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Thread: X5 with DSP stereo install tips.

  1. #1
    Join Date
    Feb 2001
    Location
    Seal Beach CA
    Posts
    4,279
    My Cars
    E92 M3,335i, Odyssey

    X5 New stereo and install tips for DSP.

    My buddy has installed a couple systems so he was pretty confident he could install a system in my 2003 X5 with DSP. I wanted a simple system running of a single amp. I'm not looking for a LOUD system, just cleaner and deeper. Keeping the DSP was not a priority for me. I had a set of Focal Utopia's sitting around and picked up a set of Rainbow's for the rears and a Helix HXA500 channel amp for a good price. I picked up some Stinger RCA's and a Peripheral audio SVEN4 LOC through SoundDomain. We then made the big cut across the harness from the brains of the stereo in back to the DSP amp and the adventure began.
    We found the speakers wires (Damn thin stuff) pretty easily and crimped them into some 16G speaker wires, which ran to the crossovers. We found the front speaker outputs but could NOT find the rear speaker outputs!!! We looked for hours and finally had to give up. That first weekend, we got the front Utopia's in as well as the amp and crossovers. The rear stock speakers were running off the rainbow crossovers... and sounded decent given some real power. I didn't have any fading because the amp was running off two channels of input. We had music, but were still quite frustrated over the not being able to find the rear speaker outputs.

    A couple weeks go by and we then tried to install the rear speakers. That's we we hit the second snag.
    For the front speakers, we used TWO 3/4 inch pieces of MDF and glued them together (1.5" total thickness) to form a baffle after tracing a template with some paper around the area where the stock speakers attached to the doors. I used some #10 x 2" metal screws from Home Depot. They screwed in perfectly. For the tweets, we just shoved them into the stock foam after removing the stock tweet. This worked well and the door panel didn't vibrate

    The rear doors didn't go so smoothly. The traced template looked good, but the door wouldn't go on despite using two 1/2 inch pieces of MDF. We then used only a single piece of 1/2" MDF and had to trim a LOT of the top of the baffle away as you'll see in the pic. We probably could have kept the two pieces of MDF, but this was safer and we were getting frustrated at this point. Another tip, the rear tweets unscrew by the turning the outer ring counter clockwise. We used a metal strip with holes in it to hold the rear tweet in place.

    At this point, I still didn't have the rear speaker outputs. After scouring the net for a couple weeks, my buddy found some info on the www.M5board.com which said there are only TWO inputs from the brains to the DSP amp!!! My buddy was convince that we just had to tap the right holes on the harness on the "brains" to get the rear speaker outputs. We searched the web without success for anyone who knew which holes had the rear speaker outputs on the harness connected to the brains. Another tip, what works on an E39 doesn't necessarily work on and X5. Also, there were some changes made from 2002 to 2003 to the Nav/DSP units.

    He finally decided to blindly try a few holes on the harness since there were only a few left unused. The problem was what to tap into the harness with??? We did not have any OEM wire ends to tap into the harness and could not figure out how to take apart the harness. He then pulled out an old computer power supply harnes he had laying around. He pulled a few wires and randomly plugged a few wires into open holes on the stock harness. We then crimped all this into the rear channel inputs of the LOC and fired up the system. All four channels had sound. Then the big test... would we be able to fade. LUCKY BASTARD. He not only found the rear speaker outputs, but had the right and left channels working properly on the first try.

    I'm still using the stock sub for now with both woofers connected to the single channel of the sub channel on the amp. It' doesn't really do crap, but it'll do until I find a decent sub set-up.

    Install pics

    Sorry for the link. It wouldn't allow me to just link the images here.


    Here's the rear door:
    Attached Images Attached Images
    Last edited by aus; 07-07-2004 at 03:33 AM.
    SOLD: '96 Artic Silver M3/2 Lux Click here for pic's. 2003 X5 4.6is: Nav, loading floor, comfort seats
    2007 E90 335i: Titanium Silver/Black/Aluminum trim, Sport, Premium, Heated seats (for the wife), iPOD, MORR VS7
    2011 E92 M3: Space Grey/Black/Blue aluminum trim, Premium, iDrive, DCT

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Feb 2001
    Location
    Seal Beach CA
    Posts
    4,279
    My Cars
    E92 M3,335i, Odyssey
    Notice how close we had to trim the MDF. We cracked a couple because it was so thin.
    Attached Images Attached Images
    SOLD: '96 Artic Silver M3/2 Lux Click here for pic's. 2003 X5 4.6is: Nav, loading floor, comfort seats
    2007 E90 335i: Titanium Silver/Black/Aluminum trim, Sport, Premium, Heated seats (for the wife), iPOD, MORR VS7
    2011 E92 M3: Space Grey/Black/Blue aluminum trim, Premium, iDrive, DCT

  3. #3
    Join Date
    Feb 2001
    Location
    Seal Beach CA
    Posts
    4,279
    My Cars
    E92 M3,335i, Odyssey
    Here's the harness where we tapped in for the rear speaker output.
    Attached Images Attached Images
    SOLD: '96 Artic Silver M3/2 Lux Click here for pic's. 2003 X5 4.6is: Nav, loading floor, comfort seats
    2007 E90 335i: Titanium Silver/Black/Aluminum trim, Sport, Premium, Heated seats (for the wife), iPOD, MORR VS7
    2011 E92 M3: Space Grey/Black/Blue aluminum trim, Premium, iDrive, DCT

  4. #4
    Join Date
    Feb 2001
    Location
    Seal Beach CA
    Posts
    4,279
    My Cars
    E92 M3,335i, Odyssey
    And a close up of the holes we tapped.
    Attached Images Attached Images
    SOLD: '96 Artic Silver M3/2 Lux Click here for pic's. 2003 X5 4.6is: Nav, loading floor, comfort seats
    2007 E90 335i: Titanium Silver/Black/Aluminum trim, Sport, Premium, Heated seats (for the wife), iPOD, MORR VS7
    2011 E92 M3: Space Grey/Black/Blue aluminum trim, Premium, iDrive, DCT

  5. #5
    Join Date
    Oct 2004
    Location
    Vancouver, Canada
    Posts
    3
    My Cars
    X5

    2002 X5 w/DSP - to preserve DSP or not?

    Very impressed with this forum, and the installs many have done, thank you all for taking the time to post your knowledge and pictures!

    I just bought an X5 with the 'audiophile' stereo, and navigation - the audiophone system is a joke, I've heard better bass out a plastic bucket!

    I cant' decide if I should do the LOCS and preserve the DSP, or bypass DSP entirely - what are the pros/cons of each solution? I plan on a single-amp solution, well - maybe - perhaps two amps.. but I had thought I could drive the 4 front speakers and sub off my amp, and leave the back speakers of the head unit - otherwise I will need two amps for sure.

    What 'good' does the DSP do? I like how the system lowers the volume before the nav chick tells me where to go and how to get there, would I lose that if I loose DSP?

    I really wanted to install my Empeg MP3 player, but that doesn't look too promising - I'm now thinking of buying a Phatbox unit, as it integrates nicely into the headunit controls..

    Before I bought my X5, I had a Ford Explorer - and a really, really nice stereo - here's the link: http://evernetworks.******.org/rio

    Any info greatly appreciated - I hate having a 6-pack and TAPE deck coupled with the weak-ass stock sub! However - I looove my X5 more than I can say!

    Cheers,

    John

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