decent car audio system-E39

The quality of the sound system in the E39 is driving me mad, mainly because as the car has such a quiet cabin it is a pretty good place for listening to music. The BMW business stereo CD is just not meeting my requirements. It sounds awful, very hollow with no bass and it hates any sort of volume.
I was wondering if anyone has upgraded sound system and if so- how? And more importantly with what results?

Here is few pic. one of my experiment

I kick out stereo
Attachment 441

time for some sound deadening material
Attachment 442

door cards upgrade
Attachment 443

first look
Attachment 444

A-pillar tweeter pods
Attachment 445

car is still under construction

This is pretty cool.

Interesting, fair play to you for going down the custom route. Very hard and lots of work.
If you want to listen to the sound system in my e39 feel free to ask. We can share experiences.

My favorite part is bass, subwoofers aren't easy, sure, adding a decent subwoofer to a system to supply more bass is no big deal, but getting the best possible sound out of a subwoofer IS.
Now, if one subwoofer is good, are two or more subs even better??
Of course it depends from the car size, type of music, how old you are:D etc... Anyway, if the car is not in every day use I think more subs are even better.
So here we go, what about 2x15" or 4x12" or 2x18" I'm still not 100% sure, but I have one of my old setup already tested-
and it's this one
Attachment 446
another shot
Attachment 447
nearly whole setup
Attachment 448
Yaeh, I know, question is how to place all of them inside boot. Well I'll manage somehow :-/ For me most interesting are 2x18"- so will take this decision soon

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Mad Mike

My favorite part is bass, subwoofers aren't easy, sure, adding a decent subwoofer to a system to supply more bass is no big deal, but getting the best possible sound out of a subwoofer IS.
Now, if one subwoofer is good, are two or more subs even better??
Of course it depends from the car size, type of music, how old you are:D etc... Anyway, if the car is not in every day use I think more subs are even better.
So here we go, what about 2x15" or 4x12" or 2x18" I'm still not 100% sure, but I have one of my old setup already tested-
and it's this one

another shot

nearly whole setup

Yaeh, I know, question is how to place all of them inside boot. Well I'll manage somehow :-/ For me most interesting are 2x18"- so will take this decision soon

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Well bass is a science on its own, you can have all sort of enclosures, ported, vented, frequency adjusted...a real headache.
Bass is not for young people in my opinion, bass is one set of frequency, which is part of any music, and without bass you do not have a genuine reproduction of the music.
But in my opinion too much bass also kill the music. You can be a bass junky but you also have other higher frequencies to reproduce. If the bass is overwhelming, you could have a not so good system at the end of the day. To be a nice balanced system is what works best for good reproduction.
I have a brand new sub box I designed and got made recently by my carpenter. It takes 2x10" subs. It is 60cm long, sits on the floor and subs are pointing inside at a 45' angle.
It uas been designed for shallow subs though. But you would be surprised at how powerful it is is. Will dig the pictures.

There you go, if that's any help to you...

http://www.ouibi.com/pics/e39_gladen/enclosure1.jpg

http://www.ouibi.com/pics/e39_gladen/enclosure2.jpg

Could you be more specific pls about your install? How did you sort out front speakers and amplifiers? Why did you choose slim mount depth subwoofers?
Anyway I believe your speakers deliver good hard back massaging bass with decent sound quality. I previously had a couple sealed boxes used to the tight punchy bass that such an enclosure provides. So you claim the port on your enclosure it's something like (a low noise design) and you don't prefer little boomy sounding because you listen mostly rock music?
Anyway, do you have some previous car audio installs even non Bmw? We can make new tread-previous car audio installs. I have couple pictures but is non Bmw install, I don't want drive admins crazy.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Mad Mike

Could you be more specific pls about your install? How did you sort out front speakers and amplifiers? Why did you choose slim mount depth subwoofers?
Anyway I believe your speakers deliver good hard back massaging bass with decent sound quality. I previously had a couple sealed boxes used to the tight punchy bass that such an enclosure provides. So you claim the port on your enclosure it's something like (a low noise design) and you don't prefer little boomy sounding because you listen mostly rock music?
Anyway, do you have some previous car audio installs even non Bmw? We can make new tread-previous car audio installs. I have couple pictures but is non Bmw install, I don't want drive admins crazy.

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I use all original speakers spots basically.
Well, I have the following actually:

- Front
2x Gladen 5" midrange + 2 Gladen 25mm tweeters.

http://www.ouibi.com/pics/e39_gladen/3.JPG
http://www.ouibi.com/pics/e39_gladen/5.JPG

- Rear shelf
2x Gladen 5" midranges (Shallow midrange) + 2 Gladen 25mm tweeters

http://www.ouibi.com/pics/e39_gladen/37.JPG
http://www.ouibi.com/pics/e39_gladen/38.JPG
http://www.ouibi.com/pics/e39_gladen/18.JPG
http://www.ouibi.com/pics/e39_gladen/20.JPG
http://www.ouibi.com/pics/e39_gladen/24.JPG

- Amplifier
1x JL Audio 600/6

http://www.ouibi.com/pics/e39_gladen/70.JPG

- Subwoofer (Work in progress still)
As of now I have a 150w alluminium enclosed subwoofer mounted on the rear of the back seat.
It pulses very very well and I get a deep and tight bass all over the car really. You need to listen to it to really understand what I am talking about.

To me it does the job very well, I actually listen to all sort of musics, R&B, Jazz, Rap, etc. and it works very well.

I think I am going to install the 2 x 8" shallow subs under the rear shelf, OEM emplacement, as I can not afford to lose my trunk space.

http://www.ouibi.com/pics/e39_gladen/90.JPG
http://www.ouibi.com/pics/e39_gladen/112.JPG

I could have gone further, use another amp just for the sub, use AB class amp(s), use a much bigger sub etc...but I am keeping it simple but yet very nice to listen to, even at high volume, not noticeable distortion, as it is used as a demo car to show the Gladen speakers mostly that I sell and nobody is going to pay me 5000-10000 euros to get competition speakers and equipment.

Next step for me though is going DSP soon...

Yeah I got tons of other installs pictures/experience based on previous jobs, mostly BMW, examples:

http://www.ouibi.com/pics/630_LOGIC7/19.jpg
http://www.ouibi.com/pics/630_LOGIC7/32.jpg
http://www.ouibi.com/pics/auditt/DSC_1075.jpg
http://www.ouibi.com/pics/e70_gladen_mosconi/8.jpg
http://www.ouibi.com/pics/e70_gladen_mosconi/5.jpg

Nice work, I always using Focal, Morel, MTX, JL Audio hard to get them here too. Anyway I would like to try Gladen component speakers, it's new brand for me, any dealer here in IRL?

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Mad Mike

Nice work, I always using Focal, Morel, MTX, JL Audio hard to get them here too. Anyway I would like to try Gladen component speakers, it's new brand for me, any dealer here in IRL?

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I am the Gladen distributor in Ireland. I resell JL Audio kits too.
Feel free to pop down to get a demo ;)
I am in Blanchardstown

Well, now back to E39, I'll post later final look of door and pillars. For the moment I fighting in the boot not much place for my ideas.
I have old video from 2009 uploaded 2010, today is funny for me watching that again but is just for imagine what I'll put inside poor E39 (whole system what you can see in video go inside)
Small info about my car in video, I use car for experiments and testing only, so installation are not nice. Inside car is ton of sound deadening material, one spare battery and diesel alternator.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SLXyO...=TL-2UEHfnA3ng

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Mad Mike

Well, now back to E39, I'll post later final look of door and pillars. For the moment I fighting in the boot not much place for my ideas.
I have old video from 2009 uploaded 2010, today is funny for me watching that again but is just for imagine what I'll put inside poor E39 (whole system what you can see in video go inside)
Small info about my car in video, I use car for experiments and testing only, so installation are not nice. Inside car is ton of sound deadening material, one spare battery and diesel alternator.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SLXyO...=TL-2UEHfnA3ng

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Something tells me you are going to go banana bass with this lol...

Quote:

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Originally Posted by GERMANIKS

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Mad Mike

Well, now back to E39, I'll post later final look of door and pillars. For the moment I fighting in the boot not much place for my ideas.
I have old video from 2009 uploaded 2010, today is funny for me watching that again but is just for imagine what I'll put inside poor E39 (whole system what you can see in video go inside)
Small info about my car in video, I use car for experiments and testing only, so installation are not nice. Inside car is ton of sound deadening material, one spare battery and diesel alternator.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SLXyO...=TL-2UEHfnA3ng

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Something tells me you are going to go banana bass with this lol...

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That's why they call me Mad Mike :)
anyway, can you drop me pm, I would like to visit you thanks

some preparation
Attachment 816
Attachment 817
still mess
Attachment 818
Attachment 819
dash out too
Attachment 822
Attachment 823
e39 is more than just a headache :D

Jeez you really mean business Mike lol
Are you changing all the wires for the speakers too?

Quote:

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Originally Posted by GERMANIKS

Jeez you really mean business Mike lol
Are you changing all the wires for the speakers too?

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Yes, I need few more wires for speakers

That's a "mad" amount.of work ,somehow I think I will hear this ,before I read it's finished.:D.seen the video 10 out of 10 For the most novel way to dry a tea towel

Looking forward to hearing more. Great build tread.

Recent update. At last I've found a decent colour for the interior. Awww... Bright lime green. Lovely! :)
dash done
Attachment 1171
Attachment 1172
18" custom made sub
Attachment 1173
Attachment 1174
I'll put two of them inside for more noise, so 1-2 Kinetik HC2400 Power Cell will help me too, about bass amplifier, still not sure, but I thinking about 1-2 JBL Crown, they are just great amps
Attachment 1175
Attachment 1176

Nice an subtle, I see your going for the stealth approach..:hehe!::hehe!:

it's time to start to put everything together, nightmare, sometimes I hate my project
Attachment 1348

Jeez Mick will you mind that poor V8 and bring it back to life...it is painful to watch this :-(
So what did you so far to the car and what else needs to be done?

Quote:

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Originally Posted by GERMANIKS

Jeez Mick will you mind that poor V8 and bring it back to life...it is painful to watch this :-(
So what did you so far to the car and what else needs to be done?

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I know not nice pictures, but soon she will be ok
Well, not much left, windscreen, quad exhaust straight pipes nearly ready, and still not sure about color of car.

Will it be in keeping with the subtle interior or are you going to be brave and do something completely mad :cool::cool:

Interesting work there

new seats ready and dashboard inside
Attachment 2060
Attachment 2061

Some amount of work /patience /effort.going in to it, Can't wait to see the completed project.