Re: 2000 540i STEREO UPGRADE QUESTIONS? (archive)

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I am not familiar with the specific "audiophile system" designation that you speak of, but BMW appears to be refreshingly consistent with the system components in the various versions they offer. The stuff uses software which reconfigures its feature set depending on what other components are plugged into the digital control bus. It sounds confusing, but once you start playing with it the logic of it becomes your friend. The important component is the tuner/preamp chassis, which looks just like a standard DIN in-dash radio chassis without a front panel. This is mounted out back with the changer and amp, and has the same connector as the older BMW in dash units. The thing in the dash is just a control panel and source transport (in the past this has been cassette in US and cassette or CD elsewhere.) In the standard systems, the NAV and CD changer plug into this tuner/preamp chassis, which provides the source switching and standard preamp functions like volume, balance, bass, treble, and fader. Output from this is common ground, 4V "preamp" output. On the DSP system, the NAV still plugs in to this chassis, but the changer has an SPDIF digital connection directly to the DSP/amp instead of the normal analog connection to the tuner preamp. The audio from the radio and cassette is fixed level, two channel only, when the DSP amp is installed. The software reactivates the balance fader and volume functions once the DSP amp is removed, so everything works like a standard system, making it a trivial exercise to interface to the signal at this point. If you find yourself removing the DSP amp, you will have to install the BMW CD changer cable from the standard system if the car also has a changer. I have not seen a vehicle with the in-dash CD, so I am not certain how they get the signal to the rear of the vehicle. My guess is that it comes through the same route as the cassette signal, which implies that you do not need to be concerned with it. The existance or absence of NAV or a CD changer does not change anything as far as tapping into an output signal is concerned once the DSP amp is absent from the system.
This link to my previous post may give you some more insight:
http://www.bimmer.org/5series/messages/archive/msgsy1999w51/33631.html
It's actually not too difficult once you have all the parts in front of you and you can see what I'm referring to in person.
The speakers are pretty straight-forward 3-ways up front and two ways in the back. The DSP system also adds a couple of tiny DVC subwoofers under the rear shelf. The general upgrade path is 5-1/4" two ways to replace the factory stuff, leaving the midranges unconnected. The only complication comes from the fact that the front 5-1/4" woofers are DVC units, with the second VC used for the BMW phone. If the car you are working on has this, the best solution is to route this signal to some accessory speaker mounted below the dash - or connect it to the potentially unused old BMW midrange.

: I am a stereo installer and also owner of a '97 M3. I had a customer come in the other day with a 2000 540i with the audiophile upgrade including the indash business cd player. I am trying to come up with ideas to upgrade his system. After reading through the Forum, most of what I've read involved factory systems with either DSP or navigation. My question is... are the DSP or navigation system much different from the audiophile upgrade when it comes to adding an after-market amplifier/speaker upgrade? Also, can the front speakers accomodate a three-speaker system setup
: (5 1/4, 4", tweeter) or are the door speaker grill covers just there for show? I would appreciate any info you can offer me. I would like to be as well informed as possible before I start ripping this guy's absolutely beautiful 2000 540i 6-speed bimmer apart.

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