BMW 5 F10 – another one with good music
Oh, friends. Another car we made during the war in the fall of 2022. It’s amazing how people even think about music and their cars at a time like this. But that’s just the way our psyche works—even in the darkest times, we reach for the light, and music is that light.
What did the BMW 5 Series F10 arrive with? If you look at the photo below, you’ll see there’s no tweeter in the side mirror triangle. And if there’s no tweeter, what does that mean? It means the stock audio system is basic. And only a completely indifferent person wouldn’t want to replace the stock sound with our soulful sound.
So, to improve what the BMW factory considered unimportant, we proposed the following configuration for the BMW 5 F10:
- Sound source – standard head unit
- The new audio system is controlled by the Helix P Six MK2 digital audio processor.
- All factory speakers were replaced with Blam + GZ speakers. Blam Signature speakers are installed in the front doors, while Ground Zero speakers are installed under the seats. All six channels are powered by the amplifier integrated into the processor. A two-component Blam Relax system is installed in the rear shelf, powered directly from the radio (no amplifier required).
- The subwoofer link is implemented as follows: enclosure + Focal Flax speaker + Ground Zero amplifier
- Setting up an audio processor is the final, important part of the whole process.
Installing a processor with an amplifier in a BMW 5 F10
We started with installing and mounting the processor and amplifier. As a reminder, we needed to install two units in this car: a processor with a built-in six-channel Helix amplifier and a two-channel amplifier for the subwoofer (bridged connection).
Before we begin fabricating the podiums, mounting brackets, or even running the wires, we examine the trunk space. Even if we’ve worked on a similar car before, there may be some nuances. Different trim levels of the same make and model have different components, different component layouts, and so on. This BMW 5 Series F10 is familiar, yet we’re creating a new structure for mounting the amplifiers.
A place was found in the fender wells in the trunk. Brackets and stands for the amplifiers were fabricated for secure mounting.
Both amplifiers are mounted in the trunk on brackets. Concealed, compact, and secure. Once the trunk is assembled, you won’t see anything in the car that indicates new music.
Installing speakers in standard locations on a BMW 5 F10 – TWEETER
The first thing to do before installing a new audio system for the F10 is to find a factory part—a triangle for the side mirrors designed to accommodate the tweeter. The customer had already purchased this part:
The Blam Signature tweeters have a bright, rich soundstage that’s both transparent and clear. However, they require careful handling—fine-tuning the processor is required to ensure they don’t overpower the soundstage and cause discomfort. Incidentally, this is one of the reasons the processor is needed.
Before/After:
Midrange speakers in the front doors of the BMW 5 F10
The photo below shows the stock BMW speaker. As you can see, this speaker has non-standard factory mounting points—a standard speaker won’t fit. Incidentally, the speaker measures only 10 cm. If it weren’t for the 20 cm underseat midbass speakers, the picture would be quite bleak.
The Blam Signature audio system is suitable for both BMWs and Mercedes. It’s a universal solution. We used the entire system in our BMW:
A traditional comparison of stock and new speakers. Watch and draw your own conclusions:
In the end it turned out like this:
The rear speakers are simple—we use the Blam Relax basic kit for BMW. Everything fits into the factory locations without modification. In total, we’re installing four speakers in the rear shelf.
Under-seat midbass speakers
The shape of these speakers is even more bizarre. Specifically designed to fit into the remaining space in a car, the manufacturer essentially just tried to squeeze a speaker in. Space under the seat is very limited, so a special speaker design had to be devised—flat and fairly large in diameter.
Lift the seat, remove the decorative mesh and remove the factory speaker in two movements:
Our traditional comparison of the factory speaker and the new one, the one that will replace the standard one (in our case, it’s the GZ)
New in place:
By the way, pay attention to the volume of the BMW 5 F10 underseat subwoofers. Ultra-low volume. Extremely so. That’s why you can’t install regular speakers there.
We’ll ensure unrivaled sound quality for your car. Rely on the professionalism and experience of our specialists!
Installing a subwoofer in a BMW 5 Series F10
In this car, we used our beloved, tried-and-true ultra-compact enclosure with a stunning-sounding Focal Flax speaker. In this car, we placed the subwoofer conservatively—to the back of the rear seats, with the speaker facing the back.
A remote control for the subwoofer volume is installed under the driver’s seat. It’s easy to reach and adjust the subwoofer volume. This is a very convenient feature, popular with our customers.
