[JordonMusser]

Has anybody upgraded their center channel? The obvious issue is the tight space, but it looks like you could trim out a lot of dash material and space the speaker up about 10mm and make a focal 4" fit.. its tough to say for sure.

Anybody done it?

[Fronzdan]

I upgraded just the center with a Bavsound for a month or so before I did the rest.

[JordonMusser]

ya, I may end up contacting them to purchase the center channel. Would prefer to fit this Focal I have, but if not....

[Tomahawk]

I actually have an extra BavSound mid if interested

[JordonMusser]

Very.. PM me price.

SO nobody has hacked up the dash to install a 'full size' 4" coax?

[_bdiddyb_]

Originally Posted by JordonMusser

Very.. PM me price.

SO nobody has hacked up the dash to install a 'full size' 4" coax?

Here you go man. All my speakers are MB Quart, so I wanted to fit this coax (model 100) into the center dash. I had to make a speaker ring for it to fit. Not much room for depth. Very shallow. Pain in the ass.

[JordonMusser]

Thanks!

[PabloK]

You might think i'm nuts but the system sounds better with the center channel unhooked.

I have H/K, then I did Bav Stage 1, then I unhooked it and that sounded best.

[Fronzdan]

Not nuts. The center channel can sometimes too heavily weigh things to the middle.

[Tomahawk]

Originally Posted by Fronzdan

Not nuts. The center channel can sometimes too heavily weigh things to the middle.

the middle.....wait you mean the center.....of the soundstage? like where the singer stands and stuff? why would it do that?

oh, its a center channel and that's what they do

[instalher]

why didn't you just spend 300bucks and put in a ms 8. way better and easier to due..

[JordonMusser]

instalher-
Not sure what you are referencing here.. I have an MS8, and a new MS8 is more than $300.

[MSportTune2]

Originally Posted by Tomahawk

the middle.....wait you mean the center.....of the soundstage? like where the singer stands and stuff? why would it do that?

oh, its a center channel and that's what they do

I hacked up my dash just to add center channel to improve the sound! Added Bimmertech amp so I can tune and perfect the sound stage.
It is my first ride with center channel and I used to play passive front setup and the added center channel makes the sound stage greater SQ than my passive setup.
IMHO!

[MSportTune2]

Originally Posted by JordonMusser

Very.. PM me price.

SO nobody has hacked up the dash to install a 'full size' 4" coax?

I think what you are asking is anybody here that dont have center channel (6 speakers base system) actually cut open the dash to add one.

The picture below seem like taken from a car already with factory center channel as it is quite hard or near impossible to cut it to such nice edges.

What I did was purchased a HK center channel cover and removed the TOP metal mesh. It is secured by many metal tabs that you just bend it and there is a little bit of adhesive and pop it out.

I made a photocopy of the frame and then cut out to make the template. Be sure to have the whole outline as it will guide against the recess on your dash to get the alignment done up. I tested it again and again by fitting the speaker cover frame to my template. Once I am happy, I made the template out of hard cardboard.

My installer and I then removed the whole dashboard and he traced against my template and used a cutter to open up the dash. It is rather soft material so using a Dremel tool is not going to help. After test fitting and trying many times, he is satisfied that the cover secures nicely.

[MSportTune2]

Good that BMW dashboard comes with the speaker holder so mounting it will be like factory original.

[MSportTune2]

Final look. Speaker cover attached without any tape. Important to take your time to make the opening for the clips just right to achieved this.