[e92smurf]

Just a quick post to thank everyone on the site esp robbie99, MOB, biscuits and gizze for their excellent posts on how to fit tweeters / take e92 doors apart. Without this site, the job would have been a nightmare.

I fitted the alpine hifi retrofit kit yesterday in my 2009 model year 320d m sport coupe which also has the new i drive and nav and all i can say is the sound is now fantastic, much much better than the harman kardon system I had in my old e46 even. Bass is now much much better, as is the sound stage etc, all i can say is allow plenty of time, it took over 6 hours to fit, the biggest pain was finding the cables in the door sills, what a pain in the behind, but the result is certainly worth it!

Anyone thinking of doing it, i would certainly recommend it!!!!

[AlanQS]

Great to hear! And welcome to the forums.

I don't suppose you took any pics of the install?...

[robbie99]

Great to hear and thanks for the mention! BTW my thanks need to go to gizze, MOB and biscuits - without their posts I wouldn't have attempted it either or even found out about the possibility to upgrade. Cheers lads.

[MOB]

Nice one, glad it sounds good

Just a shame that BMW allows such a crap standard setup to leave the factory!!

[gr4z]

Do peeps recommend the Alpine kit over anything else?

[MOB]

Originally Posted by gr4z

Do peeps recommend the Alpine kit over anything else?

For a relatively simple install, you need either;

- the Alpine Kit

- the Blaupunkt PnP Amp kit plus speakers of your choice

I haven't heard the Alpine kit yet, but I have the Blaupunkt, logic 7 tweeters and Earthquake SWS-8 subs and it sounds very nice so far.

[e92smurf]

I would say the Alpine kit for the money is excellent (£225 quid plus the money for the tweeter mounts less of course 10% discount on haggling with the dealer). Even if it had been fitted by the dealer ( approx another £300 quid hence doing it myself) I would still say it is worth it.

The tweeters lift the soundstage, the new mids seem the same as the logic 7 ones and provide much improved mid range at the front, and the power amp is brilliant, adding so much extra power to the under seat subs. Basically the amp is 4 channel with 2 feeding the subs and 2 feeding the mid/tweeters.

My wife used to have a 116i M Sport which had the hifi option (not logic 7) and this sound is far far better, much stronger, more authoritive and enjoyable to listen to.

Well worth the effort!! By the way AlanQS, did not take any pics on the install as was concentrating on wrecking an 8 week old motor!!!.....

[E92 LeMans]

I have a E92 330d without hi fi option and I am very interested in fitting the alpine upgrade.

I was going to go down the root of after market install from a local ice shop they recomended 3 way upgrade tweeters where you have put them mids in the door and lows under seat in a made up box which would cost over £500. they say they have done this before and make a real difference.

The appeal of the alpine upgrade is two thing the cost + my mate is bmw tech so no fitting cost + get his staff discount too. The thing that worries me is that it alpine stuff wont be good enough and how hard would it be to make better if was not happy with it?
If it brings the sound as good as hi fi upgrade from bmw will be happy ! as I had this in my previous car.

If my car does not have HiFi up grade will I have anything under my seats ie sub because the post above sayes he has?

Thanks in advance

[sheps]

The standard hi fi (which you have) still has the underseat enclosures.
From memory they have are fitted with 6.5" drivers, in lieu of the 8" drivers as fitted to the upgraded hi fi's.

The alpine upgrade is a great first step - something I will look to do in the New Year. The following step will be to replace the standard under-seat drivers with 8" earthquake shallow mount subs.

The Alpine upgrade alone should be a major improvement, but combined with the sub upgrade should be better than the factory upgrade and cost no more than £450.

[E92 LeMans]

Thanks for the speedy reply !! But would the alpine amp be up to powering the subs as well. Just incase I up grade them later ?

[sheps]

Well, it's a four channel amp, with the front components using two of these channels, so the subs have their own dedicated channels.

What I don't know however, is the specs of the map, so I don't know the output figures for sure.

The Earthquake subs are rated at 300w max, 150w RMS. I very much doubt that little Alpine amp will belt out 150w rms, but it should have enough to give them enough juice to make a worthy difference.

If you're going to do Alpine upgrade anyway I thikn it's a worthwhile step. Like I say, it's something I'll do early on in the new year, so you're more than welcome to come and have a listen when I'm done

[E92 LeMans]

Thanks for the offer Sheps!!!

I will porob get the kit ordered today and maybe fit over the weekend.

I will let you know how I get on.

Thanks for all the advice!

[sheps]

Originally Posted by E92 LeMans

Thanks for the offer Sheps!!!

I will porob get the kit ordered today and maybe fit over the weekend.

I will let you know how I get on.

Thanks for all the advice!

If you need a hand to fit, let me know.
Would be more than happy to help - between us we can knock up a blinding 'how to' and with double the manpower have plenty of time to get everything spot on.

[marriedblonde]

Mate if you can knock up a blinding how-to I would very much appreciate it as I am contemplating doing this.

J.

[roofer]

Originally Posted by marriedblonde

Mate if you can knock up a blinding how-to I would very much appreciate it as I am contemplating doing this.

J.

2nd ded

[Budgie]

Originally Posted by roofer

2nd ded

I Fink lol....only me and carsplosh will understand that

Up the Esswah

[E92 LeMans]

Originally Posted by sheps

If you need a hand to fit, let me know.
Would be more than happy to help - between us we can knock up a blinding 'how to' and with double the manpower have plenty of time to get everything spot on.

Wow I have only been a member less then a week and I am amazed by the helpfullness of the members on here and Sheps TOP BLOKE for offering to help me! Thanks for the kind offer. I am in a very lucky position that one of my mates is a BMW techy so I will let him do it last time I tried to do some thing on my X5 I caused more damaged took my mate longer to sort it out than doing the job would have taken in total.

I will try and take pictures as he does it.

Now how do I get one of those flash sigs ?

[strongdeo]

Originally Posted by marriedblonde

Mate if you can knock up a blinding how-to I would very much appreciate it as I am contemplating doing this.

J.

3rd ed

[roofer]

Now how do I get one of those flash sigs ?

They come automatically when you post your first photo install of stereo stuff.

[E92 LeMans]

My Alpine upgrade has been put back a cuple of weeks

My mate who orders the kit and fits it is of work due to jury service so no parts, I think they car know something is going to happen as stereo has seemed to sound better the last week strange huh ! Although this is at louder volumes. But when the install goes ahead I will take lots of pictures and try and make some helpfull comments then I can have my flash signiture.

[M3-FAST]

Originally Posted by E92 LeMans

Now how do I get one of those flash sigs ?

What flash sigs??

PS - looking forward to the install pics that you guys are planning to post - it is a mod that I really fancy doing, but with less than 6 months left with the car, not sure if I can be bothered to do it now, especially in the winter months

[RCUK]

Any more movement/advice on the alpine setup?

I used to spend £££ on car audio and swore this time id leave it all the same, 3 days in and im thinking the sound is in need of a major overhaul, but if i can do it on the cheap without a load of wiring work im well up for that!