2010 E70 Audio Upgrade

[simpic]

Hello,

Having searched the forum I have found a few thread on various audio upgrades but these mainly relate to the E53 version.

Can anyone recommend a good shop in the Hants, Surrey, Berks, SW London area that are experienced with X5 audio upgrades?

It currently has the base audio so I'm probably looking at an amp, new speakers and Sub (s).

Also, following various searches I can't seem to find a good list of what coding it's worth doing on the car, options I have at the moment are: -

Wing mirrors auto fold
Lock boot from button & keyfob
Turn off disclaimers
Digital speed

Any others to suggest?

Thanks in advance.

[MPH40d]

It may be a bit beyond your intended travel range, but I took my 2011 40d to Incar Audiofile (sic) in Bishops Stortford - they do several standard packages for X5 audio upgrades. I went there because they also custom mount rear screens in the existing headrests and hooked up a DVD/TV for a rear seat entertainment package for me.

The audio upgrade I had cost £1000 and is excellent - speakers, amp and Dynamatting the doors. Transformation. for an extra £500 they'll put new subs under the front seats too.

I cannot speak highly enough of Gary and his team there.

[simpic]

Thank you for the recommendation. The car is booked in for the full upgrade. I'll post pictures and comments its all completed.

Loving the Rear Entertainment they offer in the headrests. Tie it in with a RaspberryPi somehow and it'll be a full HTPC in the back for the kids. Ideal for the trips to France camping. I will definatley look at that in the near future.

[sramsay]

I was going to recommend Audiofile too but thought it was a bit far for you.

I've not used them for a few years but i have been very impressed with them in the past when they've done speaker upgrades and installed a parrott bluetooth kit for me.

I looked at their website not that long ago and was toying with the idea of the DVD install.

[silverous]

I like the look of their in-headrest screen system but can't help but think that if it was safe to have the screens in the headrests BMW would have done so rather than put their rear entertainment system inbetween the seats... I guess you have to take a punt that they haven't affected safety.  That said it sounds like the BMW headrest safety thing is a step forward so at worst you are losing something additional rather than compromising basic safety.

[X5Sport]

BMW offer a standard bolt on kit for the head restraints too.  Rebadged Nextbase system.....which actually passes a crash test too.  Nextbase do the iPad mount too.

Needless to say you can buy the older Nextbase screens for around £100 less than BMW want for it.... >:(

Richard

[Raj]

Try SCR in Ashford. Kav (Westside) on here had his previous E70 and his current E71 done by them.

[silverous]

Do you think that going for one of these modified headrest options would invalidate warranty?  Would be a pain if some eagle-eyed tech at a dealership decided they should refuse to deal with the car because you played with the electrics/headrests....

[X5Sport]

More than likely - so anything to do with the seats would probably get 'invalidated'.....any excuse eh!! >:(

The Nextbase systems clip on to the stanchions and use the rear 12v socket and are the 'official' kit so they can't complain if you go down that route.

[MPH40d]

Simpic

Good choice- you'll love the results.

My sons, who are five and nine, took about three seconds to work out how to use the TV/DVD remotes and have been as happy as anything since. Audio System 2 is enough for me and pretty damn good at that for a car, albeit you aren't getting that surround sound feeling from the rear.

The install in the headrests look identical to those I had in my last two Supercharged Range Rovers - ie factory fitted from new. There isn't a safety issue as the headrests are still active - Gary only puts the screens into a hole in the rear part of the headrest, not the front bit which is separate.

I also wouldn't assume that BMW is infallible when it comes to safety Silverous or, indeed, rear screen entertainment............My wife still has the 2008 335i M sport touring I bought for her from new, specced up to the eyeballs. It has the rear seat DVD system that BMW used to have at the time, which was a drop down screen from a system fitted into the interior of the roof. Think about it for a minute in a 3 series touring and the size of that rear window.....that's right, you can't see a bleedin' thing out of the rear window when the screen is down, which is all the time my sons are in the car. Bloody thing rattles like a pair of castanets when it's folded away as well and it cost me £2,000 at the time. I swear the screen came from Argos and cost £50....