[sdoneil]

My wife and I recently bought a 2009 335i xDrive sedan. It has the Hifi stereo - front door mids and tweeters, under-seat subs, rear deck mids, and an amp in the back left side of the trunk - and no iDrive. I'm looking to do some budget-conscious and progressive upgrades to the sound system. I've spent a lot of hours reading this and related forums, and I'm extremely grateful to the vast body of knowledge that has been provided by so many experts. Based on what I've learned, here is what I'm thinking about doing:

1. Replace OEM amp with JL Audio XD600/6, using Technic's harness if I can get one. I've surmised that this step alone can result in substantial improvement to sound quality and may even preclude further speaker upgrades (depending on subjective opinion, of course.) It seems like a logical first-step because I could stop here if I was satisfied, though I imagine I'll want to keep going.

2. Replace the under-seat mid-bass drivers with SWS-8xi (2 ohm version) subs. I know that some people dissuade against this option because the Earthquakes would need to be replaced by real mid-bass drivers (e.g. Jehnerts) with the addition of a trunk sub. I appreciate this kind of future-oriented thinking, but I can say with certainty that we won't be adding a trunk sub. I think the SWS is a good compromise, and I'm hoping that that a lack of good mid-bass in the system could be remedied during step 3 (front door speakers with better mid-bass response) and/or step 4 (digital processing to fill in the holes.) By the way, does anyone have experience with these ring adapters made by Earthquake for BMWs? I'm assuming I would still need to seal the speakers in the enclosures, but it seems like they would make the process easier.

3. Replace the front door mids and tweeters with Focal, MB Quart (if I can find them), DLS, or CDT components - or something else. I would choose based on what others think the best value is, the best price I can get, and ease of installation.

4. Add a digital processor such as the JBL MS-8 or (preferably) something cheaper that would help refine the system. I'm interested to know what provisions I can make when upgrading the amp to prepare for this step - is that mostly just ordering the right harness from Tehcnic?

5. Replace the rear deck speakers with some cheaper coaxials? I don't think this would be too important for my everyday listening, but I might want to round out the upgrades by doing the rears and it seems like there are good options for under $150 that are markedly better than the stock speakers. Or would the money be better spent on fitting a center speaker up front? For this I'd probably need a different amp, right?

I'd love some feedback on the options I've selected and the order in which I've arranged the steps. I'm very open to alternative suggestions about what to do and when to do it. I plan to do these upgrades over the course of months, in stages, and I may choose to stop before completing them all. I'm less interested in meeting a particular budget than I am in doing the upgrades step-by-step as I have the money and realizing significant improvements with each. I'll stop once I feel I've crossed the threshold into diminishing returns. For this reason, I want to do the most impactful upgrades first.

I would like to do as much of the work myself as is possible. I have very limited experience in this arena, but I can follow detailed instructions and there seems to be no shortage of resources available. As far as the installations, my top priorities are: retaining OEM appearance and maximal trunk space, avoiding the need to change out parts in the future due to lack of foresight, and getting the best value I can with the upgrades I choose. Thanks in advance for any help with this. I'm super excited to get started soon.

[11e90Ride]

Very well written sdoneil.

Sounds like you have comprehensive plans. I would suggest you consider swapping steps 2 and 3,based on my own experience.

The woofers in the floors wake up nicely with the xd 600/6, and a proper component setup in the doors pays dividends.

I'm not suggesting you not replace the floors, just that if you're looking to knock off the weakest links first, I think that's the better way to go. I think you'll discover that on your own after completing step 1.

[Wongway]

I think from what I've commonly read here, the Jehnert 8" under the seats seem to get the most commonly high ratings for sound. I'd almost wager that most people would consider them to be the reference 8" for under the seats.

[sdoneil]

Originally Posted by 11e90Ride

Very well written sdoneil.

Sounds like you have comprehensive plans. I would suggest you consider swapping steps 2 and 3,based on my own experience.

The woofers in the floors wake up nicely with the xd 600/6, and a proper component setup in the doors pays dividends.

I'm not suggesting you not replace the floors, just that if you're looking to knock off the weakest links first, I think that's the better way to go. I think you'll discover that on your own after completing step 1.

Thanks! I thought I might get this advice, and it makes sense based on what others have said about the woofers sounding a lot better with a new amp.

And when/if I do upgrade to the Earthquakes , will I have enough power with the 6 channel amp? I'm not sure what the right power configuration is, but I've seen that others have gotten by with just the xd600/6 for similar setups.

[sdoneil]

Originally Posted by Wongway

I think from what I've commonly read here, the Jehnert 8" under the seats seem to get the most commonly high ratings for sound. I'd almost wager that most people would consider them to be the reference 8" for under the seats.

I know that many people hold them in high regard, but aren't they more suited for mid-bass when paired with a trunk sub? I've read that the Earthquakes are the best option if you don't plan to add a bigger sub in the back. I may be wrong and would definitely consider them, depending on how much they would cost.

[ctuna]

If you are old school you may find the Jehnerts
perfectly OK without a sub . If you are bass head
then you will want a sub no matter what else you have.
With new doors you can go lower but the Jehnerts do more to
bridge the gap between the doors and the floors.
Also Morels will do more to bridge that gap.
The best of both worlds are the German Mastro's
for underseats,( between Jehnerts and Earthquakes)
but they are extremely expensive.
The xd 600/6 is very capable of making you deaf
but maybe you want to do it faster and with more
impact.

Almost any of the speakers on your orginal list
will be 10 times better than stock and maybe then some . The Morels and Jehnerts will give the highest
quality sound I think.

[coloradoe92m3]

The sws adaptors by the way are perfect. No need for any sealing or changes. Literally the adaptor goes on the woofer and you drop it in. It takes care of sealing the space left open where the plug goes in OEM woofer.

Where do you get the GM spiders?

[sdoneil]

Originally Posted by ctuna

If you are old school you may find the Jehnerts
perfectly OK without a sub . If you are bass head
then you will want a sub no matter what else you have.

I wouldn't claim to be either, so I guess the Earthquakes are a good compromise. I am worried about the system lacking quality mid-bass, however, as it already does and changing out the subs could make it worse. What have people who've installed the Earthquakes done about this? I've read that they can be tuned to fake mid-bass, but I'd need a digital processor for that, right? Also, are any of the 4" speaker options known for a better lower frequency response that could help close the gap between the doors and the floors? I know you can only do so much with a 4" speaker but I'm assuming that some do a better job than others.

[sdoneil]

Originally Posted by coloradoe92m3

The sws adaptors by the way are perfect. No need for any sealing or changes. Literally the adaptor goes on the woofer and you drop it in. It takes care of sealing the space left open where the plug goes in OEM woofer.

Where do you get the GM spiders?

Good to know. That will make the install much easier.

I couldn't find a link for purchasing the GM subs, but I found this classified posting from back in January and the person says that they spent $350 per speaker. That's a bit steep for me.

[kaigoss69]

Originally Posted by sdoneil

I wouldn't claim to be either, so I guess the Earthquakes are a good compromise. I am worried about the system lacking quality mid-bass, however, as it already does and changing out the subs could make it worse. What have people who've installed the Earthquakes done about this? I've read that they can be tuned to fake mid-bass, but I'd need a digital processor for that, right? Also, are any of the 4" speaker options known for a better lower frequency response that could help close the gap between the doors and the floors? I know you can only do so much with a 4" speaker but I'm assuming that some do a better job than others.

Morel Hybrid Ovations would be my choice in that case. Those mids can play 100Hz easily, perhaps even a bit lower. Not sure if the Dotechs have similar characteristics or not...

[sdoneil]

Originally Posted by kaigoss69

Morel Hybrid Ovations would be my choice in that case. Those mids can play 100Hz easily, perhaps even a bit lower. Not sure if the Dotechs have similar characteristics or not...

The frequency specs are the same for the Hybrid and the Virtus (newer version of the Dotech, right?) but I don't know if that translates into similar performance. I didn't realize I could get the Morel Virtus for about the same price ($400) as the Focal 100-VRS, so maybe I should be considering those as well.

[Wongway]

Originally Posted by sdoneil

I know that many people hold them in high regard, but aren't they more suited for mid-bass when paired with a trunk sub? I've read that the Earthquakes are the best option if you don't plan to add a bigger sub in the back. I may be wrong and would definitely consider them, depending on how much they would cost.

I know this is much more suited to taste more than anything, however, if I were to spend my money now, I'd get the Jehnerts now, and maaaaybe think about a subwoofer down the line, because (from various bits of feedback throughout forums) you'll be more than happy with them all the way down past 100hz. A good subwoofer (should you even decide to get one) will only be playing 50hz and below. The majority of that response is more "feel" rather than sound.

Better yet, look up "Jehnert Flatline" speaker kit and you'd get your entire upgrade all in one shot. Tweeters, 4" door speakers, 8" under seats. Get something along the lines of a MS-8, Helix DSP, or whatever, and a decent amp. Most importantly though, find a damn good installer. Because with those tools and equipment, you'll never ever even think of wanting a center channel because of how well that installer will setup the front staging.

[ctuna]

The Jehnert either fit exactly or come with spacers.
No adapters for the doors and the under seats come with spacers.

The Morels are better I have been told.

[Wongway]

If you're curious about the Jehnerts, I'd PM Don (His forum name should be "6spdcoupe") from Unexpected Creations. I'm only guessing here (from the exchange rate and possibly shipping) but the pricing of the entire set from Jehnert may be cheaper than going Morel / Maestro / etc.

However, I look at better as;
Any of the above named options as MUCH MUCH > stock

the rest is the choices will be a matter of whether or not the individual feels the value/$ ratio is worth it.

If the Jehnerts aren't your liking, I'd look to get a hold of Ken at MusicarNW and see about his all in one kits. I think his stage 2 kits start getting into the speakers most people here generally like. I do believe his kits come with everything you need. Harness is included, amplifier, signal processor, etc. It might make it easier for you to do a one stop shopping that way.

[ctuna]

VP was using Jehnerts for floors and Morel doors.
for stage 2. I think he uses Jehnerts for the coupe doors
for fitment reasons.

[sdoneil]

I think I will have to wait until I upgrade the amp before making a decision about the floors. I'm definitely going to start with the amp and fronts and see how I feel about it. I'll look into the Jehnert flatline kit but I have a feeling it costs more than I'm going to want to spend at once.

[snaimpally]

Originally Posted by Wongway

If you're curious about the Jehnerts, I'd PM Don (His forum name should be "6spdcoupe") from Unexpected Creations. I'm only guessing here (from the exchange rate and possibly shipping) but the pricing of the entire set from Jehnert may be cheaper than going Morel / Maestro / etc.

However, I look at better as;
Any of the above named options as MUCH MUCH > stock

the rest is the choices will be a matter of whether or not the individual feels the value/$ ratio is worth it.

If the Jehnerts aren't your liking, I'd look to get a hold of Ken at MusicarNW and see about his all in one kits. I think his stage 2 kits start getting into the speakers most people here generally like. I do believe his kits come with everything you need. Harness is included, amplifier, signal processor, etc. It might make it easier for you to do a one stop shopping that way.

I highly recommend Don. Nice guy and knows his stuff. The full Jehnert set (2 tweeters + 2 mids + 2 woofers + crossover) is fairly reasonable. If you can spend just a little more, you might look into the Jehnert doorboard option. You take out the door pockets and put in the doorboards to allow mounting of 3 x 6.5" drivers per door. The loaded option comes with the 6 x 6.5" mids, crossovers, tweeter, etc. Fairly reasonable price considering what you get. The person on the forum called mathematics has them so you could ask him what they sound like - he seems pretty happy.

[ctuna]

I would say sticker shock here is pretty normal here,
Because most that have changed there setups before are
used to cheap speaker and Head Unit changes.
When you spend as much or more than your home
system you kind of wonder if you have lost your
sense of proportion.
But you did just buy a 50k plus car.
Those doorboards are pretty radical for a casual upgrader.
Can anybody that has them comment on how they turned
out an what there final configuration for the whole system was.