8 replies to this topic

[extremas]

Hi there. I'm new member as i'v just bought 2005 525d. Wanted to connect all the subs from my previous E39 and unfortunatly came with some trouble: bad signal once connected 'converter to line' directly to rear speakers cable. It plays OK until increas the volume.

Before posting here, i done a lot of research and found that i must bypass the amp, then i found that amp SHOULD in the boot left side, however i still cant find the amp

Question: is it possible that my E60 doesn't have AMP so it is pointless to keep searching for it, as it comes with no SAT nav, or changer. Thanks

Edited by extremas, 17 July 2011 - 08:10 PM.

[extremas]

is no one willing to help me

[SuperDave]

give it a minute fella!

anyway, chances are you have no amp - only US cars had them fitted as standard.

the oem radio output should line-convert OK, i ran an amp through hi-level inputs on my old e60 without issue.

[extremas]

thanks for you reply mate. Ok, so if there are chances that it doesn't have amp i better stop searching for it
The problem i'm having is: the sub runs ok on low volume, but once i increase the volume the sub starts going in and out and plays anything it wants i'v conected probably 15 cars in my short life and never had anything like that

[DennisCooper]

Hi Extremas

Some more information is needed !

How and to what have you got the subwoofers connected? from your first post it sounds as though you've found a speaker wire, connected a Line Output converter and then speaker wires to the subs? in that case you're not running an aftermarket amplifier to drive the subwoofers correctly. You need to connect the line output converter to a bass/mono amplifier which perhaps may have a Low Pass Filter (if the line output converter isn't a low pass version) and then connect your subwoofers to the amplifier. You can't run the subs directly from the line output converter as it seems you are describing.

Once you've got a decent amplifier powering the subwoofers, you then need to think about how to get the bass into the cabin. If you are happy with having the subs in the boot and just having the vibrational type bass, then that's fine, just remember that 75-80% of the bass energy will just be swirling around in the boot area with nothing to do but vibrate your bootlid and rattle your number plate. If you want to get the bass into the cabin, most BMW saloons will use the ski hatch method, whereby taking the ski hatch out and having the subwoofer enclosure 'direct' the bass through it, you get 100% of the bass into the cabin. Here's a pic to illustrate



That is a well known E60 on the BMW show scene and it's a JL Audio 13 W7 I believe and the enclosure fires through the ski hatch directly into the cabin with phenomenal results.

Hope this helps!

Cheers, Dennis!

[extremas]

i'll try again:

rear speaker cable goes to line output converter
Line output converter goes to my alpine v12 mono sub amp 1000W
4 Farads cap
amp goes to ORION 12' sub

It will have ski hole same as i'v done in my previous E39.

Cant understand why i'm not getting proper signal to my amp. As i said i'v doen it 15 time before, never had any probs, but have never used this line output converter. Maybe thats where i'm doing something wrong. Anyone local, not far from lewisham and have some knowledge?

[DennisCooper]

Hi

You could have a failing internal amplifier on the oem head unit audio setup - by that, I don't mean a separate amplifier like you were initially looking for, but the basic inbuilt amplifier that drives the standard speakers in your car. As you also mention, could be a dodgy line output converter, so change that to a known working one. Take the capacitor out and te-test.

There's quite a few London based car audio installers and dealers, so you could always go in to ask those guys.

Finally, the line output converter method will 'work' to an extent, but it a very basic method. As you increase the volume using the oem head unit (and it's little in built amplifier) then as you further increase, distortion will quickly be introduced. That distortion will be passed by the LOC to your amplifier and speakers. Doing it this way increases the chances of you damaging either or both the amplifier you use and the subwoofer. The reason this happens is that as you've massively amplified the bass notes, the cabin normal speakers handling the mid/treble will get drowned out as you turn the volume up - i.e a mismatch. If you leave the volume low, then you'll not get the output from the subwoofer, so naturally you'll turn the volume up, and that's when damage is likely to occur.

In the 2005 and onwards BMW's, many high quality setups will use a dedicated signal processor which takes all the speaker outputs of the weedy oem amplifier, cleans the signal, boosts it's voltage and outputs an as pure and acoustically flat signal as possible. You then connect amplifier(s) to drive subs, mids and tweeters for a much better and clear sound with much less or negligible distortion.

Cheers, Dennis!

[extremas]

line output coverter is not the problem, coz i tested with my friends too, as i thought mine is dodgy and i get the same result Thanks for your help, but that sounds too complicated and don't see the solution

sounds like i'll be visiting one of the garages paying a fortune for little silly thing

[bally]

hi buddy did you get this fixed i have done the same and is in kent Dartford

i took a connection from rear shelf speaker to loc to amp bass doesnt feel the best

have you tried to take connection from under seat sub as that should be for low pass for subs