Need some advice about adding a sub to my 330Cic

~SUN-XTC~ · Jul 4, 2005

Okay, I've narrowed down my subwoofer to a JL Audio 10W3v2 (10") - I'm going to purchase an enclosure from bavarian soundworks that has been molded to fit the small space beneath all the convertible garb..

So I'm stuck on an amplifier - and I've been out of the game for a very long time (my last amp was a Punch 150) - I'm not looking for overpowering bass, but I want SUBSTANCE! I was considering the JL Audio 250/1, or maybe something from Alpine, Fosgate, Pheonix Gold...all the good brands.. A remote is a MUST.

Any suggestions, or should I just stick with JL all the way?

tks
matt

~SUN-XTC~ · Jul 12, 2005

Okay no one responded, but here's what I ended up getting..

1. JL Audio 250/1 mono amplifier with remote volume control
2. 10" JL W3v2D4 Subwoofer
3. enclosure from bavariansoundworks.com (I think, not quite decided yet)

MyHarley · Jul 12, 2005

I meant to post............I got a Kicker 10" Solo-Baric Sub-Woofer Dual 4 OHM Voice Coil 450W RMS/900W Peak sub-woofer and Kicker Class D Mono Amplifier 600 Watts x 1 Circuit Fan Cooling and Monster 4 Gauge Power Amp Kit and custom made box to fit in the small enclosure.....the carpet matches my interior trunk carpet almost to a tee......I love mine now after everyone quit messing with all the buttons on the amplifier in the trunk.........good luck on yours.........

William330 · Jul 13, 2005

I'm big into car audio (spent about $5K on my prior car's system), and
about triple that on my home system.

That said, if I was going to do anything to the BMW factory stereo, it would
be to replace the factory speakers with some Boston Acoustics, or similar:

http://www.bostonacoustics.com/ca_products.asp?CategoryID=14

Subs are over-rated, and tend to blur the sound of good quality
speakers, let alone the crap factory BMW speakers.

Then I'd upgrade the amps for the main speakers, and live with that
for awhile.

I think with good speakers, and clean power, you'll have lots of
sound clarity, lots of punch, and lots of bass.

I don't even like subs on in my home system while playing music (only
turn 'em on for home theater when big booms trump sound quality).

Anyway, that's my advice, hope it's somewhat useful, and happy
shopping for whatever you decide to buy.

DigitalDawn · Jul 14, 2005

William,

I'm a custom installer (home, not car), and you are absolutely correct. Even in home systems the first thing you do is replace the current speakers.

I hope I never have to hear -- "Can you install the Bose speakers I just bought?" ever again

Dawn

~SUN-XTC~ · Jul 14, 2005

Yeah I'm gonna do that - except I'll probably use Focal speakers instead.. Just doing it one part at a time. I'm just going to use a remote bass controller to keep the bass at lower levels until I get some better component spearkers. I would at least like to give these H/K speakers a test run - those 6x9 'subwoofers' are a joke though. -tweeters aren't too bad - and mid response is decent.

gpoints · Jul 14, 2005

~SUN-XTC~ said:

Just curious, did you end up with the enclosure from BSW? Did you check out their lightweight enclosures?

I'm thinking about switching to their sigle 12" lightweight enclosure.

William330 · Jul 14, 2005

XTC, have you picked up a crossover? I had this crossover in my old car
to control the sub and mains:

http://www.crutchfield.com/S-PATHomaOFNk/cgi-bin/prodview.asp?i=1134042A

Mounted it under the dash to the left of the steering wheel, above my
left knee. It was completely hidden from view when looking into the car
to pre-empt criminals.

Such a unit is essential for properly integrating the sub with the main
speakers.

This unit covers three things:

1) Equalization of 5 bands for the mains.

2) Variable crossover point (30 to 150Hz) for the sub.

3) Output level for the sub.

I tinkered with the settings for the first few weeks, and then essentially
left it alone for years.

This is a great unit, and many others must think so as well because the
current model looks exactly like the one I installed 10 years ago! Don't
mess with what's not broken, I guess. [:)]

William330 · Jul 14, 2005

Hey XTC, are the Focal speakers you're talking about from JM Lab?

They're into car audio now!?

Pretty nice stuff:

http://www.focal-fr.com/car/en/k2power/

I've heard their Grand Utopia home audio model at a dealer in NY City:
http://www.smr-home-theatre.org/ces2003/loudspeakers/page_05.shtml

Though I'd bet that the performance of the Boston Acoustics will
surprise you. They started in car audio, then moved into home
audio. Their home audio stuff is OK, but their car audio stuff is simply
outstanding.

Good luck, and work with a knowledgeable dealer if you can!

~SUN-XTC~ · Jul 15, 2005

Yeah the Focal components sound very good - I listened to them at Tweeter a few weeks back. I was impressed, but I'm also looking at MB Quart, Boston Acoustics, JL Audio, and Alpine..

Oh the Amp I got is MONO, or made for a subwoofer... I'll probably get a 5 or 6 channel amp to run all the components eventually. JL makes damn good amplifiers and subs though - that was a pretty easy choice in that department.

Hey gpoints - no I haven't bought the enclosure yet, but I'll have to check out their lightweight (probably fiberglass) line-up. Several dealers have told me to go fiberglass though - save loads of weight over MDF.

~SUN-XTC~ · Jul 15, 2005

Hmmm... I emailed them to see if it will fit nicely in my convertible.. The one specified for the Cic is for a 10" but the only difference is 2.5" of depth in the trunk and almost an inch taller, which I can handle..

~SUN-XTC~ · Jul 17, 2005

So if I decide to swap all the component Harmon/Kardon speakers with better ones (and a better amplifier of course) - is my head unit going to still work? I'm mostly concerned about the steering wheel controls.

William330 · Jul 17, 2005

~SUN-XTC~ said:

Yes, you should still be able to use the factory head unit with
add-on amps. Talk to your local dealer (not Best Buy type
mega-stores, but a reputable local shop), and they can get
your needs squared away.

~SUN-XTC~ · Jul 18, 2005

damn damn damn - so my options!

I think I'm going to switch and get a 5 channel amp to drive all the component speakers and a single 10 or 12 inch subwoofer.

Oh, the ultralight enclosure from bavariansoundworks does fit the convertible.. I wish JL made a stealthbox for the Cic's..

Man I am so torn on what to do. I beginning to wonder if it's going to be worth all the $$$ as well. I'm guessing a decent system with installation is going to run me about $1500 - and that's buying all the components off the internet so I don't have to pay retail.

Ugh, I need to think about this for a few days after I talk to a good dealer and see what they have to say.

William330 · Jul 18, 2005

If you're unsure what to do, then wait.

Never buy in a rush. The parts will be there, and few deals from retail
are once-in-a-lifetime deals. No rush.

Why not start with new amps and speakers for the mains, telling the
dealer that you're considering adding a sub later? That way you're
not locked out of adding that down the road.

Once you hear good speakers, with real power behind them, a sub
becomes pointless. (Though a sketchy dealer may hype a sub, because
they like to sell stuff.)

Also consider this: a low frequency sound wave is over 20 feet long, and
the cabins of most cars are much smaller than that. What most car 'subs'
end up doing, is flooding the car with mid-bass energy, which destroys fidelity.

It depends on what you want -- a car that chicks will stare at because your
windshield wipers are vibrating, or a car with sonic fidelity. [:)]

~SUN-XTC~ · Jul 20, 2005

Heh, I get stared at regardless... I think it's this topaz blue, which is really eye-catching..

Okay, here's what I'm going to do.. No hurry, but these are the plans..

1. replace the stock amp with a 5-channel amp
2. run all new component speakers off the four channels
3. replace whatever the stock sub is that I have - I'm not even sure what it is.. but run that off the sub channel (hopefully about 150W at 4ohm)

~SUN-XTC~ · Jul 20, 2005

Okay, I have an 8" sub right behind the pass-through between the two rear seats.. The sub actually sounds decent - although the "low" isn't near low enough.. plus there's a plastic housing around it that rattles like a mofo - so bye bye to the plastic whatever-it-is..

So I need:

5.25" speakers for the doors and 2 tweeters
4" speakers for the rear panels and 2 tweeters
and a single 8" sub woofer

oh and the 5 channel amplifier.
Looking for ~75W x 4 channels + 150W to sub channel at 4 ohms

I think I'll be set then!

William330 · Jul 20, 2005

Looks like you have a plan.

The stock BMW "sub" is not really a sub.

Once you have clean power going to the main speakers, adding
another 8" speaker into the mix probably won't add much, and will
likely subtract from the sound quality of the new mains.

You really love subs! [:)]

Love the sound quality, not the equipment.

Good luck!

~SUN-XTC~ · Jul 21, 2005

Oh it's a subwoofer - at least they mounted it like one. Although I would classify it as a woofer.

Since it's 8" I'm replacing it with an 8" JL sub - normally I wouldn't be so insistant on a subwoofer, but since the largest component is 5.25 inch, I'll be hard pressed to hear quality lows without one....and since the mount is already there.. Remember, the 8" that's already there is getting yanked out and replaced, not added on.

330Ci and 330Cic have different hardware for the sub - coupes have 6x9's where cabrio's get an actual 8" sub mounted facing the trunk. At least I think that's what th coupes have. [confused]

gpoints · Jul 21, 2005

If you havn't seen this yet, it may help out a lot.

here

Need some advice about adding a sub to my 330Cic

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