Tips to Improving your BMW Audio System

By: Wayne Hemrick

Okay...you own the "Ultimate Driving Machine," and even though you may not speak German, you have a pretty good idea of what freude im fahren is. The right BMW car audio can only add to that "Joy In Driving" of course - and the right BMW car audio deserves only the best BMW speakers.

The BMW car audio system is already pretty impressive, but a good thing can always be made better - particularly if your BMW is an older, yet still serviceable model built before the advent of such wonders as the iPod or satellite radio.

In fact, just having the right BMW speakers can be the difference between BMW car audio that is merely "great" and that which is - as the Germans would say - ausgescheisnet!! (the word ausgescheisnet has no direct English translation, but is several degrees beyond wunderbar.)
If you are thinking a upgrading your BMW speakers, you will probably want to go with coaxial speakers, as these are easier to install and include their own drivers and crossovers. These BMW speakers are suitable for most audiophiles, but if your tastes run less toward Muddy Waters or Bruce Springsteen and more toward the the New York Philharmonic or St. Martin-In-The-Fields Academy Orchestra, separates will provide the best sound quality when it comes to those ultra-high violins and piccolos and deep, rumbling contrabasses and tubas.

If you really want to take your BMW car audio to the next level however, consider installing horns. These type of BMW speakers are expensive, and you may need to install an equalizer - but they are second-to-none when it comes to picking up mid-to-high range frequencies.
For those who want to separate the vocals or solo lines from the ensemble, center channel speakers are a good choice. These are specialized BMW speakers that can be installed virtually anywhere in the vehicle; their main function is to bring solo, vocal and melody lines to the forward part of the cabin.