This follows from my previous thread. I would like to create a new one as an install guide for the HiFi system in BMW E90 (EUR production pre-09/2010, I believe). This is for if the MOST bus does not plug into the amplifier. In addition, this is for installing a system which is not an OE drop-in system.
The HiFi audio system has 4 channels of nice, clean, analog audio signals coming from the BMW Professional head unit. I'm keeping the stock head unit as I see no reason for changing it - Bluetooth or any other connectivity can happen at the amplifier side.
As stock, full range goes to all four corners of the amp, which then crosses the signal at 150Hz (some sources say 110Hz), lower going to the under-seat 8" woofers, and higher (and equalized) going to the 4"/tweeter combinations in the front doors and parcel shelf. The speakers are all 2 ohm, and the amplifier gives 25W for the mids/highs, and 40W for the woofers. I think earlier systems had tweeters at the back.
My research shows the doors have 50mm clearance for mounting. This is the total height of the drivers. I will confirm this when I complete my install.
I recommend changing the stock amplifier for 6 channels worth of amplifier. I'm using a 4 channel and a 2 channel because I have them. This is a good combination because the mid/highs don't need as much power as the woofers, so a lower power 4 channel is well matched to a higher power 2 channel.
With cutting (and if tweeters are there, some wood), the parcel shelf will accept 5.25" drivers. It looks like the doors can too, but that means cutting the leather and fitting the aftermarket grilles. I'd stick to 4" in the doors. It seems the tweeters have a 6dB HPF in the form of a capacitor, so a proper split system for the front is advised. It is also possible to put a split system (4") at the back, just cut a hole for the tweeter.
There is a lot of variation in budget, so do your research as to which speakers to use. I think the diameter of the door holes is 102mm. 4-hole drivers will fit 2 of the screws, the third can simply use a washer to hold the driver down. The stock speakers aren't all that bad, but can be improved.
I will post photos soon, and I will then go through the wiring. I will be cutting my wires out of the harness, long enough that I can return the car to OEM if need be, but I recommend getting a connector rather than cutting. I have a wiring diagram I will also post with photos.
The HiFi audio system has 4 channels of nice, clean, analog audio signals coming from the BMW Professional head unit. I'm keeping the stock head unit as I see no reason for changing it - Bluetooth or any other connectivity can happen at the amplifier side.
As stock, full range goes to all four corners of the amp, which then crosses the signal at 150Hz (some sources say 110Hz), lower going to the under-seat 8" woofers, and higher (and equalized) going to the 4"/tweeter combinations in the front doors and parcel shelf. The speakers are all 2 ohm, and the amplifier gives 25W for the mids/highs, and 40W for the woofers. I think earlier systems had tweeters at the back.
My research shows the doors have 50mm clearance for mounting. This is the total height of the drivers. I will confirm this when I complete my install.
I recommend changing the stock amplifier for 6 channels worth of amplifier. I'm using a 4 channel and a 2 channel because I have them. This is a good combination because the mid/highs don't need as much power as the woofers, so a lower power 4 channel is well matched to a higher power 2 channel.
With cutting (and if tweeters are there, some wood), the parcel shelf will accept 5.25" drivers. It looks like the doors can too, but that means cutting the leather and fitting the aftermarket grilles. I'd stick to 4" in the doors. It seems the tweeters have a 6dB HPF in the form of a capacitor, so a proper split system for the front is advised. It is also possible to put a split system (4") at the back, just cut a hole for the tweeter.
There is a lot of variation in budget, so do your research as to which speakers to use. I think the diameter of the door holes is 102mm. 4-hole drivers will fit 2 of the screws, the third can simply use a washer to hold the driver down. The stock speakers aren't all that bad, but can be improved.
I will post photos soon, and I will then go through the wiring. I will be cutting my wires out of the harness, long enough that I can return the car to OEM if need be, but I recommend getting a connector rather than cutting. I have a wiring diagram I will also post with photos.
There is enough information on how to take off the door panels and all that online, so I'm not doing anything on that. I installed the rear speakers and door speakers, and these are my hints.
The door trim is fragile and a pain to remove. Be careful, take your time, and be as gentle as possible. The passenger and driver door panels are different, and the passenger door has an extra screw under the handle.
Look at the wiring diagram attached for wire references, but it seems that the brown trimmed wire is always negative. The wiring in my car was slightly different to the wiring diagram, but the main colour (blue or yellow) and brown were consistent.
I found an Arduino-ready ribbon with pins on at my local electronics shop, and this meant I didn't have to solder a pin header onto any wires, so that saved me tons of time (attachment 2). Remove the speaker, pull the blue clip, plug in the pins, and you're done.
In attachment 5, you can see the one screw tab on the new speaker doesn't fit - cut it off. Use a washer on the top screw to hold the speaker down. It's also possible to drill a new hole and use a new clip on the remaining screw tab (attachment 6).
For the doors, install the crossover in the shown location - there is plenty of room. I then used double sided tape to hold the wires in place. The new speakers didn't fit on the existing screw locations, which were quite different to the rear speakers, but the stock speakers also fit into the hole with a gasket, so I recommend cutting an adapter to screw the new speaker onto, and then screw that onto the existing screws, using a gasket between.
The tweeter door trim comes off with a little manipulation, and the 25mm tweeters fitted in perfectly. I just use a bit of tape to keep them solidly in place. But there is a foam insert in the tweeter housing which also holds it in place. The stock tweeters have flimsy clips (they come out very easily).
The door trim is fragile and a pain to remove. Be careful, take your time, and be as gentle as possible. The passenger and driver door panels are different, and the passenger door has an extra screw under the handle.
Look at the wiring diagram attached for wire references, but it seems that the brown trimmed wire is always negative. The wiring in my car was slightly different to the wiring diagram, but the main colour (blue or yellow) and brown were consistent.
I found an Arduino-ready ribbon with pins on at my local electronics shop, and this meant I didn't have to solder a pin header onto any wires, so that saved me tons of time (attachment 2). Remove the speaker, pull the blue clip, plug in the pins, and you're done.
In attachment 5, you can see the one screw tab on the new speaker doesn't fit - cut it off. Use a washer on the top screw to hold the speaker down. It's also possible to drill a new hole and use a new clip on the remaining screw tab (attachment 6).
For the doors, install the crossover in the shown location - there is plenty of room. I then used double sided tape to hold the wires in place. The new speakers didn't fit on the existing screw locations, which were quite different to the rear speakers, but the stock speakers also fit into the hole with a gasket, so I recommend cutting an adapter to screw the new speaker onto, and then screw that onto the existing screws, using a gasket between.
The tweeter door trim comes off with a little manipulation, and the 25mm tweeters fitted in perfectly. I just use a bit of tape to keep them solidly in place. But there is a foam insert in the tweeter housing which also holds it in place. The stock tweeters have flimsy clips (they come out very easily).
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