Alpine Audio Upgrade

lakesman · 07-24-2010, 11:22 AM

Recently invited opinions on the BMW Alpine audio upgrade as fitted to an X1. Not too surprisingly, as the X1 is a fairly new model, there was no response. Since then I have had the upgrade fitted so thought I would share my own experiences as it may help other X1 owners.

The X1 is fitted as standard with the professional HU which provides 4 x 25w output. This is coupled with a 6 speaker system, comprising a 4” mid/hi in each front door, a 4” mid/hi fitted in each rear shelf, and a 6” sub under each front seat. (I had been under the impression that the X1 was also fitted with front tweeters but turns out to be just a grill and tweeter mount only!!). The front door speakers and the subs are coupled, and driven by the HU’s front channels, the HU’s rear channels driving the rear speakers. Overall the resulting sound can be described as ranging from poor to unbearable depending upon the type of music played. Low and mid frequencies are not too bad, however the highs are distinctly scratchy and distorted, and often unpleasant to listen to. The situation worsens as the volume is increased. I found that the system appeared at its best if the treble was wound down 2 or 3, and the bass turned up by around 4/5. The output had little depth. Turning up the bass further just made the system “boomy”. I also biased the sound slightly to the rear as actually the rear speakers appear to produce a reasonable output. (Oddly, we also have a 120d which has the business HU, 4 x 15w, but the same speaker arrangement, and whilst the sound in that vehicle cannot be described as excellent, it is quite acceptable; and far superior to that of the X1. I even checked out the dealer’s X1 demonstrator just to ascertain that I did not have a faulty HU; it was no better!).

As I wasn’t prepared to put up with such a system I looked at various options and finally decided upon the Alpine audio upgrade. This is a kit approved and supplied by BMW. The current Part No is 65 41 2 163 268 or 65 41 2 167 061. It used to be 65 41 0 445 684, but this is no longer available. The current price is around £340. Have seen some horrendous prices for fitting, but I was quoted £585 incl VAT for supply and fitting, which was subsequently discounted to £490. Thus for the sake of £150, I did not think it worth the risk to start ripping my new car apart. But apart from that, there is now the question of coding. The earlier kit included two tweeter connections on the diplexer, one for business HU the other for Professional. Similarly the amplifier includes a switch which was set according to HU type. Thus the amp/speaker configuration was set according to the HU in use, and the HU remained untouched. In contrast, the current kit states that the amp switch remains in position 1, and there is no option as to tweeter connection, thus if the instructions are followed, the amp/speaker configuration is now fixed, and as such the HU (Professional fitted to X1) requires coding to make it compatible with the amp/speakers. This coding obviously has to be carried out by the dealer and is done automatically using their ISSS system. Allowing a dealer install also ensures all warranties remain intact.

The kit comprises replacement front Alpine mids and associated tweeters, an Alpine 4 ch amp which is mounted in the left well in the trunk, and a wiring loom. The loom uses all plug-in connections, the HU output/speaker connections being made at the subs. Time to fit is specified in the BMW instructions as 2.0 hours but the dealer hinted that it probably would take less, largely because of the ease of connection. The amp uses the HU’s high level front channel outputs as its input, and the amp’s 4 output channels are used to drive the door mids/tweeters and under seat subs individually.

The result is amazing! The sound is rich and full, and now fills the car. It is exceptionally clear, particularly at high frequencies. Even at high volume there is no distortion. Bass is good, but not seat thumping as some may want. In fact I would say the bass is its main weakness, however I have the bass turned up a few notches and the overall sound suits me fine. It is now a pleasure to listen to.
Furthermore the install is completely “invisible”. I was somewhat worried about the amp located in the left well and confined by the (useless!) trunk tray, but even after hours of use it gets little more than warm.
Considering the price, I think that it has been a most cost effective and worthwhile upgrade, and one I would recommend to anyone.

mozdal · 07-29-2010, 05:17 AM

Is it only me that has 5 speakers instead of 6? There is no passenger side bass under the seat. WORST audio system I've ever seen!

lakesman · 08-26-2010, 04:37 AM

Further to initial report:

As an audio upgrade, the Alpine Upgrade kit is money well spent and I am glad I went for it.
However have just discovered the first "problem". I have a factory fitted satnav and it delivers its voice commands via the front speakers. Since the Alpine Upgrade, the original front speaker output is now used as the input to the new Alpine amp, and it is the detection of this input signal that powers the amp up. Typically with this arrangement there is a delay of 2-3 seconds before the amp powers up and delivers its output to the front speakers. Whilst of no consequence if just switching on the radio or CD, in the case of the satnav I lose the first few words of the initial voice command. To get round this I have to keep the radio on at low volume which is a pain. Have let my dealer know as this is a serious design fault; essentially the upgrade kit partially cripples the primary function of the satnav. No response to date, but early days!

jonna9 · 02-29-2012, 02:59 PM

Hi there,

I have a 2011 E91 and I too am considering the Alpine kit, so it useful to hear the comments on here.

It's also good to here someone confirm that the current kit requires coding as I've heard conflicting info on this from local dealers etc. One thing I'd like to know is whether the coding issue reported here as affecting the nav, also affects the PDC and Bluetooth functions? I ask as I've read some reports that the parking sensors and phone integration can infact be impaired - by a significan drop in volume.

Would anyone who has the kit care to comment?

Thanks...

nigelm · 05-18-2012, 01:19 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by lakesman

Further to initial report:

As an audio upgrade, the Alpine Upgrade kit is money well spent and I am glad I went for it.
However have just discovered the first "problem". I have a factory fitted satnav and it delivers its voice commands via the front speakers. Since the Alpine Upgrade, the original front speaker output is now used as the input to the new Alpine amp, and it is the detection of this input signal that powers the amp up. Typically with this arrangement there is a delay of 2-3 seconds before the amp powers up and delivers its output to the front speakers. Whilst of no consequence if just switching on the radio or CD, in the case of the satnav I lose the first few words of the initial voice command. To get round this I have to keep the radio on at low volume which is a pain. Have let my dealer know as this is a serious design fault; essentially the upgrade kit partially cripples the primary function of the satnav. No response to date, but early days!

I wonder - was a solution found to this problem? I have the factory sat nav and wouldn't want this problem.
Anyone else gone the same route? or an alternative route they recommend in upgrading their basic standard audio system?

I'd like to hear your experiences.
Specifiying the HK system from new was not an option for me as I bought my car 14 months old.

Many thanks,
nigelm

DieselDamo · 05-23-2012, 10:38 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by nigelm

I wonder - was a solution found to this problem? I have the factory sat nav and wouldn't want this problem.
Anyone else gone the same route? or an alternative route they recommend in upgrading their basic standard audio system?

I'd like to hear your experiences.
Specifiying the HK system from new was not an option for me as I bought my car 14 months old.

Many thanks,
nigelm

i went a alternative route took the car into Chorley car audio, had the guy chris , who is great and very skilled man by the way, put front focal speaker components in the front door disconnected the speakers under the seats , new rear mid speakers were changed with alpine mids speakers and a alpine sub r type and d class 5 channel amp , the car now is unbelievably good and so crisp beats any bmw fitted stereo

brettnosse · 05-24-2012, 06:07 AM

To be honest, I have never used the voice commands.. I always mute the silly woman... Oh, and also the sat nav voice

Bushellj · 05-26-2012, 04:28 PM

Following your comments above I went ahead and ordered the kit for our X1.

I have no idea how BMW would install this kit in two hours given you have to take out all the seats (front and back) and remove all the trim down each side of the car and the right hand panel in the boot (trunk). You also of course need to remove the two front door panels and gain access to the mid range units and the tweeter locations. Maybe if you had done this several times you might get it down to two hours but it took me the best part of two days once I had got it all back together again (twice, see below) !!

At least now I can tell people how to remove the trim !! I searched everywhere for details of how to remove the various trim items on the various forums but found very little information on the BMW X1. Most is similar to other 1 and 3 series BMW's but it would be nice to have a set of instructions for the X1. As BMW sell the kit they should provide a complete set of instructions.

The first issue I came up against was that the supplied loom is very short where it goes to the subs under the seats. It has to be routed by the shortest route rather follow the rest of the cables which makes it a bit exposed to damage under the back seat !! The power cables are also not really the right length. The negative is fine but the positive is too short the follow the main loom behind the side panel so you have to bring it under the floor and then it is a bit long. The fuse has obviously been added as an afterthought as the positive supply cable has a join just before the in-line fuse holder !!

Once the Amplifier was installed and connected to the Earth and Positive supply I tested the system before putting all the trim back just to be sure. The Bass and Treble were far too high even when the equaliser on the Head Unit has turned both down to minimum (-10). Not a great start !!

On reading several posts it was becoming clear that I might well have connected the Diplexor incorrectly due to the rather strange marking on each of the wires. Took the door panels off again !!

Sure enough the wires were connected to the wrong way round !! Thanks BMW/Alpine for such confusing labels on the cables !!! The "Head End" is actually the Tweeter connection !!!

Once it was all back together again it now works fine and I am really impressed with the final result. You need to accept that you still have the crap speakers in the back but they only really fill in a bit of mid range. It would be nice to find something with a tweeter to replace the back speakers so they are a little closer in sound to the front.

So I can confirm that for the late 2011 BMW X1 with the Professional Head Unit that it does not appear to need re-coding and the balance between the Subs, Mid range and Tweeter seem to be OK. The switch on the Alpine Amp was set to "1".

Just make sure when you are fitting this Upgrade you have the latest fitting instructions dated 07/2011 as these appear to be the most accurate.

Anyone needing help with trim removal I am now an expert !!

It might take an experienced dealer technician 2 hours but for your average DIYer I think you need to give yourself 4 or 5 hours to work it all out !!

I would certainly recommend this upgrade for anyone with the basic speaker set up and it is not so difficult to install for a competent DIY enthusiast - Anyone else should get BMW to do the upgrade (2 hours at BMW rates).

If I had one comment to make it would be that the new speakers in the doors show up the weakness of the standard Subwoofers under the seats as they tend to be a bit boomy and muffled compared to the door speakers. At least now they are being driven by the new amp and add something to the mix !!

As a final comment, even my 14 year old daughter thought the new set up was awesome and promptly went off to find some of her CDs to play in the car - She had shown no interest with the old speakers !!

nagrar · 06-08-2012, 01:23 AM

I also recently fitted this kit. It took me about 8 hours to install, probably twice as long for the first side as the second.
The centre pillar covers were the hardest to get off, I'm still not sure what the "right" way to get them off would be.
I bought the kit while I was in England and paid about $A550 all up compared to $900 in Australia, and the 2 hours they were going to take to install would have been another $500. It cost me $120 to do the coding but I couldn't really tell the difference.
I really like the improved sound, and though I'm not sure, I think that the music sounds better where I have loaded the CD in the car rather than MP3's from a USB. I have the Professional Nav so have all my music loaded on the hard drive.

07-24-2010, 11:22 AM	#1
lakesman New Member 6 Rep 9 Posts Drives: X1 xDrive23d Join Date: Jun 2010 Location: UK iTrader: (0)	Alpine Audio Upgrade Recently invited opinions on the BMW Alpine audio upgrade as fitted to an X1. Not too surprisingly, as the X1 is a fairly new model, there was no response. Since then I have had the upgrade fitted so thought I would share my own experiences as it may help other X1 owners. The X1 is fitted as standard with the professional HU which provides 4 x 25w output. This is coupled with a 6 speaker system, comprising a 4” mid/hi in each front door, a 4” mid/hi fitted in each rear shelf, and a 6” sub under each front seat. (I had been under the impression that the X1 was also fitted with front tweeters but turns out to be just a grill and tweeter mount only!!). The front door speakers and the subs are coupled, and driven by the HU’s front channels, the HU’s rear channels driving the rear speakers. Overall the resulting sound can be described as ranging from poor to unbearable depending upon the type of music played. Low and mid frequencies are not too bad, however the highs are distinctly scratchy and distorted, and often unpleasant to listen to. The situation worsens as the volume is increased. I found that the system appeared at its best if the treble was wound down 2 or 3, and the bass turned up by around 4/5. The output had little depth. Turning up the bass further just made the system “boomy”. I also biased the sound slightly to the rear as actually the rear speakers appear to produce a reasonable output. (Oddly, we also have a 120d which has the business HU, 4 x 15w, but the same speaker arrangement, and whilst the sound in that vehicle cannot be described as excellent, it is quite acceptable; and far superior to that of the X1. I even checked out the dealer’s X1 demonstrator just to ascertain that I did not have a faulty HU; it was no better!). As I wasn’t prepared to put up with such a system I looked at various options and finally decided upon the Alpine audio upgrade. This is a kit approved and supplied by BMW. The current Part No is 65 41 2 163 268 or 65 41 2 167 061. It used to be 65 41 0 445 684, but this is no longer available. The current price is around £340. Have seen some horrendous prices for fitting, but I was quoted £585 incl VAT for supply and fitting, which was subsequently discounted to £490. Thus for the sake of £150, I did not think it worth the risk to start ripping my new car apart. But apart from that, there is now the question of coding. The earlier kit included two tweeter connections on the diplexer, one for business HU the other for Professional. Similarly the amplifier includes a switch which was set according to HU type. Thus the amp/speaker configuration was set according to the HU in use, and the HU remained untouched. In contrast, the current kit states that the amp switch remains in position 1, and there is no option as to tweeter connection, thus if the instructions are followed, the amp/speaker configuration is now fixed, and as such the HU (Professional fitted to X1) requires coding to make it compatible with the amp/speakers. This coding obviously has to be carried out by the dealer and is done automatically using their ISSS system. Allowing a dealer install also ensures all warranties remain intact. The kit comprises replacement front Alpine mids and associated tweeters, an Alpine 4 ch amp which is mounted in the left well in the trunk, and a wiring loom. The loom uses all plug-in connections, the HU output/speaker connections being made at the subs. Time to fit is specified in the BMW instructions as 2.0 hours but the dealer hinted that it probably would take less, largely because of the ease of connection. The amp uses the HU’s high level front channel outputs as its input, and the amp’s 4 output channels are used to drive the door mids/tweeters and under seat subs individually. The result is amazing! The sound is rich and full, and now fills the car. It is exceptionally clear, particularly at high frequencies. Even at high volume there is no distortion. Bass is good, but not seat thumping as some may want. In fact I would say the bass is its main weakness, however I have the bass turned up a few notches and the overall sound suits me fine. It is now a pleasure to listen to. Furthermore the install is completely “invisible”. I was somewhat worried about the amp located in the left well and confined by the (useless!) trunk tray, but even after hours of use it gets little more than warm. Considering the price, I think that it has been a most cost effective and worthwhile upgrade, and one I would recommend to anyone.
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07-29-2010, 05:17 AM	#2
mozdal Private First Class 19 Rep 188 Posts Drives: E84 & F20 & F10 Join Date: Dec 2009 Location: Turkey iTrader: (0)	Is it only me that has 5 speakers instead of 6? There is no passenger side bass under the seat. WORST audio system I've ever seen!
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08-26-2010, 04:37 AM	#3
lakesman New Member 6 Rep 9 Posts Drives: X1 xDrive23d Join Date: Jun 2010 Location: UK iTrader: (0)	Further to initial report: As an audio upgrade, the Alpine Upgrade kit is money well spent and I am glad I went for it. However have just discovered the first "problem". I have a factory fitted satnav and it delivers its voice commands via the front speakers. Since the Alpine Upgrade, the original front speaker output is now used as the input to the new Alpine amp, and it is the detection of this input signal that powers the amp up. Typically with this arrangement there is a delay of 2-3 seconds before the amp powers up and delivers its output to the front speakers. Whilst of no consequence if just switching on the radio or CD, in the case of the satnav I lose the first few words of the initial voice command. To get round this I have to keep the radio on at low volume which is a pain. Have let my dealer know as this is a serious design fault; essentially the upgrade kit partially cripples the primary function of the satnav. No response to date, but early days!
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02-29-2012, 02:59 PM	#4
jonna9 Registered 0 Rep 1 Posts Drives: E91 LCI 320D Sport Plus Join Date: Feb 2012 Location: Newcastle Upon Tyne iTrader: (0)	Hi there, I have a 2011 E91 and I too am considering the Alpine kit, so it useful to hear the comments on here. It's also good to here someone confirm that the current kit requires coding as I've heard conflicting info on this from local dealers etc. One thing I'd like to know is whether the coding issue reported here as affecting the nav, also affects the PDC and Bluetooth functions? I ask as I've read some reports that the parking sensors and phone integration can infact be impaired - by a significan drop in volume. Would anyone who has the kit care to comment? Thanks...
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05-24-2012, 06:07 AM	#7
brettnosse Enlisted Member 1 Rep 35 Posts Drives: Mini Join Date: Mar 2011 Location: St George Australia iTrader: (0)	To be honest, I have never used the voice commands.. I always mute the silly woman... Oh, and also the sat nav voice
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05-26-2012, 04:28 PM	#8
Bushellj X1 Owner 12 Rep 26 Posts Drives: BMW X1 sDrive 18d SE Join Date: May 2012 Location: South Devon iTrader: (0)	Following your comments above I went ahead and ordered the kit for our X1. I have no idea how BMW would install this kit in two hours given you have to take out all the seats (front and back) and remove all the trim down each side of the car and the right hand panel in the boot (trunk). You also of course need to remove the two front door panels and gain access to the mid range units and the tweeter locations. Maybe if you had done this several times you might get it down to two hours but it took me the best part of two days once I had got it all back together again (twice, see below) !! At least now I can tell people how to remove the trim !! I searched everywhere for details of how to remove the various trim items on the various forums but found very little information on the BMW X1. Most is similar to other 1 and 3 series BMW's but it would be nice to have a set of instructions for the X1. As BMW sell the kit they should provide a complete set of instructions. The first issue I came up against was that the supplied loom is very short where it goes to the subs under the seats. It has to be routed by the shortest route rather follow the rest of the cables which makes it a bit exposed to damage under the back seat !! The power cables are also not really the right length. The negative is fine but the positive is too short the follow the main loom behind the side panel so you have to bring it under the floor and then it is a bit long. The fuse has obviously been added as an afterthought as the positive supply cable has a join just before the in-line fuse holder !! Once the Amplifier was installed and connected to the Earth and Positive supply I tested the system before putting all the trim back just to be sure. The Bass and Treble were far too high even when the equaliser on the Head Unit has turned both down to minimum (-10). Not a great start !! On reading several posts it was becoming clear that I might well have connected the Diplexor incorrectly due to the rather strange marking on each of the wires. Took the door panels off again !! Sure enough the wires were connected to the wrong way round !! Thanks BMW/Alpine for such confusing labels on the cables !!! The "Head End" is actually the Tweeter connection !!! Once it was all back together again it now works fine and I am really impressed with the final result. You need to accept that you still have the crap speakers in the back but they only really fill in a bit of mid range. It would be nice to find something with a tweeter to replace the back speakers so they are a little closer in sound to the front. So I can confirm that for the late 2011 BMW X1 with the Professional Head Unit that it does not appear to need re-coding and the balance between the Subs, Mid range and Tweeter seem to be OK. The switch on the Alpine Amp was set to "1". Just make sure when you are fitting this Upgrade you have the latest fitting instructions dated 07/2011 as these appear to be the most accurate. Anyone needing help with trim removal I am now an expert !! It might take an experienced dealer technician 2 hours but for your average DIYer I think you need to give yourself 4 or 5 hours to work it all out !! I would certainly recommend this upgrade for anyone with the basic speaker set up and it is not so difficult to install for a competent DIY enthusiast - Anyone else should get BMW to do the upgrade (2 hours at BMW rates). If I had one comment to make it would be that the new speakers in the doors show up the weakness of the standard Subwoofers under the seats as they tend to be a bit boomy and muffled compared to the door speakers. At least now they are being driven by the new amp and add something to the mix !! As a final comment, even my 14 year old daughter thought the new set up was awesome and promptly went off to find some of her CDs to play in the car - She had shown no interest with the old speakers !! Last edited by Bushellj; 05-29-2012 at 11:19 AM.. Reason: Added stuff !!
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06-08-2012, 01:23 AM	#9
nagrar Registered 0 Rep 3 Posts Drives: BMW X1 20d Join Date: May 2011 Location: Newcastle Australia iTrader: (0)	I also recently fitted this kit. It took me about 8 hours to install, probably twice as long for the first side as the second. The centre pillar covers were the hardest to get off, I'm still not sure what the "right" way to get them off would be. I bought the kit while I was in England and paid about $A550 all up compared to $900 in Australia, and the 2 hours they were going to take to install would have been another $500. It cost me $120 to do the coding but I couldn't really tell the difference. I really like the improved sound, and though I'm not sure, I think that the music sounds better where I have loaded the CD in the car rather than MP3's from a USB. I have the Professional Nav so have all my music loaded on the hard drive.
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