Need to upgrade sound

[unL33T]

I have not found a way to get to the back of the plug for the door cable.

Yet I found a work around - just adding a second cable in the door jam.

Maybe not the most pretty solution but in the rear doors - it shouldn't matter.

I just got an i3 with just the front speakers. Somehow missed on my test drives that there are no speakers in the rear doors. I just thought the fader was poorly adjusted and even on the models with the HK system the speakers didn't really sound like they were much behind me since the rear door speakers are located pretty close to where the front passengers actually sit.

Just to make sure I've understood my research correctly...

1. The rear speakers are wired from the connector for the door that is on the body/chassis all the way to the head unit.
2. Head unit requires a coding change to enable these signals. This also enables fader control.
3. There is no wiring or pins in the connector for the door itself.
4. You have to find a way to add those pins to the connector attached to the door and run a wire to where the speakers would be or tap into the wires in the body somewhere and then get them to your rear speakers.

Correct?

I saw on Reddit someone mentioned that adding speakers to the trim in the rear hatch near the hooks for the cargo cover could be a good place for them. Anyone tried that yet? The rear doors seem like they would be too close to my ears to really feel like they're "rear".

Also, unrelated to the rear speaker idea, anyone know the max depth for the front woofers? Or will pretty much any 6.75" subwoofer fit fine there?

 

[tongsli]

This is the first vehicle I've considered upgrading the sound system since my 20's (spent 5k back then). I don't have the HK upgrade but have every other option. I figured any standard system is fine for me now, but was I wrong.

It's worse in the back seat. Are there no speakers back there? Amy wife HATES spending money on car accessories but she is practically begging me to upgrade the speakers. She says she can't hear anything back there.

We don't need 12" subwoofers or anything. What is the best way to improve the sound from the back seat? When playing movies on the car screen on longer trips we have the volume turned up all the way up they still can't hear what actors are saying in certain scenes.

Has anyone installed extra speakers in the back? What is all involved in that installation? Would just upgrading the door speakers with multi-directional speakers work? I don't want to spend a lot of money on this. We're not looking for super high quality sound. Mostly just want to be able hear vocals. My wife says she feels like she's listening from another room with the door shut.

Have you seen this? I have no idea what it sounds like but could probably be mounted on the parcel shelf. Not sure if you move things and would be a pain to move with the seats down but if you made the cord long enough I think it could work? Fishing wires into the rear doors will be a PITA. Given the radio is under the rear seat, this type of speaker could work for you.

https://www.crutchfield.com/S-8SBnN...nT8ooBu1cN5SzQlSVxozxJqc9EIFRSJYaApXJEALw_wcB

 

[Dutchi3]

The base entertainment system includes 4 speakers

I must have missed two of them.. two are in the front door panel behind a grille. Where the other ones are is a mystery to me.. at least the base stereo in my car sounds like two speakers anyway.

 

[Dutchi3]

I am tempted to put a subwoofer in the cavity where the Rex engine is located in a Rex.

 

[tongsli]

I am tempted to put a subwoofer in the cavity where the Rex engine is located in a Rex.

that's a good spot for one. will you mount it above the cover? Do you have the wokeby cubby thingy?

 

[alohart]

I must have missed two of them.. two are in the front door panel behind a grille. Where the other ones are is a mystery to me.. at least the base stereo in my car sounds like two speakers anyway.

I believe that the second set is just in front of the front doors on the side panels above the floor. These are described by realoem.com as woofers with sound guides that appear to have a triangular grills.

 

[unL33T]

I must have missed two of them.. two are in the front door panel behind a grille. Where the other ones are is a mystery to me.. at least the base stereo in my car sounds like two speakers anyway.

They're in the kick panels. My research says you can swap them out with 6.75" subwoofers. Would need an amp, though.

https://www.mybmwi3.com/threads/sound-system-upgrade-information-standard-non-hk-models.3033/

 

[Dutchi3]

that's a good spot for one. will you mount it above the cover? Do you have the wokeby cubby thingy?

No, if I would, I would make a speaker housing that fits there below the cover and have a bandpass port that enter the cabin. But I have the carbon cover so I hesitate to make a hole in it. Or fabricate a different cover.

 

[Dutchi3]

These are described by realoem.com as woofers with sound guides that appear to have a triangular grills.

Thanks. I'll take a look. The base system does not sound great, but I am an audiophile so my standards are pretty high anyway. But serious music listening is not really possible in a car unless you go bezerk on spending on amps and speakers. I don't care, except for a little bit more bass.