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Speaker upgrade
- mr.tourette
- Lifer
- Posts: 4294
- Joined: Thu Aug 27, 2015 9:16 am
- Location: north wales
Speaker upgrade
Which Vibe amp is it? mine was a doddle to fit with no excess wiring using an Iso loom T harness, very small too so easy to tuck away, mine is attached to the lower dash cover in the footwell with extra strong velcro
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if its got tits or tyres..its trouble
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- Member
- Posts: 239
- Joined: Mon Oct 25, 2021 3:42 pm
Speaker upgrade
I finally got that Vibe amp sorted. I was trying to install it in the space behind & below the head unit. Togther with the wiring, that was too little space.
I realised that there was a bit of space at the very end of the center console tunnel where it could sit - Just to the left of the footrest.
I already had the footwell cover removed, so one less thing to do for me.
I fed the cabling from the amp via the drivers side footwell into the back of the head unit space.
Connected, tested and fitted the head unit - it fitted back fine this time.
The AMP fits perfectly in that space and allows for easy access and adjustment as well.
The amp i installed is the VIBE POWERBOX65.4M - 520Watts Micro Class D Amplifier.
In my previous post above i had simply plugged it in without making any adjustments.
This time I adjusted the gain on both the left and right channels and i have to say that it is quite a change!
Even on the standard basic speakers it provides quite a bit of OOMPH!
For £135 i'm happy knowing that this is probably the best plug & play amp that i can get.
Chances taken and lessons learned in ordering & installing.
Altogether a good buy.
I realised that there was a bit of space at the very end of the center console tunnel where it could sit - Just to the left of the footrest.
I already had the footwell cover removed, so one less thing to do for me.
I fed the cabling from the amp via the drivers side footwell into the back of the head unit space.
Connected, tested and fitted the head unit - it fitted back fine this time.
The AMP fits perfectly in that space and allows for easy access and adjustment as well.
The amp i installed is the VIBE POWERBOX65.4M - 520Watts Micro Class D Amplifier.
In my previous post above i had simply plugged it in without making any adjustments.
This time I adjusted the gain on both the left and right channels and i have to say that it is quite a change!
Even on the standard basic speakers it provides quite a bit of OOMPH!
For £135 i'm happy knowing that this is probably the best plug & play amp that i can get.
Chances taken and lessons learned in ordering & installing.
Altogether a good buy.
-
- Member
- Posts: 239
- Joined: Mon Oct 25, 2021 3:42 pm
Speaker upgrade
Here's how to setup the AMP once installed:
To correctly set the gain control of the amplifier to match that of the source (headunit) use the following setup routine:
• Turn the gain control to minimum on the amplifier.
• Ensure the bass boost on the headunt is set to 0 dB.
• Set all crossovers on the headunt ( if applicable) to flat and both bass and treble to zero.
• Turn up the source (headunit) to approx 3/4 volume.
• Very slowly turn up the gain on the amplifier until distortion can be heard in any of the speakers or until the volume reaches an uncomfortable listening level when this is reached turn the gain control down slightly.
The gain control is now set.
The setting of the crossover will depend on what kind of speaker you are installing.
Note: The smaller the speaker, the less bass it can handle, so for a larger speaker FULL would be preferred, and HPF for a smaller speaker..
By using the crossovers correctly you will not only lengthen the life of your speakers but you will also get better performance from them.
To correctly set the gain control of the amplifier to match that of the source (headunit) use the following setup routine:
• Turn the gain control to minimum on the amplifier.
• Ensure the bass boost on the headunt is set to 0 dB.
• Set all crossovers on the headunt ( if applicable) to flat and both bass and treble to zero.
• Turn up the source (headunit) to approx 3/4 volume.
• Very slowly turn up the gain on the amplifier until distortion can be heard in any of the speakers or until the volume reaches an uncomfortable listening level when this is reached turn the gain control down slightly.
The gain control is now set.
The setting of the crossover will depend on what kind of speaker you are installing.
Note: The smaller the speaker, the less bass it can handle, so for a larger speaker FULL would be preferred, and HPF for a smaller speaker..
By using the crossovers correctly you will not only lengthen the life of your speakers but you will also get better performance from them.
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- Senior Member
- Posts: 1794
- Joined: Thu Aug 16, 2012 2:24 pm
- Location: Lincolnshire, UK
Speaker upgrade
Excellent, I'm glad it's all good for you, seriously am considering fitting one of these myself but just haven't got around to sorting it yet.wanderer wrote: ↑Tue Jun 14, 2022 9:40 pm I finally got that Vibe amp sorted. I was trying to install it in the space behind & below the head unit. Togther with the wiring, that was too little space.
I realised that there was a bit of space at the very end of the center console tunnel where it could sit - Just to the left of the footrest.
I already had the footwell cover removed, so one less thing to do for me.
I fed the cabling from the amp via the drivers side footwell into the back of the head unit space.
Connected, tested and fitted the head unit - it fitted back fine this time.
The AMP fits perfectly in that space and allows for easy access and adjustment as well.
The amp i installed is the VIBE POWERBOX65.4M - 520Watts Micro Class D Amplifier.
In my previous post above i had simply plugged it in without making any adjustments.
This time I adjusted the gain on both the left and right channels and i have to say that it is quite a change!
Even on the standard basic speakers it provides quite a bit of OOMPH!
For £135 i'm happy knowing that this is probably the best plug & play amp that i can get.
Chances taken and lessons learned in ordering & installing.
Altogether a good buy.
So how long is the wiring from the quadlock adaptor to the amp?
Dave
2011, 23i, Grey with Red leather.
My E89 YouTube channel - BMW Z4 Mods
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCttNBt ... UQnoEvKB2Q
2011, 23i, Grey with Red leather.
My E89 YouTube channel - BMW Z4 Mods
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCttNBt ... UQnoEvKB2Q
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- Member
- Posts: 239
- Joined: Mon Oct 25, 2021 3:42 pm
Speaker upgrade
It's probably about a meter or less. Enough to get into your footwell but that's it.
I will measure & take some photos shortly.
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- Senior Member
- Posts: 1794
- Joined: Thu Aug 16, 2012 2:24 pm
- Location: Lincolnshire, UK
Speaker upgrade
Thanks for that
Dave
2011, 23i, Grey with Red leather.
My E89 YouTube channel - BMW Z4 Mods
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCttNBt ... UQnoEvKB2Q
2011, 23i, Grey with Red leather.
My E89 YouTube channel - BMW Z4 Mods
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCttNBt ... UQnoEvKB2Q
-
- Member
- Posts: 239
- Joined: Mon Oct 25, 2021 3:42 pm
Speaker upgrade
Here's a pic of the length of the cabling.
Excuse the mess with the leaves.
Excuse the mess with the leaves.
- Chippie
- Senior Member
- Posts: 2321
- Joined: Tue Apr 30, 2019 9:11 pm
- Location: Wakefield
Speaker upgrade
Right, for someone completely inept with audio does the amp simply increase the volume, so only normally having the volume half way I wouldn’t notice any difference or does it also increase the clarity?wanderer wrote: ↑Tue Jun 14, 2022 10:07 pm Here's how to setup the AMP once installed:
To correctly set the gain control of the amplifier to match that of the source (headunit) use the following setup routine:
• Turn the gain control to minimum on the amplifier.
• Ensure the bass boost on the headunt is set to 0 dB.
• Set all crossovers on the headunt ( if applicable) to flat and both bass and treble to zero.
• Turn up the source (headunit) to approx 3/4 volume.
• Very slowly turn up the gain on the amplifier until distortion can be heard in any of the speakers or until the volume reaches an uncomfortable listening level when this is reached turn the gain control down slightly.
The gain control is now set.
The setting of the crossover will depend on what kind of speaker you are installing.
Note: The smaller the speaker, the less bass it can handle, so for a larger speaker FULL would be preferred, and HPF for a smaller speaker..
By using the crossovers correctly you will not only lengthen the life of your speakers but you will also get better performance from them.
E89 35is space grey Kansas coral red leather
- B21
- Lifer
- Posts: 5451
- Joined: Tue Oct 05, 2021 7:15 pm
- Location: In my Banana Yellow Space Shuttle...somewhere over Southern Caledonia
Speaker upgrade
Relative to the basic 6 speaker system the external amp relieves the head unit of driving speakers
The head unit amp is limited in both its absolute power and its dynamic range
Ie how loud can you crank it and how well at the same setting it copes both with quiet and loud sections of music
Set correctly the external amp will off an obvious ability to have the music louder with less distortion and handle complex music more faithfully which could be interpreted as clearer
The head unit amp is limited in both its absolute power and its dynamic range
Ie how loud can you crank it and how well at the same setting it copes both with quiet and loud sections of music
Set correctly the external amp will off an obvious ability to have the music louder with less distortion and handle complex music more faithfully which could be interpreted as clearer
We choose to go to on with this endeavour at this time and do the other things, not because they are easy, but because they are hard…
A very modified Atacama Yellow 35is
A very modified Atacama Yellow 35is
- Chippie
- Senior Member
- Posts: 2321
- Joined: Tue Apr 30, 2019 9:11 pm
- Location: Wakefield
Speaker upgrade
B21 wrote: ↑Thu Jun 16, 2022 5:49 pm Relative to the basic 6 speaker system the external amp relieves the head unit of driving speakers
The head unit amp is limited in both its absolute power and its dynamic range
Ie how loud can you crank it and how well at the same setting it copes both with quiet and loud sections of music
Set correctly the external amp will off an obvious ability to have the music louder with less distortion and handle complex music more faithfully which could be interpreted as clearer
E89 35is space grey Kansas coral red leather
- B21
- Lifer
- Posts: 5451
- Joined: Tue Oct 05, 2021 7:15 pm
- Location: In my Banana Yellow Space Shuttle...somewhere over Southern Caledonia
Speaker upgrade
That should have read ‘ the head unit offloads the amplification duties to the external power amp’ but a fish finger buttie got in the way..
I could have droned on about impedance, damping factors, over driving Class AB amplifiers, harmonics, total harmonic distortion, linearity, power rail sagging, input noise, noise floors, ringing, Q, reactive circuits, transient response, inter modulation distortion, matching, phasing, time alignment, active vs passive crossovers, butterworth vs chebyzhev filters, pass band, octaves etc…but I didn’t…
I could have droned on about impedance, damping factors, over driving Class AB amplifiers, harmonics, total harmonic distortion, linearity, power rail sagging, input noise, noise floors, ringing, Q, reactive circuits, transient response, inter modulation distortion, matching, phasing, time alignment, active vs passive crossovers, butterworth vs chebyzhev filters, pass band, octaves etc…but I didn’t…
We choose to go to on with this endeavour at this time and do the other things, not because they are easy, but because they are hard…
A very modified Atacama Yellow 35is
A very modified Atacama Yellow 35is
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- Member
- Posts: 510
- Joined: Tue Mar 25, 2014 5:24 pm
- Location: Edinburgh
Speaker upgrade
2012 E89 sDrive20i M Sport Celtic Tuning Stage 3 Remap
2008 E86 Z4 M Sport 2.0i - Gone
2003 E46 316ti M Sport - Gone
2008 E86 Z4 M Sport 2.0i - Gone
2003 E46 316ti M Sport - Gone
- Chippie
- Senior Member
- Posts: 2321
- Joined: Tue Apr 30, 2019 9:11 pm
- Location: Wakefield
Speaker upgrade
Just about get impedance but the rest just went straight over my head and into the stratosphereB21 wrote: ↑Thu Jun 16, 2022 8:54 pm That should have read ‘ the head unit offloads the amplification duties to the external power amp’ but a fish finger buttie got in the way..
I could have droned on about impedance, damping factors, over driving Class AB amplifiers, harmonics, total harmonic distortion, linearity, power rail sagging, input noise, noise floors, ringing, Q, reactive circuits, transient response, inter modulation distortion, matching, phasing, time alignment, active vs passive crossovers, butterworth vs chebyzhev filters, pass band, octaves etc…but I didn’t…
E89 35is space grey Kansas coral red leather
- B21
- Lifer
- Posts: 5451
- Joined: Tue Oct 05, 2021 7:15 pm
- Location: In my Banana Yellow Space Shuttle...somewhere over Southern Caledonia
Speaker upgrade
The moulding implies that an option to have a separate tweeter was a possibility…
However..
No audio system fitted to E89s ever had that as an option…
Sonically it wouldn’t have made sense even if they did..
We choose to go to on with this endeavour at this time and do the other things, not because they are easy, but because they are hard…
A very modified Atacama Yellow 35is
A very modified Atacama Yellow 35is
- B21
- Lifer
- Posts: 5451
- Joined: Tue Oct 05, 2021 7:15 pm
- Location: In my Banana Yellow Space Shuttle...somewhere over Southern Caledonia
Speaker upgrade
Was that the stratosphere…or maybe the ionosphere or the troposphere?Chippie wrote: ↑Sun Jun 19, 2022 10:10 amJust about get impedance but the rest just went straight over my head and into the stratosphereB21 wrote: ↑Thu Jun 16, 2022 8:54 pm That should have read ‘ the head unit offloads the amplification duties to the external power amp’ but a fish finger buttie got in the way..
I could have droned on about impedance, damping factors, over driving Class AB amplifiers, harmonics, total harmonic distortion, linearity, power rail sagging, input noise, noise floors, ringing, Q, reactive circuits, transient response, inter modulation distortion, matching, phasing, time alignment, active vs passive crossovers, butterworth vs chebyzhev filters, pass band, octaves etc…but I didn’t…
We choose to go to on with this endeavour at this time and do the other things, not because they are easy, but because they are hard…
A very modified Atacama Yellow 35is
A very modified Atacama Yellow 35is