[jayjay777]

hey everyone so I have a 2014 320i with the base sound system(I live in Canada)and I really love the car but just the sound system not so much. so after some looking around I managed to find a set of hk front door speakers and tweeters plus the window trims and a set for the rear doors at a great price. after install I was pretty happy with the results but I knew it could be better so after doing some quick research to see what else I was missing I went back to pick up the rest of the set(rear dash lid+2 hk speakers and tweeters/2 hk subs/hk amp/front dash+ hk speaker and tweeters). as most of you are probably realizing at this point things went down hill from here, first issue was when I tried to replace the 2 subs under the front seats, the sub fits but the plug was not the same so I ended up putting the original back in. after that my second issue was when I pulled out the rear deck cover to see that there was no wiring there or anywhere to plug the speakers in so I put my original back in. at that point I wasn't feeling to good about the amp and when I went to the trunk to see to my surprise that's when issue 3 came up when I saw I didn't have a amp or any wiring for it in my truck. after that I didn't even bother with the dash as I just assume there's no wiring for the speaker there either.

so I did some research and tried to see if its a separate harness for the sub/rear deck speakers/amp that I could buy or if I would need a new chassis harness from a car that had the hifi sound system but didn't really get anywhere so I tried to call Bmw and all I got was the parts number for my original chassis harness because that's all the computer showed them.

sooo my question is did I just waste my money on buying the rest of this stuff or is there actually a way I could install the rest of the speakers and amp?

[Billfitz]

Everything about the base system and H-K is different, so you're pretty much on your own with respect to the wiring. If you'd asked first I'd have said the only amp to consider is the MatchUp 7. Even with that and the wiring you can get from them it's not a job for a newbie to auto sound.

[johnung]

Originally Posted by jayjay777

hey everyone so I have a 2014 320i with the base sound system(I live in Canada)and I really love the car but just the sound system not so much. so after some looking around I managed to find a set of hk front door speakers and tweeters plus the window trims and a set for the rear doors at a great price. after install I was pretty happy with the results but I knew it could be better so after doing some quick research to see what else I was missing I went back to pick up the rest of the set(rear dash lid+2 hk speakers and tweeters/2 hk subs/hk amp/front dash+ hk speaker and tweeters). as most of you are probably realizing at this point things went down hill from here, first issue was when I tried to replace the 2 subs under the front seats, the sub fits but the plug was not the same so I ended up putting the original back in. after that my second issue was when I pulled out the rear deck cover to see that there was no wiring there or anywhere to plug the speakers in so I put my original back in. at that point I wasn't feeling to good about the amp and when I went to the trunk to see to my surprise that's when issue 3 came up when I saw I didn't have a amp or any wiring for it in my truck. after that I didn't even bother with the dash as I just assume there's no wiring for the speaker there either.

so I did some research and tried to see if its a separate harness for the sub/rear deck speakers/amp that I could buy or if I would need a new chassis harness from a car that had the hifi sound system but didn't really get anywhere so I tried to call Bmw and all I got was the parts number for my original chassis harness because that's all the computer showed them.

sooo my question is did I just waste my money on buying the rest of this stuff or is there actually a way I could install the rest of the speakers and amp?

I agree with Billfitz. Since you are in Canada you got the real Base audio like they sell in Europe. Everything is wired to the head unit in the dash because there is no separate amplifier in the trunk.

You have a midrange in each of your four doors. You could replace them with the HK midranges and add the HK tweeters to the doors.

You don't have a center channel grille on top of your dash. But there is a good chance that the bracket that holds the center channel HK midrange and tweeter might be there. Wiring may turn out to be simple. I've never seen your dash pad so I don't know how easy it would be to cut a hole and install an HK grille cover. The rear door cards should have the tweeter hole markings on the back so maybe the dash pad does too?

Your car should have 6.5" subwoofers installed in 8" subwoofer plastic cabinets. If stock subs are glued in, then put the cabinet in freezer for an hour and glue should become brittle and removable by working a plastic tool around the edge.

The stock HK subwoofers aren't very good. Get Earthquake SWS-8Xi subwoofers and a pair of Earthquake spacer rings. Huge upgrade over HK subs.

Install a Match 7DSP amplifier in the empty spot in the left rear trunk alcove. Match makes a plug and play wiring harness that you run from the trunk under the door threshold trim to the rear of the stock head unit. It may plug right in or you may need an additional short Match harness to plug it in.

The Match 7DSP has an amazing high tech DSP much better than the ten year old HK DSP system.

I've attached some photos. This is the best upgrade path for the BMW Base audio system.

Hope this helps!

[Mjam]

Originally Posted by johnung

The stock HK subwoofers aren't very good. Get Earthquake SWS-8Xi subwoofers and a pair of Earthquake spacer rings. Huge upgrade over HK subs.

The HK or Logic7 subs are excellent. Not compared to the SWS-8Xi with an additional amp for the subs, but compared to most other options. 9 out of 10 will be very happy with HK subs. For these, investing in SWS-8Xi is a waste of money.

Other than that, I agree with all you say here.

In addition, there might be necessary to code the head unit to HiFi for a clean signal to the amp. This is the same job as coding to HK, anyway, which certainly must be done for a HK retrofit.

[Billfitz]

The HK or Logic 7 and for that matter the Hi-Fi woofers are as good as or better than most replacement woofers. They are absolutely not in the same class as the SWS Earthquake, which goes lower and louder. The only issue with the SWS is its need to be either separately amplified or used with an amplifier that has separate volume control for the woofers versus the mids/tweeters, like the MatchUp 7. While most users should find the OEM 8 inch woofers adequate those who don't should use the Earthquakes.

[jayjay777]

Originally Posted by johnung

I agree with Billfitz. Since you are in Canada you got the real Base audio like they sell in Europe. Everything is wired to the head unit in the dash because there is no separate amplifier in the trunk.

You have a midrange in each of your four doors. You could replace them with the HK midranges and add the HK tweeters to the doors.

You don't have a center channel grille on top of your dash. But there is a good chance that the bracket that holds the center channel HK midrange and tweeter might be there. Wiring may turn out to be simple. I've never seen your dash pad so I don't know how easy it would be to cut a hole and install an HK grille cover. The rear door cards should have the tweeter hole markings on the back so maybe the dash pad does too?

Your car should have 6.5" subwoofers installed in 8" subwoofer plastic cabinets. If stock subs are glued in, then put the cabinet in freezer for an hour and glue should become brittle and removable by working a plastic tool around the edge.

The stock HK subwoofers aren't very good. Get Earthquake SWS-8Xi subwoofers and a pair of Earthquake spacer rings. Huge upgrade over HK subs.

Install a Match 7DSP amplifier in the empty spot in the left rear trunk alcove. Match makes a plug and play wiring harness that you run from the trunk under the door threshold trim to the rear of the stock head unit. It may plug right in or you may need an additional short Match harness to plug it in.

The Match 7DSP has an amazing high tech DSP much better than the ten year old HK DSP system.

I've attached some photos. This is the best upgrade path for the BMW Base audio system.

Hope this helps!

the problem with the hk subs is they don't plug in to the base wiring. if I get the earthquake subs are they plug and play? and damn so there's no way I can use the hk amp right?

[johnung]

Originally Posted by jayjay777

the problem with the hk subs is they don't plug in to the base wiring. if I get the earthquake subs are they plug and play? and damn so there's no way I can use the hk amp right?

IMO you are worrying about minor stuff. The reason that the car wiring looks different to the Base audio's smaller 6.5" underseat subwoofers in because there is no amplifier in the trunk. They are being driven by the amplifier built in to the head unit in the dash.

The Match cable harness that runs from the Match 7DSP amplifier in the trunk to the head unit also connects to the car's Base speaker wires that originate there. That allows the new standalone amplifier in the trunk to power the existing car speakers.

The Earthquake subwoofers have a spacer ring with red and black spring posts. So the connection to the subwoofers should be as easy as snipping off the stock connector, stripping the end of the wire and slipping it into the spring post on the spacer ring. See photos.

The documentation with the Match 7DSP and the Match cables is quite detailed showing every single wire and it's function, if that's even needed. Yet the installation is really just putting a few connectors together.

There are often guys advertising who want to buy HK amplifiers. Their sunroof gutters get blocked up and water into the trunk burns it out. It should be easy for you to sell the HK amplifier.

[Mjam]

Originally Posted by jayjay777

the problem with the hk subs is they don't plug in to the base wiring.

The HK subs plugs right in, they use the same plug. You will get a bit deeper bass, since they are 8" compared to 6.5" in the base system, but you need an amplifier to get any real benefit.

Forget the HK amp, sell it. I will also say forget the Earthquake woofers. Use your money on a Match 7DSP amplifier and the harness recommended by johnung. Use that to amplify the HK speakers, and you will be happy.

If not, then buy the Earthquakes and a second amplifier for them.

[Fitf8]

The contributions here are just wonderful! thank you all for your time in sharing all your experiences.