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I got around to installing the kit, it's not as simple as it seems, but fortunately, it's the most plug and play you can get.
The Alpine amp is said to have a 56-bit DSP and has 6 channels. Which is pretty hard to find for ~500 euros.
But yes, the downside is that the DSP is what you buy is what you get. As far as i know, it's not programmable - it's already set-up for the Alpine speakers and a couple of cars. (it has a switch on the back, where you can set it up for 1-series, 3-series, 4 series, etc.)
After the painstaking install of the kit (BMW mentions 2h necessary for install - i think that's an understatement), the sound was clearly better, most of which had to do with the new presence of the tweeters.
But without coding, it was painful to listen for longer periods of time. The bass and the treble had to be set to a minimum, and even then, the mid-frequencies were somewhere in the back and muddy. Still, better than stock.
After coding and a couple of days of listening, it's another story. The sound is clearer and from the first second you notice the tweeters and the more "airy"sound.
But there is a fault with this upgrade. Although the amp does seem to have the power to make you deaf at high volumes, the stock (base) woofers just can't take it.
If at 3/4 of the volume, they just manage to produce enough sound, at over 3/4 they just give up. The bass is pretty much gone and i suspect that they are probably distorting and going out of their comfort zone, range-wise. All you get is just mids and highs, with lesser bass than at 3/4 volume.
From what i researched, the stock woofers are 4 ohms and 6.25".
What would be the best budget upgrade for these?
I was thinking of the Hi-Fi woofers, but those are 8 ohms i think.
Would i need to search only for 4 ohms?
Thanks for the replies and if you have any questions regarding the install/sound of the Alpine kit, feel free to ask!
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