Recommended Speakers?

[Jread]

Hey guys, I'm loving my '87 325is - and the last thing I'm looking to replace is the sound system, the current speakers are blown to bits.

I don't want to do anything big yet (no amp, nothing in the trunk), but I'm looking for some nice speakers to fit into the 5'-1/4" mounts in the back and front panels. (I have the premium sound system)

Any recommendations?

[StereoInstaller1]

Good condition stock premium sound speakers are the best you are gonna get, unless you are running a sub, and can run a high pass filter on whatever speakers you choose.

The best sounding aftermarket I know of (for FULL RANGE use, retards...UNLESS YOU HAVE HEARD THEM FULL RANGE, STFU!) are the Memphis MSync. 2nd place is like Infinity reference...but seriously, the stock E30 locations suck ass, so good luck making the damn thing sound decent at all.

You would be absolutely amazed at what you can get with a small 4 channel amp running one of my 10" boxes with a WalMart Sony woofer and the front speakers...

Luke

[Jread]

Yeah I visited a car audio store today and decided it will be smarter to get a small sub as well as new speakers, but I don't want to spend too much...

Any recommended subs or amps? I'm not exactly rolling in the dough right now so really the cheaper the better, I know I'll have to sacrifice quality though.

Also if there are any good tricks when doing the installation, I would love to hear them.

Thanks for your help

[StereoInstaller1]

Go to walmart, buy a $60 10" Sony woofer and the $50 VR amp. That combo in one of my 10" boxes sounds amazingly good...your buddies will be pissed that your car kicks their ass for no money...

[Jread]

So the magic is in the box? Where do I get my hands on one and why are they so spectacular?

Honestly I was thinking I could build one myself...

[StereoInstaller1]

The boxes I build are tuned to produce the best mix of deep and loud, specifically for the interior of an E30.

100% of the bass is sealed into the cabin, so there are no trunk rattles, plus the highest efficiency.

I build them in groups of 6 minimum, but am not likely to do any less than 8 from now on.

They aren't too tough to build, assuming you have tablesaw skills, a decent cabinet stapler, decent fabrication abilities, and can operate a design calculator.

Go get to work!

Luke

[aintnothang]

Go to walmart, buy a $60 10" Sony woofer and the $50 VR amp. That combo in one of my 10" boxes sounds amazingly good...your buddies will be pissed that your car kicks their ass for no money...

sounds like a deal.

[jrobie79]

hey luke, i hate to steal business, but do you have any plans for these boxes? i work in the construction field and would liek to try to tackle a box as well as my complete audio install on my own, if not i completely understand

[357]

I would highly recommend Infinity Reference coaxials. I would also recommend getting last year's model off ebay. The build and sound qualities haven't changed at all for these speakers in the last few years (I've owned several generations of them). You can pick up two pairs of 5022i speakers for $100. You can get components for the front, but you'll spend a bit more money, and I can't vouch for how good they'll sound with the tweeter separated so far from from the woofer. As with all other speakers for these cars, you really should run a sub. I have an Infinity 850w (which I bought used for $50 or $60, with the box) driven by some random Pioneer 2ch amp, bridged. I'm running the same setup in my truck, but with an Alpine T406 for the amp, which I love. Its small, just the right amount of power for an 8" sub, and they're routinely available used for under $35. In general, I'd recommend any of the small form factor Alpine amps to drive the sub.

I currently have the sub behind the driver's seat, in the rear foot well, but that's mainly because the box I have it in is too small for the sub (it's improperly tuned). As a result, when I had it in the trunk, it couldn't really provide proper low-frequency fill. With an appropriately sized sealed box, though, you should be fine with it in the trunk.

-Fred

[Jread]

Also curious - you say in the trunk but do you mean through the ski hole?
I ski in the winter so that would not be a great option for me (I know, shame on me for ruining my beauty e30 in the snow)

I've seen it done behind one of the back seats - how well does it work?

[StereoInstaller1]

hey luke, i hate to steal business, but do you have any plans for these boxes? i work in the construction field and would liek to try to tackle a box as well as my complete audio install on my own, if not i completely understand

Plans aren't really my bag...I sketch shit on a notebook, then make it fit until I am happy with it.

Take a close look at the pics posted everywhere. The big trick is the porting and the additional front panel that makes the seal.

[aintnothang]

(I know, shame on me for ruining my beauty e30 in the snow)

No, that makes you more of a g.

[NeoMishMoo]

The boxes I build are tuned to produce the best mix of deep and loud, specifically for the interior of an E30.
100% of the bass is sealed into the cabin, so there are no trunk rattles, plus the highest efficiency.
Luke

Do you have a picture of one of these sub/box/amp combos installed in an e30? Are the boxes tuned for a specific pioneer sub because you know that different subwoofers have different airspace requirements.

[91 318is]

My buddy put some focal's in the rear, don't know exactly the model. He also put a new pioneer deck in too, don't know the model to that either, lol.

Sounds awesome though, WAY better then my stock setup in mine. I need to upgrade mine, it just isn't cutting it.

[jcb123]

or byob, like i did
seat angle 75 degrees pretty much all u need to know, just measure dimensions of ur boot to size it up (i also put 12" in mine instead of 10")



all the space!!!


not too hard to make, i used sum random pvc 90. pipes for ports, which worked well
and i get good bass into the cabin with minimal trunk rattle.
well alot more than when i had 2x alpine type s kicking around in there