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Door speaker install

2003 - 2009, roadster, coupe, facelift
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DMC63
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Door speaker install

Post by DMC63 » Thu Oct 27, 2016 8:10 pm

My Z came with 2 speakers missing :thumbsdown: Fancy building a car and skimping on 2 door speakers! Anyway l've moved on.

I want to install these 2 door speakers. Are the wires already in place in the door ready (Wishful thinking) or do I have to hack into the existing circuit to wire them in?

I've checked the video link from a thread on the forum but it's an 'upgrade' vid. A simple unplug replace and play. If it's necessary to hack into the circuit I'm gonna need some step by step guidance. I have my tools ready, a knife, fork, screwdriver, hammer and a large adjustable spanner :D
BMW Z4 2003 2.5i and lots of bits and pieces - 2016 - 2020 Sold

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PerryGunn
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Door speaker install

Post by PerryGunn » Thu Oct 27, 2016 8:13 pm

It's worth adding some sound deadening while you've got the door cards off

Write up of the speaker and deadening installation here: viewtopic.php?f=31&t=53812
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DMC63
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Door speaker install

Post by DMC63 » Thu Oct 27, 2016 9:09 pm

PerryGunn wrote:It's worth adding some sound deadening while you've got the door cards off

Write up of the speaker and deadening installation here: viewtopic.php?f=31&t=53812
Thanks for the link. Good work :thumbsup: I'll read through it a few more times and give it a go.

Why do people put the sound deadening in the doors? Is it so they don't sound so hollow when closing or to minimise noise while driving?
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PerryGunn
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Door speaker install

Post by PerryGunn » Thu Oct 27, 2016 9:18 pm

DMC63 wrote:
PerryGunn wrote:It's worth adding some sound deadening while you've got the door cards off

Write up of the speaker and deadening installation here: viewtopic.php?f=31&t=53812
Thanks for the link. Good work :thumbsup: I'll read through it a few more times and give it a go.

Why do people put the sound deadening in the doors? Is it so they don't sound so hollow when closing or to minimise noise while driving?
It gives them a nice solid 'thunk' sound when closing and also stops a lot of the unwanted resonances when the music's turned up - I've never worried about trying to minimise external noise as the roof's always down...
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Door speaker install

Post by DMC63 » Thu Oct 27, 2016 9:30 pm

PerryGunn wrote:
DMC63 wrote:
PerryGunn wrote:It's worth adding some sound deadening while you've got the door cards off

Write up of the speaker and deadening installation here: viewtopic.php?f=31&t=53812
Thanks for the link. Good work :thumbsup: I'll read through it a few more times and give it a go.

Why do people put the sound deadening in the doors? Is it so they don't sound so hollow when closing or to minimise noise while driving?
It gives them a nice solid 'thunk' sound when closing and also stops a lot of the unwanted resonances when the music's turned up - I've never worried about trying to minimise external noise as the roof's always down...
Cool, I may bite the bullet an do that...
BMW Z4 2003 2.5i and lots of bits and pieces - 2016 - 2020 Sold

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Door speaker install

Post by vester86 » Thu Oct 27, 2016 9:50 pm

DMC63 wrote:
PerryGunn wrote:It's worth adding some sound deadening while you've got the door cards off

Write up of the speaker and deadening installation here: viewtopic.php?f=31&t=53812
Thanks for the link. Good work :thumbsup: I'll read through it a few more times and give it a go.

Why do people put the sound deadening in the doors? Is it so they don't sound so hollow when closing or to minimise noise while driving?
Both! Less road/tyre noise inside the cabin, better sounding speakers also.

When you have the basic audio (i.e. nobody messed around with it before you did) then there is NO wiring present in the door. Tweeter gets a fullrange signal so you can split that wire.

Personally i chopped the plastic trim to fit the "missing" speaker, but i went with a focal 3 way system with a 3" mid speaker, so slightly smaller then the required 4"

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Door speaker install

Post by DMC63 » Fri Oct 28, 2016 8:38 pm

vester86 wrote:
DMC63 wrote:
PerryGunn wrote:It's worth adding some sound deadening while you've got the door cards off

Write up of the speaker and deadening installation here: viewtopic.php?f=31&t=53812
Thanks for the link. Good work :thumbsup: I'll read through it a few more times and give it a go.

Why do people put the sound deadening in the doors? Is it so they don't sound so hollow when closing or to minimise noise while driving?
Both! Less road/tyre noise inside the cabin, better sounding speakers also.

When you have the basic audio (i.e. nobody messed around with it before you did) then there is NO wiring present in the door. Tweeter gets a fullrange signal so you can split that wire.

Personally i chopped the plastic trim to fit the "missing" speaker, but i went with a focal 3 way system with a 3" mid speaker, so slightly smaller then the required 4"
Sounds like a good setup. Thanks for the reply. I'm just going to go with the BMW oem speaker, £50 or thereabouts. The sound quality is plenty good enough. It just needs that full range in the door to bring it to life.
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Door speaker install

Post by Zulu4 » Thu Apr 01, 2021 7:15 pm

At the risk of furrowed brows from the purists and audio-philes, I fitted a pair of these cheap but decent speakers into my empty door grills.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B0756WW942/ ... UTF8&psc=1
20210401_100626.jpg
20210401_100626.jpg (130.43 KiB) Viewed 1220 times
I put some roofing flashband in the doors and door cards. For a total outlay of £27.50, the radio sounds much better, the doors quieter and more solid sounding.
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Door speaker install

Post by BobbyBoucher » Fri Apr 02, 2021 3:23 pm

Zulu4 wrote: Thu Apr 01, 2021 7:15 pm At the risk of furrowed brows from the purists and audio-philes, I fitted a pair of these cheap but decent speakers into my empty door grills.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B0756WW942/ ... UTF8&psc=1

20210401_100626.jpg

I put some roofing flashband in the doors and door cards. For a total outlay of £27.50, the radio sounds much better, the doors quieter and more solid sounding.
Did you have to solder anything to fit these mate or just plug in so to speak?
Thanks

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Door speaker install

Post by mr.tourette » Fri Apr 02, 2021 4:30 pm

BobbyBoucher wrote: Fri Apr 02, 2021 3:23 pm
Zulu4 wrote: Thu Apr 01, 2021 7:15 pm At the risk of furrowed brows from the purists and audio-philes, I fitted a pair of these cheap but decent speakers into my empty door grills.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B0756WW942/ ... UTF8&psc=1

20210401_100626.jpg

I put some roofing flashband in the doors and door cards. For a total outlay of £27.50, the radio sounds much better, the doors quieter and more solid sounding.
Did you have to solder anything to fit these mate or just plug in so to speak?
Thanks
You'll need either some crimp connectors or some bmw connection adaptors if you are removing the feed from the tweeter, just helped fit a set of crunch dsx42 in a local members doors, pretty straightforward job👍
if its got tits or tyres..its trouble :D

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Door speaker install

Post by BobbyBoucher » Fri Apr 02, 2021 5:01 pm

I'm pretty sure i have basic setup on my 2008 coupe. I am looking at the bluetooth options/dab then it will be speakers. I am also sure there are only basic speakers in mine and not many of them :)
Speakers is next job!

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Door speaker install

Post by Zulu4 » Fri Apr 02, 2021 8:33 pm

mr.tourette wrote: Fri Apr 02, 2021 4:30 pm
BobbyBoucher wrote: Fri Apr 02, 2021 3:23 pm
Zulu4 wrote: Thu Apr 01, 2021 7:15 pm

At the risk of furrowed brows from the purists and audio-philes, I fitted a pair of these cheap but decent speakers into my empty door grills.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B0756WW942/ ... UTF8&psc=1

20210401_100626.jpg

I put some roofing flashband in the doors and door cards. For a total outlay of £27.50, the radio sounds much better, the doors quieter and more solid sounding.
Did you have to solder anything to fit these mate or just plug in so to speak?
Thanks
You'll need either some crimp connectors or some bmw connection adaptors if you are removing the feed from the tweeter, just helped fit a set of crunch dsx42 in a local members doors, pretty straightforward job👍
I did use scotchlocks to connect into the tweeter wires, but I thought it would be better to use some of these Y-splitters, so I have ordered some and I'll retrofit them.

https://a.aliexpress.com/_mMRu5gX

The reason I came to this conclusion is that it takes a lot of force to pull the door card off and it is not always possible to control just how far it is going to spring off, so there is danger of it snapping the speaker wires if they cannot be fully disconnected beforehand. Hence the Y-splitters will be placed up by the tweeter to unclip before the door panel is removed.

Sounds complicated, but you'll understand why once you've had a look at the door card removal.
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Door speaker install

Post by quizboy » Wed Apr 07, 2021 3:34 pm

I fitted the door speakers last weekend, i purchased 2nd hand BMW Speakers from ebay with the same specification as those fitted behind the seats on the standard 6 speaker system. BMW Reference part number reference - 65136950131

I then purchsed the bmw speaker wire harness splitters from ebay to save splicing into the car speaker wires:

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/BMW-Speaker- ... 1438.l2649

I also used something similar to this along with a short section of speaker wire to make wiring looms that effectivaly made the speakers plug and play, and prepared them ahead of the install:

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/BMW-1-3-5-se ... 1438.l2649

I managed to get them much cheaper than advertised but the seller has since left ebay.

Great video on door card removal on youtube... If i hadnt added sound deadening to the doors could have all been completed in 45mins and im not mechanically minded!

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