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Thread: 94-95 E34 amplifier upgrade

  1. #1
    Join Date
    May 2008
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    New England
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    996
    My Cars
    E36 M, E32 740i/6, 997 S

    94-95 E34 amplifier upgrade

    I know the 94-95 E34s had an improved amplifier in the audio system. I put a CD43 headunit in my 95 525i and the combo was amazing. Does anyone know if the same improved amp found its way into the 94 E32s? My 94 740i has an October 1993 build date FWIW. If it doesn't is there any reason I couldn't swap the amp over from my E34?

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Dec 2006
    Location
    warwick RI
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    2,522
    My Cars
    E30/E32/F25
    I believe that late model e32 amp is the same as an e34. not 100% on that, I know for a fact e32 earl vs late amps are different. I can tell you I have a cd43 with stock amp and all stock speakers and it sounds amazing, I’m installing a small stealth 10 inch sub soon as of right now I have a factory e36 HK vert sub
    Me E30 87/ 325i + F25 12/ M-Sport + E32 94/ 740i

    G/F’s E34 92/ 525iT + F48 18/ X1

  3. #3
    Join Date
    May 2008
    Location
    New England
    Posts
    996
    My Cars
    E36 M, E32 740i/6, 997 S
    A quick search of Realoem shows the amps for my cars having the same part number. However when I pulled them out the housings were the same but the numbers on the amps themselves were different.


    Realoem lists 65128361781 as the part number for the amplifiers. The label on the amp in my 94 E32 is in the first photo and the same from the amp in my 95 E34 is in the second.

    I put the E34 amp in my E32 and it seems better. I may pop them open just to make sure it’s not a placebo though.

    Does anyone know if the labels on the amps are significant?
    Attached Images Attached Images

  4. #4
    Join Date
    Nov 2006
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    USA
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    My Cars
    e34 540ia/e32 740il
    Hmm that is interesting. I'm curious to hear what you find out about the amp differences, and ultimately what the "best" stock amp in the e32/e34 is.

    I wonder if the amps are similiar to the stock radio situation for the e32/e34, where there are different models, versions (and manufacturer's) of the "same" head unit. For example the standard cassette one in the US e34/e32 could be a Pioneer or Alpine, and one of many versions within the brand, and they all look mostly identical from the outside. I am convinced (although I don't have hard evidence) that the pioneer versions, specifically v4, sound so much better than the alpine ones. Having swapped around probably 10 or so radios in 3 different e34s and 2 e32s (two 540s, one 525, and two 740s), I noticed a marked increase in sound quality between the radios. At first I thought it was the cars, but then I eventually realized it was the pioneer made head units, all 3 of them seemed to sound way better than all the Alpine units. Maybe it's just the pioneer internal components holding up better over all these years? Either way the "good" sounding pioneer v4 units aren't exactly good compared to a modern radio..

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