DSP audio upgrade

M

magicman

Member
 NW Georgia, USA
so im tired of driving in silence, i want to upgrade/replace my audio system.
2003 Z4 2.5, 10 speaker and as far as i can tell its DSP system
now ive done some research and im aware this isnt a simple upgrade
with that being said, id like to know if anyone has any recommendation or whats the best way to go about this?
 
mr.tourette said:
driving in silence.. is it broke? not much wrong with the 10 speaker dsp system to really require major upgrades
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radio functions but theres no audio coming out, from what ive read the amp is a common problem
 
Damn.. theres no easy solution other than finding another amp which is obviously rare. There are a very few brave souls that have had success rigging up a new system but its not for the faint hearted, In all honesty if you are having to ask on here then chances are you would be better off leaving it to a pro
 
mr.tourette said:
Damn.. theres no easy solution other than finding another amp which is obviously rare. There are a very few brave souls that have had success rigging up a new system but its not for the faint hearted, In all honesty if you are having to ask on here then chances are you would be better off leaving it to a pro
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yeah i know......*sigh*.....ive installed audio systems before but very simple ones, head unit, amp and a box of subs, this is clearly far more intricate but im willing to try. Im in no rush and taking my time to plan everything out properly, i know i need an amp and some crossovers hoping to get some guidance on what would work the best in this scenario. If i feel im in over my head then ill take it to an professional but not before i try my hand at it
 
ok, if i were in your boat and couldn't find an amp, i would forget the 10 speaker system coming back to life. Id buy a new head unit, small amp like a vibe 65.4, iso loom, new set of door component speakers, a set of mid woofers for the floor kicker panels and a set of 2 ways for the shoulder level rears (im assuming a similar layout to the e89) and an underseat sub should you want a bit more bass. This would be more than ample to fill the car with impressive levels. My thread here doing similar on an e89 minus the new head unit which is the easiest part of the job https://z4-forum.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=23&t=125344&hilit=6+speaker
Not a perfect solution but a good one and very doable imho without getting into the minefield that is getting the whole 10 speaker system running again. Not sure how pricing is in the US on this sort of equipment but i could put a decent head unit, amp, six speakers plus tweeters and underseat sub (giving 9 in total) for £500 plus a little extra for ancillaries, for decent quality kit. I'd pin out the 2 rear subs on the loom if you use an underseat. This is basically a start from scratch job, you would be removing your existing amp, head unit, speakers and wiring and starting with a clean slate.
Im no expert in this field but I've done a few ICE installs in various cars over the years and if there's one thing I'm good at its working out the easiest solution :D I believe the above is it, if you want to get all your speakers you already have running in situ then sorry thats^^^not much help
 
Although thinking on now you could use most of the speakers in situ.. all you have to do is break the link from the head unit to the amp, so just remove all the wiring from each speaker and run new cabling from the loom to the speaker, this obviously will still involve rewiring each speaker but would save on costs.. you would still maybe struggle to run the subs though unless you were running a separate 2nd amp for those
 
looking on ebay US there seems to be a few amps for sale https://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_from=R40&_trksid=p2334524.m570.l1313&_nkw=amplifier+e83+e85&_sacat=0&LH_TitleDesc=0&_osacat=0&_odkw=carver+amp+e83+e85

Any reason you're not chasing one of these down?
 
mr.tourette said:
looking on ebay US there seems to be a few amps for sale https://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_from=R40&_trksid=p2334524.m570.l1313&_nkw=amplifier+e83+e85&_sacat=0&LH_TitleDesc=0&_osacat=0&_odkw=carver+amp+e83+e85

Any reason you're not chasing one of these down?

from what I've researched, the amp is main and common problem of this system, in my opinion it would be more cost effective to go aftermarket, instead of spending the money on the component thats most likely to fail again.......you know what I mean? idk if I am making any sense
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so I already have the head unit, wiring harness, installation kit and antenna adapter, all that is good. My idea as of right now (subject to change) is a 4 channel amp and 4 passive crossovers (2 & 3 channel) and I think I should be able to connect all 10 speakers. Now I know that I am really reaching here, this is a tough sell but.....I'm wondering if I can use the existing speaker wires and just pull them apart from the factory amp connector. I going to try and get ahold of some wiring schematics and see if this is possible
 
magicman said:
mr.tourette said:
looking on ebay US there seems to be a few amps for sale https://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_from=R40&_trksid=p2334524.m570.l1313&_nkw=amplifier+e83+e85&_sacat=0&LH_TitleDesc=0&_osacat=0&_odkw=carver+amp+e83+e85

Any reason you're not chasing one of these down?

from what I've researched, the amp is main and common problem of this system, in my opinion it would be more cost effective to go aftermarket, instead of spending the money on the component thats most likely to fail again.......you know what I mean? idk if I am making any sense
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They generally only fail if they get wet, personally Id be looking to install a new amp as thats the easiest solution and ensuring the the thing stays dry at all costs
 
magicman said:
so I already have the head unit, wiring harness, installation kit and antenna adapter, all that is good. My idea as of right now (subject to change) is a 4 channel amp and 4 passive crossovers (2 & 3 channel) and I think I should be able to connect all 10 speakers. Now I know that I am really reaching here, this is a tough sell but.....I'm wondering if I can use the existing speaker wires and just pull them apart from the factory amp connector. I going to try and get ahold of some wiring schematics and see if this is possible
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No idea mate, id do some more digging, there is definitely a thread or 2 about the net where its been done but they are few and far between, Im almost certain there is one on this forum somewhere if you can hunt it down
 
yeah I know, I'm taking my time with this and really trying to properly inform myself, I only want to do this once
 
Sk93 replaced the DSP amp with an aftermarket one. He posted up the details on here on a detailed write up from memory.
 
srhutch said:
Sk93 replaced the DSP amp with an aftermarket one. He posted up the details on here on a detailed write up from memory.
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thanks for the heads up buddy, I've talked to professional installer today, I think I know what amp to use and how to connect it. I was also able to find a reliable wiring schematic for the factory amp, and found out speaker specs, now I just need to verify my math, as far as overall audio impedance. once that checks out, orders parts, ill be sure to post and update the thread
 
If it’s kaput, then there’s nothing to loose if you open the amp and spawn for blown capacitors. Could be a cheap fix.
 
DMike said:
If it’s kaput, then there’s nothing to loose if you open the amp and spawn for blown capacitors. Could be a cheap fix.
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I opened it and visually checked for any damage, none that i could see. i got everything planned out already, just waiting on funds to order everything i need
 
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