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Thread: 7/96 e39 540i dsp audio questions.

  1. #1
    Join Date
    Aug 2011
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    aurora, co, usa
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    94 325is vin# ef44406
    1. Production date of 7/96, no navigation screen & has the tape deck up front.
    Can this be replaced with the dsp system from a later model?
    2. How much later of a model?
    3. Will it be "plug and play" or do I need a wiring harness & other stuff?

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  2. #2
    Join Date
    Sep 2008
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    03 530dT - Ex Police Car
    Hi,

    Unfortunately, no. The E39 DSP setup will require a change of head units in the dash area, pulling out of your carpets, seats and doorcards to run the individual speaker wire loom, the DSP amp and undershelf 'subwoofer' enclosure too all be fitted and connected. This is all fine is you are confident with doing it all yourself, but if not, it becomes very expensive relative to the mediocre at best sound quality of the DSP setup. In short, it's not worth it at all. 'DSP' effects like church and stadium all went out of fashion by the late 90's and the usual DSP setup doesn't sound good at all by the vast majority of owners who have it. That said, 'some' owners are happy with their DSP setups and once they've spent significant sums more on it, it sounds significantly better, this is by upgrading to the BSW front upgraded speakers at around $500, and upgrading the oem 'subwoofers' (these aren't really subwoofers as they don't provide any sub bass at all) to aftermarket slimline ones from Rockford Fosgate along with all the installation hassle/faffing around and having to make up MDF spacers and also covering the shelf area with sound deadening material.

    If you *must* stay with the oem modules, then that's of course your choice, just keep in mind the extra significant wallet bashing you'd have to endure.

    The 'best' route for an upgrade that gives excellent sound quality increase, reliability, high quality electronics and build, ease of install, excellent local after sales care and support if required and thus the overall best value for money is aftermarket products from the well established car audio brands such as Pioneer, Alpine, Kenwood, Clarion, Parrot, JVC, Sony etc.

    Plenty of topics on this forum and the E39 section about what many other E39 owners have done so do have a search around for what suits you. For me, I'd never have OEM audio in my cars, never have in the past, haven't currently, and most likely wouldn't in the future, it'd all be upgraded !

    Cheers, Dennis!

  3. #3
    Join Date
    Aug 2011
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    aurora, co, usa
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    My Cars
    94 325is vin# ef44406
    Quote Originally Posted by DennisCooper View Post
    Hi,

    Unfortunately, no. The E39 DSP setup will require a change of head units in the dash area, pulling out of your carpets, seats and doorcards to run the individual speaker wire loom, the DSP amp and undershelf 'subwoofer' enclosure too all be fitted and connected. This is all fine is you are confident with doing it all yourself, but if not, it becomes very expensive relative to the mediocre at best sound quality of the DSP setup. In short, it's not worth it at all. 'DSP' effects like church and stadium all went out of fashion by the late 90's and the usual DSP setup doesn't sound good at all by the vast majority of owners who have it. That said, 'some' owners are happy with their DSP setups and once they've spent significant sums more on it, it sounds significantly better, this is by upgrading to the BSW front upgraded speakers at around $500, and upgrading the oem 'subwoofers' (these aren't really subwoofers as they don't provide any sub bass at all) to aftermarket slimline ones from Rockford Fosgate along with all the installation hassle/faffing around and having to make up MDF spacers and also covering the shelf area with sound deadening material.

    If you *must* stay with the oem modules, then that's of course your choice, just keep in mind the extra significant wallet bashing you'd have to endure.

    The 'best' route for an upgrade that gives excellent sound quality increase, reliability, high quality electronics and build, ease of install, excellent local after sales care and support if required and thus the overall best value for money is aftermarket products from the well established car audio brands such as Pioneer, Alpine, Kenwood, Clarion, Parrot, JVC, Sony etc.

    Plenty of topics on this forum and the E39 section about what many other E39 owners have done so do have a search around for what suits you. For me, I'd never have OEM audio in my cars, never have in the past, haven't currently, and most likely wouldn't in the future, it'd all be upgraded !

    Cheers, Dennis!
    So, you're saying that the factory in dash CD player & the multi function dashboard radio with dsp from a 98 to 2002 or so 5 series WON'T swap into this model without changing wiring, speakers, amp, etc...?

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  4. #4
    Join Date
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    03 530dT - Ex Police Car
    Hi

    No, it won't. Your car currently hasn't got the speaker wiring in place currently, so you'd have to fit that, and as I mention above, it's door cards off, boot/trunk trim out, parcel shelf up and potentially seats out so that you can remove the current speaker wires and replace with the DSP speaker loom along with those old not so great DSP speakers. You'll need to research more as to 'if' you can swap the current head unit modules to the correct DSP versions without having to change the wiring there. In addition, if your car currently only has the radio cassette setup and doesn't have the MID display, you'll need to research carefully on how to change properly. You'll need a DSP amp (I just happen to have one gathering dust here that fully worked when it came out of a 99 M5!). You'll need any brackets etc to hold the Amp etc.

    It all can be done if you *must* have this setup, it's just the end result most likely will be disappointing and if you then want to improve sound quality it's more expense, and then if you want to improve functionality, it's more expense. You'll then get 'longer' term expenses as the DSP amplifiers themselves are getting on for 14-21 years old and they do fail more regularly now, the MID display has pixels that fail, so a good quality job there is best rather than the DIY kits which mean you could break it even more. So overall, 'value for money' Vs the end result is low, but if it's what you want and it's more value to you, then all good!

    Cheers, Dennis!

  5. #5
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    aurora, co, usa
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    94 325is vin# ef44406
    Dennis, I think we might have misunderstood each other...
    I already have a dsp system, I believe it's the premium system, complete with the mid display, tape deck, amp & six disc changer in the trunk.
    I can't seem to find a grom, dice or other device that's compatible with my year.

    I simply want to add a in dash CD player & the dsp (mid only?) System from a 98 or newer model so that the grom system would, theoretically, then be completely compatible. I've added a couple of pics so you can see what I currently have in the car.

    ForumRunner_20170407_185851.jpg



    ForumRunner_20170407_185958.jpg

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  6. #6
    Join Date
    Sep 2008
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    03 530dT - Ex Police Car
    Hi,

    Got it, in your initial point 1, you don't make it clear you already have DSP and you also mention if you can replace what you have with the DSP system, so I've read that as you want to change from a non DSP setup TO a DSP setup.

    You'll need to keep scouring this and other BMW forums to find the threads where other's have attempted the same and either been successful or not to get more information. If you look on realoem.com, you'll see that throughout each production month, then modules can change part number, revision numbers etc leading to quite a lot of part numbers. If you see a part number from a later car that matches what was installed in an earlier car, that's a step in the right direction. It doesn't mean it'll 100% work at this stage as there's also the earlier 'round pin' configurations and the later 'flat pin' one. I think the flat pin versions only arrived for the facelift so may not affect you, but you'll still need to be sure. Once you have some part and revision numbers which you think will work, look on the usual places to find the modules you want and hope they work when you get them, both in terms of compatibility and actual function as they're getting old now.

    Overall, I 'think' you should be able to get what you'd like, it's just all the faff and hassle of getting the correct modules you need to go through.

    Cheers, Dennis!

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