Who has done Bavsound and amp upgrade?

tclardy · 01-22-2015, 09:02 PM

I just did the speaker upgrade and I am pleased but I am very curious as to what the feedback is on adding an amp upgrade as well?

I am looking at adding the JL600/6 with Technic wiring harness. Anyone have any feedback on how much the amp improves with Bavsounds over stock Hifi?

Thanks,
Tim

bri1042 · 01-23-2015, 06:19 AM

I have, but with the Helix DSP/amp rather than the JL. There is some harshness with the Bavsounds once they are fed more power that's easy to take care of with a DSP but might not be with the JL. They sound pretty damn nice now. Overall, they handle the extra power like little round champs.

tclardy · 01-23-2015, 06:39 AM

HMM that is interesting, I sure don't want any harshness. Did you setup the dsp yourself with a laptop?

lbovill · 01-23-2015, 07:47 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bri1042

I have, but with the Helix DSP/amp rather than the JL. There is some harshness with the Bavsounds once they are fed more power that's easy to take care of with a DSP but might not be with the JL. They sound pretty damn nice now. Overall, they handle the extra power like little round champs.

I have the speakers and love them but I am interested in the amp upgrade which helix amp did you get, was it plug and play or did you have to make a harness?

bri1042 · 01-23-2015, 08:03 AM

The amp is the Helix PP82DSP, which lots of folk on here are using. It and the harness came from MusicarNW, and I believe the harness is modified from the one Technic sells. MusicarNW setup the DSP for the stock HiFi speakers and I already had the Bavsound speakers so I've been experimenting with them (after carefully saving the expertly-set DSP settings that they did for the stock speakers in case I want to go back to them).

I also have a corner trunk sub from MusicarNW that is just absolutely magnificent.

I do think the Bavsounds would sound better than they do if the DSP was tuned by someone who has more of a clue on DSP setups than I do. They are better than the stock speakers, but expert setup with stocks vs. less-than-expert with the higher-quality Bavsounds? Your ears and the music you listen to would determine which is the better choice.

Fronzdan · 01-23-2015, 12:47 PM

Big impact. I did the MS-8 upgrade. You'll get cleaner bass and mid range, especially at louder volumes. You won't have to push it to near max output to get a decent enough volume to cover over road noise and the wonderful wind noise. And the staging is vastly superior. I've been having a lot of fun with DTS 5.1 encoded CDs lately. The surround processing really makes the music come alive in the car. The JLAudio amps have DSP too. Find the thread where I posted a pic of the sad little OEM amp.

RPS328ix · 01-26-2015, 07:32 AM

Does the sound deadening material really help to reduce road/wind noise? This upgrade seems much more worthwhile if I can kill two birds (speakers and road noise) with one stone.

Fronzdan · 01-26-2015, 02:37 PM

Wind noise, no. If you have it, you basically have to live with it. Road noise...maybe a tiny bit. But you'd really have to mat the whole interior to do that. It just helps eliminate buzzing and tinny sound from the metal vibrating. And it makes your door sound better when you shut it lol.

squidlyboy · 01-26-2015, 08:46 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bri1042

The amp is the Helix PP82DSP, which lots of folk on here are using...

I heard with the MS-8, you put on the headset/microphone, and the unit will take a bunch of sound measurements asking you to turn your head a few different directions, and it will do auto-correction for all 8 channels, and figure out all the optimal freq response EQ and compute all necessary time delays from each speaker to the mic... all in like 30 seconds.

Does the Helix do something similar or is it more manual?

bri1042 · 01-27-2015, 05:18 AM

There isn't an auto-setup that I've noticed, but it has distance and time delay settings available (yes, more manual). You'll need to measure your distance from the speakers and spend some time with it. Lots of folk have enjoyed the MS-8, but others have had issues with it (I have not used it so I can't speak to it). You may want to head over to the E90 Forums and do some reading on it. There are threads by the hundreds on the MS-8.

CntryClub007 · 01-27-2015, 10:45 PM

Very curious about BavSound with the Helix PP82DSP...

bri1042 · 01-28-2015, 05:50 AM

It works and it makes pretty sounds :-)

F30 Epal · 01-31-2015, 03:40 AM

I wonder if any shop in the Bay Area can install this (BavSound and Helix PP82DSP)..... Also bri, how heavy is the sub in the trunk?

bri1042 · 01-31-2015, 06:54 AM

Any competent installer could do it but if you get the Helix without a harness (as in if you buy it from Crutchfield), order a harness from Technic first. A lot install stores will not fab a good harness for you and might cut wires instead.

The sub is plenty heavy for me. I have an adorable little bass knob that I never turn all the way up. It's running off of a second Helix amp slaved to the PP82DSP. The music I listen to is very well served by a quality 10" JL sub that's getting plenty of power.

01-22-2015, 09:02 PM	#1
tclardy Private 13 Rep 57 Posts Drives: 2014 328i Join Date: Dec 2014 Location: Dallas Tx. iTrader: (0)	Who has done Bavsound and amp upgrade? I just did the speaker upgrade and I am pleased but I am very curious as to what the feedback is on adding an amp upgrade as well? I am looking at adding the JL600/6 with Technic wiring harness. Anyone have any feedback on how much the amp improves with Bavsounds over stock Hifi? Thanks, Tim
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01-23-2015, 06:19 AM	#2
bri1042 Brigadier General 5928 Rep 3,287 Posts Drives: 2021 IOMG M3 6MT Join Date: Mar 2013 Location: Portland, OR iTrader: (0)	I have, but with the Helix DSP/amp rather than the JL. There is some harshness with the Bavsounds once they are fed more power that's easy to take care of with a DSP but might not be with the JL. They sound pretty damn nice now. Overall, they handle the extra power like little round champs.
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01-23-2015, 06:39 AM	#3
tclardy Private 13 Rep 57 Posts Drives: 2014 328i Join Date: Dec 2014 Location: Dallas Tx. iTrader: (0)	HMM that is interesting, I sure don't want any harshness. Did you setup the dsp yourself with a laptop?
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01-23-2015, 08:03 AM	#5
bri1042 Brigadier General 5928 Rep 3,287 Posts Drives: 2021 IOMG M3 6MT Join Date: Mar 2013 Location: Portland, OR iTrader: (0)	The amp is the Helix PP82DSP, which lots of folk on here are using. It and the harness came from MusicarNW, and I believe the harness is modified from the one Technic sells. MusicarNW setup the DSP for the stock HiFi speakers and I already had the Bavsound speakers so I've been experimenting with them (after carefully saving the expertly-set DSP settings that they did for the stock speakers in case I want to go back to them). I also have a corner trunk sub from MusicarNW that is just absolutely magnificent. I do think the Bavsounds would sound better than they do if the DSP was tuned by someone who has more of a clue on DSP setups than I do. They are better than the stock speakers, but expert setup with stocks vs. less-than-expert with the higher-quality Bavsounds? Your ears and the music you listen to would determine which is the better choice.
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01-23-2015, 12:47 PM	#6
Fronzdan Lieutenant Colonel 301 Rep 1,738 Posts Drives: '24 M240 xDrive Join Date: Mar 2014 Location: MA iTrader: (0)	Big impact. I did the MS-8 upgrade. You'll get cleaner bass and mid range, especially at louder volumes. You won't have to push it to near max output to get a decent enough volume to cover over road noise and the wonderful wind noise. And the staging is vastly superior. I've been having a lot of fun with DTS 5.1 encoded CDs lately. The surround processing really makes the music come alive in the car. The JLAudio amps have DSP too. Find the thread where I posted a pic of the sad little OEM amp.
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01-26-2015, 07:32 AM	#7
RPS328ix Enlisted Member 9 Rep 49 Posts Drives: 2013 328i xDrive N26 Join Date: May 2014 Location: Pennsylvania iTrader: (0)	Does the sound deadening material really help to reduce road/wind noise? This upgrade seems much more worthwhile if I can kill two birds (speakers and road noise) with one stone.
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01-26-2015, 02:37 PM	#8
Fronzdan Lieutenant Colonel 301 Rep 1,738 Posts Drives: '24 M240 xDrive Join Date: Mar 2014 Location: MA iTrader: (0)	Wind noise, no. If you have it, you basically have to live with it. Road noise...maybe a tiny bit. But you'd really have to mat the whole interior to do that. It just helps eliminate buzzing and tinny sound from the metal vibrating. And it makes your door sound better when you shut it lol.
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01-27-2015, 05:18 AM	#10
bri1042 Brigadier General 5928 Rep 3,287 Posts Drives: 2021 IOMG M3 6MT Join Date: Mar 2013 Location: Portland, OR iTrader: (0)	There isn't an auto-setup that I've noticed, but it has distance and time delay settings available (yes, more manual). You'll need to measure your distance from the speakers and spend some time with it. Lots of folk have enjoyed the MS-8, but others have had issues with it (I have not used it so I can't speak to it). You may want to head over to the E90 Forums and do some reading on it. There are threads by the hundreds on the MS-8.
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01-27-2015, 10:45 PM	#11
CntryClub007 Major 490 Rep 1,067 Posts Drives: 2016 340i \| 2015 X5-50i Join Date: Jul 2014 Location: Chicago iTrader: (8)	Very curious about BavSound with the Helix PP82DSP...
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01-28-2015, 05:50 AM	#12
bri1042 Brigadier General 5928 Rep 3,287 Posts Drives: 2021 IOMG M3 6MT Join Date: Mar 2013 Location: Portland, OR iTrader: (0)	It works and it makes pretty sounds :-)
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01-31-2015, 03:40 AM	#13
F30 Epal Private 19 Rep 89 Posts Drives: F30 320i Join Date: Jul 2013 Location: SoCal iTrader: (0)	I wonder if any shop in the Bay Area can install this (BavSound and Helix PP82DSP)..... Also bri, how heavy is the sub in the trunk? __________________ My Instagram Alpine White '14 BMW 320i 6-Speed MT: GSR Tuned, H&R Sport Springs, Injen CAI, Borla catback exhaust, ER FMIC/Chargepipe/Downpipe, VMR V810 wheels
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01-31-2015, 06:54 AM	#14
bri1042 Brigadier General 5928 Rep 3,287 Posts Drives: 2021 IOMG M3 6MT Join Date: Mar 2013 Location: Portland, OR iTrader: (0)	Any competent installer could do it but if you get the Helix without a harness (as in if you buy it from Crutchfield), order a harness from Technic first. A lot install stores will not fab a good harness for you and might cut wires instead. The sub is plenty heavy for me. I have an adorable little bass knob that I never turn all the way up. It's running off of a second Helix amp slaved to the PP82DSP. The music I listen to is very well served by a quality 10" JL sub that's getting plenty of power.
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