a dead ringer.

The over-all sound stage vs the standard HiFi is just night and day and the HK speakers (call them junk if you'd like) add some needed wattage overhead (as Im pretty sure you'd end up blowing the factory HiFi speakers sooner rather than later) and much needed clarity when pushing things harder than intended.

With some proper tuning you can get crisp clear highs, full clear mid range, and some decent punch all without breaking the bank. Yes, Im sure the aftermarket will get you more, but will also cost 2-3 times as much.

VERDICT: 4.5*/5* - hey, nothings perfect

Any questions, feel free to post em up.