Bavsound speaker upgrade kit

Discussion in 'Car Builds, Projects, Idea's Experiments' started by cristo, Sep 14, 2020.

  1. cristo

    cristo Well-Known Member

    Jan 4, 2015
    5,360
    883
    113
    Male
    physician
    York, Pa
    Ratings:
    +1,107 / 0 / -1
    #1 cristo, Sep 14, 2020
    Last edited: Sep 14, 2020
    For my 2009 R55 with HIFI stereo
    (10 speaker option before they came
    out with the Harman Kardon version).
    Thinking of getting their speaker
    upgrade kit which includes new
    4” door midranges and new a pillar
    tweeters. Easy plug and play.
    Anyone tried these?
    Is the sensitivity at least as high as
    the oem drivers?
    Also thinking of replacing the lower
    door woofers with Polk MM6502
    ones to improve the bass. Not
    considering a subwoofer.
    Will leave the rear speakers the
    same - don’t think it’s worthwhile
    to change them.
    Any thoughts? Keeping the stock
    head unit and amp.
     
  2. MCS02

    MCS02 Moderator
    Staff Member Articles Moderator Supporting Member

    Jul 31, 2009
    11,164
    6,170
    113
    Male
    Ratings:
    +7,876 / 10 / -3
    I have the HK unit in the Helmet and hair that damn amp. Polk make some nice speakers I would think that clown will improve the sound. Sorry to ask a dump question but who makes the upgrade kit?
     
  3. cristo

    cristo Well-Known Member

    Jan 4, 2015
    5,360
    883
    113
    Male
    physician
    York, Pa
    Ratings:
    +1,107 / 0 / -1
    I believe Euro Audio Design makes them
    but pictures show a Bavsound logo on
    the back of the magnet assembly.
    They’re said to be designed specifically
    to play nice with the weird MINI and BMW
    oem amps that have different frequency
    responses on the various channels.
    ECS tuning sells some of their drivers
    that look identical to the Bavsound ones
    except for the labeling, but they don’t list a
    set as specifically being for my application.
     
  4. MCS02

    MCS02 Moderator
    Staff Member Articles Moderator Supporting Member

    Jul 31, 2009
    11,164
    6,170
    113
    Male
    Ratings:
    +7,876 / 10 / -3
    I would think it will sound better than stock. I wish I could through an Alpine set up in my R58.
     
  5. cristo

    cristo Well-Known Member

    Jan 4, 2015
    5,360
    883
    113
    Male
    physician
    York, Pa
    Ratings:
    +1,107 / 0 / -1
  6. MCS02

    MCS02 Moderator
    Staff Member Articles Moderator Supporting Member

    Jul 31, 2009
    11,164
    6,170
    113
    Male
    Ratings:
    +7,876 / 10 / -3
    Its worth a try. I thought you had a non- HK unit.
     
  7. cristo

    cristo Well-Known Member

    Jan 4, 2015
    5,360
    883
    113
    Male
    physician
    York, Pa
    Ratings:
    +1,107 / 0 / -1
    I do. I emailed them and they said the
    non HK 10 speaker setup (HIFI option)
    (which I have) uses the same kit as the
    HK 10 speaker setup.
    The standard 6-speaker setup uses
    their 4” coaxial driver kit instead of
    the separate 4” inch midrange and
    pillar tweeter in the kit linked above.
    (life is complicated)
     
  8. MCS02

    MCS02 Moderator
    Staff Member Articles Moderator Supporting Member

    Jul 31, 2009
    11,164
    6,170
    113
    Male
    Ratings:
    +7,876 / 10 / -3
    Ok. I think HK system in the Helmet sounds good but I felt like the Alpine system I had in my R53 was cleaner. I did have kickers in the doors on the R53 though. I think Kickers and Polks sound close to the same. So you can’t go wrong with the Polk speakers. Also I think that kit look good I would try it. I would change the rear speakers. It’s a pain but I think it’s worth it.
    I had a sub and amp sitting around so I put it in my R53 it really made the system sound good. But if you do the rear speakers you could do with out a sub.
    That’s just my two cense worth, your mileage may vary.
     
  9. MCS02

    MCS02 Moderator
    Staff Member Articles Moderator Supporting Member

    Jul 31, 2009
    11,164
    6,170
    113
    Male
    Ratings:
    +7,876 / 10 / -3
    Oh for what’s it’s worth I am very picky about sound
     
  10. cristo

    cristo Well-Known Member

    Jan 4, 2015
    5,360
    883
    113
    Male
    physician
    York, Pa
    Ratings:
    +1,107 / 0 / -1
    #10 cristo, Sep 16, 2020
    Last edited: Sep 17, 2020
    Me too.
    Getting close to pulling the trigger
    on the BavSound front mid and tweeter
    upgrade.
    Also changing my mind about the front
    lower door speakers. May just swap
    from the oem HIFI to the oem HK
    drivers there (65133422637 to 65139194841)
    instead of woofers from an aftermarket
    component set like the Polk Mm6502.
    They’re a more direct swap physically).
    They are said to have better bass response and clarity than the HIFI ones.
    They’re probably a better match with the
    current system in terms of impedance and
    sensitivity.
    They’re already listed on realoem and some
    other sites as a part that supersedes and
    replaces the HIFI driver, so and some have
    said it does sound better when swapped into
    the HIFI system.
    Never felt that rear speakers add that much
    to the soundstage and experience except for
    the rare occasions when there are passengers
    in the back, or for a little bass fill as those
    frequencies are low enough that localization
    and wave cancellations are not really a factor.
    Will leave the rear drivers stock for now.
    If someone made a decent 6x9 subwoofer might
    swap a pair of them into the back but that market
    is pretty empty.
     
  11. cristo

    cristo Well-Known Member

    Jan 4, 2015
    5,360
    883
    113
    Male
    physician
    York, Pa
    Ratings:
    +1,107 / 0 / -1
  12. MCS02

    MCS02 Moderator
    Staff Member Articles Moderator Supporting Member

    Jul 31, 2009
    11,164
    6,170
    113
    Male
    Ratings:
    +7,876 / 10 / -3
    Those look very nice!
     
  13. cristo

    cristo Well-Known Member

    Jan 4, 2015
    5,360
    883
    113
    Male
    physician
    York, Pa
    Ratings:
    +1,107 / 0 / -1
    Put in the BavSound midranges and tweeters.
    It took less than an hour taking my time.
    Sound is cleaner and better balanced,
    and slightly less efficient than the stock
    speakers. Sounds significantly better
    at higher volumes than stock. Less
    upper mid-bass prominence than stock.
    No instructions (despite site saying all
    kits come with detailed instructions) but
    very simple plug and play.
    Replaced one of the lower front woofers
    from stock HIFI to the newer HK one.
    Also easy plug and play, slightly more
    efficient than stock, more deep bass extension, and more even frequency
    response. Measures 2 ohms just like the stock ones. Will do the other side next
    time I have a free 1/2 hour to do it.
    Today doesn’t look good.
    Might get to the rear speakers this
    weekend, more to follow.
     
  14. cristo

    cristo Well-Known Member

    Jan 4, 2015
    5,360
    883
    113
    Male
    physician
    York, Pa
    Ratings:
    +1,107 / 0 / -1
    #14 cristo, Sep 24, 2020
    Last edited: Sep 24, 2020
    Got components from Mouser and
    Parts Express for a low pass filter
    for the 6x9 subs. I designed an
    80 Hz 2nd order filter with a low
    DC resistance toroidal 5.6 mH inductor
    and 1470 uf of capacitance, plus a
    Zobel circuit with 220 uf and a 2 ohm
    non-inductive power resistor in series
    across the output of the filter/input to
    the speaker.
     
  15. cristo

    cristo Well-Known Member

    Jan 4, 2015
    5,360
    883
    113
    Male
    physician
    York, Pa
    Ratings:
    +1,107 / 0 / -1
    #15 cristo, Sep 26, 2020
    Last edited: Sep 27, 2020
    Put in the club door 6x9 sub since it’s the
    easier side. Changed the low pass
    filter from a Butterworth design to a
    Linkwitz-Riley design at 115 Hz crossover
    by reducing the capacitor and keeping the
    inductor and the Zobel resistor-capacitor
    pair the same. The inductor was
    expensive and I didn’t want to change it
    and also decided I wanted a higher
    crossover after hearing the initial results.
    They’re not as sensitive as I hoped (rated
    at 90 db/W but they sound lower than that).
    Adds a subtle amount of low bass fill but
    it’s hard to fully evaluate with the stock
    rear left speakers still in place. Will do that
    when I have a little more time since the
    rear seats and both the rear and trunk
    panels and C and B pillars have to come
    out to replace the rear left speaker.
    Hoping the left side is a little better since
    it has a bigger volume behind it than the
    one in the little club door.
     
  16. Homazur

    Homazur Member

    Sep 25, 2020
    53
    70
    18
    Male
    Ratings:
    +84 / 0 / -0
    If you don’t mind me asking what was your cost?
     
  17. cristo

    cristo Well-Known Member

    Jan 4, 2015
    5,360
    883
    113
    Male
    physician
    York, Pa
    Ratings:
    +1,107 / 0 / -1
    $250 for the BavSound mods and tweeters.
    $200 for the 6x9 subs.
    $120 for the low pass filter components.
     
  18. cristo

    cristo Well-Known Member

    Jan 4, 2015
    5,360
    883
    113
    Male
    physician
    York, Pa
    Ratings:
    +1,107 / 0 / -1
    #18 cristo, Oct 10, 2020
    Last edited: Oct 10, 2020
    Put in the left rear CDT 6x9 sub and low pass filter yesterday and disconnected the rear tweeter.
    All the speaker mods are done now.
    Pretty easy except a little work getting the left
    rear seat upright out.
    Didn’t need to take out the C-pillar or the rear
    boot side trim.
    The rear subs fills in the low bass nicely.
    It’s subtle on most tracks.
    Accurate rather than overbearing.
    Have the settings -1 for bass and 2 clicks
    to the rear on the fader.
    The BAV mids and tweeter combined
    with the HK lower door speaker and
    the rear 6x9s handling bass mainly
    below 100 Hz or so seems to be a
    good combo for the HIFI system in
    early 2nd gen MINIs.
     
    • Like Like x 1
    • Informative Informative x 1
    • List
  19. 00Mini

    00Mini Well-Known Member

    Feb 24, 2013
    20,845
    2,022
    113
    Retired
    Ratings:
    +2,976 / 6 / -5
    #19 00Mini, Oct 10, 2020
    Last edited: Oct 10, 2020
    Lots of good information in this thread for those who want to improve their sound systems.
     
  20. cristo

    cristo Well-Known Member

    Jan 4, 2015
    5,360
    883
    113
    Male
    physician
    York, Pa
    Ratings:
    +1,107 / 0 / -1
    #20 cristo, Oct 10, 2020
    Last edited: Oct 10, 2020
    I suspect the HIFI system is the best
    candidate for this upgrade.
    The base system doesn’t have enough
    power to make it worthwhile to do, and
    the later model HK system will likely not
    show as much improvement with the
    BavSound drivers.
     
    • Like Like x 1
    • Informative Informative x 1
    • List

Share This Page