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E46 Speaker System

2K views 6 replies 3 participants last post by  KillFox 
#1 ·
Hello again.

I have decided to put a subwoofer into my 2001 325ci, and as such, i was looking to get at least some new front speakers.

I have heard a lot of good things about MB Quarts, and i figured i would go with a set of those to begin with and see how things sound. From the looks of it, the size appears to be 5.25" in the doors, with 1" tweeters. Is this correct? How about the rear deck speakers? Are those 6x9s?

I was thinking that the Premium line would be good for my bimmer, more specifically the model PCE 213. Any thoughts? I dont really want to spend the extra money for the QSD 213 Q line, as i am still using my factory deck.

Any thoughts\suggestions would be a good help :D
 
#2 ·
I'm not positive, but my best guess would be what you said up front and 6.5" speakers in the rear. Some of you out there with e46 cars can help you more there....

As far as MB Quarts go, they are a good speaker as is Infinity and PolkAudio. All of these are at similar price points. Adding new speakers and a subwoofer are great, but without replacing your existing head unit, you are doing yourself a serious injustice. Your factory amplification will not be sufficient for aftermarket speakers, and the signal sent to the amp (for your sub) will not be very clean.

It will all work, and you will think it sounds much better than oem, but keep in mind adding even a very cheap inexpensive aftermarket deck will improve the overall sound IMMENSELY!
 
#3 ·
Well i have an Alpine 9815, which i bought about half a year ago. The only problem is i dont like the idea of breaking up that slick look in the interior of the e46... Aftermarkets just dont look right in them to me... perhaps some of you e46ers out there with an aftermarket decks can post some pics? :help

Another reason why i dont want this deck in there is the fact that i cant change the lights to amber :banghead
 
#4 ·
KILLFOX As far as the head unit goes...I suppose it all depends on priority. I'm thinking I want the best quality sound I can get, I'm not so particular as to how it looks. Of course there are aftermarkets out there with amber faces, that still blow away the stock unit (Unless you have the Harmon Kardon).

As far as speakers...My installer highly recommends JL Audio XR or ZR series 525CSI for smoothness and clarity, and from what I've been told, JL Audio is one of the best amps on the market.

:banghead I'm in a battle with my wits as to what I want to install myself, but I guess you can tell what I'm leaning towards.

I have an E36, so I'm not sure about speaker sizes in your E46.

PS. Are you interested in selling your Alpine 9815 ?
 
#5 ·
I have decided that I will most likely get an aftermarket deck afterall. I looked over e46fanatics.com and saw a mod, where you can actually center the new deck, so it doesnt look odd being on the left side with that extra space on the right.

So, i just need to put together the cash, and go to my install shop and get her fixed right up!

Forgot to mention im going to have them install the PAC SWI-X! I refuse to lose my steering wheel controls! Awesome info on the SWI-X http://forum.e46fanatics.com/showthread.php?t=166251

I am most likely going with an Alpine 9833 (maybe 35), MB Quarts PCE-213, Kicker Comp VR 10" in a custom box above the battery, and a Cadence 900 watt amp. The sub set up is what was recommended by my favorite local install shop.

As for selling my 9815, i was going to sell it to a friend awhile back, but i think it is too much deck for him, as he just needs a simple one. How much would you be willing to offer? The deck was in my 94 Ford Mustang Vert for about.... 4 months. Always hooked up to 2 amps (1 for sub, 1 for speakers). Flawless condition.
 
#6 ·
While oem is oem, you can certainly make an aftermarket deck look very good in an e46 if you have the $$$. Alpine is great, but if you really want to preserve the look of the oem interior and want something even better than Alpine, buy a Nakamichi deck. That is what I currently own, and I had one in my 525it as well. They are very well made, have unparalleled sound quality, and look very oem in a Bimmer. Check them out {HERE}

As far as the PAC SWI-x goes, let me know how it turns out, as I showed this to my installer and he was a bit skeptical.

As I said before, MBQuarts are good, and I am a BIG fan of Kicker subs. I have an 8" L7 solobaric which will actually outperform a VR 10", and it takes up less trunk space. The L7 solobaric subs are power hungry and not very cheap, so depending on the amount of available power your sub amp has the VR 10 may prove a better decision. Just food for thought :wink
 
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