# BMW X5 LCI E70 Install - Eton, Sony, JL Audio



## diy.phil (May 23, 2011)

I checked with DIYMA/admin earlier and he said ok to post a link to another site. Here's the page/link to my basic install... 
click-> Eton Component Speakers and Subs - Bimmerfest - BMW Forums

I thought you guys might find it interesting since we all like making/looking at boxes and all the fun stuff lol. The main pieces are two pairs of Eton B100N component speakers, Sony XM-GS100 amp, JL Audio 13TW5V2-2 subwoofer and a Streetwires ZN1-1FC cap. If any questions/issues, just hit me on this page here (or there)... (yeah, no more LED/neon lights this time around ha ha)
Thanks!


----------



## Coppertone (Oct 4, 2011)

Just looked over your work, very well executed and extremely low key which I for one prefer. Are you at some point going to add more, or are you content at this stage of the build ?


----------



## diy.phil (May 23, 2011)

hi Coppertone, thanks!
yeah i'm very happy with it already and currently do not have any plan to add more stuff. 

Well... besides that... I really can't go into the garage to do more car audio stuff or the boss here will get really mad It has to be some other unrelated/new projects or she's start picking on my timeline, messed-up schedule and i'll instantly get a bad review lol !! 

I'm waiting for the UPS truck to show up with 2 packages today (different projects and she's not home right now to audit anything ha ha)


----------



## sydmonster (Oct 5, 2009)

very high quality work and meticulous planing!! Nicely done. Many folks would think that its a factory option.

Can you elaborate on the paint finish on the box/mdf?


----------



## diy.phil (May 23, 2011)

Thank you Sydmonster!

The paint process goes like this...
- paint-brushed several thin layers of flat black paint. This is to make it black/opaque in case I miss any spray spots later
- sprayed some Krylon 'Make it Stone". The color/texture is called Obsidian. Also several thin layers of this, each time from a different angle, and then allowing it to dry.
- then finished with several thin layers of clear coat.
(all together there's about a dozen thin layers.)

The spray stuff was done outdoors, and with a respirator (nose/face mask). After each layer, I turned on 2 table fans to air these parts so that they dry faster.... then to the next layer and so on...
(The other flat black is for the L-brackets.)

Thanks!


----------



## sinister-kustoms (Jul 22, 2009)

Nice work man!


----------



## diy.phil (May 23, 2011)

thank you SK!


----------



## optimaprime (Aug 16, 2007)

I like this a lot and paint sceme cool looks almost like factory plastic.


----------



## diy.phil (May 23, 2011)

ha ha yeah it looks kinda neat. eh. I thought you guys all have seen this paint before. It has been around for maybe 10 years or more. The first time I used it was for a home sub box. Lately it's kinda difficult to find it. I had to search around and found it again at Michaels, an arts/crafts store. Home Depot doesn't have it (they do the Rust-oleum brand and have other type of colors/texture but it's not the dark one like this obsidian color/texture).

Anyways this is one of those strange paints. From 10 ft or further away it looks overall dark grayish. Then we get closer and suddenly realize it has many white spots like a skin problem lol! This one looks shinny because of the clear coat. Without the clear coat it's a little dull/flat but may not last long if we rub against it too often. I might get another can for another project this weekend/soon (too cold to cut/paint stuff today).


----------



## diy.phil (May 23, 2011)

Small mod/update: There’s a slight thump sound when switching off. If we go by the book, any unwanted noise means lots and lots of points deduction lol other than driving me crazy!!  So I ran the high-level sound into a PAC LOC Pro LP7-2 module and it solved the problem. It has some components in there to block/isolate the DC current that causes the shut-down thump. I found a nice spot under the amp to secure it and it’s well hidden from the top/outside view. It’s now quiet when powering down (also quiet powering up but this wasn’t an issue before this mod/update).


----------



## derek0606 (Dec 1, 2010)

Phil, you are the man! I admire your 3D work too!


----------



## diy.phil (May 23, 2011)

Thanks! Eh but it's not me only. Derek, you the man too!! I've seen your 3D stuff here and it's superb!! Yeah it's always great to use some CAD tools for the various projects that we do!


----------



## diy.phil (May 23, 2011)

I have a couple of recent updates . I stuffed these in a few weeks or months ago. I probably should put these info/pictures here while I still remember lol.
Here’s a recent pix of the vehicle.










Here’s the other end and what I occasionally have to pile on the stereo


----------



## diy.phil (May 23, 2011)

I finally got around to add a pair of Eton B150USB underseat woofers (midbass). Here’s a top and bottom comparison between the factory stuff and the new Eton speakers. They make great quality stuff.



















Here’s the speaker sitting in the BMW factory brackets, trimmed per their install guide….


----------



## diy.phil (May 23, 2011)

Here’s the appropriate cable and connector for the speakers from Technic…









I didn’t have to take the front seats out. However I had to use some wood/MDF blocks and also some random stuff that I found in the garage just to prop the front seats up to get to the speakers hiding under there. 










I discovered each speaker breathes into a cavity and then into “strange tunnel’ leading to the front of the vehicle. Not sure what it does / doesn’t matter.


----------



## diy.phil (May 23, 2011)

Here’s the left-side underseat placement…










Here’s the right-side one, and then with the factory grill back on to hide everything.


----------



## diy.phil (May 23, 2011)

Here’s the Eton DSP8CAN module. It’s a DSP with an 8-channel amplifier…










Hiding in there is an Analog Devices Blackfin processor and a TI BurrBrown chip…



















The label at the bottom has some info….










Here’s a CAD drawing of the brackets and placement in the trunk area.










Here’s another CAD drawing of a plastic bracket on order. I actually had a slightly different design but did not like it. So, I just tweaked it and ordered a new one. It should arrive here in a week. This is just like a beauty panel thing. It goes over/around the metal brackets.










Here’s the metal brackets cut from a small electronics enclosure/box…










Here it is after spraying it black…


----------



## diy.phil (May 23, 2011)

Here’s the wiring harness and accessories that came with the Eton DSP8CAN…










Here’s the optional USB programming cable. It’s sold separately, but the store gave it to me free with the purchase….










The software/utility screenshots are in the next few pictures. The Eton factory person emailed me the Master User version that has extra/unlocked features. The normal End User version downloaded from their website works too but has less selections/items. There’s a learning curve and then everything’s easy to configure and use. The parametric equalizer is very powerful, and each of the 8 channels have separate adjustments.




























Here’s a set of cables from Technic . Very high quality too! The red/black cable on the right is for the midbass under the seats (saw that in another pix earlier/above).










Here’s a closer look at the quadlock connecter and a small a fiber/MOST connector/adapter from Technic.










All the cables used in this install are wrapped in protective sleeves...


----------



## diy.phil (May 23, 2011)

I had to take apart the center area of the dash to get the radio out. This is to fit the Technic cable set in there.



















Here’s the DSP8CAN in the rear-left corner. After some setup and tuning it works great! I’m more than happy!










(More stuff coming up in a week after I return home (or a few weeks))
Bye!


----------



## JayinMI (Oct 18, 2008)

Nice work! Interested in that Eton processor. Does the software have a demo mode? I might like to play with it a little. I've recently had a couple of Range Rovers in that I could see that thing being REAL useful in. 

Now all we need is one of those that takes MOST bus directly in. lol

Jay


----------



## diy.phil (May 23, 2011)

Hi JayinMI, thanks! They put the software on their website at DSP 8 CAN*-*Amplifiers*-*Car-HiFi*-*Products*-*Eton GmbH
It runs in demo mode as that's how I tried it before ordering it. However if we want enable the "Switch Mode" (button on the lower right corner) to do live changes/updates, we'll need to have this DSP box connected. This Enduser software also requires a .BCR file that they provide on the webpage called "Freischaltfile für Einstellsoftware" (setup software activation file).

Also something to note later if wiring/installing is... when we save the settings to Set 1, we'll also have to save the same settings to the Default Set button (5 buttons to the right side of Preset 1), ie. save this to 2 places/buttons.

On the output side, pin 1 (channel 8 minus) is the solid green wire while pin 9 (channel 8 plus) is the green/black-stripe. Pin 8 (channel 1 minus) is the pink wire while pin 16 (channel 1 plus) is the pink/black-stripe. This connector plugs in "upside down" due to the PCB arrangement as there are 2 PCBs in there, so we can just go by the colors mentioned here and can identify the various remaining wires/channels.


----------



## fullergoku (Jun 21, 2009)

How do you like the sound of Eton midbass drivers?


----------



## diy.phil (May 23, 2011)

These midbass drivers work great. It's plenty loud and strong. I actually disabled the sub in the trunk before swapping-in these underseat speakers so that I can hear/feel if the new speakers are working 

The B150USB started very good (same efficiency as the factory speakers it replaced). Then it got slightly louder over the next days after breaking-in. This thing can pound all by itself lol. These speakers can handle more electrical power than the factory speakers. After a week or so I re-enabled the subs and everything blends in there very nicely. 

(I'm still out of the country... more parts already showed up at home and maybe I can continue to install a few more items next week or so.)


----------



## diy.phil (May 23, 2011)

Here are just some recent updates/info/photos...

If we look under the hood of a modern vehicle we can see a silly cover over the motor. Hey I can do that too for the DSP/amp! Here's a CAD drawing...









This is the bottom side. It's basically a bunch of ribs/webs in there so that it's strong and not a big block. The metal brackets for the DSP/amp shown earlier recess into this new bracket.









Here's the piece after print and some light/random sanding...









After some spray paint/texture it gets darker...









This is the bottom side...









Here it is after the install in the trunk. Nobody sees it ... yaaaay...


----------



## diy.phil (May 23, 2011)

Here's the center channel bracket. They already have a nice place on the dash for it and there's a flat cover inside there. So all I have to do is use the inside bracket/shape and make a new one. Here's a CAD/assembly picture...









Here's the bottom side. It's basically a shell, thick shell. There are some little rectangular spots in there for some nylon cable ties...









Here's another assembly picture with the factory grill so that it fits in there. The area around the tweeter extends up to the factory grill to point the sound out...









Here's the 3D print/piece after some light sanding...









After spraying/texturing it looks like this....









This is the bottom side...









Here it is with the speakers and assembled in the dash. I ordered another set of Eton B-100N speaker/set (similar as all doors) for an easy voice/timbre match. The center channel processing is great - it nicely gives it a strong presence and anchors the middle area items right there! (It's suddenly a void when I turn it off lol). All the left, far left, right and far right items are still in their correct locations (check with the IASCA 7-snare/drum test track)... and the middle stuff is in the middle with a good presence.









With the factory grill back on, they're all hiding in there... 









Bye.


----------



## sinister-kustoms (Jul 22, 2009)

Jaw, meet Floor. Floor, meet Jaw.

That is just some next level shizz right there. Unfrickenbelievable!


----------



## diy.phil (May 23, 2011)

Thanks! but it's really not too difficult - we just need some time at it and suddenly it's all done!


----------



## rton20s (Feb 14, 2011)

Very cool to see you bring all of your design work into reality. Looks like a great implementation of 3D printing and rapid prototyping. 

How are you measuring the factory pieces you are attempting to mate up to? Manual measurements, or do you have some sort of 3D scan tool?


----------



## diy.phil (May 23, 2011)

Hey there. I normally just measure it and then draw (old school style lol - that's what somebody taught me to do a few years ago... always measure the space and measure the item regardless of what they say the dimension is). For really large items... I use a long tape measure. For small stuff i use a caliper. For other stuff... if they have a picture then I can attach/overlay it, scale and then draw the new lines over it. Sometimes i'll print them on paper, and cut/trim to see if it's the right size/shape and then put in more lines/items.


----------



## Hanatsu (Nov 9, 2010)

Interesting... never seen anyone else here using ETON stuff 

Nice car btw, I like your "amp rack" as well. Looks very OEM.


----------



## diy.phil (May 23, 2011)

hey Han you have ETON stuff too!! 
Thanks!!
(The amp rack is getting a small makeover/renovation soon)


----------



## folgrz (Oct 29, 2009)

Wow beautiful install. Jealous of you awesome skills to DIY!!


----------



## diy.phil (May 23, 2011)

hey folgrz thanks!
but it's really not difficult - most people can do the same thing anyways! 
(there are also many things people here can do that I can't.)


----------



## diy.phil (May 23, 2011)

The latest info is I have sold/traded the vehicle on 11/11/2015. I removed all these stereo stuff, reinstalled the original/OE parts and it’s back to stock. Thanks for checking out this thread! 

There’ll always be more projects in the new vehicle 
Bye.


----------



## ejeffrey (Oct 8, 2015)

Just saw this for the first time - absolutely loving the brackets and the rapid prototype stuff!! 

Great to see some other Eton fans here. I installed a lot of their Hexacone car line back in the late 90s when they were available. Fantastic stuff.


----------



## diy.phil (May 23, 2011)

Thanks! 
Hey yeah looks like we're one of the few Eton fans here! 
I have another new Eton product in the box. It was supposed to go into this X5 but never made it in ha ha. Maybe if i'm lucky it'll be in my next install!


----------



## Wibeee (Mar 17, 2017)

I'm planning to replace my F31 BMW HiFi amplifier with Eton DSP 8 CAN and I've searched the whole internet if it accepts balanced differential signal from the BMW head unit.
You used it in your X5 so do you know if the X5 HU outputs balanced differential signal? Any other notes/tips that I should know?

Greetings from Finland


----------



## diy.phil (May 23, 2011)

Hi Wibeee, I am not too sure because all these BMWs have slightly different configurations. I have just emailed them to find out for us. As soon as they tell us, we will all know. 

(I also have an F25 (wife's car) with a similar Hifi option and my old DSP8CAN hopefully can work with it, but I need to get my main car done before I can start on hers ha ha.)

So, please stand by and hopefully we have some answers soon (it might be the weekend there and they may be out of the office for the next few days). Thanks.


----------



## Wibeee (Mar 17, 2017)

Cool, thanks!
By the way, are you using "Technic Harness" or how did you connect the oem wires to the Eton amp?


----------



## diy.phil (May 23, 2011)

Yes indeed i used the Technic harness to connect them. :thumbsup:


----------



## diy.phil (May 23, 2011)

PM just sent to Wibeee (with info from the Eton factory). thanks


----------



## moor17 (Mar 27, 2017)

Hi diy.phil,
First of all I would like to congratulate you for your sound installation in your bmw cars

I'm looking for a harness PNP for the Eton DSP8CAN amp (that i would like to buy) to replace my OEM hifi amp 676 in my BMW F21. 

I found the technic harness 676 hifi BMW, but i have no idea if the eton amp has balanced inputs, and if he has them how to connect the technic harness with the amp's universel harness ?

Can you help me ?

Thanks


----------



## diy.phil (May 23, 2011)

Thank you moor17! Yes, the Eton is compatible with the 676 balanced signal.
The connections is straight forward because that Technic cable comes with 2 types of documentation. On each wire itself the signal type/name is printed on the cable (tiny prints but it's there the last I noticed). Secondly Technic will normally provide some documentation (word/pdf file) with the wiring/colors and pictures info for your specific cable. I really think Elias/Technic is an IT guy... automatically will provide proper documentation because that's how all tech/corporations have to do it ha ha. After that, we just have to match the example Technic Front Left + cable with the Eton Front Left + cable (from Eton's manual), and match the rest of cable/lines plus provide the power/ground/etc. When I had some questions... he also provided the tech support via PM/email too. That's an expensive and high quality & heavy cable, but it comes with great documentation and support! :thumbsup:

edit: There's also kind of a 3rd Technic documentation... he sometimes will point/show us to another BMW vehicle (it's somebody else's BMW build log, or one that he has done/installed) using the similar cable/setup as yours! We can see all the fine stuff they're doing there too!


----------



## moor17 (Mar 27, 2017)

THanks for your reply.

Apart your post, i found no post on the installing of the amp dsp8can, all the forums thread talk about the pp82dsp match at 90%.

My question is how to connect the RCA inputs of the technic harness with the high level amp inputs? How to adapt this?


----------



## diy.phil (May 23, 2011)

hi moor17, well, I am not too sure as it may have to be a different cable or wiring method. Please check with Technic (provide him the last-7 VIN, 676 radio code and DSP8CAN model and describe to him your wiring plan/idea to see what he comes up with).


----------



## moor17 (Mar 27, 2017)

Ok, thank you.

and did you remark a noticeable improvement in sound quality after installing the Eton amp ? (bass, quality, detail....)


----------



## moor17 (Mar 27, 2017)

"with OEM speakers"


----------



## diy.phil (May 23, 2011)

I am not too sure with the OEM speakers as I changed all the speakers before I installed this DSP amp. It became much louder and more dynamic! Can I have you buy and install a bunch of Eton speakers too ?  (hey I have many Eton speaker to install soon in my next/current project!)


----------



## moor17 (Mar 27, 2017)

How much ^^ ? First I plan to keep the oem speakers and upgrade amps and see the evolution and also add à sub in the trank. 
I would pursache the eton dsp8can on extremeaudio.de but the seler tOld me that he dont have the cable for programing, so I dont know how to get it later if I order the amp


----------



## diy.phil (May 23, 2011)

Maybe can try another store for the data cable (along with the main dsp/amp if this other store has it too). This cable has a molex connector on one end and maybe a strange internal wiring too (not a straight-thru when I checked it recently for another person)


----------



## Wibeee (Mar 17, 2017)

FYI. You have to code your HU from HIFI to STEREO, if you have OEM HIFI audio system.
Eton DSP 8 Can input harness with front/rear wires accepts only high level signal.
There's also 3,5mm plug in the harness that should accept low level, but there's only one channel (front).


----------

