sfsilicon
08-30-2003, 03:23 AM
UPDATE: 9/1/2003
Ok, after checking w/ three dealers in the San Jose area, it looks like 2k+ is the normal asking price. My impression is that at that price they will use good components but not the top of the line ones, since they normally quote using MSRP. Thus I'm buying some items online to get a better price. What do you guys think of this:
- Fronts: MB Quart QSD213
- AMP JL Audio 500/5 (heard sound quality is tailored to umpf music vs natural reproduction)
- Rears: Cheaper 4"
- Head Unit:
Originally wanted the Eclipse CD8053 - CD5423
http://www.eclipse-web.com/products/cdtuner/image/cd8053.jpg (http://www.eclipse-web.com/products/cdtuner/top.html#cd8053)
The blue should go well with the dash lights and the buttons can be set to red. Love the displays too. But since these units need a seperate MP3 decoder, I might go for their cheaper CD3413.
alternatively I'm also looking at the Alpine CDA 9815-9811 or Pioneer DEH-P7500MP
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I'm new to this forum and from what I have read so far seen some really creative ideas and great community support. Hope you guys can help me.
Just got my 2000 323ci cabrio and I'm in love. The only thing that sucks is the stock stereo (cassette + cd changer). Went to 2 local car hifi places and was immeadiately shocked by the wolfisch look of the installers ala this will be easy prey... So I tell the guys my general requirements:
- Better sound than the stock
- Replace all stock speakers and add a sub + amp
- Listen to electronic music, but doesn't need to have super low base or loud (used to have a 10" sub in my old car)
- MP3 cd player. If possible don't replace the stock HU (the stock HU is pretty wide and I'm not sure how a standard unit will look in it, even with the special panel that fills the gaps.)
- Dont mess-up the upholstery (heard the stories of normal shops not touching BMWs with a 10" pole) and try to avoid major intrusive surgery.
Being in the bay area - silicon valley I was expecting inflated prices, but have the installation done properly was a priority so I'm willing to pay extra. Imagine the shock when I was told $2-2.5k in one place and the next it was $2-2.8. OUCH!!! Ok, I paid a good deal of money for the car and I don't want to skimp, but isn't that a bit much?
Anywayz from talking to the installers (might as well get a good recommendation for the price im expected to pay) here are some interesting points I picked up:
- Will take long to install, roughly a day. At $50 per hour that is about 500 labor. That is fine if they put my car back in the same shape I give it to them.
- Bass is a problem with a cabrio. Besides the fact that a cabrios trunk is better insulated than a sedans the ambient sounds when the top is down will drown most of it out.
- The door panel installation mounts of the E46's are not as good as the older models. Supposedly they vibrate a lot. So a ton of Dynamat was recomended ($250 worth).
- There are moduls available that will translate BMWs stearing wheel commands into any HU I pick.
Now each shop had their own philosophys so let me get into them:
SHOP 1: ($2250)
- Replace all 4 speakers and add an amp
- No sense to place a Sub in the trunk since I won't hear it in a cabrio. Recommend placing a custom 10" sub into the right passenger footroom. Negative is I will lose some foot space.
- Keep existing head unit, but get aFM Moduilator (Alpine XMA-T200RF) to enable adding an MP3 changer or external player. When asked about the sound quality, I was told I would hear a difference between normal wiring and the FM modulator. Especially with the top down and only an expert would here it.
- Not using the FM modulator and only replacing the changer, would work, but I would have no ID3 tags, since the stock HU didn't support it.
- $250 dynamat for the doors
- Alpine HU
- The guy guaranteed he could improve my sound. Said that most cost comes from the work and the custom sub enclosure.
SHOP 2: ($2000- 2800)
- Forget the FM modulator, the HU must come out.
- Device to allow the BMW steering wheel to control any HU I selected
- Recommend highend MB Quarts for the front ($500 a piece)
- For the rear "cheaper" JLs
- 12" JL sub for the trunk otherwise I wouldn't hear any base
- monster JL amp 600/5 I think ($900)
- Alpine CDA-9813 HU, which is nice because of the digital time correction.
- Selling all items at MSRP, but work and all install materials included.
- 1 day work
- Got cheaper quotes for $2000 (w/o sub and weaker amp) and $2500 w/ weaker amp.
So what do you guys think? I'm planning to do more shopping. I did some comparison tests between speakers for my old car and really was not impressed with MB Quart, but there must be a reason why they charge so much for them. Really like the sound of the 6 1/2 Infinity Kappa components, but ended up buying the Kenwood Excelon components, since I had read the Kappa's tended to blow out more, plus the Kenwoods had nice clear highs. I'm really looking for a sound comparable to my old car system 10" sub + Kenwoods + SONY explode AMP and stock radio w/o high ohm outputs.
Hope this is an interesting read and you guys have some good ideas for me. Apppreciate your help. BTW, if you can recommend a good and reasonably price installed in the Santa Clara / San Jose area please let me know.
SFSilicon
Ok, after checking w/ three dealers in the San Jose area, it looks like 2k+ is the normal asking price. My impression is that at that price they will use good components but not the top of the line ones, since they normally quote using MSRP. Thus I'm buying some items online to get a better price. What do you guys think of this:
- Fronts: MB Quart QSD213
- AMP JL Audio 500/5 (heard sound quality is tailored to umpf music vs natural reproduction)
- Rears: Cheaper 4"
- Head Unit:
Originally wanted the Eclipse CD8053 - CD5423
http://www.eclipse-web.com/products/cdtuner/image/cd8053.jpg (http://www.eclipse-web.com/products/cdtuner/top.html#cd8053)
The blue should go well with the dash lights and the buttons can be set to red. Love the displays too. But since these units need a seperate MP3 decoder, I might go for their cheaper CD3413.
alternatively I'm also looking at the Alpine CDA 9815-9811 or Pioneer DEH-P7500MP
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
I'm new to this forum and from what I have read so far seen some really creative ideas and great community support. Hope you guys can help me.
Just got my 2000 323ci cabrio and I'm in love. The only thing that sucks is the stock stereo (cassette + cd changer). Went to 2 local car hifi places and was immeadiately shocked by the wolfisch look of the installers ala this will be easy prey... So I tell the guys my general requirements:
- Better sound than the stock
- Replace all stock speakers and add a sub + amp
- Listen to electronic music, but doesn't need to have super low base or loud (used to have a 10" sub in my old car)
- MP3 cd player. If possible don't replace the stock HU (the stock HU is pretty wide and I'm not sure how a standard unit will look in it, even with the special panel that fills the gaps.)
- Dont mess-up the upholstery (heard the stories of normal shops not touching BMWs with a 10" pole) and try to avoid major intrusive surgery.
Being in the bay area - silicon valley I was expecting inflated prices, but have the installation done properly was a priority so I'm willing to pay extra. Imagine the shock when I was told $2-2.5k in one place and the next it was $2-2.8. OUCH!!! Ok, I paid a good deal of money for the car and I don't want to skimp, but isn't that a bit much?
Anywayz from talking to the installers (might as well get a good recommendation for the price im expected to pay) here are some interesting points I picked up:
- Will take long to install, roughly a day. At $50 per hour that is about 500 labor. That is fine if they put my car back in the same shape I give it to them.
- Bass is a problem with a cabrio. Besides the fact that a cabrios trunk is better insulated than a sedans the ambient sounds when the top is down will drown most of it out.
- The door panel installation mounts of the E46's are not as good as the older models. Supposedly they vibrate a lot. So a ton of Dynamat was recomended ($250 worth).
- There are moduls available that will translate BMWs stearing wheel commands into any HU I pick.
Now each shop had their own philosophys so let me get into them:
SHOP 1: ($2250)
- Replace all 4 speakers and add an amp
- No sense to place a Sub in the trunk since I won't hear it in a cabrio. Recommend placing a custom 10" sub into the right passenger footroom. Negative is I will lose some foot space.
- Keep existing head unit, but get aFM Moduilator (Alpine XMA-T200RF) to enable adding an MP3 changer or external player. When asked about the sound quality, I was told I would hear a difference between normal wiring and the FM modulator. Especially with the top down and only an expert would here it.
- Not using the FM modulator and only replacing the changer, would work, but I would have no ID3 tags, since the stock HU didn't support it.
- $250 dynamat for the doors
- Alpine HU
- The guy guaranteed he could improve my sound. Said that most cost comes from the work and the custom sub enclosure.
SHOP 2: ($2000- 2800)
- Forget the FM modulator, the HU must come out.
- Device to allow the BMW steering wheel to control any HU I selected
- Recommend highend MB Quarts for the front ($500 a piece)
- For the rear "cheaper" JLs
- 12" JL sub for the trunk otherwise I wouldn't hear any base
- monster JL amp 600/5 I think ($900)
- Alpine CDA-9813 HU, which is nice because of the digital time correction.
- Selling all items at MSRP, but work and all install materials included.
- 1 day work
- Got cheaper quotes for $2000 (w/o sub and weaker amp) and $2500 w/ weaker amp.
So what do you guys think? I'm planning to do more shopping. I did some comparison tests between speakers for my old car and really was not impressed with MB Quart, but there must be a reason why they charge so much for them. Really like the sound of the 6 1/2 Infinity Kappa components, but ended up buying the Kenwood Excelon components, since I had read the Kappa's tended to blow out more, plus the Kenwoods had nice clear highs. I'm really looking for a sound comparable to my old car system 10" sub + Kenwoods + SONY explode AMP and stock radio w/o high ohm outputs.
Hope this is an interesting read and you guys have some good ideas for me. Apppreciate your help. BTW, if you can recommend a good and reasonably price installed in the Santa Clara / San Jose area please let me know.
SFSilicon