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Thread: Troubleshooting E70 X5 Crappy Sound

  1. #1
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    Troubleshooting E70 X5 Crappy Sound

    Preface: I currently own 9 BMWs and have owned nearly every model and vintage, over 25 total. I collect, restore and wrench them myself. I know what a good stock BMW stereo should sound like. For pretty much everything from the E39 M5 on, that's usually pretty good. I've owned BMWs with 1400 watts and spare-tire-sized subwoofers, but these days, on anything later than an E34, the stock DSP/Logic 7 option is usually good enough for the stuff I listen to.

    The issue: My wife has a 2012 E70 X5 with the "professional DSP" stereo. She is, let's say...not an audiofile, spending most of her driving time listening to Howerd Stern or Dr. Laura or some such talk radio nonsense. We recently took a long trip in the car, which is when I realized that the DSP stereo, when playing actual music, sounded like total crap. Some basic testing showed OK front speaker and bass response but poor midrange and very low rear speaker output. The hatch "d?" pillar speakers produce no real volume and sound like mud. I ran a tone test through my BMW diagnostic software and all the speakers sounded acceptable, but tone tests are really just pushing one frequency through one channel at a time and don't help much when diagnosing sound quality issues. I pulled the factory amp, checked all the wiring and reinstalled it with no improvement. On a few of my older BMWS the amp was the thing that went, so I took a gamble and bought a used OEM Lear amp. Exact same issue. Not the amp. (Too bad since those things are expensive...).

    As far as further troubleshooting is concerned, options are pretty limited without pulling speakers or, worse, pulling the CCC head unit. The other thing that crossed my mind is that maybe there is a crossover someplace, like at the subwoofer, that has been damaged or is incorrectly wired.

    I apologize for this vague"what's wrong?" style info request but I'm thinking that, as is often the case on the forums, one or more of you have actually experienced this issue and have some insight as to how to resolve it. If so, I would greatly appreciate it if you would share it with me so I have one less reason to dread future long trips as a prisoner...uh...passenger in my wife's X5.

    Thanks!
    Current BMWs: 14 total. '12 X5, '09 E93 335i, '09 E91 328i, '08 E93 328i, '08 E61 535ix '02 E39 M5, '01 E39 M5, '02 E39 touring, '91 E34 M5, (2)'88 E28 M5s, '75 2002, 74 2002,
    Prior BMWs: Every E-body 5 series including tourings and every E-body 3 series. '74 2002 tii
    First rule of BMW Ownership: Buy a BMW specific scanner!

  2. #2
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    The best bang for the buck is in new speakers. Why? Modern electronix-head unit’s, amps, processors-are pretty good unless you’re an audiophile or want head banging bass. I’ve found that modern bimmers have pretty crappy speakers. By that I mean the magnets are undersized (keeps weight down), the speaker diaphragms are not made of high quality materials (keeps costs down) and in toto the sound is pretty mediocre.
    The first step is to set a budget. Then go to www.crutchfield.com to see what fits. The next step is to go to a website such https://www.diyaudio.com/forums/car-audio/ and https://www.diymobileaudio.com to get some quality recommendations.

    I have a 2018 M240i. He’s (Gerhardt is his name) a beast, especially on the track, but his HK audio system sucked. The solution was to replace the front and rear speakers. The sound is appreciably better, though certainly not up to audiophile standards.

  3. #3
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    Thanks Marco but the issue I'm having is almost certainly not with the speakers. A blown speaker gives a very different sound than a spekaer that is not getting signal.

    BTW, pretty much all of the BMW stereos have speakers that are balanced to the head units with precisely determined crossovers, frequency ranges and output volumes. Replacing the speakers with alternatives that have bigger magnets (i.e. can handle more RMS wattage) without increasing the output of the amp means that the speakers will draw more power, requiring a higher volume setting for the same volume output. This, in turn, increases distortion because distortion typically increases as output wattage increases. So...never replace a BMW seaker with spakers that have significantly higher RMS wattage ratings because it will tax your stereo and increase distortion for the same volume output. Look for speakers with similar ratings, frequency ranges and crossovers. (which, it appears is what BAVSOUND has done with their speaker kit.) If you are planning on abandoning the BMW speaker wiring, which usually has preset built in crossovers, then you will also need to install new crossovers and a new amplifier. Amps that work correctly with BMW head units are difficult to frind, wich is why many, many older BMWs (including 4 of mine) have totally aftermarket sound systems. Fortunately, some companies know how to play nice with BMW head units. Crutchfield and DIYaudio are sort of a mixed bag when it comes to playing nice. They know some BMW stuff, but typically recommend replacing every component in a BMW stereo system with something that they sell because, unlike BMW's audio partners, they don't have the time or resources to ensure that their stuff works and has been optimized with the stock BMW components that remain in the car. Replacing components in a car without carefully considering the impact that will have on the remaining components is like pulling on a thread in a sweater...or in this case, a wire in a car.

    I have seriously digressed from the original topic of this thread. If anyone has a suggestion relating to my odd stereo output problem, please let me know. Thank you for your time reading this.
    Current BMWs: 14 total. '12 X5, '09 E93 335i, '09 E91 328i, '08 E93 328i, '08 E61 535ix '02 E39 M5, '01 E39 M5, '02 E39 touring, '91 E34 M5, (2)'88 E28 M5s, '75 2002, 74 2002,
    Prior BMWs: Every E-body 5 series including tourings and every E-body 3 series. '74 2002 tii
    First rule of BMW Ownership: Buy a BMW specific scanner!

  4. #4
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    Actually, the size of the magnet or the wattage handling capability have nothing to do with how much power a speaker needs or how “taxing” the speaker will be on the amp. The former is based on the speaker’s efficiency. The latter is based on the speaker’s impedance, of which its resistance is a component. Replacing the factory speakers with speakers that have the same or very similar impedance won’t damage the amp.
    Speakers can go bad without the usual crackling or similar distortion. Again, BMW doesn’t install the “best” (a very subjective term) speakers. I know, I’ve mod’d the audio systems on my last 3 bimmers. My 1975 325e underwent 2 complete audio system replacements in the 15 years I owned the car. My 2001 330Ci’s audio system was revamped in 2 stages. I’ve replaced all the speakers in my current ride, a 2018 M240i that came with the HK audio system.

    Finding an amp that plays nice with a BMW head unit is not tough at all. Several manufactures (JL for one) make amps that interface properly with a BMW head unit. I installed a JL 400/4 in my 330Ci. It worked perfectly. Something else to consider: companies such as Bavarian Audio have made their fortunes selling speakers that are significantly better to owners of bimmers. That’s why forums such as the DIY forum I listed exist because almost all auto manufacturers install compromised audio systems in their car’s.

    Lastly, I spent 25 years in the US Navy’s advanced electronics program, so I’m very familiar with issues with electronix.

  5. #5
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    Quote Originally Posted by MarcoZandrini View Post
    Actually, the size of the magnet or the wattage handling capability have nothing to do with how much power a speaker needs or how “taxing” the speaker will be on the amp. The former is based on the speaker’s efficiency. The latter is based on the speaker’s impedance, of which its resistance is a component. Replacing the factory speakers with speakers that have the same or very similar impedance won’t damage the amp.
    Speakers can go bad without the usual crackling or similar distortion. Again, BMW doesn’t install the “best” (a very subjective term) speakers. I know, I’ve mod’d the audio systems on my last 3 bimmers. My 1975 325e underwent 2 complete audio system replacements in the 15 years I owned the car. My 2001 330Ci’s audio system was revamped in 2 stages. I’ve replaced all the speakers in my current ride, a 2018 M240i that came with the HK audio system.

    Finding an amp that plays nice with a BMW head unit is not tough at all. Several manufactures (JL for one) make amps that interface properly with a BMW head unit. I installed a JL 400/4 in my 330Ci. It worked perfectly. Something else to consider: companies such as Bavarian Audio have made their fortunes selling speakers that are significantly better to owners of bimmers. That’s why forums such as the DIY forum I listed exist because almost all auto manufacturers install compromised audio systems in their car’s.

    Lastly, I spent 25 years in the US Navy’s advanced electronics program, so I’m very familiar with issues with electronix.
    OK, Marco. You are an expert. You are absolutely correct. I'm not trying to be an asshat but you sort of hijacked my original question. This is most likely not a speaker issue. I'd really like to hear from anyone else who has had a similar issue to mine in a newer BMW. Thanks.
    Current BMWs: 14 total. '12 X5, '09 E93 335i, '09 E91 328i, '08 E93 328i, '08 E61 535ix '02 E39 M5, '01 E39 M5, '02 E39 touring, '91 E34 M5, (2)'88 E28 M5s, '75 2002, 74 2002,
    Prior BMWs: Every E-body 5 series including tourings and every E-body 3 series. '74 2002 tii
    First rule of BMW Ownership: Buy a BMW specific scanner!

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