[dinan5m3]

Originally Posted by Want the thrill

I believe they have a separate amp for those that have HK and I think it would still be an improvement. I had HK in my previous X3 and this definitely sounds better.

No amp upgrade, pnp at least to replace HK amp.

Instead, go for speaker/sub upgrades, eg. bavsound, bimmertech, etc.

Replaced drivers on my other 2 rides, both with factory HK systems, and sound upgrade is worth the $$$, let alone improvements to staging and imaging as good as can get without a dedicated center driver.

[brettl]

I drove a m440GC this past weekend with hifi, the sales guy, seemed pretty knowledgeable, was telling me the speakers that come with hifi are the same as the HK, and that the HK's upgrade is all about the amp.
Sound familiar to anyone?

[Angelo_GraysonMiniBMW]

Originally Posted by brettl

I drove a m440GC this past weekend with hifi, the sales guy, seemed pretty knowledgeable, was telling me the speakers that come with hifi are the same as the HK, and that the HK's upgrade is all about the amp.
Sound familiar to anyone?

Not just the amp but also the EQ settings are missing with the hifi. Curious to know if the speakers are the same however.

[dinan5m3]

Originally Posted by brettl

was telling me the speakers that come with hifi are the same as the HK, and that the HK's upgrade is all about the amp.
Sound familiar to anyone?

How is that possible, let alone the visible tweeter dome/structural differences you can clearly see through the cover on A pillar...

You should be able to pull pn #'s and see what they look like eg. on ecs tuning.

What the...

[Want the thrill]

Originally Posted by jdhiro

Looking forward to that review! I wasn't able to put HK on my build. I'm ordering the amp for sure, but curious to see if they speakers are worth it and how easy/hard the install is.

Upgrading speakers in my old cars (before my BMW days) was always a pain and left me with door rattles, broken door clips, general unhappiness.

If you go onto Bimmertechs site, they have videos posted detailing the entire process of replacing the speakers and what it involves. Same with the amp. Super helpful.

[Value]

Originally Posted by Want the thrill

I agree with you on the original sound being far too low. I literally had to turn it up so much just to feel even slightly satisfied and it still lacked. Once the Amp was in I had to turn EVERYTHING down! It has so much more volume and kick to it. Trust me, you wont be disappointed in that department.

Nice man,I’m going to order it once they re stock. They are currently out of stock and I hate paying for stuff and waiting months and months. Idk why lol

[Alias1431]

Originally Posted by dinan5m3

No amp upgrade, pnp [plug-and-play] at least to replace HK amp.

I have a 2019 with HK audio. Sadly, an amp upgrade is not as painless for us as it is for those with just the Hi-fi.
After reading a lot of conflicting information about the feasibility of upgrading my amp, I reached out to a local(ish) installer to ask if it is possible to replace the amp in my HK audio, iDrive 6 X3. They quoted me the following, and I would love a sanity check:

MOST25 Platform Harness
$85.00
PP-BMW 1.9HK (for SDMI

SDMI25
$600.00
MOST 25 Interface with TOSLINK output

Optical Cable
$25.00

UP10DSP DSP Amplifier
$1,300.00
10 channel amplifier with 11 channel DSP | 8x65w(4ohm) + 2x160w(2ohm)


Does anyone know with certainty that these actually ARE going to work to replace the amp in my HK iD6 X3? I ask in an abundance of caution after seeing several sources that purport it is NOT possible to replace my amp with a drop in upgrade.

Are there any items missing?
Does pricing seem reasonable?
Is there any issue with the fact that HK audio is 16 channel and the replacement seems to be 10 channel?

If there are any gurus out there, your thoughts would be much appreciated.

[lefizzet]

Did you buy the active sound deactivation for $75? I didn't see that mentioned anywhere in the amp install video from bimmertech.

[sbmin]

Originally Posted by lefizzet

Did you buy the active sound deactivation for $75? I didn't see that mentioned anywhere in the amp install video from bimmertech.

I purchased the active sound deactivation and went through the process with Bimmertech only to find out it was not needed (per the Bimmertech technician that was online with me). This was for a 2022 X3 30. Not sure if it is needed for other models.

[lefizzet]

Originally Posted by sbmin

I purchased the active sound deactivation and went through the process with Bimmertech only to find out it was not needed (per the Bimmertech technician that was online with me). This was for a 2022 X3 30. Not sure if it is needed for other models.

Ah ok thanks. I have a '22 m40i with HiFi, I assume it should be the same

[Want the thrill]

Originally Posted by Alias1431

I have a 2019 with HK audio. Sadly, an amp upgrade is not as painless for us as it is for those with just the Hi-fi.
After reading a lot of conflicting information about the feasibility of upgrading my amp, I reached out to a local(ish) installer to ask if it is possible to replace the amp in my HK audio, iDrive 6 X3. They quoted me the following, and I would love a sanity check:

MOST25 Platform Harness
$85.00
PP-BMW 1.9HK (for SDMI

SDMI25
$600.00
MOST 25 Interface with TOSLINK output

Optical Cable
$25.00

UP10DSP DSP Amplifier
$1,300.00
10 channel amplifier with 11 channel DSP | 8x65w(4ohm) + 2x160w(2ohm)


Does anyone know with certainty that these actually ARE going to work to replace the amp in my HK iD6 X3? I ask in an abundance of caution after seeing several sources that purport it is NOT possible to replace my amp with a drop in upgrade.

Are there any items missing?
Does pricing seem reasonable?
Is there any issue with the fact that HK audio is 16 channel and the replacement seems to be 10 channel?

If there are any gurus out there, your thoughts would be much appreciated.

Call Bimmertech directly and talk to their sales or technical support. They will know for certain and can answer all your questions. You can also plug your vin in on their website and it will link you to the compatible amps/speakers for your vehicle.

[jsh139]

Originally Posted by brettl

I drove a m440GC this past weekend with hifi, the sales guy, seemed pretty knowledgeable, was telling me the speakers that come with hifi are the same as the HK, and that the HK's upgrade is all about the amp.
Sound familiar to anyone?

The H/K system has a center speaker in the dash. Not sure if the HiFi does. There's another difference, albeit small.

[sbmin]

HiFi system does have a center speaker in the dash.

[Cabman]

Originally Posted by Want the thrill

So I FINALLY was able to finish installing Bimmertech’s plug and play Amp in my ‘22 X4 that came in with standard hifi and not HK. I personally thought the standard hifi was average at best and wanted something better. I have to say after installing the new amp, it’s a 100% improvement. The sound is now clear and crisp, exponentially louder and the bass is booming. It truly is like being in a concert hall now where as the original standard hifi sounded flat and weak. The amp comes pre-tuned for your vehicle right out of the box, but also can be further tweaked easily right at home. I highly recommend this upgrade if you are on the fence about it. Beyond easy to install, and the sound difference is night and day! I feel like the X4 is now complete!

Did you buy the active sound deactivation? I saw this question was answered for a 30i.

[Alias1431]

Originally Posted by Want the thrill

Call Bimmertech directly and talk to their sales or technical support. They will know for certain and can answer all your questions. You can also plug your vin in on their website and it will link you to the compatible amps/speakers for your vehicle.

Good suggestion, thanks.

[Want the thrill]

Originally Posted by Cabman

Did you buy the active sound deactivation? I saw this question was answered for a 30i.

I did not as it wasn’t even listed on their site when I bought the amp in December. The active sound is very loud now compared to before the amp installation so I did email them to see how I can tone that down or deactivate it (may need the cable or coded?) When I hear back from them I’ll let you know.

[Cabman]

Originally Posted by Want the thrill

I did not as it wasn’t even listed on their site when I bought the amp in December. The active sound is very loud now compared to before the amp installation so I did email them to see how I can tone that down or deactivate it (may need the cable or coded?) When I hear back from them I’ll let you know.

I chatted with them today. The cost is $75. For that they send you the cable and will guide you through the coding to disable the ASD. They said that every time there is an iDrive update the coding would need to done again. There would be another $75 charge each time. Not happy about that.

[Want the thrill]

Originally Posted by Cabman

I chatted with them today. The cost is $75. For that they send you the cable and will guide you through the coding to disable the ASD. They said that every time there is an iDrive update the coding would need to done again. There would be another $75 charge each time. Not happy about that.

I already have the coding cable. Wonder if the coding could be done through BimmerCode instead of Bimmertech? Also heard of pulling the fuse for the ASD that would solve the problem but I’d rather code it if possible.

[Alias1431]

Originally Posted by Want the thrill

You can also plug your vin in on their website and it will link you to the compatible amps/speakers for your vehicle.

As an additional data point, when I enter my VIN on their site, it does not show any amps as being compatible.

[Want the thrill]

Originally Posted by Alias1431

As an additional data point, when I enter my VIN on their site, it does not show any amps as being compatible.

Do you have HK? That may be the reason. I have a ‘22 that came in without it.

[Alias1431]

Originally Posted by Want the thrill

Do you have HK? That may be the reason. I have a ‘22 that came in without it.

I do, hence my original comment here:

https://x3.xbimmers.com/forums/showp...2&postcount=29

[Want the thrill]

Originally Posted by Alias1431

I do, hence my original comment here:

https://x3.xbimmers.com/forums/showp...2&postcount=29

Ah yes, I recommended you call them, but if there is nothing coming up when you input your vin, I’d be inclined to say they don’t have anything compatible but definitely call them to be sure.