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Thread: German Audio Specialties PCN + Alpine Amp

  1. #1
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    German Audio Specialties PCN + Alpine Amp

    Anyone who has an E39 knows the sound system sucks. Heres a great way to upgrade the system by replacing the factory amp with an aftermarket amp while maintaining the factory speakers, wiring, etc... Huge sound improvement. Speakers are crystal clear, and the factory subs really have some punch to them. Works with all sounds system options in the E39. All wiring on the PCN is color coded to match the factory harness so install is straightforward.

    German Audio Specialties Passive Crossover Network+ Frequency Shaping Unit-$275
    Alpine PDR-V75 Amp- $300

    Buy both the PCN and Amp and Ill throw in a custom rack, line out converter, DSP conversion harness, RCA cables for $525 plus shipping. The amp rack conveniently places the amp and PCN in the factory location out of the way.









    Last edited by RyansBMW; 12-15-2017 at 08:15 AM.

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  2. #2
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    Quote Originally Posted by RyansBMW View Post
    Anyone who has an E39 knows the sound system sucks. Heres a great way to upgrade the system by replacing the factory amp with an aftermarket amp while maintaining the factory speakers, wiring, etc... Huge sound improvement. Speakers are crystal clear, and the factory subs really have some punch to them. Works with all sounds system options in the E39. All wiring on the PCN is color coded to match the factory harness so install is straightforward.

    German Audio Specialties Passive Crossover Network+ Frequency Shaping Unit-$400
    Alpine PDR-V75 Amp- $375

    Buy both the PCN and Amp and Ill throw in a custom rack, line out converter, DSP conversion harness, RCA cables for $700 plus shipping. The amp rack convienently places the amp and PCN in the factory location out of the way.









    I dont have that dsp or whatever is called, I have in that space a cd changer and another box that looks like an amp. Does it come with instructions?
    I upgraded the speakers to the Bavsound stage 1, but no sub.

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  3. #3
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    Ok so you have the factory cd changer and amp in that spot. This setup replaces the factory amp completely. My car came with business cd and no changer back there so this rack was designed for that setup. You would have to come up with a different way to mount everything.

    It it does not come with instructions as there really weren't any provided when these guys built the crossover. It's pretty straightforward tho- just matching the colored wires together. I could actually write some up for you tho if you needed it. This will work just fine without a sub but allows you to add a sub in the future if you decide to do so.

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  4. #4
    geargrinder's Avatar
    geargrinder is offline Having No Trouble Here BMW CCA Member
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    Having had one, as many know, I'm no fan of the PCN nor the company, but this is the ONLY way to buy one, IMO.

    Ryans rack setup looks pretty sweet and having the wiring all worked out is a major major thing, and addresses one of the main reasons I take a big stinky steaming poo on the PCN. When I installed mine I had the equivalent of literally multiple full weeks of work in trial and error making the racks and working out the wiring. This is what the GAS kit should have been like in the first place - proper mounting plate, virtually all the wiring required, etc. Having the extra "FSU" with it is also a bonus (don't get me started on why they needed to make that as an add-on to the core module...) and it should ensure good audio results after the install.

    The rack won't work for a Touring (the amp pocket/cubby is more vertical, doesn't have that horizontal flat shelf) but will bolt into any sedan. You may be able to re-work Ryans rack for the Touring, at the very least you could probably re-use the vertical bit for the PCN mount, then would only have to work out your own amp mount (which in a touring works best between the airbag-spring towers).

    Should work fine in either DSP or non-DSP cars, but non-DSP cars will be easier. Won't work for factory NAV since the factory NAV uses that rear space for a module that also contains actual radio and NAV functional circuitry and you can't remove it.

    For DSP cars you only have 2 channels of analog factory audio in the back, you need to run wires for the 2nd pair all the way to the head unit or, give up having 'fade' control on the headunit.

    For non-DSP cars, much simpler, the 4 channels of audio are already back there.

    Yes you have to lose the factory changer, and obviously you ditch the factory amp too. But not a huge loss... who loads up a CD changer anymore, right?

    GLWS brother...
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  5. #5
    geargrinder's Avatar
    geargrinder is offline Having No Trouble Here BMW CCA Member
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    Quote Originally Posted by RyansBMW View Post
    It it does not come with instructions as there really weren't any provided when these guys built the crossover. It's pretty straightforward tho- just matching the colored wires together. I could actually write some up for you tho if you needed it. This will work just fine without a sub but allows you to add a sub in the future if you decide to do so.
    I actually got some 'instructions' but they were terrible... basically a couple half baked pages of instructions on matching the wiring color code up, nothing else. The innerwebz has some threads from them and others that actually do have a lotta info, in addition to Ryans help, others like me have been through it and can offer assistance/input.

    To clarify on the sub-thing (not sure people will get this without spelling it out Ryan...), the Alpine is a 5-channel amp. One of those channels will be used to drive the factory subs. So you don't have NO sub, you just don't have an aftermarket sub... you just have those under-the-parcel tray factory speakers. Which actually work surprisingly well, once the BMW factory crossover cutoffs are removed with this system (because the factory amps are so weak/lame, they couldn't handle too much low end and so cut the low end off... they also probably figured most 5er buyers didn't care for thumping low end so it didn't matter...) This system will make your factory sub sound amazingly 'passable' compared to factory, and, at any point that you want to replace it with an aftermarket sub, you just wire the sub-out to that instead and you're doing even better.
    2003 M3CicM6 TiAg
    2002 540iT Sport Vortech S/C 6MT LSD TiAg
    2008 Audi A3 2.0T DSG (the daily beater)
    2014 BMW X1 xDrive28i (wifemobile)

    Former:

    1985 MB Euro graymarket 300SL
    1995.5 Audi S6 Avant (utility/winter billetturbobattlewagen)


  6. #6
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    Quote Originally Posted by geargrinder View Post
    Having had one, as many know, I'm no fan of the PCN nor the company, but this is the ONLY way to buy one, IMO.

    Ryans rack setup looks pretty sweet and having the wiring all worked out is a major major thing, and addresses one of the main reasons I take a big stinky steaming poo on the PCN. When I installed mine I had the equivalent of literally multiple full weeks of work in trial and error making the racks and working out the wiring. This is what the GAS kit should have been like in the first place - proper mounting plate, virtually all the wiring required, etc. Having the extra "FSU" with it is also a bonus (don't get me started on why they needed to make that as an add-on to the core module...) and it should ensure good audio results after the install.

    The rack won't work for a Touring (the amp pocket/cubby is more vertical, doesn't have that horizontal flat shelf) but will bolt into any sedan. You may be able to re-work Ryans rack for the Touring, at the very least you could probably re-use the vertical bit for the PCN mount, then would only have to work out your own amp mount (which in a touring works best between the airbag-spring towers).

    Should work fine in either DSP or non-DSP cars, but non-DSP cars will be easier. Won't work for factory NAV since the factory NAV uses that rear space for a module that also contains actual radio and NAV functional circuitry and you can't remove it.

    For DSP cars you only have 2 channels of analog factory audio in the back, you need to run wires for the 2nd pair all the way to the head unit or, give up having 'fade' control on the headunit.

    For non-DSP cars, much simpler, the 4 channels of audio are already back there.

    Yes you have to lose the factory changer, and obviously you ditch the factory amp too. But not a huge loss... who loads up a CD changer anymore, right?

    GLWS brother...
    Thanks for the good words man!

    You made a solid point about the Touring cars. I have no experience with the touring cars so I wasnt sure if this rack would fit as is. Seems like a lot of touring guys mount the PCN in the cubby and the amp under the floor.

    With the DSP harness I made, installing this on a DSP or non-DSP is very simple. If its non-DSP, you already have the wires in the trunk that you would need to connect to a lineout converter and run the RCA cables to the amp. With DSP, insert my harness in between the factory harness and the MID and you are all set to go. It uses factory connections and will all tuck in the dash. It re-purposes the negative wires to carry sound signals. The only change in the trunk is now those two pairs of wires all connect to the line out converter- all 4 wires connect to the positive inputs. Its very simple and I can provide better instructions and some pictures as well.

    Quote Originally Posted by geargrinder View Post
    I actually got some 'instructions' but they were terrible... basically a couple half baked pages of instructions on matching the wiring color code up, nothing else. The innerwebz has some threads from them and others that actually do have a lotta info, in addition to Ryans help, others like me have been through it and can offer assistance/input.

    To clarify on the sub-thing (not sure people will get this without spelling it out Ryan...), the Alpine is a 5-channel amp. One of those channels will be used to drive the factory subs. So you don't have NO sub, you just don't have an aftermarket sub... you just have those under-the-parcel tray factory speakers. Which actually work surprisingly well, once the BMW factory crossover cutoffs are removed with this system (because the factory amps are so weak/lame, they couldn't handle too much low end and so cut the low end off... they also probably figured most 5er buyers didn't care for thumping low end so it didn't matter...) This system will make your factory sub sound amazingly 'passable' compared to factory, and, at any point that you want to replace it with an aftermarket sub, you just wire the sub-out to that instead and you're doing even better.
    Yea the instructions were pretty basic. They color coded the PCN to match the factory wires so it is pretty straight forward. The factory harness uses yellow and blue wires with colored stripes for the speakers. The PCN has 2 banks of wires, blue and yellow. At the top of each bank is another colored wire. It just matches up. So the yellow/red wire on the factory harness connects to the red wire on the yellow bank on the PCN. When I cut the system out, I actually left a piece of the facotry wire installed just to make it easier for the next person to identify everything easier. As long as you are colorblind, you shouldnt have a problem.

    I wasnt sure if the non-DSP cars had those "subs" on the rear tray or not. The subwoofers on the rear parcel tray connect directly to the amp and does not connect thru the PCN. This amp provides 350W to the sub channels and the factory subs sound pretty damn good with that power going thru them. Like GG said, if later on you want to upgrade the subwoofer, just disconnect the factory from the amp and connect the new one.

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  7. #7
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    Bump. Need this gone. Make me an offer

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  8. #8
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    Price dropped- $575 for the whole kit

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  9. #9
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    Up. $525 for everything

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  10. #10
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    Great xmas gift to yourself or someone else. Make me an offer

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  11. #11
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  12. #12
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    Sold

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  13. #13
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    Hey Ryan, you still doing this? I have an E38 with DSP and 4:3 nav. Some genius who had the car before me decided to completely cut one of the DSP Pigtails.

    I don’t know a damn thing about wiring so I think this is right up my alley?

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