From digest.v7.n1446 Sat Apr 4 03:01:46 1998
From: BL <blevin_at_netcom.com>
Date: Fri, 3 Apr 1998 20:56:04 -0800 (PST)
Subject: RE: New 3-series: odd-sized radio annoyance

Jay Wille wrote:

"I really wrestled with using subs or not but I just can't see being without them after having them for a year. I am a Bass man."

Be aware that the rear trunks are VERY well sealed, and that you may want to allow as much air as possible to come thru into the cabin. The way I did this was to remove the rear speakers (you REALLY don't need them, if your fronts are clean enough; and besides, they only add weight (up high) and the weight of the extra amp power). Even with my Velodyne and a 400w mono amp, the only way I can get really clear and clean/loud bass is to fold down one or both of the rear seats! ;-) I'm even thinking of some kind of solenoid/relay/motor gizmo that would push the seat(s) down on-command, and then pull them back up when I park ;-)

"A 5 1/4 woofer in the kick panel and mid/tweeter in whichever whole it fits the best in."

Do use the kickpanel, but be prepared to ream the factory hole out a bit. I put some dynaudio 5.25 midbass drivers in there (I had them on-hand) and they fit very flush, behind the factory grills. Other drivers may stick out, so even though the dyns. are -very- expensive, they're arguably the best you can get, and they're -very- accurate (just cross them over for a range of 70hz (Highpass) and about 200hz (lowpass)).

"I think I will be able to fit both amps where the factory amp is but I am not sure"

Hard to do. Maybe try putting a crossover there, but that's about it. You'll need some ventillation for any serious amount of power, so hiding them in the factory hole is not the best idea ... Plus, the mounting is a bitch.

Whatever you do, DO plan to highpass the whole works (sans. sub) at 70hz or so. You'll have a much cleaner sound, and you'll minimize the woofer excursion, reducing the distortion and getting more out of the power amp.

FWIW, my setup is: dynaudio 5.25" in the kicks (with its own amp, 75w/ch); a/d/s/ 325is tweeter in the factory tweeter location and a/d/s 200i 4" midrange in the factory midrange location (both of these are passively crossed over, between them, with the stock a/d/s/ 200i xover). The mid/tweeter combo is feed by its own amp (a/d/s/ 40w/ch). The head unit is an eclipse, which fits VERY flushly with the front dash (unlike the new 3-series ...) ;-)

In the rear, I have a Velodyne 10" in a custom box (near where the factory amp was) powered by an Xtant 2200i (400w mono). I use a phoenix gold line driver to minimize preamp->amp noise pickup and some audiocontrol EQT 30-band equalizers. For the general system Highpass, (for the fronts) I have an audiocontrol 3xs (24db/octave - VERY nice isolation). Unfortunately, there's so much 'stuff' in the car, that I had to mount it all on a piece of carpeted wood, and lay it flat in the trunk ;-) On the plus side, its very removeable, its low and flat, so I don't loose all my trunk space, nothing is mounted on the rear deck, so there's no weight 'up high', and for competition events, I can remove the whole shootin works within a few minutes and I've reduced my weight by, oh, 100 pounds or so ;-)

So you can see why I'm annoyed at BMW in the latest 3-series; for folks who modify their audio system as much (or more) than some modify their engines/suspension, to me, BMW took a step backward in 'locking us in' to their poor choice of sound system. Removing -choice- is a bad thing - might as well own a Chevy (gawk!)

• -- '95 M3, dinan toys, etc ;-)