A client from York, Pennsylvania, contacted Westminster Speed and Sound about upgrading the audio in his incredible 2017 BMW X5M. In case you aren’t familiar with this SUV, it has a 567 hp twin-turbo v8, so it can get groceries in a hurry.
One of our staff set a time for him to stop by and do an audio consultation with us. When that day arrived, we sat in the BMW with him and listened to the stereo. He explained what he liked and disliked, and we both agreed that the major issue was a lack of real bass.
This particular vehicle had the flagship B&O system, and we knew what it would take to improve it, since BMWs are among our specialties. We worked up a proposal that he liked and we set a time to begin working on it.
Our goal with the installation was to maximize sound quality while still keeping the performance-to-cost ratio intact. We began by using a custom harness that allowed us to extract the musical signal out of the B&O amplifier without cutting anything. We ran that signal to an AudioControl LC2i interface that gave us a great quality signal to send to a JL Audio XD600/1v2 600 watt amplifier. We bolted both of these items into place so they were completely hidden behind factory panels.
To control output level, we flushed a bass-level control knob in the center console in perfect reach of the driver’s hand while going up the road. When it came time to choose a subwoofer, we went back to JL Audio, choosing their 12W6v3-D4 12″ subwoofer. Our team constructed a compact, down-firing enclosure that took up very little cargo space yet had great sound quality and output capability.
Once we tuned the system, we delivered the vehicle to the client. From the moment we turned on the system, his grin went from ear to ear.
If you would like to upgrade your vehicle’s audio, simply click HERE or stop by Westminster Speed and Sound in Westminster, Maryland. Put our 51 years of service to work for you.
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