What stereo / speakers do I have? (UK Spec 35i)

davidmbell · 07-28-2010, 04:34 PM

Hello all, I'm a newbie to Z4 ownership and have had my new baby since Saturday just gone.

Its a May 2009 Z4 SDrive35i in Deep Sea Blue with Pure White Design, Sat Nav, Hard Drive etc etc. It's done 13,500 miles and I consider got it at a decent price. (see here http://www.z4bmw.co.uk).

I've been getting use to all the things it has and reading about people complaining about the stereo.

Now I don't mind the stereo, although sometimes it just doesn't go loud enough. I think its fairly weighted bass wise and quite balanced, just lacking in overall volume.

My question is - I've seen three speaker options, standard, Business and Professional. The standard having four mids in doors and rear and two woofers in the footwell - AFAIK my car has this setup...

HOWEVER, when I fade the volume to the rear I can still hear and feel a fair amount of Bass coming from inside the door itself???

I can still hear and feel bass from the subs in the kick area, but I am CONVINCED there's also another speaker in the door itself, producing bass - this is noticable more when fader is set to rear. It seems to fade out a bit when the fader is set fully to the front? Odd...

Can anyone else please test this out on their car and see if they can also feel/hear bass coming from the doors when the fader is set to rear (helps to have door open so you can move your head toward the door speaker and listen/feel and so not to be fooled by the bass from the footwell).

BTW this is a UK car, with sat nav, so the head unit doesn't have the display - whichever that one is???

Thanks, in advance and look forward to future Z4 discussions.

(got to do some searching on how to machine polish swirled paint and try sort creaking top when up)...

David

mcbeee · 07-28-2010, 05:34 PM

Mine has the Professional,(7 speakers) No Sat-Nav either so a small display on the front of the head unit. I find it quite good after playing around with the equalizer and setting it up. There's also a setting for "room" that helps (play around with it) if the roof is up or down.

Nice looking car by the way..

Memphis1 · 07-28-2010, 05:42 PM

if you indeed have the base, you should have two in the rear shelf (by the shoulder area), two on the doors (meaning one on each door), and two by your feet (meaning one on each outboard). When you fade to the rear you might just be 'feeling' or 'listening' to the resonated sound of the "shoulder" speakers.

if you have the top of the line, you should have 14 speakers, diff amp. a huge sub in the rear, two behind the sat nav (the grill looking area), two tweeters by the side view mirrors, two more under each seat, plus one and the original six.

the "radio area" will only change if you didn't have sat nav.

davidmbell · 07-29-2010, 05:33 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Memphis1

if you indeed have the base, you should have two in the rear shelf (by the shoulder area), two on the doors (meaning one on each door), and two by your feet (meaning one on each outboard). When you fade to the rear you might just be 'feeling' or 'listening' to the resonated sound of the "shoulder" speakers.

if you have the top of the line, you should have 14 speakers, diff amp. a huge sub in the rear, two behind the sat nav (the grill looking area), two tweeters by the side view mirrors, two more under each seat, plus one and the original six.

the "radio area" will only change if you didn't have sat nav.

I think we're safe to say I have the base stereo, however I am CONVINCED the door speakers are still producing some bass when the fader is set to rear - hence why I wanted someone else to check on their car, and why I suggested opening the door (and top down too) so you can distinguish the sound from the two rear speakers, its definately coming from within the door....

SO, can the existing speakers be left in place and a more meaty amp put in? I've seen the Blaupunkt thread, but I'm not up for changing the OEM speakers just yet, but some more volume would be nice.

Cheers,

David
PS MEMPHIS, where did you get the chain/badge keyring from? I like that!

Memphis1 · 07-29-2010, 06:26 AM

I bought the roundel keychain with the steel cable loop, took off the cable loop and bought a gold bracelet to replace the steel cable. I guess you could buy any BMW keychain available with the roundel not necessarily the one I bought.

teagueAMX · 07-29-2010, 07:07 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by davidmbell

SO, can the existing speakers be left in place and a more meaty amp put in? I've seen the Blaupunkt thread, but I'm not up for changing the OEM speakers just yet, but some more volume would be nice.

Not an expert in this area but I am aware the primary concerns when mixing and matching components is to verify that you match impedance of the speakers (or series of speakers) and the amp. The speakers or combination of speakers on each channel have a certain resistance, which is currently matched to the output of the amplifier. It the new components will fit it's OK to change them, just have a local guy take a look that. Sometimes you might to put a cheap Radio Shack resistor in line with the speaker.

davidmbell · 01-15-2011, 04:02 AM

I am resurecting this thread again as I am still convinced the head unit isn't as simple as a fade to front/rear.

Either there's some odd electronics going on in the head unit, or my car is wired up wrong.

Reason I say this, there's much more bass coming from my in door speakers than should be. I have to have my head unit set to almost zero on the bass.

So here's what I've found in my car.

Fader set to middle, nice sound lots of bass.

Fader set to rear, still ok sound less bass, STILL some bass coming from in door speakers

Fader set to front, still ok sound, LESS bass than when fader set to middle.

This last setting is odd, I can feel through the vibrations of the speaker in the door that it gets fed much more bass when the fader is set to middle, than when set to front, yet still also gets fed some bass when set to rear?

I also don't think the speakers in the footwell are doing very much at all.

I wondered if perhaps my car is wired wrong and the feed that my door speakers is getting should be going to the kickplate woofers (ie being fed bass all the time) and the wires to the kickplate woofers should be going to the door?

Hard to explain but I was hoping someone else with an early 09 car with basic 6 speaker system could try this out.

Play bassy song, fade from middle to front, and back to middle and then to rear, and see if the bass is strongest when in the middle, then 'feel' the speaker in the door as you fade from middle to rear - see if it is still producing bass.

Very odd indeed...... I dont think its a simple fade to front/rear as a normal head unit is, there's some funny business going on....

Thanks

David

teagueAMX · 01-15-2011, 12:19 PM

Your system is working strange. I thought on the base system, the foot well speakers carried most of the bass.

BTW, the line in your sig "www.z4bwm.co.uk" seems to be a dead link.

davidmbell · 01-15-2011, 12:23 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by teagueAMX

BTW, the line in your sig "www.z4bwm.co.uk" seems to be a dead link.

Sig typo now corrected.

Thanks

David

ManiacGT · 01-16-2011, 03:09 AM

Ok, I also have the base setup and mine does the same so I think it's safe to say it's normal for this setup (likely the way the head unit works rather than wiring). I agree most setups fade entirely to a specific set of speakers. This setup however seems to shift bias and not fade entirely.

pltan75 · 12-14-2011, 01:21 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Memphis1

if you indeed have the base, you should have two in the rear shelf (by the shoulder area), two on the doors (meaning one on each door), and two by your feet (meaning one on each outboard). When you fade to the rear you might just be 'feeling' or 'listening' to the resonated sound of the "shoulder" speakers.
.

I've recently acquired a second hand E89 with the standard sound system. One thing I note is with the fader adjusted fully to the rear, the shoulder speakers seem mightily quiet in comparison to the other speakers of the car. Is this the norm?

Secondly is it possible to upgrade to the premium sound package or should I look for third party solutions?

orlandotommy · 12-16-2011, 07:15 AM

sound system in my new 2011 35i completely sucks, huge dissapointment, of course i didnt realize it sucked so bad until i was driving it home after buying it off thow showroom floor. chevy and chrysler economy rental cars have a better system than my car, i guess next time i will get the professional package or it will be a deal breaker. i had a 2009 328i hardtop convertable before this and the system was awesome so i just "assumed" that nice sound systems were just part of any bmw, at least any "newer" bmw...

07-28-2010, 04:34 PM	#1
davidmbell Private First Class 17 Rep 125 Posts Drives: 2012 E91 318d Exclusive Join Date: Jun 2010 Location: Leeds/Bradford - UK iTrader: (0) Garage List 2009 Z4 SDrive35i [9.00]	What stereo / speakers do I have? (UK Spec 35i) Hello all, I'm a newbie to Z4 ownership and have had my new baby since Saturday just gone. Its a May 2009 Z4 SDrive35i in Deep Sea Blue with Pure White Design, Sat Nav, Hard Drive etc etc. It's done 13,500 miles and I consider got it at a decent price. (see here http://www.z4bmw.co.uk). I've been getting use to all the things it has and reading about people complaining about the stereo. Now I don't mind the stereo, although sometimes it just doesn't go loud enough. I think its fairly weighted bass wise and quite balanced, just lacking in overall volume. My question is - I've seen three speaker options, standard, Business and Professional. The standard having four mids in doors and rear and two woofers in the footwell - AFAIK my car has this setup... HOWEVER, when I fade the volume to the rear I can still hear and feel a fair amount of Bass coming from inside the door itself??? I can still hear and feel bass from the subs in the kick area, but I am CONVINCED there's also another speaker in the door itself, producing bass - this is noticable more when fader is set to rear. It seems to fade out a bit when the fader is set fully to the front? Odd... Can anyone else please test this out on their car and see if they can also feel/hear bass coming from the doors when the fader is set to rear (helps to have door open so you can move your head toward the door speaker and listen/feel and so not to be fooled by the bass from the footwell). BTW this is a UK car, with sat nav, so the head unit doesn't have the display - whichever that one is??? Thanks, in advance and look forward to future Z4 discussions. (got to do some searching on how to machine polish swirled paint and try sort creaking top when up)... David Last edited by davidmbell; 07-28-2010 at 04:41 PM..
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07-28-2010, 05:34 PM	#2
mcbeee Lieutenant 5 Rep 446 Posts Drives: '09 Z4 s35i & '03 Z4 3.0i Join Date: Nov 2009 Location: Calgary iTrader: (0) Garage List 2003 Z4 3.0i [5.00] 2001 Z3 3.0i [0.00] 2009 Z4 s35i [7.00]	Mine has the Professional,(7 speakers) No Sat-Nav either so a small display on the front of the head unit. I find it quite good after playing around with the equalizer and setting it up. There's also a setting for "room" that helps (play around with it) if the roof is up or down. Nice looking car by the way.. __________________ Member ZSCCA 2009 Z4 s35i with Dinan Stage II software, Sport and Exec packages, 19" 296 rims , a stubby and mud flaps '03 Z4 3.0i Sterling Grey (Hers) '01 Z3 3.0i Sapphire Black, M sport package (Mine)
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07-28-2010, 05:42 PM	#3
Memphis1 Lieutenant Colonel 89 Rep 1,838 Posts Drives: Z4 SDrive 35i Join Date: Oct 2009 Location: CT iTrader: (0)	if you indeed have the base, you should have two in the rear shelf (by the shoulder area), two on the doors (meaning one on each door), and two by your feet (meaning one on each outboard). When you fade to the rear you might just be 'feeling' or 'listening' to the resonated sound of the "shoulder" speakers. if you have the top of the line, you should have 14 speakers, diff amp. a huge sub in the rear, two behind the sat nav (the grill looking area), two tweeters by the side view mirrors, two more under each seat, plus one and the original six. the "radio area" will only change if you didn't have sat nav. __________________
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07-29-2010, 06:26 AM	#5
Memphis1 Lieutenant Colonel 89 Rep 1,838 Posts Drives: Z4 SDrive 35i Join Date: Oct 2009 Location: CT iTrader: (0)	I bought the roundel keychain with the steel cable loop, took off the cable loop and bought a gold bracelet to replace the steel cable. I guess you could buy any BMW keychain available with the roundel not necessarily the one I bought. __________________
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01-15-2011, 04:02 AM	#7
davidmbell Private First Class 17 Rep 125 Posts Drives: 2012 E91 318d Exclusive Join Date: Jun 2010 Location: Leeds/Bradford - UK iTrader: (0) Garage List 2009 Z4 SDrive35i [9.00]	I am resurecting this thread again as I am still convinced the head unit isn't as simple as a fade to front/rear. Either there's some odd electronics going on in the head unit, or my car is wired up wrong. Reason I say this, there's much more bass coming from my in door speakers than should be. I have to have my head unit set to almost zero on the bass. So here's what I've found in my car. Fader set to middle, nice sound lots of bass. Fader set to rear, still ok sound less bass, STILL some bass coming from in door speakers Fader set to front, still ok sound, LESS bass than when fader set to middle. This last setting is odd, I can feel through the vibrations of the speaker in the door that it gets fed much more bass when the fader is set to middle, than when set to front, yet still also gets fed some bass when set to rear? I also don't think the speakers in the footwell are doing very much at all. I wondered if perhaps my car is wired wrong and the feed that my door speakers is getting should be going to the kickplate woofers (ie being fed bass all the time) and the wires to the kickplate woofers should be going to the door? Hard to explain but I was hoping someone else with an early 09 car with basic 6 speaker system could try this out. Play bassy song, fade from middle to front, and back to middle and then to rear, and see if the bass is strongest when in the middle, then 'feel' the speaker in the door as you fade from middle to rear - see if it is still producing bass. Very odd indeed...... I dont think its a simple fade to front/rear as a normal head unit is, there's some funny business going on.... Thanks David __________________ 2012 e91 318d Touring Executive Edition Vermilion Red Automatic Business Nav
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01-15-2011, 12:19 PM	#8
teagueAMX Colonel 60 Rep 2,087 Posts Drives: Some are road worthy Join Date: Apr 2009 Location: So Cal, USA iTrader: (0)	Your system is working strange. I thought on the base system, the foot well speakers carried most of the bass. BTW, the line in your sig "www.z4bwm.co.uk" seems to be a dead link. __________________ "Political correctness is a doctrine fostered by a delusional liberal minority and rabidly promoted by an unscrupulous mainstream media which holds forth the proposition that it is entirely possible to pick up a turd by the clean end".-- Unknown
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01-16-2011, 03:09 AM	#10
ManiacGT Major 85 Rep 1,448 Posts Drives: Z4 sDrive 35i Join Date: Jan 2011 Location: Manchester, UK iTrader: (0)	Ok, I also have the base setup and mine does the same so I think it's safe to say it's normal for this setup (likely the way the head unit works rather than wiring). I agree most setups fade entirely to a specific set of speakers. This setup however seems to shift bias and not fade entirely.
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12-16-2011, 07:15 AM	#12
orlandotommy Move over Stig.... 1 Rep 14 Posts Drives: 2011 E89 35i M Sport Join Date: Jul 2010 Location: Orlando, FL iTrader: (0)	sound system in my new 2011 35i completely sucks, huge dissapointment, of course i didnt realize it sucked so bad until i was driving it home after buying it off thow showroom floor. chevy and chrysler economy rental cars have a better system than my car, i guess next time i will get the professional package or it will be a deal breaker. i had a 2009 328i hardtop convertable before this and the system was awesome so i just "assumed" that nice sound systems were just part of any bmw, at least any "newer" bmw...
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