# Stock Location SQ - 2009 E90 BMW 335i Sedan Install :)



## simplicityinsound (Feb 2, 2007)

Hey guys,

As I am packing my bags for a two week trip to China, it was nice to be able to finish an install on time for the customer before I left.  This is a brand new territory for me, a 2009 BMW 335i sedan, with the NON-logic 7 hi-fi system and I-drive.

Before I get to the project itself, I want to make sure to thank a few people for their assistance during the build: Ken at MusicarNW, Casey with Morel, and Technic who builds those awesome integration harnesses for late model Bimmers.

so...onto the goals:

1. After some initial discussion, the goal is to maintain a total stock appearance in the interior

2. to utilize stock mounting locations and achieve a good level of SQ via the customer supplied MS8 processor

3. To build a simple and clean looking trunk that is stealthy and fit for daily usage.


so...let’s get started.

in the interior, as mentioned above, there isn't much to see, the only visible mods are the remote bass control knob I mounted on the shifter trim for easy access, and the MS8 display mounted in the glove box:










I also ran a 20 foot stereo mini-jack cable from the MS8 to the front, so I don’t have to physically plug in the microphones at the ms8 each time, and can just plug it in here in the glove box:










so...onto the front stage.

The underseat woofer locations were used to house a pair of 8" Morel home audio drivers supplied by Ken at MusicarNW... The flange of the drivers were a bit larger than the opening on the stock enclosures, so I was faced with a few choices, some involved spacing up the driver, the grille, and perhaps even the seat rails to give proper clearance. after a lot of eyeballing...I decided to slowly trim away portions of the enclosure so the morels can sit lower and thus giving us enough clearance. after a lot of measuring , cutting and re-measuring, here is what’s left of the stock enclosures:










I then fabricated a spacer out of 1/4" MDF, this is just so the bottom of the Morel's motor can clear the floor board of the car:










these were then coated with black trunk liner, and bolted to the stock enclosure with the stock hardware, new speaker cables were also run into the enclosures:










the Morels were then loaded into the enclosures, wired up and secured, any extra holes were sealed with a combination of duraglass, silicone, sound proofing mat and strip caulk.










here you see the stock grille sitting on the enclosure, plenty of clearance above the drivers


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## simplicityinsound (Feb 2, 2007)

I took a look at the stock wiring traveling from the stock amp to the underseat woofer, and compared it to the 14 gauge stringer I typically use, and the conclusion was that they are just as thick of not thicker, here you see my holding the stinger on the left and the stock wiring to the right. I decided then to utilize the stock wiring to the woofers:










a piece of foam was laid on the bottom, this seals the bottom of the enclosure, where a hole had been cut to give clearance to the Morel's magnet, and also to prevent any rattling resulting from the morel making contact with the bare metal floor below:










the enclosure was then bolted back in place, the stock wiring wired up to the cables I lead out of the enclosure, and neatly ziptied:










and the stock grille secured back ontop:










the passenger side gives you some more detailed views of the process:

the spade quick disconnects used to hook up the stock wiring:










bundled neatly:










and the woofer sitting in place before the grille installation, the carpet sits far enough above the woofer to not affect sound output:










and grille in place:










The rest of the front stage consists of a set of Morel Hybrid Ovation II 4" component set residing in stock locations. 

using a set of steel rings supplied by musicarNW and adding a thin plate I cut myself out of 1/8" hardboard, the HOII 4" midrange was installed in the stock location via OEM hardware. the area around the midrange was sound proofed to reduce resonance:


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## simplicityinsound (Feb 2, 2007)

the tweeters were also installed into the stock locations at the sail panel. they were a near perfect fitment, held in place by the stock plastic prongs and a dab of hi-temp hot glue in vital areas:



















To best utilize the abilities of the MS8, we added a center channel to this car, this involved purchase a OEM BMW dash grille for center channel equipped cars, and installing a Morel Integra Ovation 4" point source driver.

I trimmed the stock mounting plate in key areas to allow the Morel to drop in and secure itself with the metal locking prongs, with a dab of 3M strip caulk in between:



















for the doors, new 16 gauge cables were run into them to power the midrange, while the stock 18 gauge cable were retained to run the tweeter, this gives me the ability to locate the passive xovers in the trunk. Thanks to Ken, this turned out to be pretty simple by routing the wires AROUND the Molex rather than through it:


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## simplicityinsound (Feb 2, 2007)

So that’s it for the interior...moving onto the trunk.

again the goal here is to be stealthy and durable.

so here is the view with everything covered. all you see is trunk liner:



















lift the two grilles out of the way and here is what you see:

A Morel Ultimo SC 10 subwoofer sits in a fiberglass side on the driver side, trimmed by white CF vinyl. in the floor, three Image Dynamics Q series amplifiers are displayed also in a cutout trimmed in white CF vinyl. The entire floor has been raised by about 3.5" as there is no real spare tire well in the car to sink products into:





































a closer look at the sub enclosure, which follows the contours of the stock carpet:










and the amps:


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## simplicityinsound (Feb 2, 2007)

now comes the build pics:

first is the construction of the subbox. about a ten layers of cloth was laid, and allowed to cure:










once it cured, the mold was removed from the car, trimmed and sanded to the desired shape:



















this was then test fitted into the car:










To account for the fact that the floor will be raised about 3.5", I attached a strip of low heat plastic across the bottom of the enclosure to give it a more uniform shape...so a clean seam can be achieved once the fake floor butts up to the subbox:










the baffle for the sub with its raised borders was then secured to the mold:










next, fleece was pulled, resin applied, and allowed to cure. once that cured, I cut open the back of the box and reinforced the fleeced sidewalls with about 10 layers of mat and cloth. the opening was then fiberglassed shut once again, and then another 6 layers of cloth went onto the back wall from the inside to reinforce it once again. 

the fleece was then sanded, major dips smoothed out with filler, and here is what you end up with. it’s actually about a full day’s work between these and the last picture:


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## simplicityinsound (Feb 2, 2007)

the box was then wrapped in grey trunk liner:










The OEM BMW trunk liner shade is a few shades lighter than the grey trunk liner commonly available and a few shades darker than the lighter variant...so I dyed the material to match the stock color better:










it isn’t perfect, but it’s pretty damn close and much better than before the dye:



















a quick test fit into the car shows the color match:










next, a piece of 1/8" hardboard was cutout, wrapped in white CF vinyl, and secured to the mounting baffle. this will give a bit of color trim to the subwoofer:




























here is a quick shot of a test fitment with all the major components prior to upholstery:


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## simplicityinsound (Feb 2, 2007)

and here is the amp trim board before and after vinyl:



















the main fake floor in bare wood, and then after trunk liner and a bit of dye:



















same thing for the two grilles:




























a shot of the MS8 and related wiring which sits right below the amp rack:










a quick shot of the main amplifier rack and wiring, a Q700.2 powers the subwoofer, a Q450.4 powers the underseat woofers and another 450.4 powers the front midrange and tweeters.











After some quick adjustments and tuning, I have to say this car sounds very nice. I was a bit unsure about how the stock door locations would turn out but surprisingly, the stage is nice and deep and very wide. The underseat woofers are crossed then over as low as I can, and on many songs, they were actually perfectly fine acting as the only subwoofer in the system. They also provided excellent impact for midbass duties. I think perhaps some more tuning regarding the transition between subwoofer and woofer and between woofer and midrange is needed, as certain songs, with low freq male vocals, can tend the draw the stage down a bit, but it is very nice with pretty minimal tuning.

Overall, this setup in an E90 is one I would recommend again, with some minor adjustments, to anyone looking for a nice sounding setup with minimal interior modifications.

Okay, time to finish packing and get ready for my 13 hours flight...back in two weeks!


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## MTopper (Nov 4, 2009)

thats and impressive trunk as always. Did you only lay sound deadener on the doors?


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## six2six (Mar 25, 2007)

very nice trunk setup. is the center channel powered by the MS8?


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## strong*I*bumpin (Oct 3, 2005)

How does the bass get into the cabin?


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## simplicityinsound (Feb 2, 2007)

the bass gets into the cabin pretty well actually. since the sub is only going from 55hz down, the underseat woofers provides a lot of the bottom end extension. as i listen from song to song and varying the subwoofer knob, i can feel the subwoofer itself fills the bottom end nicely and blends with the woofers pretty well.

the ultra low freq stuff below 55hz seems to get into the cabin pretty well despite no obvious port.


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## audiovibe (Nov 16, 2007)

Beautiful as always man!!!


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## dvc (Mar 28, 2009)

I have a question
How you make a box like this:








hold in its place.

I mean, how it is fastened there?
Thanks!


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## quality_sound (Dec 25, 2005)

Now you know what I'm working with Bing. That trunk is EXACTLY like mine. Only difference is I have a set of Integra ovations for the rear as well. 

Install looks amazing though.


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## Lancejoker (Aug 14, 2009)

Very nice work. You guys do some awesome work.


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## MaXius (Dec 18, 2009)

dvc said:


> I mean, how it is fastened there?
> Thanks!


By looking at the pics, i'm guessing the raised false floor keeps it in place on the side, as the false floor butts up against the lower part of the sub box.
Maybe Bing put some velcro on the back or something as well.. guess we'll have to wait until he gets back to find out


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## quality_sound (Dec 25, 2005)

Lancejoker said:


> Very nice work. You guys do some awesome work.


Not guys, guy. Bing does all this by himself in his garage. Scary, isn't it?

Bing, is the MS-8 powering the rears?


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## derickveliz (May 15, 2009)

Subscribed... awesome!


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## simplicityinsound (Feb 2, 2007)

leaving for the airport in about 10 mins  

real quick:

the subbox is secured b a single bolt to a cross member in the back behind the carpet, i dont generally trust velcro or pressure to fit a box in place. 

center and rears are off the ms8

doors are sound proofed yeah.

alright, you guys be good! off to china.


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## English audiophile (Sep 25, 2010)

Great work, simple & clean is how I like it.


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## bertholomey (Dec 27, 2007)

Great work Bing - an '07 e92 may be my next car, and I have been gathering ideas for potential speaker placement. You did a fantastic job meeting the goals set out for the build.


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## Mic10is (Aug 20, 2007)

What did you dye the carpet with? I have the same prob with my BMW. Silver is too light. Charcoal too dark
I am waiting on some heather and see if its any better


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## thehatedguy (May 4, 2007)

Global Upholstery Supply, convertible tops, leather, vinyl, carpet, fabrics 1-714-708-2220

Veteran Co.

Will have your OEM trunk liner.


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## cnut334 (Oct 17, 2009)

Beautiful work!


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## VP Fiberglass (Jun 19, 2010)

thehatedguy said:


> Global Upholstery Supply, convertible tops, leather, vinyl, carpet, fabrics 1-714-708-2220
> 
> Veteran Co.
> 
> Will have your OEM trunk liner.


No.. they won't. Neither of them. At least not as of a couple weeks ago. If that has changed, I'd LOVE to know. I'm getting really good at dyeing to match but it's a PITA!!


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## DMP23 (Jul 28, 2010)

Nice job.


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## Jussi (Jul 23, 2009)

Very nice work!

Are those midbass enclosures sealed or do they breath somewhere under floor carpet or outside of the car ??


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## simplicityinsound (Feb 2, 2007)

finally back from china  Jussi, bmw's solution to having too small of an enclosure for an 8" driver is kinda interesting. the square side of the enclosure lines up and seals against the door sill sheet metal in the car, and thus the enclosure vents directly into the free air space in the door sill area. it seems to do pretty well as these morel 8" drivers (which i am unfamaliar with to be honest), didnt not exhibit too much midbass coloration that is indicative of having too small of a box.


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## oca123 (Aug 16, 2010)

Ben, how did you run the wires to the center channel? I am scratching my head right now trying to figure out an easy way to do it.


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## t3sn4f2 (Jan 3, 2007)

A question about the cutaway on the bottom of the mid bass enclosure. Does the Morel have a pole vent that would allow the _enclosure air _to leak out through it and back into the listening space (ie making it a "leaky box")? Or worst be blocked off like a sub butted up against the back of an enclosure, resulting in restricted the cone travel and reduced voice coil cooling.

Too late now and if the Morel is vented then it might be a good idea to next time do one side only, leave the other's bottom uncut, and temporarily mount the mid bass inverted on that one. Then compare the response and performance between the two configurations.


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## simplicityinsound (Feb 2, 2007)

i cant remember the way exactly i routed the wires, but hte easiest is to pop out the lcd screen, it comes out with only a coupla screws, that opens up everyhting for you to find a way through 

as for pole piece. that i cant remember to be honest, but i do remember that the lower part of the speaker is not the vent if there is one, but the basket, the way the the bakset is shapped, it dips down lower than the motor itself? but i cant honestly remember, since i had no idea which drivers those are to begin with hehe.

one more thing is that the bottom of the speaker is not up against the foam piece, the speaker would actually clear the enclosure except on the bottom interior of the enlcosure, there are a bunch of ribs and ridges, and thats whats acutally preventing the speaker from going down fully without cutting. also note that where its foamed up and cutaway, its on a curve, and not lined up with the bottom of hte magnet. its actually the bottom ledge of the basket that was hitting the enclosure, not the flat bottom surface of the speaker. so basically, if you think about it, the way the speaker is sitting, directly below the center of the magnet should be about 1/2" of space at least


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## cannan (Jan 19, 2010)

I'm interested to know how you went about routing the speaker wiring AROUND the molex plug rather than through it . Looks like there was space to put the wire through when the plug was undone.


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## simplicityinsound (Feb 2, 2007)

take it apart and you will see that when the molex is properly seated, there is quite a bit of space above the plug, the slot in the sheet metal is longer than the plug


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## cannan (Jan 19, 2010)

simplicityinsound said:


> take it apart and you will see that when the molex is properly seated, there is quite a bit of space above the plug, the slot in the sheet metal is longer than the plug


I'll have to check that out this weekend. I can handle some basics with ease but I'm scared #@&%less of those damn plugs. One false move and your in some real trouble.


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## ss600r (Mar 8, 2009)

Nice looking install. 
That MS8 is no good though. You should take it out and send it to me so I can properly dispose of it for you


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## simplicityinsound (Feb 2, 2007)

which one? i am working on my 7th one right now


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## t3sn4f2 (Jan 3, 2007)

simplicityinsound said:


> i cant remember the way exactly i routed the wires, but hte easiest is to pop out the lcd screen, it comes out with only a coupla screws, that opens up everyhting for you to find a way through
> 
> as for pole piece. that i cant remember to be honest, but i do remember that the lower part of the speaker is not the vent if there is one, but the basket, the way the the bakset is shapped, it dips down lower than the motor itself? but i cant honestly remember, since i had no idea which drivers those are to begin with hehe.
> 
> one more thing is that the bottom of the speaker is not up against the foam piece, the speaker would actually clear the enclosure except on the bottom interior of the enlcosure, there are a bunch of ribs and ridges, and thats whats acutally preventing the speaker from going down fully without cutting. also note that where its foamed up and cutaway, its on a curve, and not lined up with the bottom of hte magnet. its actually the bottom ledge of the basket that was hitting the enclosure, not the flat bottom surface of the speaker. so basically, if you think about it, the way the speaker is sitting, directly below the center of the magnet should be about 1/2" of space at least


Ah I see, thanks.


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## oca123 (Aug 16, 2010)

thanks, i ran the wires through the console and into the trunk for my center channel. I have not been able to get the trim piece yet, so I cut out the existing one and cut it out, put some random grille i had laying around and covered it with stockings i stole from my wife. looks stock.

The underseat driver you are talking about I believe is a Morel ADMW8. Ken hooked me up with a pair of ADMW9 for my E92 coupe. It was a pain to get them in there (I think my car is different and I am in Europe) and in addition to a lot of cutting/sanding I had to cut out the bottom and re-do it using some fiberglass matting and epoxy resin.
They are sitting tight and they sound great, until I add the MS8 processing.

For some reason the MS8 makes them sound like ass and it also muffles them. What are your xover settings exactly, do you remember?


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## simplicityinsound (Feb 2, 2007)

i wish i can remember, but i cant


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## mattyjman (Aug 6, 2009)

simplicityinsound said:


> Overall, this setup in an E90 is one I would recommend again, with some minor adjustments, to anyone looking for a nice sounding setup with minimal interior modifications.


if you don't mind, Bing??? what are some of those minor adjustments you speak of?


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## Bimmerboyali (Oct 30, 2010)

Another fantastic looking install, Bing. Thanks for talking with me the other day, and now I see why your booked 6 months out. I just wished you mom had 3 of you and then we wouldnt have to wait so long to get our gear installed.

Hope to see you next week, bud


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## simplicityinsound (Feb 2, 2007)

lol if i my mom had three of me, she would have been arrested or something back in those days in china 

b


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