DSP (Top HIFI) retrofit DIY for E39 sedan without navigation

[vinyldude]

These DIY instructions describe how to retrofit DSP audio (Top HIFI) components into a E39 sedan that has the normal HIFI audio option and no navigation. In other words, the vehicle does not have a navigation monitor, the multi-information display does not have the DSP button, and in the trunk there is an amplifier that looks like this.

https://www.google.com/search?site=i...&q=65128374535

If you can obtain a full DSP harness and you are willing to have an effort to replace the whole existing harness in your car with a new one, most of this description does not apply to you. That would be an alternate way to accomplish the same and you would not need to worry about any connectivity issues. But, exchanging the whole harness is pain, unless you already have the interior of the car removed due to some other reason.

The method here is to keep using the existing harness, but to build an adaptor between the existing connectors in the trunk and a DSP amplifier that will be added. The benefit is that you don't need to touch the existing wiring. If you build this using connectors, it will be easy to restore it back to how it originally was if needed. Your dear 2003 540i/6 will remain unmolested, it will keep the OEM look and feel and you can enjoy better audio quality. Best of all worlds, right? The downside is that you need to be inclined to build your own adaptor harness using some of the connectors from the DSP harness.


These are the new items that you need.


AMPLIFIER HIFI DSP 65126940977


SUBWOOFERBOX TOP-HIFI SYSTEM 65136908549
Expanding nut x4 63171367868
Fillister head self-tapping screw x4 07147137416
(This new subwoofer box will go under the parcel shelf in the trunk.)


MULTI INFORMATION DISPLAY with DSP button
(There are some reports that this would not be absolutely needed, but you only would be able to use the default DSP audio settings and not able to change them.)


TRUNK SUBWOOFER TRIM PANEL 51478211952
Expanding rivet x? 51498166702
(Optional items for those of you who care about the looks. I so far haven't bothered to cover the subwoofer box myself. Having this trim panel installed will take up some additional trunk space on top of what the subwoofer box itself already does.)


REAR LEFT LOUDSPEAKER 65138369067
REAR RIGHT LOUDSPEAKER 65138369068
LEFT FRONT DOOR LOUDSPEAKER BOX 65138369065
RIGHT FRONT DOOR LOUDSPEAKER BOX 65138369066
(If you care to have the very same DSP sound quality as a car that was built with this option from the factory, you need to replace the woofer-type speaker elements both in the rear parcel shelf, and behind the front door panels with appropriate ones. The DSP audio speakers have orange stickers and are 8 ohm. The normal speakers have blue or green stickers and are 4 ohm. The mid-range and tweeter elements are the same with both DSP and DSP-less options. I would consider this speaker replacement optional and it is mostly a matter of personal taste whether it makes a difference.)


Pin contact with wire x4 61130005198
(You will need to add some new pins to the SES plugin. Getting the pins from the dealer with this part number is probably the easiest option.)


Subwoofer cable connector
+
DSP amplifier cable connectors (3)
(You need these from the DSP harness to build connections to the DSP amp and the subwoofer box. If you are lucky, the DSP amplifier and the subwoofer box you bought from eBay came with these connectors as someone just cut the wires.)


HIFI amplifier male connectors (2)
(The idea is to use these to connect to the cable connectors in the trunk. You can extract these from the from the existing HIFI amplifier. You will most likely throw the amplifier away anyway.)


Here are the connections you need to establish to the three connectors that plug into the DSP amplifier. The way this is organized is the following.

X18771		X605
X18772	<---------------->	X606
X18773		X10390
		X18774

So on the other side of the adaptor harness you need to build are the three DSP amplifier connectors
X18771 (DSP amplifier, 15 pin)
X18772 (DSP amplifier, 18 pin)
X18773 (DSP amplifier, 26 pin).
The signals that connect to these come from four different connectors. The first three are already in your trunk, and you will be adding the fourth one (the subwoofer connector).
X605 (HIFI amplifier connector, 12 pin)
X606 (HIFI amplifier connector, 26 pin)
X10390 (SES connector, 26 pin)
X18774 (Subwoofer connector)

If you don't care about the telephone signals, you don't need to use the SES connector at all. But in this case you would still need to get the I-bus signal from someplace else. You could alternatively get it for instance from the CD changer 3 pin connector.


X18771 - DSP amplifier 15 pin connector

X18771
1	Subwoofer SP1 +	-> X18774-2
2	Subwoofer SP2 +	-> X18774-4
3	Left rear woofer +	-> X605-11
4	Radio ON	-> X605-2
5	Right rear woofer -	-> X605-6
6	Subwoofer SP4 -	-> X18774-11
7	Subwoofer SP3 -	-> X18774-9
8	V+	-> X605-1
9	Subwoofer SP1 -	-> X18774-3
10	Subwoofer SP2 -	-> X18774-5
11	Left rear woofer -	-> X605-12
12	Right rear woofer +	-> X605-5
13	Subwoofer SP4 +	-> X18774-10
14	Subwoofer SP3 +	-> X18774-8
15	GND	-> X605-3

X18772 - DSP amplifier 18 pin connector

X18772
1
2	TEL -	-> X10390-25
3
4
5	I-bus	-> X10390-21
6
7
8	Right radio -	-> X606-1
9	Left radio -	-> X606-4
10
11	TEL +	-> X10390-26
12
13	TEL MUTE	-> X10390-22
14
15
16
17	Right radio +	-> X606-2
18	Left radio +	-> X606-3

X18773 - DSP amplifier 26 pin connector

X18773
1	Left front woofer +	-> X605-7
2	Left front woofer -	-> X605-8
3
4	Right front mid -	-> X606-9
5	Left front mid +	-> X606-25
6
7
8
9	Right front mid +	-> X606-8
10	Left front mid -	-> X606-26
11	Right rear tweeter +	-> X606-12
12	Right front tweeter +	-> X606-23
13	Right front woofer +	-> X605-9
14	Left front tweeter +	-> X606-21
15	Left front tweeter -	-> X606-22
16	Left rear tweeter -	-> X606-11
17
18
19	Left rear tweeter +	-> X606-10
20
21
22
23
24	Right rear tweeter -	-> X606-13
25	Right front tweeter -	-> X606-24
26	Right front woofer -	-> X605-10

In addition, if you mess with the SES connector and care about the telephone wiring, you need to maintain the following connections inside the SES plug. Otherwise, the phone microphone will not be connected correctly.

X10390
8	MIC -	10
9	MIC +	11

Installing the subwoofer box happens inside the trunk, underneath the parcel shelf. As a prerequisite, you need to punch open two pre-cut holes in the metal trunk ceiling. You will notice there are two sizes for the pre-cut holes. Open the smaller ones that match the tubes in the subwoofer box. The bigger ones are for the M-audio subwoofer elements.
After this, put the expanding plastic nuts into the correct holes, and attach the subwoofer box with screws.

Replacing the multi-information display is easy, and there are plenty of instructions available elsewhere. First you pull out the adjustment knob, which reveals a small hole underneath the knob, on top of the shaft. Use a small screwdriver or hex key through the hole to release the fastening mechanism. After this one can simply pull the whole display out.

If you decide to go through the effort to replace the speaker elements with the correct ones, Bentley has good instructions on how to take out the front door panels and the parcel shelf top. Opening the door panels is easy, but get some new plastic clips that hold the door panels in place ready since it will be relatively easy to break some of those.
Removing the parcel shelf top liner is more involved, and requires one to take the whole rear passenger seat out first.
I consider this speaker replacement optional. The difference in sound is in my option noticable, but it is a matter of personal preference which one you will prefer. The DSP speaker elemements in doors and the parcel shelf produce less volume than the non-DSP ones (obviously since those are 8 ohm vs. 4 ohm), which will result in slightly different balance between different audio frequencies. The non-DSP elements provide louder, more mid-rangy, at your face sound. Not sure though if the DSP amplifier is designed to handle the difference in speaker load, though.

There is no need to perform any coding for the MID or the DSP amplifier. Everything seems to be plug-and-play.

[AquilaBMW]

First and foremost - THANKS for posting this thread. Do you by any chance have any images to help with this retro fit? Any idea if this would work for a car that has Navigation and the display screen? Would it be the same amp used or would one need a DSP based amp from a car that had both DSP and Nav?

[vinyldude]

You need these 3 DSP amplifier connectors to build the adaptor harness.
Aka
X18771, 15 pin
X18772, 18 pin
X18773, 26 pin

[AquilaBMW]

So, pull the connectors to the amp from a DSP equipped car....

[vinyldude]

These are the two HIFI amplifier connectors already in your trunk, aka X605 (12 pin) and X606 (26 pin).
You can see how I built my own adaptor harness using the male-counterparts extracted from the HIFI amp (which later got tossed away). Inside the amp the two male connectors are on a PCB, which I wrapped into my own connector box.


- - - Updated - - -

The SES plug, where I added pins and wires to get the missing telephone signals and I-bus to the DSP amplifier.


- - - Updated - - -

The backside of the adaptor harness box I came up with. The HIFI amp connectors are on the other side of the PCB. With the header soldered on the board, it was pretty easy to connect all the necessary wires.


- - - Updated - - -

First and foremost - THANKS for posting this thread. Do you by any chance have any images to help with this retro fit? Any idea if this would work for a car that has Navigation and the display screen? Would it be the same amp used or would one need a DSP based amp from a car that had both DSP and Nav?

My understanding is that the audio components, and thus the interfacing, would be the same with and without navigation. I guess my caveat that this DIY would not apply to a car with navigation is not really warranted. But this wasn't tried-and-trued on a navi car.

[BavarianE31]

I'd love to complete this mod with the addition of better speakers in the doors and m-audio in the back... You live in Renton! Maybe you'll be willing to help a fellow member out if he runs into problems?

[vinyldude]

Yes, of course!! Let me know if you run into problems, or have any questions. I'm also not too far away to offer help. Sorry that this description isn't much of a walk-through, but hopefully can get you started.

[Yambo Makulele]

I just purchased a 525i with a DSP HIFI system, I am going to be removing most of its components except the speakers and use an aftermarket amp and head unit. I live in sweden though so I dont know how shipping is, any interest?

[BavarianE31]

I heard that the M-Audio Subs only work with DSP? Is that true? Ideally I'd want to keep my wiring harness but upgrade my amp, headunit, rear deck speakers and front door speakers. Want M-audios in the back....

[vinyldude]

I heard that the M-Audio Subs only work with DSP? Is that true?

M-Audio was the option S752A. Based on realoem.com it came with the DSP amplifier.

[BMWPlanetDude]

Nobody needs oem dsp though...

[AquilaBMW]

Nobody needs oem dsp though...

The world needs DSP!!!!

[BMWPlanetDude]

The world needs DSP!!!!

I said OEM, nothing wrong with DSP. Just not worth putting the OEM one in.

[vinyldude]

I said OEM, nothing wrong with DSP. Just not worth putting the OEM one in.

Each have their own. There are already countless opinionated discussion threads about the DSP audio option. I was kind of hoping this would not turn into one.

[geargrinder]

Nobody needs oem dsp though...

I was wondering about this... Usually the OEM DSP gets a lotta hate. I have it, neither impressed nor appalled.

I kinda sorta thought about the GAS crossover DSP delete setup but its too much work for the bene for me I think...

[AquilaBMW]

I said OEM, nothing wrong with DSP. Just not worth putting the OEM one in.

Was just joking

- - - Updated - - -

Each have their own. There are already countless opinionated discussion threads about the DSP audio option. I was kind of hoping this would not turn into one.

I Agree 100%. I like it, I would like to get it and it's good to know the option exists to retro fit it. Just gotta figure out how to do it with a NAV system. Does anyone have information on how to retro fit this actually running the harness with the interior out? Would nice to have options in addition to the information from Vinyl

[vinyldude]

Usually the OEM DSP gets a lotta hate.

People who hate it are infidels!! I love my audio the way the BMW Gods created it.

[Dking078]

People who hate it are infidels!! I love my audio the way the BMW Gods created it.

Everyone needs oem dsp in their lives (if you already have it)!

Too muck work to gut it and too much too retrofit it if ya ask me!

[Samsam15]

I did this for someone and it went great. It sounds wonderful and your wiring was spot on, but I have some hints. First, you can salvage a 12 pin that can work with the amp plug from behind the amplifier it will be whitish and you will have to modify it a bit with a knife cutting out some of the coding elements, I pulled all my parts from a parts car so finding the pins with wires to go in the connector was somewhat of a challenge but they all do exist somewhere in the car. When it comes to the MID you really do want to change it, when I put mine in the dumb echo was stuck on and needed the DSP MID to turn off, the EQ is also very nice. Conveniently enough I have found out how to add DSP to any MID https://www.bimmerforums.com/forum/s...-X5-MID-to-DSP so you don't need to buy a new one.

[vinyldude]

I'm glad you verified this description. I remember I wrote it from my hand written notes and was hoping there wouldn't be any mistakes.

Great info on what the real difference between DSP and non-DSP MIDs is. I have to try to convert my old MID to DSP version, since it could be easier than fixing pixels in the DSP one I have.

[Samsam15]

Nice, make sure to grab some photos and if you need any help feel free to ask. And you did a great job with the instructions the only way they could be better is if the wire color codes were included.

[Samsam15]

Oh also you can use the 26 pin as is by shuffling the pins around and adding a few.

[Awa Hady]

Hello I know this is an old thread but I was hoping to get some answers. I’m attempting this on my car and it’s a 98 car with top hi-fi system I followed your instructions but I still have 4 wires left in the hi-fi 26 pin connector, and I noticed that only the rear speakers work , is it have to do with the 4 wires left or the DSP amp is shoot? . Also I may add the sub works .