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      03-08-2022, 09:12 AM   #1
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Looks familiar, Isudar "Ghost" Subs

Identical specs and the text of the ad is almost verbatim from the Bavsound web site.

$273.41 US

At half the price, Bavsound should be either pissed or scared, or both.

https://www.isudar.com/products/isud...39471936077906

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      06-07-2022, 11:06 AM   #2
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Thanks for the tip, just pulled the trigger on the works. Subs and f+r speakers and tweeters ran me $624 + $56 for shipping from the EU. Will report back once I get 'em in.
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      06-08-2022, 08:19 AM   #3
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Papa Popov View Post
Thanks for the tip, just pulled the trigger on the works. Subs and f+r speakers and tweeters ran me $624 + $56 for shipping from the EU. Will report back once I get 'em in.
Did a bit more digging and it looks like Isudar's midrange offerings (at least what they sell on their site) aren't the same as Bavsound and BimmerTech. Their 4" appear to be a flush mount which will work for the rear, but the fronts for our cars are 4" offset mount which they don't offer. Both Bavsound and BimmerTech use 4" f+r. I ordered a set of the 4.5" which are offset mount (and are listed as compatible w/ the E81 on their site) and hoping for the best. I've seen reports of people using up to 5", and the depth of the Isudar is 47mm which shouldn't interfere w/ the windows. Match also recommends their -FRT.1 models (4.65" OD) for the front, -FRT.3 models (OD 4") for the rear so I'm hoping I'm in the clear.

Tweeters (25mm) and subs (8", 2 ohm) seem to be fine, but we'll see how things play out when I receive em.

EDIT: I think Bavsound and BimmerTech list the size of the actual driver, while Isudar lists the OD of the case. The 4" and 4.5" appear to have the same driver and are just variants of the same model.

The Isudar kit's numbers line up w/ the BimmerTech equivalent. Bavsound doesn't provide actual numbers, as stated above the item description is pretty much copy pasted from their site so I'm gonna jump the gun and say that all 3 are the same on the inside.

Last edited by Papa Popov; 06-08-2022 at 10:11 AM..
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      06-20-2022, 07:43 PM   #4
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My Isudar stuff came in a couple days ago. Won't have a chance to install for a few weeks since I'm in the middle of moving.

Everything looks consistent with Bavsound based on the pics I've found of their speakers and packaging. I'll try to grab some pics if anyone wants to do their own comparison.
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      06-30-2022, 09:48 AM   #5
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Had a chance to install my Isudar tweeters and mids this morning. Need to grab a T50 to install the subs so the comments below only pertain to the speakers.

Based off of recent pics and vids of Bavsound stuff, the Isudar kit is identical in packaging and design with a couple cosmetic differences. The branding is obviously different, the wires are purple, and the connectors aren't color coded. Here's an album with a few quick pics of each piece.
View post on imgur.com


Install was the same as any other PnP speaker kit and was pretty easy. Broke a couple clips on one door card and the rears were a pain in the ass to get in but other than that it was smooth sailing, taking about 2 hours total. Only gripes are the connectors on the mids are identical with no way of identifying which goes to power and which does to the tweeter and that the female connectors for the mids are on wires instead of being integrated into the speaker like OEM. These wires are too damn long and make a mess. They were even pushing the rear mids out of their cubby until I got the bolts back in. Minor issues though given that I got everything working on the first attempt. I either got insanely lucky or the power and tweeter connectors are reversible. If that's the case my first gripe is moot.

As for performance, these things are pretty damn good. I'm no audiophile but this kit is a significant step up from my stock HiFi setup with a Bavsound Revenant amp. The difference isn't as significant as it was going from the stock amp to the Revenant, but the difference is definitely noticeable. The soundstage is wider, highs are significantly more crisp, and the mids added a noticeable amount of bass. The sound just feels fuller and more substantial. Bavsound has a tune for their speakers and subs preloaded on their amp, so once I get the subs installed I'll give that a whirl.

Given the performance I'm gonna go out on a limb here and say that these aren't shitty Chinese clones, and that Isudar is selling the same stuff as Bavsound for half the price. Last I checked the works from Bavsound was ~$1250. My kit from Isudar was ~$680 shipped, but their dumbass site doesn't tell you that the tweeters come in pairs (you have to select single or pair for the mids) so I bought 2 sets of each (If anyone wants to buy front and rear tweets lemme know). If you aren't a moron like me the total for everything is closer to $590. Its also worth noting that you'll get hit with a foreign transaction fee even if you use Paypal, so once again don't be a moron like me and use a card with no FTFs.

Will try to install the subs later today. Will report back on those and how the whole setup performs using the Revenant tune designed for a full Bavsound setup.

Here's all of the crap I ordered
View post on imgur.com

Last edited by Papa Popov; 06-30-2022 at 09:57 AM..
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      06-30-2022, 11:01 PM   #6
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Just got the subs in, pics below. Parts are identical to Bavsound's equivalent as far as I can tell. No drama with the install, just a lot of damn screws you have to get out while holding the seats up.
View post on imgur.com


Performance is pretty much the same deal as with the speakers. Sound is clearer, crisper, punchier, etc. etc. insert audiophile buzzwords here. Just look up reviews of Bavsound or BimmerTech stuff and the same will apply. All I can say is that when you crank the volume up you unlock an ass massage feature that our cars lacked from the factory. Also excited for the speakers and subs to break in as I'm sure they'll only get better with time. One thing to note - after installing the subs it was pretty clear that the balance between mids/highs and bass was pretty outta whack with just the upgraded speakers installed. Personally, I'd start with an amp then go all or nothing with speakers and subs to maintain the balance.

I also swapped the tune on my Bavsound Revenant amp from the stock Hi-Fi to the tune for their full kit. Really hard to describe the change, but it just took all of the improvements the hardware made and cranked it up to 11. Weird that the Bavsound kit tune jives so well with another brand's hardware. Wonder why that is

TLDR: Isudar's stuff is the real deal. I wouldn't waste my money on Bavsound (or BimmerTech) when you can get the same stuff for less than half the price.
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      07-04-2022, 11:04 AM   #7
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One last post about this stuff cause I forgot to add pics of the packaging.

From what I've seen, the box sizes, packaging methods, etc. are the same and they all say "The road is waiting, what's your soundtrack?". The product names are identical on the subs (8" Ghost Understeat Woofers" with the same Berthold Auerback quote as Bavsound, pretty damning) and tweets (tweeter pair - 25mm silk dome tweeter) but a bit different on the mids. The Bavsounds say midrange driver pair - curvilinear cone + fiberglass weave + ferrite motor structure while the Isudars say neodymium midrange paip (yes pair is misspelled) - curvilinear cone + fiberglass weave + silk composite dome.

I'm till standing by my original conclusion that this is the same shit with different branding, but do your own research and draw your own conclusions. LMK your thoughts or if you have any questions.
View post on imgur.com
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      07-19-2022, 07:59 AM   #8
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UPDATE: Okay, so poking around on the Interwebs, I find that it is glued into the enclosure so I will have to order new enclosures.

So, Papa Popov, I ordered the Isudar subs and have a question on installation that maybe you can help with since you just recently did the upgrade. I have the old sub out but how do I get it out of the plastic enclosure? I see two tabs on either side but releasing those does not seem to loosen anything. I don't see any screws holding it in. Are those two plastic tabs all there is? Is it possibly glued down? Trying not to break anything but not seeing how to separate the speaker from the enclosure. TIA!
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      07-19-2022, 03:35 PM   #9
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So I also ordered the Isudar speakers for the doors, rear, and subwoofers. Installed the door and rear speakers today but will have to wait for more parts for the subwoofers. I would say "Wow, what a difference!" except that anything would have been an improvement on what was in the car.

When I bought it last October, it had no stereo at all, just a big empty hole. I put in a single DIN JVC unit I had on the workshop shelf (pulled out of my daughter's '98 Acura when it got rear-ended and totaled a few years ago). Last month I put in a CarNaviPlayer Android unit and am enjoying it.

Speakers, though, were still a problem - the car only had speakers in the doors, cheap mis-matched, a Pioneer and something else I've never heard of. Nothing in the rear. So, just having four good speakers is a significant step up.

I have no experience with BavSound but from what I've seen/read, their stuff is high quality. These Isudar speakers seem pretty good for significantly less.
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