Member
Hi all,
I know there is a lot of hate for Avin around these parts (and for good reason!), but I just wanted to send along my experience in installing and using the brand new Avin Avant 4. This install was done on a 2002 530i with DSP. Please bear in mind that I only received this unit last weekend, but I will try and update this thread with new experiences and feedback. I am also not an electrical engineer or technician. Simply an enthusiast, hobbyist, and DIYer, so my feedback will be framed from that perspective.
TLDR: It is damn impressive. Disappointed with the performance of your factory DSP (or Hi-Fi) sound system? Want to exploit all of the impressive features and integration of an Android interface? Have a desire to unlock the true potential of your BMW’s IBUS and CAN bus computer systems? Do you have even a modicum of experience using a screwdriver? Then run, don't walk, to Avin's website and buy the Avant 4.
First thing's first, you will receive NO instructions in the box. In fact, the box doesn't have any Avin or Avant branding on it (at least the one I received). As far as I was concerned, I could have ordered one of those terribad generic e39 Android head units from eBay. Thankfully I have installed plenty of head units in my day, but still - the lack of in-box assistance and the spaghetti monster of cabling was a nightmare. For a $800+ unit with all of the desirable accessories, I was frustrated to say the least.
The good news? Avin customer service is perhaps the best I have dealt with for any consumer electronic device. Yes, you read that right. I'm not sure what has changed over at Avin HQ, but I sent support three emails and they replied back with very useful information within minutes each time. Oh, and did I mention that this was all on a Sunday? Because it was. Bravo, Avin. Their online support page is also a wealth of information. Nearly every diy and support document is for the Avant 3 at this point, but they translate nearly identically to the Avant 4.
Now on to the actual installation. Honestly? It was pretty painless. If you do not have factory navigation in your car you will need to purchase the OEM navigation carrier bracket that holds the head unit. Avin carries these in stock, so not a concern at all (besides price, but that’s not Avin’s fault). Install of the carrier is extremely straight forward, as it just requires a slight lowering of the lower dash section. All in all, about 45 minutes of work installing the carrier if you've never done interior disassembly before. Plenty of videos on the web to help you out with this (and even one guy who was paid by Avin to do a diy install on the Avant 3 in an e39).
After the carrier, then you must tackle the spaghetti monster of wires. Thankfully, each bundle of wiring only plugs into one receptacle in the head unit. Additionally, each cable is labeled for its purpose. It's really hard to mess this one up, folks. Just figure out which bundles of wires you need (by looking at the labels) and then plug and play.
The main wiring harness that is used is the big one originally connected to the OEM CD (or cassette) player. Yours will either be one of two types, and Avin includes adapters for each. Avin also retains the factory radio antenna connector. Simply plug it into the new head unit and be on your way.
The one bit of difficulty I had in the installation was figuring out what to do with a black USB stick with four wires coming out of it that was included in the box. It's nowhere on Avin's website and wasn't labeled. Turns out this is actually a pretty critical component. It's a Resler IBUS Interface, or what I like to call my magical joy stick of happiness. Combined with the "BMW" IBUS App (not affiliated with BMW in any way), it allows you to make some pretty high-level adjustments to the functionality of the car. Besides making the Avant 4 compatible with my DSP system, I've used it to code my car to open the door locks and close all open windows and the sunroof every time the car turns off. But believe me, that's just scratching the surface for what this thing can do.
Turns out, you just simply have to unplug the cable with the four wires from the Resler Interface and then plug the interface into the cable from the main Avin wiring harness labeled "IBUS." That's it. Maximum level achieved.
After that, the difficulty of the remaining install really depends on what accessories you purchase with the Avant 4. While I purchased the TPMS and backup camera, I'm holding out on the install for those until I decide to mount new tires (I got the internal TPMS) and/or do a full interior tear down to hide the wiring for the backup cam. To be clear, that is in no way required, and you can easily hide the wires without an interior disassembly, but I'm a stickler for details (and it’s also not really pressing at this point). But tbh, all of the installation videos and forum posts made the installation of these seem pretty trivial. You will need to know how to splice wires for the backup camera install, so make sure to research proper procedures for that before you attempt the install.
Finally, engage in some cable management (zip ties) and hide the WiFi, Bluetooth, and GPS antennas under the dash (they each come with 3M sticky pads), and you’re ready to screw in the Avant 4 to the carrier! You will need four (4) M3 machine screws with a 6mm depth. Easily found at both Lowe’s and Home Depot. Turn back on your car and proceed through the intial setup. You will need a USB stick to download the BMW IBUS app and other apps from their website, but all of that is on the support page. Avin had not (I think) forwarded along my VIN to the BMW IBUS app people so I was unable to “unlock” the IBUS app. No big deal. One email and 24 hours later, I was up and running.
I’ll spare you a detailed analysis of the actual interface. It’s Android. If you’ve seen one, you’ve seen them all. But this is probably Android 8.0 at its finest, thanks to the octa-core processor and 4GB of ram. The interface is very speedy and startup time is not unreasonable. But by far the best aspect of this package is Android Auto. For all of you who have lamented the factory sound systems, do me a favor – sign up for a free trial of Tidal, set the streaming quality to “Master,” set up Android Auto on your head unit, connect your phone, and then immediately disable Bluetooth on your phone. This makes all of the audio from Android Auto go through USB, which allows for a much higher bitrate and fidelity. You will be blown away at the hidden potential of your DSP system (even the bass performance from those crazy small subwoofers!).
All in all, I am thoroughly impressed at the Avin Avant 4 package. If you have been holding out because of the negative press that the Avant 3 got, you owe it to yourself to give this thing a shot. Just make sure to purchase it with a Paypal payment method, that way you have a recourse in case anything shady happens after the sale. But so far, Avin’s customer service has won me over. I never thought I would say that.
I am including some pics of the unit installed so you can gauge the fitment/looks. I will try and upload some pics of the unit on and the lighting of the buttons. As far as I’m concerned, fitment is perfect (looks stock) and the lighting is damn close. I also installed a flush mount USB port on the left side of my eBay cup holder retrofit (you can see it in the pics). Great location for one, and I highly recommend it!
Please let me know if you have any questions or need help with your install. I’m happy to help to the extent that I can.
Avin Avant 4 Installed.jpgFlush Mount USB Port.jpg
Member
Here are some pictures of various screens and the lighting. Enjoy!
Avin Avant 4 Home Page 1.jpgAvin Avant 4 Home Page 2.jpgAvin Avant 4 BMW IBUS App.jpgAvin Avant 4 Android Auto Tidal.jpg
Member
It sounds like they may have done a decent job working out some of the more serious problems the Avant 3 had. Its great to hear that the audio experience is perhaps better than the Avant 3 as well since that was the most common complaint that I saw. Fitment within the original NAV frame is very nice as well. If the kinks and audio quality issues have been worked out then this makes for a more flexible and serious competition to a "locked box" environment like the Dynavin, especially if they've really upped their customer service game.
Member
This is something I was looking for. Thanks for posting! This is near the top of my list for when I feel like putting money into a new head unit. Did you by chance get the obd2 reader also?
And 800 bucks? What am I missing? I thought I saw it for 449 on the Avin site.
Member
Ditto what kennay said. $449 + a few add-ons doesn't bring me up to $800. Thanks for the write-up. Still winter here, but wayyyy overdue for some audio upgrades.
And thank you Dennis Cooper for all your patience and input on this topic !
Member
Sorry, should have been more clear. It's $800+ including all of the desirable and necessary accessories. So for me, it came out like this:Originally Posted by kennay
Avin Avant 4: $449.99
Required Resler USB IBUS Interface (inc. DSP license): $89.99
BMW OEM Navigation Carrier: $89.99
Android Auto USB Adapter: $99.99
Backup Camera: $44.99
Torque Compatible OBDII Port Plug: $24.99
Microphone: $14.99
TPMS: $99.99
Total: $914.92
It all adds up!
Member
So i looked at both this and the new Dynavin that came out a year ago, and I couldn't find a review of either unit from someone who wasn't working for or with either company, so I'm glad there is an independent review of this unit. The first thing is your last post; looks like they are nickel and diming you to get all the features when it easily could haven't been all built it. Second, I'm glad they worked out a lot of of quirks and nuances from the previous unit. Looks like the installation instructions could be a little clearer, but that's not a deal breaker. Glad it worked out for you.
Personally, since I couldn't find a good review, I just kept the stock DSP radio and added a GROM BT3 unit, and off I went.
'98 M3 5spd - '03 540it 6spd M-Sport
Member
That is exactly what it is: nickle and diming. Although I can understand leaving it up to consumers to decide which features they want.
Although, to be clear, Dynavin is way worse in this respect. Besides the asinine $699.99 starting price for a closed box, JUST the backup cam and an Apple Carplay plugin brings the total to $1041.99. With the Avant 4, I'm $100 below that with far more functionality, TPMS, OBDII reader, IBUS App compatibility, etc. Avin is wiping the floor with Dynavin when it comes to value. Not even close.
Member
I agree to an extent, to another degree it is nice to pick and choose. I don't want some things while I would want others, and there's lots of alternative places to purchase many of the optional accessories like backup cams or OBDII readers, and I have little interest in TPMS anyway.
One thing I would like to see is a dedicated SIM reader so I wouldn't have to use my phone to have data access, on the Avant 4 photos on their webpage, it shows a SIM reader on the unit, but states there is none. Hopefully that will be included soon. I'd like to have data access, but I don't want to fiddle with my phone to link and use the mobile hotspot every time I want to use Waze or Pandora or whatever. With its own SIM, I could just buy a cheap data-only plan for it to use.
Also a question, is it possible to "mute" the screen, as in turn the display off while still being able to play music? The original nav units can do this. A glaring screen at night would bug me incessantly and was a huge dealbreaker for me for the dynavin.
Last edited by Asbradley21; 04-01-2019 at 02:41 AM.
Member
Can you explain this a bit more? Are you saying that, instead of wireless music streaming, use a USB connection from your phone for music and route it thru the Android Auto app? Is it necessary to disable Bluetooth on your phone to use this app? If so, wouldn't that also disable Bluetooth call functions?
Member
I agree, SIM functionality would be great, but it's also becoming antiquated at this point as a result of CarPlay and Android Auto.
As for being able to turn off the display at night, I've played around with the settings and there is no option for that as far as I can tell; however, the display is dim-able, and it does get quite dim. I'm -sure there's an Android app you can download to add this functionality (one of the beautiful things about open source software), but I haven't done a ton of digging around. I'd definitely encourage you to investigate.
Android Auto actually requires a USB connection to your phone to function anyway. That being said, it also connects via Bluetooth, and the default is to send phone call and music information via Bluetooth. Disabling Bluetooth then forces Android Auto to send music information via USB. While this may disable phone call integration, I'm not certain as I haven't received or sent a phone call with Bluetooth disabled yet. I will try to do that today or tomorrow and report back. Assuming it does, it's an easy trade-off for me as I much prefer the better music resolution. It's also very simple to re-enable Bluetooth if there's an incoming phone call.
For those who might not know what I mean by "bitrate," "fidelity," and "resolution," I definitely encourage you to do more research on Hi-Fi music and the associated components of it. There's a lot of misconceptions that the e39 audio systems are terrible. They're not. They're actually pretty great for what they are. The problem, typically, is the source of the music. MP3, WMA, and streaming companies such as Pandora, Spotify, Apple Music, etc. all transmit a truly awful music resolution due to the compression of the original audio file. Good speakers, if they are doing their job right, will make the flaws in that compression very apparent. To a large extent, that is exactly what the e39 audio systems do. Crap in, crap out. Tidal and lossless music formats such as FLAC, Monkey's Audio files, etc. retain all of the information that the original recording had.
***EDIT*** -> As an addendum to what I said above, Bluetooth streaming of ANY audio source (including lossless formats) has a huge degrading effect on the resolution of the music. This is for a number of reasons, including Bluetooth's own proprietary encoding which actually separately compresses the streamed audio file, and the power requirements of transmitting a lossless audio file (they're just too large of a file size to transmit via Bluetooth). Technologies like AptX have improved the sound quality over Bluetooth, but you still will not get a true lossless representation of the audio file.
Last edited by TucciRW; 03-07-2019 at 01:06 PM.
Member
Hi,
Dohalloran - cheers for the mention and thumbs up!
Et al - Maybe this time, the unit will be more reliable to the extent it matches it's retail price. Just like the previous units, time will tell. Avin is a 'USA' oriented brand, not sure if there's other countries who have importers/dealers, the UK doesn't have one for instance. Given the cost of the unit in the USA and US Dollar pricing, once imported over here, with all taxes/import duty/clearance fees paid, taking TucciRW's example above would mean the same order for a UK person would be the equivalent of around $1275 USD, so knocking on the door of $300 more.
At this level of pricing, the unit should be 100% perfect in EVERY way, reliability, performance, SQ, build quality. The internal electronics should be of high/high end quality, the chassis should be electrically shielded and perhaps copper plated. The 'Features' section on the website don't mention any of this. There's a lot of marketing blurb that means nothing on there too, what is 'Hi-Fi Class' ?, 4x48W will be peak power, RMS should be quoted and it'll likely be around 20-24W. The Radio Tuner has the most blurb/technobabble, whilst informational, it's not anything better than all other car audio head units out there. Given there's no mention of anything that's quality for a car audio head unit at this price point and the level the pricing can go to, it currently still 'looks like' it'll be a re-run of the Avin 3 in terms of reliability/niggles and issues, so as above, time will tell from those who install and feedback longer term.
TucciRW - I agree with plenty of your post above! The BMW audio systems in E39/E38/E46/E53's and this era were feature advanced for sure, but sound quality was mediocre with some saying it was 'ok' or 'adequate' when the cars were brand new. The amplifier and the paper speakers let things down alot in this regard. It is possible to 'extract' as best as possible, pre processing signal out of the OEM setups, but it's tedious, convoluted and expensive and then there's the faffing around doing the things needed. Some owners did it and then used high SQ capable amplifiers and much much better performing speakers and got some excellent results, but the sheer cost meant in relative terms only a handful ever did it. 'Most' E39 and same era BMW owners just wanted a modest to significantly better sounding setup without having to spend too much or mess/faff about with installing, it's why the BSW speakers made the 'best' of the oem amplifier and for many, that was enough. With the arrival of Android/iOS and also all the latest technology, owners have wanted an update to the audio systems in these cars and wished to keep OEM looks in the dash. The cheap chinese units, haven't been reliable enough nor sounded anywhere near as good as a premium brand after market double DIN unit. I've heard a number of E39's with a chinese head unit varying from the cheapest to the Dynavin 'expensive' one which in turn have had excellent amplifiers and speakers installed. They've sounded 'ok' however, when those head units had more issues/problems/niggles and failures, the owners have switched to premium brand units and the difference in Audio Performance /SQ has been night and day. In the last couple years, it's only the Dynavin that has mentioned it uses a Burr Brown DAC (Digital to Analogue Converter) which is well known to be an audiophile level component. In order to make the best of that DAC's capabilities, crucially, the REST of the electronics need to be of a similar high level of quality. There's no mention of that in the sales blurb, so the end result is a marginal / less impressive SQ increase over any of the other cheap chinese units. This Avin doesn't mention anything high quality or audiophile level either...
As I mention, maybe this Avin 4 is the most consistently reliable, best sounding to approach the SQ from premium brand units, solution for BMW owners with the added features of OBC support. DSP support is a moot point, as the oem DSP speakers were mediocre when brand new, now with some being 22 years old, I'd say they sound worse, however I know many owners don't want to change from their oem speakers due to fitment/installation faff and want a head unit to connect to them.
You're one of the first E39 Avin 4 guys, I'm sure there'll be comparitively more E46 guys who go with this unit and report back over on the E46fanatics forum, so it'll be there to watch to see if indeed this is a much, much better unit overall.... or not...
Cheers, Dennis!
Member
Hi DennisCooper! Cheers! I actually lived in England for a year when I was in Primary School. Lived in Blackheath and attended Thomas Tallis School. Nice to hear from a Brit!
Sorry for the terrible import taxes. That's truly a shame. Re: unknowns, I'll be the first to admit that Avin's marketing might as well be non-existent. The main web page is ambiguous, to say the least. But I actually disagree with you concerning the value proposition. I don't need Burr-Brown DACs in a $449 base head unit. In fact, I'd go as far as to say that if you're using the Avant 4 with a DSP or base Hi-Fi system, the improvements that Burr-Brown DACs or any another other premium components will get you will be marginal at best. It's just not worth the expense. Now, if you're buying a head unit to accompany a premium aftermarket sound setup (I'm talking McIntosh level amps and Focal/Morel level speakers), then yes, you probably want Burr-Brown DACs. But then again, that type of setup will probably have a separate sound processor/conditioner and external DAC anyway. At the level most of us are at with our e39 systems, Burr-Brown is more of a gimmick than anything. Also, the 4x48W peak power internal amp in the Avant 4 is meaningless. If you are driving speakers from a head unit, then you are clearly not concerned about audio quality.
As for the performance of the factory systems, I really appreciate your input! However, I do think a few things that you said warrant discussion. Paper cones are actually one of the best material for speakers, period. The problem with paper does not stem from its sound properties, but rather from the obvious physical characteristics of it - its fragility, water absorbency, and tendency to break down over time. Properly treated, paper cones can last decades, even in an extreme environment like that of a car interior. I actually think the "weak links" in the e39's are the CD/cassette decks (which do most of the audio processing), and the amps (which are slightly under powered). That is why so many have complained about the BSW speakers - including myself. They are not a true upgrade unless your oem speakers have become damaged or degraded. The oem speakers are great for what they are. Are they going to run circles over my KEF R7s? Not in a million years. But that was never the point of them. If you are looking for a true audiophile setup, you will need to spend $4k+ on an aftermarket system. But if you are looking for a decent lower mid-grade system, the DSP speakers or Hi-Fi system with a proper sub will serve you well, providing of course you fix that weak link - the audio processing. I believe the Avant 4 is a perfect solution for that. There's really no good, cheap solution for the amp that I am aware of. But as far as my ears can tell (and I do consider myself an audiophile - at least for home theater and stereo applications), the Avant 4 contains the necessary audio processing components to make an upgrade over the OEM CD deck night and day.
Thanks again for your input!
Member
So i purchased an Avant 4 the day they were available but didnt get around to the install until today. I purchased my car with an Avant 2 and factory speakers. i was unimpressed with the avant 2 unit as compared to my mom's non-DSP 530i. Here are my initial thoughts on my 2003 non-DSP 530i.
The unit was well-packaged. I was aware that there were no instructions but thought I'd take my time and give it a try. I had the driver's side of the vehicle taken apart so that i could run RCA cables from the front to the rear to support a future Alpine 5 channel amp installation. I started in the back and worked my way to the old head unit. I disconnected each wiring loom and labeled it....antenna, gps, main harness, USB etc. The install of the new unit was very striaghtforward just using the wiring diagram on the last page of the owners manual. I was shocked at how simply it went in. The only i had was a result of the previous owners damaging pins in the one of the factory plugs when he installed the Avant 2. I de-pinned the plug, bent everything back and it went together as designed.
I've been playing with the unit a bit this afternoon and have to say that i am extremely impressed with the sound quality and power output. The factory speakers have come to life far more than i expected. At this point, i may just upgrade the speakers and keep the factory amp for the highs. The addition of a sub is all that i need for my casual listening at this point.
I connected to my home wifi in my driveway. This unit processes very quickly. I downloaded almost a gig of offline google maps in no time. I've also been playing with Torque app with the bluetooth OBD2 plug. I still have a lot of programming and customizing to do but i think that app will serve me well especially to read fault codes.
This was a really brief first impression of the Avant 4. Ill play around with it in the coming weeks and report back with the good and bad. At this point, if nothing changed, i'd say this unit was well worth the money even lacking the instructions.
Hope this may help those on the fence about making the purchase!
2002 M5 Sterling Gray (88k)
Dinan mufflers and intake, ZHP shift knob, E60 shifter, Ground Control coilovers
Restoration in progress!
2021 M340i (25k)
Sold!
2003 540i MSport 6sp Tit Silver (193k)
Dinan Exhaust, Autosolutions SSK, 88C Thermostat, Koni's, BlueBus, BavSound, DUDMD Stage 2, AFE CAI
Sold!
Aavi's 98 M3/4/5 Cosmos (137k)
TMS Stage 3 with Shrick cams, Shorty headers and tune, M50, Stromung, 8.5 LTW's squared, PFC-Z, 3.38, Bosch H1's with city lights, CD43, BSW Stage 1, BMS SSK, TMS Underdrive Pulleys, Sunroof Eclipse, LeatherZ gauge pack
BMW CCA# 308494
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Turning off the screen
[QUOTE=TucciRW;30217734]I agree, SIM functionality would be great, but it's also becoming antiquated at this point as a result of CarPlay and Android Auto.
"As for being able to turn off the display at night, I've played around with the settings and there is no option for that as far as I can tell; however, the display is dim-able, and it does get quite dim. I'm -sure there's an Android app you can download to add this functionality (one of the beautiful things about open source software), but I haven't done a ton of digging around. I'd definitely encourage you to investigate."
I did find out how to turn off the screen. If you go into the vehicle options "Factory Settings" then to "Key Study" then "Panel Key Study" each physical button has the option for short press or long press for different functions (Think of what you can do with the buttons for functions that you don't use). I selected the right tuner knob but choose whichever one you prefer. While on the "Panel Key Study" screen press and hold your chosen button and a screen will pop up with options of what you can select. You'll want to (on the touch screen) touch the right side of the now highlighted group for your selected button and an options list will be come up. Scroll through and you'll be looking for an icon of what looks a TV monitor with an X on it. Once you do that hit "Save Exit" then "Apply" and then "Exit". The downside is that this requires your radio to Re-boot and will have to reprogram your radio stations...But then the upside is at night or early morning when that screen is just too bright, you can just press the Tuner knob or whichever button you chose and the screen will turn off at least until you hit any other button and it will turn right back on. It is / was an easy quick fix for me.
Panel Key Study Avant 4.PNG
Member
You, sir, are a gentleman and a scholar. Thank you for the info!
Member
How is the brightness during daytime in sunlight?
Headliner Hipster
Thanks for the great review, it makes me almost want to buy it. It's nice, it's good and it matches the dash contour of the car, instead of other makers only making the E53 version of the fascia and acreaming LA LA LA LA LA when you complain about the shape not matching your dashboard.
The minute they come up with a unit that stays screen off until you want the screen on, or you can turn the screen on/off without loosing everything, as you can do on almost any tablet or android device, they will get my business. I have 4 cars waiting for it.
Diehard E39 driver.
I'd rather die or take a walk before driving an E60 or any BMW made after Y2K.
"Your momma's so ugly she makes Bangle cars look nice"
Member
I find the brightness more than adequate during the day. No problems unless in pure direct sunlight.
Thanks! The unit is still going strong. I was disappointed to find out that HBO GO does not work on it, but I'm 99% certain that is an issue on HBO's end and how the app handles the display.
There are a few firmware quirks that need to be worked out (the unit defaulting to the radio app upon wake up and a soft intermittent static noise), but Avin is working on a firmware update that will be released in the next couple of weeks. I will keep y'all updated.
Headliner Hipster
There's no better advertising than the one that comes out like gospel out of a happy customer
Diehard E39 driver.
I'd rather die or take a walk before driving an E60 or any BMW made after Y2K.
"Your momma's so ugly she makes Bangle cars look nice"
Member
I installed my Avant 4 on Saturday and it went pretty smooth and everything seems to work perfect (GPS, backup camera, Bluetooth, WiFi, TPMS...) but I cannot get any sound under any conditions (not even static when volume is at highest volume)! I found this post yesterday and learned a bunch, including the fact that I had not plugged the Resler Interface into the IBUS which I did last night but still no sound!
Any suggestions that anyone has to get the sound to work are greatly appreciated.
Member
Hi JDworack,
First off, welcome to the forums! Always great to see a newcomer. That's what keeps our cars and the knowledge base thriving.
As for your issue, I'm glad my post helped you out a little; however, the Resler Interface is only one piece of the puzzle. Have you downloaded the "BMW" IBUS App from AVIN's support site? This is the app that will allow your Avant 4 to "talk" with the Resler interface and thus to the car's audio amplifier. To get to the support site you will need to get login credentials by emailing AVIN. Additionally, if you have DSP, you will need to make sure to purchase the additional DSP license for the IBUS App and email AVIN to make sure they forward your VIN to the IBUS App people. It might take 24 hours after that, but it should work. Let me know if you have anymore issues or if I was not clear about something.
Member
Thanks Very Much TucciRW, I am VERY excited to hear this thing! When I go to the support page and log in, it is blank and at the bottom is says your account has not been approved by our support admin yet so that may be part of the problem. I e-mailed them yesterday and again today about this and am looking forward to a response. I also know that when I press the Avin ikon on the units home screen, a yellow triangle comes up and nothing more so all of this may be tied to the fact that I am not set up in their system yet. I will give them a little nudge and hope they respond.
Thanks again for your quick response and advice!
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Hi,
TucciRW - Nice to see that you are happy with the unit and that firmware updates should resolve the 'quirks' as you put it ! From your previous reply, I agree, paper is an excellent material for making speakers, however there's various levels of quality as I'm sure you can appreciate! The OEM speakers in E39's is base quality level, yes, they can be driven with higher RMS watt inputs especially if the signal is 'clean' or 'non distorted/clipped' but I think you'll understand what I say next... Many car or BMW owners will do an upgrade and drive those OEM speakers with more RMS power and then report back that the 'Sound Quality' has increased when really, all that's changed is that the speaker plays 'louder'. As you mention you are an audiophile, you won't suddenly get fantastic, warm, smooth, controlled mid bass SQ performance by just driving a speaker with more power. To get a marked/significant increase in actual 'Sound Quality' you'd need to go with much better quality speakers made with much better materials (and technical ability etc) next, having a good/great quality source will also significantly affect 'SQ' and the oem audio components don't provide that, although, if the output from the oem setup is then input to a quality audio processsor to remove the OEM pre-set EQ curve (voltage boost, provide a non distorted signal at any volume etc) then you can get a very good 'source' signal - many E39 owners with the 16:9 widscreen/Satnav setup go this route and then use excellent amplifiers and speakers, all installed well to give a really really good sounding setup - I've heard many E39's like this. For the most part, you are right also that once you add up the costs to go this route it can get relatively expensive. It's even more expensive if by use of the Intravee and Alpine PXA H100 processor as this will extract the audio signal prior to any internal amplification and then that clean signal is passed to amplifiers and speakers. Those with OEM setups less than that don't usually bother though. For excellent SQ then it's aftermarket head unit's from the likes of Pioneer, Alpine, Kenwood, Parrot, Sony, JVC etc and these sound significantly better than keeping the OEM widescreen/satnav setup and using the Intravee/Alpine processor route. The chinese made head units, don't have excellent internal electronics/DAC's etc etc as it'd make them more expensive to manufacture. If you had an E39 with an excellent/high SQ audio build and used a chinese head unit as the source, it can sound 'really good'. Keep that setup exactly the same and swap the head unit out to a Alpine or Pioneer etc, the SQ will be transformed ! The reason I say this is that a good friend did exactly this in his M5. Phoenix Gold old school amplifiers that had been overhauled and upgraded by a well known specialist in the UK, Focal components, JL Audio subwoofers in a custom 6th order bandpass enclosure and with a 'Then' £550 Chinese head unit that had a 'brand' to it like what Avin does. Some months after the full install was done, it did sound 'great/excellent' to him, but as is often the case, the head unit began getting issues and problems and 'factory resets' didn't help and it got to the point he threw it away and got another later version of the same head unit (like from avin 2 to 3 and now 4) That went in and it was better for reliability.. until that too, some months later began to get issues and problems. Over this time I had told him to get a high quality head unit, so he sold the last version chinese unit off and purchased an Alpine iLX-700. The 'SQ' was absolutely transformed!! The exact same setup now sounded warm, full bodied, musical, focused, fuller depth, and he was absolutely overjoyed in how his expensive setup now sounded. Those with more modest, yet using excellent quality amplifiers and speakers would/will notice the big difference between a chinese head unit and a premium brand one. I appreciate everyone is different and different opinions are well discussed, but the 'base' fundamentals are still true and that's to have a high quality source unit and partner it will excellent amps/speakers and a good installation. Using the Avin will perhaps give a marginal increase in 'SQ' due to low/generic quality PCB's/DACs/Components which if that's all is wanted/needed then great !
JDworack - I'd say to power the unit up and check there's an audio from each speaker output. Connect a speaker to each to see if all channels are working. IF so, and you've connected the unit up in order to connect to the OEM DSP amp and then speakers, try what TucciRW mentions above. Incidentally, I have a number of my extended family in West Bloomfield and Bloomfield Hills! Been there a couple times now on my many many USA visits and really like these and surrounding areaswhat I didn't like was getting stopped by a cop on the ramp that comes off the interstate 275 and onto Telegraph ! I didn't know the ramps had a speed limit and I was over it! He confiscated my license and said I'd have to come all the way down from Bloomfield the following day to pay the $275 fine and collect my license, at the courthouse or drivers licencing place!! I will drop you a message next time I'm over !
Jicaino - Do have a look over on the E46 fanatics forum as there's more purchasers of the Avin 4 and more feedback/reviews etc
Cheers, Dennis!
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DennisCooper - crazy coincidence, looooong way from home - That area is notorious for speed-traps. Thank you for the tip, it turned out that I-BUS folks had not receive my VIN from Avin until this morning at 7am (I reached out to them directly) so they added me and POOF. Everything seems to be working perfect so far although there seem to be a ton of features to learn about so I have a ton of fun learning and experimentation to go!! It also gives the whole car a very updated look inside which I love! It also sounds pretty good but I may be forced to invest in some additional audio upgrades next spring.
This is my second E39 MSport (my previous girlfriend totaled my first 5 years ago) and I bought this one as a fun/weekend/project car because I just love the way they look and drive!
Thanks again to you and TucciRW for your help and recommendations!
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