I just took delivery of a 2011 335i XDrive to replace by 2004 E46. Since I bought one of the last ones being shipped in and could not order it, I did not get to specify the stereo type. The car has the premium package but apparently does not have the premium sound system that my last car had. Anyway, the sound quality is not equal to the car it is in. I have asked my salesman if BMW can offer me an upgrade, but I would love to get advice from the forum. I am not looking for an audiophile-class system, just a more full sound. As a contrast, my wife's 2007 Infiniti G35X has a Bose system that is beyond comparison. Thanks.
I don't think there's enough forum here, as it were, to throw out much advice. See what they have to tell you, maybe there's some options. Might be expensive though - if so, perhaps go the traditional route, upgrade the speakers and so on. Things are ever-more electronically integrated, so a radio swap might blow out some other functionalities it's tied into. Don't know the car, so I can't comment on whether it uses a separate amp/booster amp as the older BMW's did. If not, tying in an aftermarket amp might be a pretty straightforward affair, which could help sound quality. Car manufacturers have generally done a pretty good job, I think, in meeting demand for better-sounding car audio, but cost-constraints will always be a compromising factor. Darn few audiophiles march into a dealership and say y'know, if only the manufacturer would build in a $10k audio system, I'd happily pay extra for that to save me the trouble.
Thanks for the input. I actually learned a lot from two sources yesterday. A mobile audio shop told me that the fiber optics in an E90 with the nav system make it necessary to replace the amp, processor and speakers in order to get great sound and that $3,500 to $4,500 is a reasonable budget. He also referred me to Bavarian Sound Works on the internet for a less radical solution. BSW designs equipment for each particular model. They suggested a complete set of speaker replacements that were plug and play and cost a little over $500. This won't make it audiophile quality, but hopefully will raise the level to where the premium $875 Harman Kardon stereo would have been had I been able to order that from BMW. I also learned that my current speakers will sound better after they have played for about 40 hours. The people at BSW are very helpful so I am leaning toward this solution.
