[2022M550i]

If you're thinking about doing the upgrade, today is a good day to make the plunge. Just got an email from them. I wish they made an amp for the G30.

This is a great time for Joe-BMW33 to upgrade his B&W sound system.

.
Mandingo9 NGT2

[tuanies]

Oooh that's tempting

[LogicalApex]

That is tempting. Especially since I feel the HK is underwhelming!

Sadly I can’t jump on it this year.

[NGT2]

I'm happy enough with the HK that I don't want to pay to upgrade it. I have a 2018 and I've heard the HK took a step back sometime after that, but not sure.

I need to upgrade the X7. It just has base HiFi. I assume that has to do with Covid shortages when it was built because it has other high dollar options (merino, Lux seating package, driver assistance pro, rear captains seats).

I compared Bavsound and the Bimmer Tech Alpha One and I think the Alpha One seems like a better option because they have an amp upgrade and Bavsound does not. Happy to hear any opinions on either option.

[Joe-BMW33]

22% off does make it a little more enticing and may help level off expectations. I still just don't see many people raving about the upgrade from HK to this.

Speaker and audio upgrades can certainly have a placebo effect though, maybe I'll rip out my B&W system

[Joe-BMW33]

Originally Posted by NGT2

I'm happy enough with the HK that I don't want to pay to upgrade it. I have a 2018 and I've heard the HK took a step back sometime after that, but not sure.

I need to upgrade the X7. It just has base HiFi. I assume that has to do with Covid shortages when it was built because it has other high dollar options (merino, Lux seating package, driver assistance pro, rear captains seats).

I compared Bavsound and the Bimmer Tech Alpha One and I think the Alpha One seems like a better option because they have an amp upgrade and Bavsound does not. Happy to hear any opinions on either option.

I completely agree and have heard the same thing about Alpha One. It's really more about the amp than the speakers IMO, assuming the speakers aren't shit to begin with. HK speakers are very good, they just need to be fed a more hearty signal.

I don't know much about the X7 in terms of upgrade path, but I am guessing a car of that size presents many more options to upgrade and improve the acoustics.

[NGT2]

Originally Posted by Joe-BMW33

I completely agree and have heard the same thing about Alpha One. It's really more about the amp than the speakers IMO, assuming the speakers aren't shit to begin with. HK speakers are very good, they just need to be fed a more hearty signal.

I don't know much about the X7 in terms of upgrade path, but I am guessing a car of that size presents many more options to upgrade and improve the acoustics.

Not that many options, really. Bavsound has speaker and subwoofer upgrade available. Alpha One has that plus an amp upgrade. I'll try to get it on sale when I decide to do it, but I think it will cost much less than the HK/premium package costs to add to a build.

That's what's missing by the way. It's the premium package. Stereo is just the only piece I notice. HUD I don't miss, rear shades are made up for with tint, and maybe some others I don't notice. It has to be because of Covid right? I can't imagine any other reason.

[Joe-BMW33]

Originally Posted by NGT2

Not that many options, really. Bavsound has speaker and subwoofer upgrade available. Alpha One has that plus an amp upgrade. I'll try to get it on sale when I decide to do it, but I think it will cost much less than the HK/premium package costs to add to a build.

That's what's missing by the way. It's the premium package. Stereo is just the only piece I notice. HUD I don't miss, rear shades are made up for with tint, and maybe some others I don't notice. It has to be because of Covid right? I can't imagine any other reason.

Definitely. But I am surprised premium package isn't standard on the X7. As you know, I came from 5 seven series in a row. Premium sound and shades were a given.

Shades are overrated. I have had them for years and never use them. They also break really easily if you use them too much.

[LogicalApex]

Originally Posted by Joe-BMW33

I completely agree and have heard the same thing about Alpha One. It's really more about the amp than the speakers IMO, assuming the speakers aren't shit to begin with. HK speakers are very good, they just need to be fed a more hearty signal.

I don't know much about the X7 in terms of upgrade path, but I am guessing a car of that size presents many more options to upgrade and improve the acoustics.

I’m by no means deeply up to date on the audio stuff, but my understanding is the iDrive 7 cars, including the “Lite” MY2020 cars, are unable to swap out the amp due to the redesign. BMW basically redesigned it where they used a weaker amp and a “booster” to add back in the missing wattage, but also to control various functions too. They also shifted many functions from analog to digital.

So we might be stuck just shifting speakers around.

I haven’t heard the MY2019 and older HK variation, but I was very disappointed with the HK in my MY2020. Doesn’t sound anywhere near as good as the HK system in my Mercedes C300 it replaced. Which is a shame.

Annoying, but I still couldn’t justify the over $5K that BMW wanted for the B&W system either. And some people aren’t happy with that one either! I wonder if there is a similar sound difference between the iDrive 6 and iDrive 7 variations of the B&W.

[2022M550i]

Originally Posted by Joe-BMW33

22% off does make it a little more enticing and may help level off expectations. I still just don't see many people raving about the upgrade from HK to this.

Speaker and audio upgrades can certainly have a placebo effect though, maybe I'll rip out my B&W system

Of course I'm breaking your balls

[Joe-BMW33]

Originally Posted by LogicalApex

I'm by no means deeply up to date on the audio stuff, but my understanding is the iDrive 7 cars, including the "Lite" MY2020 cars, are unable to swap out the amp due to the redesign. BMW basically redesigned it where they used a weaker amp and a "booster" to add back in the missing wattage, but also to control various functions too. They also shifted many functions from analog to digital.

So we might be stuck just shifting speakers around.

I haven't heard the MY2019 and older HK variation, but I was very disappointed with the HK in my MY2020. Doesn't sound anywhere near as good as the HK system in my Mercedes C300 it replaced. Which is a shame.

Annoying, but I still couldn't justify the over $5K that BMW wanted for the B&W system either. And some people aren't happy with that one either! I wonder if there is a similar sound difference between the iDrive 6 and iDrive 7 variations of the B&W.

You are 100% correct, this is why when the only option is to swap out the HK speakers for the BavSound speakers, the results are underwhelming, especially for the price tag.

HK speakers aren't bad, they are just under powered. You are also 100% correct in your assessment that HK sounded better in the earlier model years and also the F10 because the system had a true dedicated amp that was engineered as part of the system. Now, did HK in my F10 sound anything like B&W in my G30, not even close, but it didn't leave me completely yearning for something better.

[Joe-BMW33]

Originally Posted by 2022M550i

Of course I'm breaking your balls

And of course I know that😜. I missed you guys breaking my balls during my Seattle/COVID/Retreat hiatus!

[NGT2]

Originally Posted by Joe-BMW33

Definitely. But I am surprised premium package isn't standard on the X7. As you know, I came from 5 seven series in a row. Premium sound and shades were a given.

Shades are overrated. I have had them for years and never use them. They also break really easily if you use them too much.

There are some 2021's out there with premium package and some without. I haven't dug enough to see if it was certain months of production that chips were short or just that it wasn't standard and some people skipped it. Either way, I didn't even think about it until halfway through negotiating. You'd think with merino leather, lux seating pkg, climate pkg, captains seats, driver assist/park assist, and M Sport pkg, that the premium pkg/stereo would be a given. But I guess not!

I went ahead with it because it hit every other spot, tired of looking, and the dealer gave me a lot for the GX (they sold it to us from new). I was dead set on 21" wheels and it took a long time to find one with 21's, driver assist, park assist, and lux seating that was close enough. I wasn't going to pass on all that over a stereo I knew I could upgrade if needed. And I was getting almost sticker for the GX and they delivered the X7 from Dallas and drove the trade back. Just wasn't going to blow it all up when my wife said she didn't even care about the stereo.

[Joe-BMW33]

Originally Posted by NGT2

There are some 2021's out there with premium package and some without. I haven't dug enough to see if it was certain months of production that chips were short or just that it wasn't standard and some people skipped it. Either way, I didn't even think about it until halfway through negotiating. You'd think with merino leather, lux seating pkg, climate pkg, captains seats, driver assist/park assist, and M Sport pkg, that the premium pkg/stereo would be a given. But I guess not!

I went ahead with it because it hit every other spot, tired of looking, and the dealer gave me a lot for the GX (they sold it to us from new). I was dead set on 21" wheels and it took a long time to find one with 21's, driver assist, park assist, and lux seating that was close enough. I wasn't going to pass on all that over a stereo I knew I could upgrade if needed. And I was getting almost sticker for the GX and they delivered the X7 from Dallas and drove the trade back. Just wasn't going to blow it all up when my wife said she didn't even care about the stereo.

The other thing you didn't mention in your acceptance of not having it, you aren't driving it, right? If your wife is anything like any of the women in my life past and present, they could care less about superior audio quality.

It's kind of like my home theater. Women are always telling you to turn it down. They don't appreciate the opening of Top Gun cranked up with jets flying across the speaker spectrum.

I gave up on my full blown 7:1 system a while ago and just rock a good Soundbar and woofer.

[NGT2]

Originally Posted by Joe-BMW33

The other thing you didn't mention in your acceptance of not having it, you aren't driving it, right? If your wife is anything like any of the women in my life past and present, they could care less about superior audio quality.

It's kind of like my home theater. Women are always telling you to turn it down. They don't appreciate the opening of Top Gun cranked up with jets flying across the speaker spectrum.

I gave up on my full blown 7:1 system a while ago and just rock a good Soundbar and woofer.

Absolutely correct. Deal breaker for me, but not for her. I drive it enough to do the upgrade if it's in the budget later on but it's not a daily part of my life.