10 year member here with my second post. I recently acquired a 1991 BMW 850i. When I got it, the factory radio would power on, but play no sound. I wanted to change out to something with Bluetooth, so I didn't bother troubleshooting the factory radio. I just changed it out.
I switched to a Clarion M508. I got it through Crutchfield. They sent and recommended a floating ground adapter for this car. I have the M508 wired up and working (through the floating ground adapter), but sound quality is awful. The system doesn't get very loud, has very little bass, and scratchiness that I assume is distortion above 2/3 volume.
I'm not an audiophile, I don't need the best sound. I just want the system to work with clear sound at a decent volume level. The problem is, I have no idea how to get there. I'm assuming that since the radio plays, and since I can tune the Fade/Balance in to confirm each speaker is working, that the issue doesn't lie with the radio. There are no direct fit speakers for this car. If I can get a decent volume level from the factory speakers, I'll be happy with them.
I can find very little info about this car and troubleshooting it online. Here's a list of questions or things I don't know and I'm seeking guidance on:
Does a 91 BMW need the floating ground adapter?
The "distortion" I'm hearing would lead me to believe a bad factory amp, or blown speakers.
How can I diagnose the factory amp for (im)proper function?
Moving the sound output around the car give identically terrible sound right or left, so that leads me to believe the issue is more likely the amp than perfectly symmetrically blown speakers.
The car has an 5.25" speaker in each kick panel, a 2.5" midrange and tweeter in each front door, and a 5.5" woofer, 2.5" midrange, and a tweeter in the rear package tray. To power all this with an aftermarket amp, what channel amp would I want? That's a total of 9 components (channels?). Two 2(3?)-way speakers, 3 midrange, 3 tweeters, and a woofer. Do I need a 9 "channels" to power all these components? For example, a 4 channel and a 5 channel amp? Or should the midrange and tweeters be on the same channel?
If I did switch out the amp it seems that switching out the factory 9 component setup for a 5 channel amp, 4 quality 3 way speakers, and a woofer would suit my need just fine. Or alternatively, I could run the smaller door speakers from the radio, and the larger kick panel speakers and a sub through a 4 channel amp?
If you've made it through my whole post, I applaud your dedication, and look forward to your input.
I switched to a Clarion M508. I got it through Crutchfield. They sent and recommended a floating ground adapter for this car. I have the M508 wired up and working (through the floating ground adapter), but sound quality is awful. The system doesn't get very loud, has very little bass, and scratchiness that I assume is distortion above 2/3 volume.
I'm not an audiophile, I don't need the best sound. I just want the system to work with clear sound at a decent volume level. The problem is, I have no idea how to get there. I'm assuming that since the radio plays, and since I can tune the Fade/Balance in to confirm each speaker is working, that the issue doesn't lie with the radio. There are no direct fit speakers for this car. If I can get a decent volume level from the factory speakers, I'll be happy with them.
I can find very little info about this car and troubleshooting it online. Here's a list of questions or things I don't know and I'm seeking guidance on:
Does a 91 BMW need the floating ground adapter?
The "distortion" I'm hearing would lead me to believe a bad factory amp, or blown speakers.
How can I diagnose the factory amp for (im)proper function?
Moving the sound output around the car give identically terrible sound right or left, so that leads me to believe the issue is more likely the amp than perfectly symmetrically blown speakers.
The car has an 5.25" speaker in each kick panel, a 2.5" midrange and tweeter in each front door, and a 5.5" woofer, 2.5" midrange, and a tweeter in the rear package tray. To power all this with an aftermarket amp, what channel amp would I want? That's a total of 9 components (channels?). Two 2(3?)-way speakers, 3 midrange, 3 tweeters, and a woofer. Do I need a 9 "channels" to power all these components? For example, a 4 channel and a 5 channel amp? Or should the midrange and tweeters be on the same channel?
If I did switch out the amp it seems that switching out the factory 9 component setup for a 5 channel amp, 4 quality 3 way speakers, and a woofer would suit my need just fine. Or alternatively, I could run the smaller door speakers from the radio, and the larger kick panel speakers and a sub through a 4 channel amp?
If you've made it through my whole post, I applaud your dedication, and look forward to your input.
Last edited: