A client from Hanover contacted the Westminster Speed and Sound team to inquire about upgrading the sound system in their 2022 BMW X5 sport utility vehicle. As is typical with modern BMWs, the combination of mediocre midrange drivers in the doors and woofers in the floor under the seats results in lackluster performance. After discussing several upgrade options, the client chose a combination of Helix and Match products to bring their favorite music to life.
BMW X5 Speaker Upgrade
We’ve become specialists in upgrading BMW audio systems, so recommending new speakers to improve the vehicle’s sound was easy. Our team removed the midrange drivers and tweeters from each front door and replaced them with Helix i7-Series drivers. We used the appropriate Helix brackets to allow the new speakers to drop right into place.
We performed a similar upgrade to the center channel using a BLAM LM80 4-inch midrange driver and a custom mounting plate. Our team completed the high-frequency speaker upgrade with a set of coaxial Helix i3 speakers in the rear doors.
Woofer Upgrade Improves Bass Performance
Replacing the woofers was a key factor in upgrading the sound system. We recommended the low-profile Helix CI5 S200FM-S2 8-inch subwoofer for the task. These subwoofers can handle up to 200 watts of power and produce almost 16 millimeters of excursion to reproduce low-frequency audio accurately. We used a Helix FlexMount adapter to install the woofer in the same location as the factory driver.
BMW Amplifier Delivers Big Sound
The heart of this BMW X5 upgrade is a Match UP8 DSP 8-channel amplifier. Our team mounted the amp in the same location as the factory unit and used a wiring adapter to integrate it with the original speaker wiring.
The amp produces 65 watts per channel for the six main channels, while the bass channels deliver 160 watts each. Most importantly, the amp has a built-in digital signal processor, which our team used to fine-tune the system with our audio analysis microphone to our target reference curve.
Baltimore’s BMW Audio Experts
After just over a day and a half of work, the new speakers and woofer in this 2022 BMW X5 sounded fantastic. The client returned to Westminster Speed and Sound to audition the system and was instantly smiling from ear to ear!
If the sound system in your car, truck or SUV doesn’t give you goosebumps, we invite you to visit our store and speak with a member of our award-winning team. You can also reach us by phone or email if you can’t stop by for a personal consultation.
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