# E39 540i DSP audio system upgrade



## 540i6 (Jan 27, 2010)

I'm planning to replace the entire audio system of my 1998 540i and so far I'm leaning towards all Alpine components. So far the preliminary choices are:

Alpine PDX-4.150
Alpine PDX-1.1000
Alpine SWX-1043D
Alpine SPX-13PRO

Regarding SPX-13PRO, I was originally thinking of getting SPX-17PRO, but read somewhere that SPX-13PRO are easier to install since they are the same size as OEM.

The system will be driven by a car PC. What I'm still primarily confused about is what would be the best speaker placement. I was hoping that I could get two pairs of SPX-13PRO and put one into the front doors and the other into the rear doors, then have the subwoofers replace the speakers under the rear shelf. I know that the rear doors have no speakers (except for the tweaters) and it would take a lot of modification (assuming it's possible at all) to fit bigger speakers.

Another way I could have the rear pair of speakers replace the rear shelf ones with their tweaters going into the rear doors, but then subwoofer(s) would have to be somewhere else (maybe in the ski pass).

The goal is to keep as much trunk as possible, have optimal decent sound on both the front and the rear seats and have the ability to change the balance between the front and the rear.

What do you guys think would be the best setup? I'm still researching and open to any suggestions at all. Thanks in advance!


----------



## 540i6 (Jan 27, 2010)

Any thoughts? Does any of that make any sense? :blush:


----------



## el_chupo_ (May 27, 2007)

I have an e39, and there are several others on the board here as well. Bimmerforums has some installs too.

I chose to skip the rear speakers (in all the cars I have modified...), I have Pioneer PRS mids (6.5") in the rear and Zapco tweets in the factory sail panel location. 

If you want 6.5" speakers and are not comfortable modding the doors then check out 12v electronics : E39 Speaker Baffles - How to upgrade your speakers - Bimmerforums - The Ultimate BMW Forum

lots of sub options, check out the IB isntalls over on bimmerforums as well


----------



## 540i6 (Jan 27, 2010)

Thanks for the info. I did see a few other E39 installs, but none of them put speakers in the rear doors and it makes me wonder why. Would the speakers be too close to each other in that case making such placement not optimal?


----------



## VP Electricity (Apr 11, 2009)

Because R speakers are a commie lot against our North American way of life?

Until you get as good a front stage setup as you can get, every dollar you spend on the r speakers and r amp channels dilute your sound quality. 90% of your sound quality from mids and highs comes from the fronts. 

You will NOT get stereo imaging or a decent stage for the rear seat passengers. 

As someone who owns several classic Alpine HUs and started selling them in 1987, I gotta say, the electrons don't care, and you can get better speakers for the dollar and better sounding amps. The amps are a good deal for the buck, but you can get better. Alpine sub? Really?

If you keep the door enclosures, I'd get some kind of processing that lets you EQ very precisely. Stamped frames fit the enclosures better than cast, but small enclosures are anathema to many car-door-intended speakers. 

Gonna be a great sound card, I hope. 

You looked at BennyZ's E39 on Bfc?


----------



## 540i6 (Jan 27, 2010)

el_chupo_ said:


> I chose to skip the rear speakers (in all the cars I have modified...), I have Pioneer PRS mids (6.5") in the rear and Zapco tweets in the factory sail panel location.


So on the front you don't have anything else besides the tweeters? What kind of an amp/sub setup do you have?



VP Electricity said:


> As someone who owns several classic Alpine HUs and started selling them in 1987, I gotta say, the electrons don't care, and you can get better speakers for the dollar and better sounding amps. The amps are a good deal for the buck, but you can get better. Alpine sub? Really?


I'm choosing the Alpine subs for a few reasons. First, I've read mostly good things about them; they are also very compact and would fit perfectly where the stock amp/CD-changer currently reside while leaving enough space for the PC. Plus, as you say, they are a good deal for the buck, and sometimes can be had even cheaper on eBay. I still cannot decide for sure whether to go with a separate sub amp or get a PDX-5, what do you guys think?



VP Electricity said:


> Gonna be a great sound card, I hope.


I hope so too  Still looking into this one, any suggestions?



VP Electricity said:


> You looked at BennyZ's E39 on Bfc?


I did, very interesting build. But the equipment the author chose to go with definitely does not fit in my budget. I'm certainly looking to improve the quality of the sound, but it doesn't have to be "studio like", if that is at all possible in a car setting.


----------



## VP Electricity (Apr 11, 2009)

What's your budget?


----------



## 540i6 (Jan 27, 2010)

I would feel comfortable with roughly $200-$300 per amp, same for a pair of speakers. So, budget wise, Alpine fits nicely as well. Always open to suggestions  Thanks!


----------



## el_chupo_ (May 27, 2007)

540i6 said:


> So on the front you don't have anything else besides the tweeters? What kind of an amp/sub setup do you have?


I am running the Zapco tweets with the mids from the Pioneer Premier TS-C720PRS set, a 6.5" mid in a custom MDF panel where the 5.25 speaker is originally.



540i6 said:


> I did, very interesting build. But the equipment the author chose to go with definitely does not fit in my budget. I'm certainly looking to improve the quality of the sound, but it doesn't have to be "studio like", if that is at all possible in a car setting.


There are a lot of options, no need to drop HAT driver money. If you are running passive and plan to put the tweeters in the sail panels the Alpine Type X Pro set should work, and be close to budget. The ID XS series are supposed to be decent passives as well.


----------



## VP Electricity (Apr 11, 2009)

You have already narrowed your search to the point where I'm not clear what you want from other people. You seem to want people to tell you you're right... personally, I would avoid Alpine subs like the plague, You can do far better than Alpine comps, and the amps are cheap at the moment which is why they have a shot.


----------



## d5sc (Aug 14, 2007)

I also have an E39 540i and know of other E39 owners who have upgraded their audio systems.

As of others have mentioned, I would also highly recommend foregoing the rear M/T speakers *unless* you are planning some type of surround sound type of a setup. 

In my previous install, I had Dynaudio 220 MKII component speakers in both the front and rear stock locations powered by Brax amplifiers. While this combination sounded decent, the rear speakers were extremely attenuated as to not pull the imaging/sound stage to the rear. Most are looking for a realistic front sound stage such as in a concert type of a setting. Some of the best sounding E39s I have heard of personally, as well as other sound quality-oriented cars, don't run rear fill/speakers (M/T). 

It may be more worthwhile to spend the rear speaker budget on the front speaker placement/installation, as well as some form of equalization and time alignment. For example, some of the better sounding E39 systems I have heard in person, have had the midrange drivers in the door location (usually on a modified speaker baffle/sound deadened) or kick panels and the tweeters in the a-pillars. Time alignment will most likely be important if you are planning on using the stock speaker locations, and getting the best performance from the new speakers in terms of imaging and staging. 

In terms of the subwoofer placement and if you have the sunshade option, I would not recommend placing/firing the subwoofers through the rear parcel shelf as there will be buzzes and rattles. I have the sunshade option and am currently running a single Genesis 12" sub with 500 watts in a one cubic foot sealed box through the ski pass. The sunshade will only rattle slightly during specific bass notes and if the volume is really high. Also, I have seen other sub installs where they utilize the indentation of the rear battery cover with a sub in a fiberglass enclosure. This may be something else to consider to preserve space although a small sealed box or an infinite baffle setup may be more cost effective. 

In terms of manufacturer preference, that is a matter of personal taste and I would highly recommend that you listen to as many as you can. Since you are in Hayward, I would highly recommend that you visit Sound Innovations as they are an Alpine dealer and carry many other brands as well, such as Genesis, Zapco, Audison, Steg, Hertz, and Focal. They are one of the best shops in Northern California and Ernie, the owner, is a very knowledgeable and stand-up guy. They are very familiar with E39s and also did the installation(s) in my E39.

Hope this helps a little...


----------



## 540i6 (Jan 27, 2010)

d5sc said:


> Hope this helps a little...


Yes, it does! Thanks a lot for the great info and the Sound Innovations recommendation, I'll check them out.

So, it sounds like the only thing that should be on the rear is the subs if one wants a center stage, which is what I also want, I think. Thanks for the sunshade option tip, I do have it too, so most likely I'll be placing the sub in the ski pass then. I did see a couple of installations with the sub above the battery, but at least for one of the guys this placement created a rattle problem somewhere in the fender area. Also, the sub being so close to the right taillight, would probably contribute a lot to having to replace the light bulbs every week or so =) Probably not true, but it seems like a possibility.


----------



## VP Electricity (Apr 11, 2009)

540i6 said:


> I did see a couple of installations with the sub above the battery, but at least for one of the guys this placement created a rattle problem somewhere in the fender area. Also, the sub being so close to the right taillight, would probably contribute a lot to having to replace the light bulbs every week or so =) Probably not true, but it seems like a possibility.


One was probably the 530 Sport I did for a friend 3-4 years ago. No rattles, no light bulb issues.


----------



## 540i6 (Jan 27, 2010)

VP Electricity said:


> One was probably the 530 Sport I did for a friend 3-4 years ago. No rattles, no light bulb issues.


Is there a build log or pictures of it anywhere?

Went to Sound Innovations today, very nice people and very high quality of work. After a discussion with the owner I've decided to go with the Alpine amps (PDX-4.150 and PDX-1.600) and Focal speakers. Will probably get 165 KR for the front and 130 KR for the rear. Also, the sub will probably end up above the battery.


----------



## VP Electricity (Apr 11, 2009)

540i6 said:


> Is there a build log or pictures of it anywhere?
> 
> Went to Sound Innovations today, very nice people and very high quality of work. After a discussion with the owner I've decided to go with the Alpine amps (PDX-4.150 and PDX-1.600) and Focal speakers. Will probably get 165 KR for the front and 130 KR for the rear. Also, the sub will probably end up above the battery.


Loo on bfc for posts started by El.duderino on E39. Not a ton o'pics. Zapco DC amps.


----------



## d5sc (Aug 14, 2007)

540i6 said:


> Went to Sound Innovations today, very nice people and very high quality of work. After a discussion with the owner I've decided to go with the Alpine amps (PDX-4.150 and PDX-1.600) and Focal speakers. Will probably get 165 KR for the front and 130 KR for the rear. Also, the sub will probably end up above the battery.


It's good to hear that you visited Sound Innovations. Yes, they are all very nice and the work they do is excellent. Sound Innovations is the only shop in the area that I would trust working on my E39 and recommend to people (out of good conscience). 

I imagine you will be pleasantly surprised with the component choices you've made based on Ernie's recommendations/feedback and your needs/wants. 

P.S.

Please tell Ernie I said hello the next time you see him. Tell him it's from George, "the skinny asian guy," with the Dinan 5 .


----------



## sddale (Mar 31, 2009)

Any update to your installation? 

I have a 2000 540 with a 12" mounted above the battery in a sealed fiberglass enclosure. Sounds great and no issues with the fender or lights.


----------

