BMW ICE - Tech1 - Headunit/Speakers

[pony]

Hi

I have a Tech1 and at some point will be looking to change the headunit and all the speakers both front and both rear to a TOP QUALITY headunit/speakers. The speakers I would be interested in should be the same size as the BMW Originals.

I was thinking potentially of a BMW OEM sound system from 1987-1988 but I decided to get modern sound quality.

I am particularly interested in a Kenwood headunit/speakers. Kenwood was used in the McLaren F1 Roadcar though it was a special lightweight unit.
My friend recommended to me to choose 3-way speakers over 2-way speakers.

I am not interested in any type of rude boy/bad boy amplifier.

What recommendations do you all have including Kenwood and other manufacturers?

[miniblob]

Personally, I wouldn't associate kenwood with "top quality"!!!
Depends how much you want to spend really!!

Personally I love DLS stuff for components (awesome vocals!) & JL (W7) subs are pretty awesome (if you're adding a sub?).
Having said that, i've just bought some very nice looking CDT components and a DLS sub for my cab, which I am yet to install, but have heard nothing but good things about!!
A Nakamichi source/head unit (no internal amp) will be sending out to a DLS 5ch amp on mine!!!

I also believe there is a lot of sq to be gained from the installation in E30's - the speakers should be solidly mounted (mdf baffle maybe?) and sealed. Maybe some sound proofing behind/around the drivers?

For a really serious SQ system, you would reposition all the speakers/drivers, adjusting their aim, timing, enclosure volumes, frequency ranges, etc.
But personally, for an E30, i would do some sound proofing, MDF baffles, 2 way components in standards positions (up front), running off a high quality amp (Genesis are top SQ!!), with a small SQ sub tucked away and no rear speakers!!!

The place for info is the talkaudio forum really - but carefull you don't end up hooked on audio and spend obscene amounts of money on it Lol!!

[pony]

Thanks for this.

Do you know what size the standard speakers at the front are?
Are these called tweeters?

Do you know what size the standard speakers at the rear are?

Thanks.

PS
I do not have the E30 at present as someone is working on it otherwise i would find out myself.

[harry_p]

the ones by your feet are 13cm, the rear depends what standard stuff you have. i'm pretty sure the main speaker in the premium sound system rears is also 13cm, but not sure what the standard setup was? probably also 13cm or maybe 10cm.

you really don't want 2 or 3 way speakers, in the kick pannels theyll just be pointing the high frequencies at your feet.

a half decent componant setup with seperate mid and tweeters will sound better than the very best 3way speakers.

a single mid driver will naturally sound better as it won't have a couple of smaller speakers stuck in front of it blocking sound, and theyre usually mounted on a pole through the middle of the main speaker which again reduces the effective cone size.

some decent componants with the 13cm speaker in the footwells and tweeters in the premium positions at the base of the wing mirrors will sound a massive amount better than the standard basic setup, still not amazing, but a lot better.

[pony]

What is the difference between 2-way/3-way speakers?

Do you recommend 3-way in the back?

What is the purpose of tweeters in a sound system?

What is a single mid driver?

I have seen some people put tweeters near the wing door mirrors of the car was this how they were when some of the E30s came from the factory for the factory look?

Thanks very much,

[miniblob]

Component speakers:
2-way will have a separate bass/mid range driver (1 piece) and a tweeter (1 piece). Clicky for examples...
3-way will have a separate bass driver (1 piece), mid range driver (1 piece) and a tweeter (1 piece). Clicky for examples...
All sets should come with a crossover which has an input from your amp/head unit and splits the output so a different frequency range goes to each driver.
They are a set of components which when put together make a system!!

Don't confuse them with a 2-way 'coax' speaker which has a tweeter mounted in the middle of the mid range driver, but is essentially one item!! Clicky for examples...
Don't get me wrong though, they can also sound good, but are not ideal!!

As said, 13.5cm (5.25") up front - have you already got tweeter pods on the inside of the door mirrors??

Unless you're trying to please rear passengers, I honestly wouldn't bother with rears - at least to start with.

Car audio is always a compromise and although 3-way components can be better, there will be a lot more effort in fitting them - where would you put all three parts on each side???
It would need a custom door build of some kind!!

[hongkongfuey]

also you will have trouble fitting some in the kick pannels, as the rubber or tweeter hits on the back of the pannel.

"focal speakers" are a good start, i'm using them in the front of mine, more than welcome to have a listen, with your own music