[Technic]

Got a 2014 528i for my girlfriend and the first order of business was to replace the HiFi system, wheels, suspension and interior/exterior upgrades.

First to go, the complete HiFi system (OEM amp all OEM 12 speakers) replaced with:

- Alpine PXA-H800 processor
- Arc Audio Mini KRS 125.4 amps (2)
- JL Audio C5 4" Mids with OEM Individual Audio tweeters (front)
- Rainbow SLX 4" component set (rear)
- OEM Individual Audio 4" component set (center)
- SWS-8 8" subwoofers (underseats)

Let's start...

Remove false trunk floor, storage compartment and left trunk trim:




Silver module (looks like a mini-OEM amp) is the Active Sound Design (ASD) module, which generates a synthesized engine sound via the OEM sound system. This is the same exact module used first in the F10 M5:


Because I did not like this ASD synthesized engine sound, I created a PnP harness plug to bypass this module audio while still keeping it functional for warranty purposes. Notice that the ASD main connector (grey) is almost identical to the HiFi OEM amp connector (black). The difference is the internal guides:






Once the ASD is taken care of then the OEM amp is unplugged and removed with its mounting bracket and OEM rear view camera module relocated:








Created custom mounting blocks for the Alpine PXA-800 processor and OEM camera module:


Using custom PnP HiFi harness, H800 is connected to OEM HiFi OEM amp main connector -no OEM wires cut, spliced or tapped:




Front door OEM mids and tweeters replaced with C5 mids and OEM Individual Audio tweeters (not shown). OEM connectors and custom brackets used for PnP install:


Rear OEM mids and tweeters replaced with Rainbow SLX component set:




Center HiFi OEM component replaced by Individual Audio OEM components:




OEM woofers replaced by SWS-8:










OEM amp replaced by a pair of Arc Mini KS 125.4:


And finally, custom mount for the H800 controller and amps, tightly fitted into OEM storage compartment and plugged to PnP harness and OEM connectors to the H800 and to the OEM battery distribution block (not shown):




Notes:

- First thing first... the HiFi system is actually decent as is. There are 12 speakers -front/rear/center/woofers- powered by a 7ch 205W max OEM amp with some built-in DSP (kind not specified in the OEM documentation). It sounds quite satisfying at low to mid volume, decent staging and separation. This is the first time that I see BMW using DSP on HiFi OEM amp and it works quite fine -because its purpose is very apparent once you really look at the speakers.

In past BMW with non-DSP HiFi OEM amps the rule of thumb was that once the OEM amp was replaced with aftermarket most of its sonic deficiencies went out with the OEM amp. Past HiFi OEM speakers were kind of decent with aftermarket amps, only the tweeters were mediocre. The OEM woofers were excellent in midbass with aftermarket power, OEM mids were simply OK.

In the 2014 F10 HiFi BMW went in another route -crappy speakers compensated with a very good OEM amp. None of the F10 OEM speakers -including the OEM woofers- are worth a damn with aftermarket power. Not only they do not sound good at all, but time alignment DSP is even required for the OEM woofers to produce any meaninful bass. If your F10 has HiFi then try this test: while listening to a bass-heavy song, move the Balance adjustment in the iDrive front to rear. What you will notice is that the left woofer sounds only when the Balance is set to the left. Most of the bass comes from the right woofer.

That's the F10 HiFi OEM amp DSP time alignment and built-in EQ curve working.

Another test is to replace just the OEM mids and tweeters -which I did before adding the Arc and the H800- while keeping the OEM amp. The sound improvement is much more remarkable than in the "old" HiFi system (E9x, 2010 E60) while keeping the OEM amp. Clarity and mid bass from the doors/rear shelf aftermarket tweeters and mids are much more defined -biggest improvement is in a Bluetooth phone call and Sirius radio, two particularly bad-quality audio.

But then the problem of the OEM amp is really that it is just 205W max. It just dies at mid to high volume. Thus bass is just not fulfilling, not deep, not loud at all, made it worst by replacing the OEM woofers with SWS-8Xi (2ohms). The OEM amp cannot drive a pair of SWS-8with any authority with just 40W per woofer max. It just can't.

Enter a pair of Arc Mini KS amps and a H800 processor.

- A pair of Mini KS amps replaced the 25Wx5 + 40Wx2 (=205W) max of the OEM amp outputs into 150Wx5 and 250Wx2 (=1250W) max into 12 speakers. Then the H800 tied everything up nicely, with Euphony auto-tune, which was used to calibrate the cabin acoustics using 6 distinct miprophone measurements in the "All" positions in the car, time alignment, full crossover and Parametric EQ control with individual settings for each of the 7 channels of the HiFi system, compressed audio enhancements and DSP room simulations (Cinema, Live, etc).

The results were fantastic, but not quick to achieve. The H800 auto tune is extremely sensitive to outside noises while recording the 6 positions. It took me a midnight calibration in an enclosed garage to calibrate the way that I wanted.

The first thing to notice is the clarity with 3/4 of the max volume in the iDrive. Everything sounds loud, clear and deep. The SWS-8 have no respect as midbass drivers but I do not want a trunk sub so these must work double duty (sub- and mid-bass) somehow. That's the job for the H800 adjustments as it can coerce midbass out of them -it only takes quite some time to get it sounding right. This is not the first time that I used an H800 as I have one in my own 2012 M3, but for some reason in the F10 it could not detect the SWS accurately while calibrating and setting the time alignment.

The first 4 calibration results ended up making the SWS sounding like crap -literally. No matter the crossover and EQ settings, the SWS just flabbed and flapped. Bass was not deep, not accurate, not tight. I thought that I needed to just replace them. Then I started messing around with the manual time alignment controls. The end result was astounding: by setting the woofers at least 100 inches from my butt the SWS famous sub bass came back with a vengance. I could literally move the bass from flapping to deep and tight by just increasing and decreasing the time in miliseconds of the bass arriving to my seat. Once that was fixed then the mid bass was bumped with the EQ bands in the 125-160Hz band.

In all, this was a time-consuming install and tuning but damn it was worth it. All sources sound much better than OEM, everything is integrated, phone calls and PDC are 100% OEM functional. And best of all, this was a 100% reversible back to stock install.

[Technic]

... and photos of the other installs so far:

- M Sport steering wheel with paddles retrofit and M Performance pedals:


- iPhone 5 Connect cradle:


- rear spoiler and 20" M5 replicas (both from eBay):




Next: Eibach springs.

[Black5]

Great Job!! Did you make that bypass connector or can it be bought? I'm not sure what route I'll take on my 535i yet but I do want to add another amp for bass but wasn't sure how I'll do the inputs yet.

[Technic]

Originally Posted by Eddiear

Great Job!! Did you make that bypass connector or can it be bought? I'm not sure what route I'll take on my 535i yet but I do want to add another amp for bass but wasn't sure how I'll do the inputs yet.

Thanks... yes, I did the ASD bypass harness myself.

[LACSTER]

That's awesome!

[Akkord29]

Very clean install, hopefully she appreciates the better sound quality as much as you do.

[Technic]

She does, very much...

[hamanncheese]

Awesome write-up! Makes me want to start tinkering with audio again. Any idea if retrofitting SWS-8X in a non-hifi (i.e. baseline audio) is possible? What is the oem impedance for the underseat subs and are they wired in parallel with the front speakers?

[Technic]

The standard OEM audio in the USA F10 is HiFi, not Stereo. Stereo specs has been posted in another thread.

SWS-8 requires aftermarket amplification to really sound deep/loud, otherwise is not that much of a difference over OEM woofers.

Originally Posted by hamanncheese

Awesome write-up! Makes me want to start tinkering with audio again. Any idea if retrofitting SWS-8X in a non-hifi (i.e. baseline audio) is possible? What is the oem impedance for the underseat subs and are they wired in parallel with the front speakers?

[cbauer1227]

Technic,

In my PM to you about the "loop isolator" I was thinking about this thread.

The difference between the 2014 528i and my 2015 F36 GC appears only to be the mount location of the Active Sound Design amp. In my 2015 F36 GC it is located next to the OEM amp as pictured in this thread:

http://f30.bimmerpost.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1087779.

I have the Top Hifi system, so according to that other thread, the active sound design amp is in series with the OEM amp, and now my JL Audio. If I remove the active sound deisgn amp - no sound. (I am saying this more for the forum becuase I expect as more people upgrade their audio, the active sound design engine noise will be bothersome to many people who want to amp their music, not their "fake" engine sounds.)

So, if you have the "isolator loop" for a 2015 F36 CG please respond to my PM.

[Technic]

ASD is connected in series in the HiFi system. Remove ASD and no audio whatsoever.

ASD is conected in parallel in the Top HiFi system. Remove ASD and no synthesized engine sound. Audio continues to work.

Originally Posted by cbauer1227

Technic,

In my PM to you about the "loop isolator" I was thinking about this thread.

The difference between the 2014 528i and my 2015 F36 GC appears only to be the mount location of the Active Sound Design amp. In my 2015 F36 GC it is located next to the OEM amp as pictured in this thread:

http://f30.bimmerpost.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1087779.

I have the Top Hifi system, so according to that other thread, the active sound design amp is in series with the OEM amp, and now my JL Audio. If I remove the active sound deisgn amp - no sound. (I am saying this more for the forum becuase I expect as more people upgrade their audio, the active sound design engine noise will be bothersome to many people who want to amp their music, not their "fake" engine sounds.)

So, if you have the "isolator loop" for a 2015 F36 CG please respond to my PM.

[cbauer1227]

Sorry - I still get confused with the stereo system nomenclature.

I have the Hifi as it is defined here http://musicarnw.com/bmw-e9x-audio-systems/.

PM meesage is still relevant with regards to the "bypass harness."

[mightycrown]

Hi
Do you have any idea how I should should upgrade mine with base 6 speakers.

[Technic]

Originally Posted by mightycrown

Hi
Do you have any idea how I should should upgrade mine with base 6 speakers.

Your system requires an iDrive harness from dash to trunk and back and separate cables for each woofer under the front seats. Then you can add amps and DSP.