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Bavsound Stage One BMW Audio System

Bavsound Stage One BMW Audio System

These days most of us buy our vehicles, whether brand-new or CPO, either off the lot or off the Internet. The downside is that choosing from what’s available can limit options, so sometimes we have to settle for something slightly less than ideal. This happened to me when I recently purchased a new BMW 3 Series. The Bimmer I found was perfect in every way: color, interior, and trim level. The car even had all the options I wanted—except one. Wouldn’t you know it, this particular vehicle lacked an upgraded audio system.

I tried living with BMW’s base sound system for over a year. Finally, though, I could no longer abide its shrieking tinny highs, weak flaccid lows, and glossy details. Something had to be done. Fortunately, there is a company that was established specifically to address this very situation. Bavsound offers aftermarket audio upgrades for BMW’s, and that’s all it does. 

In practice this means that you simply get on its website and specify your vehicle, and you’ll be presented with a series of upgrade options designed with your exact car or SUV in mind. No mechanical vehicle modification is required, and all Bavsound components are plug-compatible with BMW’s wacky proprietary connectors.

Bavsound Stage One BMW Audio System

I decided to take a baby step and opted for the Stage One speaker replacement kit. Basically, this upgrade replaces all the speakers in the car, but leaves the amp untouched and forgoes the addition of a subwoofer. Since my 3 Series is a four-door, the Stage One kit I received included tweeters and mid/bass units for the front doors, additional mid/bass drivers for the back doors, and a center-channel speaker got the top of the dash.

In examining the Bavsound kit I could see clearly and immediately that these were high-quality drivers. The Bavsound Stage One speakers have beefy frames, rigid cones, and oversized magnets. I was even more impressed when, in due course, I was able to compare the Bavsounds with the stock drivers. The latter were far lighter and flimsier.

Unlike factory audio upgrades, you’re on your own when it comes to installing a Bavsound system. For some, this will be an understandable deterrent. I, however, took it as a challenge. Working solo, the project took about four hours. The most difficult thing about it was mental, not mechanical. I had to get over treating my “baby” like a delicate flower. Cars—at least BMWs—are not built delicately; force is needed to take them apart and put them back together. Once I understood this, and realized that I wasn’t going to hurt anything, all went smoothly.

 

Of course, I did have moments of puzzlement along the way. To help with that inevitable situation, Bavsound supplies well-written installation instructions. But the real support is online, where there are videos covering every step of every upgrade for every BMW. Thus, when I encountered a question, I simply watched the video of a Bavsound technician doing exactly what I was about to do. Another big help was the Bavsound tool kit. This is a set of specialized tools that facilitates much of the work. To sum up, if you’re reasonably handy and not intimidated by digging into your vehicle’s innards, then you can do this.

I spent $600 on the Stage One kit prescribed for my car. Although that wouldn’t be a lot to spend on a home audio system, it somehow felt a little steep for a car audio upgrade. However, after driving around with the Bavsound Stage One in place, I decided this was arguably the best $600 I’d ever spent on a stereo system. What sounded different? Only everything. The piercing highs were long gone. Now they were smooth and extended, without a trace of glare. Bass was completely transformed; it was deep and there was plenty of it. Coherence between the various drivers was also excellent, and detail and spatiality were much improved.

One of the biggest differences I noticed is when I was driving with the volume turned down. The old system sounded terrible at low volume. Pretty much the only thing that came through were those tinny highs. But with the Bavsound system I’ve found that I can enjoy music just as much when it’s turned down.

As already noted, I could have gone further. Bavsound offers a subwoofer for my car for about $500. However, after living with the bass output of the Stage One system, I feel no need to increase it. The company also offers a “Bimmertech” amp for roughly $1000, though it wasn’t an option for my particular car. Frankly, though, I wouldn’t have bought it even if that were possible. My Stage One upgrade hits the sweet spot between performance and value.

Even if your current (or future) BMW has a factory-upgraded audio system, you might still want to check out Bavsound’s options for making it even better. Based on my results with the Stage One, I can attest that these guys know what they’re doing.

BMW has been slow to offer the truly high-end car audio systems now available from other luxury marques. But if you’re willing to go DIY, Bavsound makes possible a far better audio experience for your beloved Bimmer.

Specs & Pricing

Type: Multiple dynamic drivers
Drivers: Varies by configuration
Price: Varies by model. $600 for reviewed Stage One system

BAVSOUND
PO Box 105603 #7522
Atlanta, GA 30348
(888) 878-5520
bavsound.com

Alan Taffel

By Alan Taffel

I can thank my parents for introducing me to both good music and good sound at an early age. Their extensive classical music collection, played through an enviable system, continually filled our house. When I was two, my parents gave me one of those all-in-one changers, which I played to death.

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