Seems like the only difference between the premium and standard sound is power.

[808MGuy]

Looks like all the speakers are the same size (might be a difference speaker though) but the amplifier power is bumped up. How simple is it to just replace the OEM amp with an aftermarket amp to add more power to the system?

[Davinhci]

Ask PencilGeek

[Keto]

Different speakers as well.

[Seth_Horwitz]

Originally Posted by HIS4

Looks like all the speakers are the same size (might be a difference speaker though) but the amplifier power is bumped up. How simple is it to just replace the OEM amp with an aftermarket amp to add more power to the system?

That's a bit like saying the 328i and M3 are the same because they are the same size. All manufacturers keep the same size speakers for standard and upgraded sound, but some add a few speakers with the upgrade. That's just about manufacturing economies of scale. There's no sense in having different door panels and brackets, among other things, manufactured for different size speakers. They just have better speakers made in the same size.

As far as adding an amp, I can only speak for the E46, but I don't know of any BMWs that were different. The crossovers for the speakers are normally built in to the amp, so you can't do a simple swap of an amp. You either need to do an amp and new set of speakers with their own crossover network, or will need an amp with one channel for each speaker in the car, and add passive crossovers. (Good luck finding one of those at an affordable price.) I suppose you could buy an active crossover, as well. Any of those ways, tapping in to the proper source for audio is going to be another issue you'll need to deal with. Doing it correctly will not be cheap, unless you want it to sound cheap. I did a custom stereo in my E36 and E46, and don't want to be bothered on the E92.

Having said all that, even if it was a direct swap, a stereo system is only as good as its weakest component. In most BMWs the two equally bad parts are the amp and speakers. Changing one doesn't do a whole lot.

[808MGuy]

Originally Posted by Seth_Horwitz

That's a bit like saying the 328i and M3 are the same because they are the same size. All manufacturers keep the same size speakers for standard and upgraded sound, but some add a few speakers with the upgrade. That's just about manufacturing economies of scale. There's no sense in having different door panels and brackets, among other things, manufactured for different size speakers. They just have better speakers made in the same size.

As far as adding an amp, I can only speak for the E46, but I don't know of any BMWs that were different. The crossovers for the speakers are normally built in to the amp, so you can't do a simple swap of an amp. You either need to do an amp and new set of speakers with their own crossover network, or will need an amp with one channel for each speaker in the car, and add passive crossovers. (Good luck finding one of those at an affordable price.) I suppose you could buy an active crossover, as well. Any of those ways, tapping in to the proper source for audio is going to be another issue you'll need to deal with. Doing it correctly will not be cheap, unless you want it to sound cheap. I did a custom stereo in my E36 and E46, and don't want to be bothered on the E92.

Having said all that, even if it was a direct swap, a stereo system is only as good as its weakest component. In most BMWs the two equally bad parts are the amp and speakers. Changing one doesn't do a whole lot.

I'm not really concerned about cost but more ease of swapping equipment. If the factory amp can be direct swapped with an aftermarket then that is a plus. Especially if no modifications are needed on the head unit side. Speakers are simple enough to swap one for one so I'm not too concerned there. I just don't want to have to have new wiring and a trunk full of equipment to get decent sound even if it's just a slight upgrade. I know it's going to be really hard to go from what I have now to a base OEM stereo but if the premium is only marginally better, that $1900 cost for the preimum upgrade can be spent more efficiently.

[Mickb]

Originally Posted by HIS4

I know it's going to be really hard to go from what I have now to a base OEM stereo but if the premium is only marginally better, that $1900 cost for the preimum upgrade can be spent more efficiently.

I think you should go and test them both. The premium is NOT only marginally better than base, it is in a different league in terms of power, clarity and overall dynamic ability.

Whether this is satisfactory for the type of music you like to play or the way you like to play it is a different matter, but people who are rubbishing the premium audio are talking BS IMO. I know some people believe that good music means a system that can produce bass that would be loud enough to demolish small buildings. This is generally at the expense of the all round balance of the system. The BMW system will not do this, but it does pack a punch and sustains it at volume. It is a system that will play a wide range of music types very well, but if you are into bass overload hip-hop or whatever it might not be the best system for you.

Mick

[808MGuy]

Originally Posted by Mickb

I think you should go and test them both. The premium is NOT only marginally better than base, it is in a different league in terms of power, clarity and overall dynamic ability.

Whether this is satisfactory for the type of music you like to play or the way you like to play it is a different matter, but people who are rubbishing the premium audio are talking BS IMO. I know some people believe that good music means a system that can produce bass that would be loud enough to demolish small buildings. This is generally at the expense of the all round balance of the system. The BMW system will not do this, but it does pack a punch and sustains it at volume. It is a system that will play a wide range of music types very well, but if you are into bass overload hip-hop or whatever it might not be the best system for you.

Mick

A good system should have balanced sound no matter how soft or how loud. A system that is balanced only a mid volume is not a good system at all. Good systems need to be able to produce all the details accurately without exaggerating any one area of the sound spectrum whether it be bass, mids or highs. IMO, the real test of a good system is in the midbass. Can it produce misbass accurately while still maintaining a forward image and not distorting the lower midrange. That is one of the hardest things to achieve and it's rarely done in a car without some sort of digital signal processing. Also hard to recreate is the true sound of a woman's voice. Most systems will make the woman's voice sound too shrill while a good system will create the voice with a sense of air and warmth like a true human voice. I don't think the premium or the base systems from the factory will even come close to this type of performance so when I say, the premium is only marginally better, I meant it as maybe it does get a little louder without distortion and maybe is does produce a little more bass, but nothing that will come close in performance to a really well tuned audio system which can be done for less than $1900 in upgrades of the base system.

[Technic]

Originally Posted by HIS4

Looks like all the speakers are the same size (might be a difference speaker though) but the amplifier power is bumped up. How simple is it to just replace the OEM amp with an aftermarket amp to add more power to the system?

There are more differences than only OEM amp power output between the base system and the Premium:

- speakers are different
- type of speakers is different
- number of speakers is different
- connection between the OEM HU/iDrive and the OEM amp is different
- vehicle active equalization (OEM amp output) is different
- vehicle passive equalization (driver input) is different

[Mickb]

Originally Posted by HIS4

A good system should have balanced sound no matter how soft or how loud. A system that is balanced only a mid volume is not a good system at all. Good systems need to be able to produce all the details accurately without exaggerating any one area of the sound spectrum whether it be bass, mids or highs.

I totally agree. All my home stuff is fairly high end separates, that do not have any treble/bass adjustment or equalisers or any of that stuff. I just rely on the equipment to reproduce the original recording faithfully. My point was really that a lot of people don't know what balance is.......they immediately try to bump up the bass to a level I would call unbalanced.

Originally Posted by HIS4

IMO, the real test of a good system is in the midbass. Can it produce misbass accurately while still maintaining a forward image and not distorting the lower midrange. That is one of the hardest things to achieve and it's rarely done in a car without some sort of digital signal processing. Also hard to recreate is the true sound of a woman's voice. Most systems will make the woman's voice sound too shrill while a good system will create the voice with a sense of air and warmth like a true human voice.

Also agreed.

Originally Posted by HIS4

I don't think the premium or the base systems from the factory will even come close to this type of performance so when I say, the premium is only marginally better, I meant it as maybe it does get a little louder without distortion and maybe is does produce a little more bass, but nothing that will come close in performance to a really well tuned audio system which can be done for less than $1900 in upgrades of the base system.

This is where it gets subjective I guess, but to my ear, the premium is significantly better than the stock, not just in terms of the ability to sustain louder volumes, but also in overall clarity, warmth and pace. My musical tastes are very varied and I am still experimenting but I have tried it with classical, jazz and various forms of metal/gindcore and find it does pretty well in all areas. I don't doubt that you could do better in the aftermarket, but at this point the time, convenience, hassle and the overall integration of the OEM system comes into play as well.

I guess I just get peeved when people dismiss the system as garbage or whatever. It clearly isn't, whether it satisfies a true audiophile is another matter, although harcore true audiophiles wouldn't even bother spending much time on a car as its not the best of listening environments anyway.

Ciao

Mick

[AJBoston]

Originally Posted by HIS4

... but nothing that will come close in performance to a really well tuned audio system which can be done for less than $1900 in upgrades of the base system.

I tend to agree with you here. Premium sound is the one option that I feel was not money well spent. A couple of years back, I spent about $2,500 on a very professionally designed and installed setup for my Subaru WRX. Without getting into details of the setup, my primary directive was good sound quality.

Keeping in mind that the Subaru was like a tin can compared to the M3 (which influences bass reproduction and overall sound quality), it still sounded light years better than the M3's premium sound. This has been corroborated by many listeners who had heard my old setup. Yes, I've optimized the eq to my ears based on the suggested settings on this forum and it certainly helps (thanks guys), but it's still not in the same league as my relatively moderate aftermarket setup, installed in a much flimsier "cabinet".

My advice to anybody grappling with this decision is to save the money, get the base stereo, and put your savings towards a decent aftermarket upgrade.

[Voltigeur]

Originally Posted by AJBoston

I tend to agree with you here. Premium sound is the one option that I feel was not money well spent.
My advice to anybody grappling with this decision is to save the money, get the base stereo, and put your savings towards a decent aftermarket upgrade.

Thanks. Exactly what I was looking for. Another expensive option I don't need - and I want to hear the engine mainly