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View Full Version : My *Personal* BSW system review



nike001
04-13-2013, 12:24 PM
I put asterisk's by personal to remind people that this is my own review.. and that your own Harmon/Kardon speaker conditions, favored music genre's, and listening volumes may produce difference results than what I am reporting on.

You can normally catch me jamming out to hip-hop.. ex. Wale, Ace Hood, T.I., Game, Joe Budden, Jay-Z, Kanye, Kendrick Lamar etc etc. But I can occasionally get in the older rock mood and jam out to a song or two. I also like to listen to it marginally loud. Most of the time the volume is set to around half, but I'll occasionally turn it all the way up for a song that I really like. I also listen to my music via the aux input on my radio that's attached to my iPhone. I never listen to the radio because radio quality is awful and the radio plays awful songs anyways.

Also, upon removing my stock Harmon/Kardon speakers I noticed they were in 100% perfect shape; No tears or anything. I'm sure that to someone with torn or blown speakers, the differences would be more apparent.. as I mentioned above. I know that upgrading the headunit is where more noticeable change comes into play... even with stock speakers.

FINALLY THE REVIEW:
All that being said, I can't tell much of a difference. Highs are a bit better and also a little bit clearer. If I had someone get in my car and listen to the system now, anyone who has been in my car before probably wouldn't notice any difference. I only installed the front 6 speakers though (tweeter, midrange & midbass for each door). I figured it'd be a waste of time to install the rears since I can barely tell a difference in the front the way it is. Maybe I'll get a bug up my butt or something and install the rear midranges to see if that helps at all. I didn't get the rear midbass speakers that mount to the rear deck as my package though either.

I also noticed I couldn't really get the system going much louder than stock without getting the same sort of distortion that the HK system put out at higher volumes. This may be because of aux input quality, MP3 quality.. or anything else.

Sorry for the kind of long read.. but I want people to realize certain factors about my previous speaker conditions, preferred music, and how I listen to the music. I want people to take this review with a grain of salt because I've been in John's (niart) M3 and he only has the tweeter/midrang combo and that made a huuge improvement for him. His blew my cars stock sound out of the water...and it'll blow it out of the water even still. Listening to his car is what made me want to go the BSW route.. even though I never really had a problem with my stock system. I'm not sure if that's a coupe vs sedan thing or what, but I was looking for the same improvement and I haven't gotten it.

I was thinking... If I had to put a percentage on how much noticeable sound differences are, I'd have to put it at around 10%. That's about it..

If anyone is thinking on going this route, I recommend getting one speaker pair at a time and noting the differences from there instead of indulging in a whole set-up (Unless your whole set-up is currently blown or has torn speakers)

alexandre
04-13-2013, 12:32 PM
Interesting. Does the M3 have a different system than our HK ? Are you planning to return the set or you're gonna keep it ?

nike001
04-13-2013, 12:35 PM
Interesting. Does the M3 have a different system than our HK ? Are you planning to return the set or you're gonna keep it ?

Same speakers I think, but the M3 has the combined tweeter/midrange by the doorhandle. Other than that I think they're the same. (same midbass we have in the lower front-most corner of the front door, rear seat midrange, and 2x rear midbass speakers, along with the subwoofers)

I'm probably going to keep it for a few weeks and see what happens. I don't feel like taking my door panel apart again.. I already sliced my fingers on the trim that covers the tweeter in the corner and goes up over the window trim. That stuff is sharp!!!

BavarianZHP
04-13-2013, 12:43 PM
Thanks for putting in the time for the review. I'm considering upgrading mine.

derbo
04-13-2013, 01:04 PM
I believe the rear speakers are the ones that pack the punch on the system. IMO the rear ones are the ones that make the biggest difference compared to the fronts.

nike001
04-13-2013, 01:18 PM
The rears hold the same speakers that the front doors do. The midrange in the front door can be swapped for the midrange in the rear; same goes for the midbass in the front door and the midrange on the rear deck

johnrando
04-13-2013, 02:22 PM
Thanks for the straightforward review.

Sent from my DROID4 using Tapatalk 2

danewilson77
04-13-2013, 02:35 PM
Thanks for the straightforward review.

Sent from my DROID4 using Tapatalk 2

+1

Forum approved. Forum accepted. Forum appreciated.

Sent from the HTC DNA, Williamsburg, VA and USA

SoCalZman
04-14-2013, 12:00 AM
Yeah thanks for this. I have been considering BSW but I have read that while their speakers are nice, they really need an amp to help them out. Apparently BSW is working on one but it seems like its taking a long time.

From this review I think this means I should save my money until the HKs really need to be replaced.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk HD

UdubBadger
04-14-2013, 07:55 PM
good honest review dalton

terraphantm
04-15-2013, 08:10 PM
John has nav right? I think they come with better amps than the non-nav HK systems. That might have something to do with it.

nike001
04-16-2013, 05:33 AM
John has nav right? I think they come with better amps than the non-nav HK systems. That might have something to do with it.

Yeah I was thinking the same thing..

terraphantm
04-16-2013, 08:30 AM
Yeah I was thinking the same thing..

Well one way to get better audio might be to get the BMW "Professional" CD. That never came on US cars though and is quite rare. Would be a direct swap though.

I might do a nav retrofit someday.

SoCalZman
04-16-2013, 08:53 AM
Im a bit confused. Are we say that Nike001 does not have nav, and that nav cars would probably sound better with the BSW set up?

terraphantm
04-16-2013, 10:11 AM
Im a bit confused. Are we say that Nike001 does not have nav, and that nav cars would probably sound better with the BSW set up?

Nav cars probably sound better regardless. They have better pre-outs (and they can be upgraded to sound even better).

kayger12
04-16-2013, 02:41 PM
Appreciate this review.

I have nav and find the stock system adequate for my needs, but I've had the BSW upgrade on my list for a few years now.

So are we saying I'd see more of an improvement because I have nav?

Sent from my kick-A Galaxy S3

nike001
04-16-2013, 02:50 PM
So are we saying I'd see more of an improvement because I have nav?


Probably.

Honestly, I found the stock system adequate for my needs too but I got a deal on this so I figured I'd try it.

Now I'm on the fence about selling it. I don't know if I should keep em since they'll outlast the HK speakers now.. or just sell them and still be content with my system.

kayger12
04-16-2013, 03:22 PM
Roger.

Appreciate the honest assessment.

I'll probably wait until my HKs crap out.

Sent from my kick-A Galaxy S3

midlandtech
04-16-2013, 03:24 PM
Thanks for the review. Makes me lean even more towards doing infinity replacements

UdubBadger
04-16-2013, 03:42 PM
I will say this for all my years doing audio, you gotta start with a good HU to get good results. Horrible sound coming out of great speakers... well I will just say if you dress up a turd in a tux at the end of the day it's still a turd.

My dynavin had some great upgrade in sound with the BSW kit.

My suggestion to anyone is to start their system by upgrading either the HU or the amp, possibly running a JL Audio cleansweep or JBL MS8 to correct and clean up the sound first. Then see where you are at, upgrade your speakers and such to do what you want it to do. I realize most of us are ballin' on a budget for stuff like this so dumping in $2500 worth of equipment isn't easy or justifiable but you can build yourself a high end system for about $1000 and even a really nice moderate one for about $600 or so if you try to find good deals.

While I know BSW markets their speakers to be drop in and crank it up superior performance over HK, but it's not. However, with some help from the HU or amp upgrade, they actually make a pretty damn nice speaker that is a direct fit PnP - which is hard to find for BMWs.

BavarianZHP
04-16-2013, 03:53 PM
What's the best yet easiest HU to install? I haven't found many options but I haven't spent a lot of time researching either.

UdubBadger
04-16-2013, 06:56 PM
anything really, depends what you want out of it. Personally the single DIN radios out there look uglier than sin. I would go with maybe a double din kit and relocate the HVAC or do a single din with pop up screen. Look for a centered mounting kit though, the offset ones look funny.

323TOZHP
05-01-2013, 05:34 PM
I have had my zhp for about a month or so. I just can not live with the stock system. I just added preouts a JL amp and some old German MB Quarts. They were a low end model but already the system is much much better. And that is without even adding the sub. It is a pain to tap into the stock cables but I managed to get through it. I do have the Sat Nav and I think it will be a shame to remove it from the car but it just may have to be done.

nike001
05-01-2013, 05:42 PM
Well, don't throw it out.

I'll take it if it's just going to sit...:innocent

UdubBadger
05-02-2013, 08:40 PM
:rofl


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