[niiicooh]

I would like to tell you about my (nearly full) Bowers & Wilkins retrofit on my pre LCI MJ18 G01 and I think I might be the only one around the world, because others on YouTube have coded only the sound profiles in my opinion.

First, English is not my native language so please don’t judge me too hard if some words are not correct ^^

It was a lot of work for me because my car came standard with the HIFI system. Had the Harman Kardon system already been installed, it would have been much easier. So I can't build an exact step by step guide with all the part numbers since I bought the parts over a year. Of course I could have bought a complete set on Ebay, but this way I saved just over 1000€.

It was important to me to buy original parts. There is a video on Youtube where someone shows how fake speakers look like from Aliexpress.

First I got all the speakers and the amplifier one by one. I also bought the appropriate illuminated covers for the look on Aliexpress. In addition, I still had to lay the power supply new, because the amplifier must be fused with 50 amps.

Since all midrange and tweeter like the HIFI have 4 ohm, I could already start before to exchange all speakers. I also installed the speakers in the trunk and laid loose cables to the amplifier. While I changed the speakers in the doors, I could also install the illuminated covers.

I wanted the system to be completely retrofittable. Therefore, I ordered two adapter cables on Aliexpress, which I then assembled. So I did not have to cut any cables in the vehicle. On this adapter cable I also connected the new microphone, the left and right speakers in the trunk and the extra connected tweeter in the dashboard.

The most difficult part was the installation of the subwoofers. To my amazement, these are built a little differently and could not simply be swapped. Therefore, I had to build an adapter plate out of wood so that the new subwoofers can be installed.

After everything was installed, everything had to be coded. The amplifier had a VIN Secure, this had to be removed first. In addition, the new microphone still had to be calibrated. Since there is no sound profile for the G01 in the amplifier, we took the sound profile of a G05 which works well.

I am very very happy with the conversion and the sound is really top class! No comparison to the Harman Kardon of a friend.

What doesn't work:
Original B&W light setting in the ambient light menu since I didn't install the original lights.

What I still need to do:
Currently "normal" tweeters with integrated crossover are installed in the front doors. These still need to be swapped for diamond speakers and separate crossover. Also, the center tweeter would have to be a diamond tweeter. But these speakers are currently too expensive for me and it works fine without.
I also need to switch the tweeter of the trunk speakers from Harman Kardon to Bowers & Wilkins. I will use the tweeter from the front door wenn I change them to diamond so I don't need to buy extra tweeter.

Here is a short parts list (not complete):
7 tweeters
7 midrange drivers
2 subwoofers
Amplifier
Power supply 10mm2 and 50 amp fuse
MOST cable 5 meter
3 speaker cables in 1,5mm2 5 meter
microphone cable 0,5mm2 6 meter
Dual microphone driver side
Various plugs, adapters, screws and other small parts
And much more...

Here are some pictures of the conversion and the result.

Have fun

[niiicooh]

more pictures.

[Rottweiler]

Bro…

Nice work

[jsh139]

Wow

[spangle1980]

I LOVE B&W, have them for home cinema and awesome.

Could I ask - where did you source the fronts / centre speaker? Or (from what I gather above since you mentioned not having installed the tweets yet) "would" you source them all from? Are they plug/play?

[ASAP]

👏👏

[niiicooh]

Originally Posted by spangle1980

Could I ask - where did you source the fronts / centre speaker? Or (from what I gather above since you mentioned not having installed the tweets yet) "would" you source them all from? Are they plug/play?

I bought most of the speakers original by BMW because for some reasons I don’t understand the speakers are more expensive on eBay than original ^^ and you are safe that they are original and not China trash.

All speakers are plug and play to change except to the high tweeter in the dashboard because the wire to this is not installed in G01.

On the first step I installed a tweeter with integrated frequency switch (yellow wire and black frequency switch) and after I installed the additional wire from the amp I switched to the separate tweeter (black wire).

[spangle1980]

Jesus - no shit the tweeters are too expensive. I had a quick dabble on real OEM for an X5 nautilus tweet and was about to Ebay the joker selling ONE for £500 to flame. Then I did a couple of other searches for the 65139350327 and they're like $1000 A PIECE? Even if I got it wrong and that was for two, that's just the bloody tweeter?

I must be wrong, right? :-)

[niiicooh]

No, you are not wrong ^^

Normal tweeter is round about 100€ and Diamond between 350€-600€ each and this is too expensive. I doubt anyone will hear the difference.

But I think I will install a separate frequency switch on each Speaker pair to separate the highs and the mids to all speakers. Think this is a upgrade you can hear because the highs are eliminated from the Mid speakers and tweeters get clear high signal in the result.

[arRod1981]

Are you going to try and retrofit the speakers in the headliner as well? There's one each above the driver and passenger, and two in the back roughly above each rear headrest.

[Rottweiler]

Originally Posted by arRod1981

Are you going to try and retrofit the speakers in the headliner as well? There's one each above the driver and passenger, and two in the back roughly above each rear headrest.

Ummmm…

[arRod1981]

Originally Posted by Rottweiler

Ummmm…

I know B&W isn't offered on the G01, so thought the OP was doing a full retrofit to match the G05. This is one item I'm still pissed about that BMW removed when we built our X5 45e last March because of supply constraints. Think it's been removed from the "lower" X5's since 2021. It's always been available on the M50i/M60i and X5M.

[Rottweiler]

Now that’s a sound system…

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=66niqIQ1f6c

[niiicooh]

Originally Posted by arRod1981

Are you going to try and retrofit the speakers in the headliner as well? There's one each above the driver and passenger, and two in the back roughly above each rear headrest.

No, this is not possible.

The system with overhead speakers is only possible with RAM and Booster. But this system is way more different than you think.

Differences between AMP and RAM/Booster:
- 4 Woofers (under each seat, the two added in the rear are mounted under the tank in factory)
- dedicated wiring to every single Speaker in the car
- exciters which are mounted inside the seat for vibration
- two tweeters inside each headrest of the passenger seats
- overhead speakers
And a lot more!

So this system is not possible on G01.

Screenshot from iX:

[spangle1980]

There are speakers in the SEATS? That is pure next level shit!

[Rottweiler]

Originally Posted by niiicooh

- exciters which are mounted inside the seat for vibration

I can see these being really useful while blasting a number of songs I can think of…

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C11MzbEcHlw

[aquamaster]

Excellent job mate. I wish I could do the same but it seems far too complicated for me...

However, I came across a complete genuine second hand HK hifi system from a X3 G01 which seems to be plug & play for my X4 G02. Swapping my HIFI system to this HK does involve coding as well?

The car still under warranty and I would like to keep it at least until expires next year.

Any reply much appreciated.

[niiicooh]

Originally Posted by aquamaster

Excellent job mate. I wish I could do the same but it seems far too complicated for me...

However, I came across a complete genuine second hand HK hifi system from a X3 G01 which seems to be plug & play for my X4 G02. Swapping my HIFI system to this HK does involve coding as well?

The car still under warranty and I would like to keep it at least until expires next year.

Any reply much appreciated.

Thanks, mate!

What is your build year?

Switching from HIFI to HK or higher is actually always the same work. Only the Subs are real plug and play from HK, but you also need MOST cable, trunk speaker wiring, new power cables, coding...

To be honest, such retrofits are really only for people who want it to be as "original" as possible or are completely stupid, like me. Otherwise, I would not recommend such a retrofit and would rather go for a MatchUP solution or something like that..

[avi66]

Originally Posted by niiicooh

Thanks, mate!

What is your build year?

Switching from HIFI to HK or higher is actually always the same work. Only the Subs are real plug and play from HK, but you also need MOST cable, trunk speaker wiring, new power cables, coding...

To be honest, such retrofits are really only for people who want it to be as "original" as possible or are completely stupid, like me. Otherwise, I would not recommend such a retrofit and would rather go for a MatchUP solution or something like that..

I’m guess this is different for model years with RAM architecture and MGU head unit ?

[niiicooh]

Originally Posted by avi66

I’m guess this is different for model years with RAM architecture and MGU head unit ?

Yes, its different.
That is why i asked for the model year.

If there is MGU/RAM you need to switch at least the Booster and install some new cables and repin some of the cables.

But this Thread here is about HU/AMP architecture .

If someone will start a MGU/RAM thread for switching from HIFI to HK, i will gladly support.
But i dont want to mix this two architectures here.

[Bimmerforlife]

Wow, with all this and some DVD’s this could be a man cave. Lol

[aquamaster]

Originally Posted by niiicooh

Thanks, mate!

What is your build year?

Switching from HIFI to HK or higher is actually always the same work. Only the Subs are real plug and play from HK, but you also need MOST cable, trunk speaker wiring, new power cables, coding...

To be honest, such retrofits are really only for people who want it to be as "original" as possible or are completely stupid, like me. Otherwise, I would not recommend such a retrofit and would rather go for a MatchUP solution or something like that..

You've made my day mate

I do think all these guys involved in such mods are just music lovers or audiophiles. I owned an 5 serie 2014 F10 with B&O sound system worth of over 4-5000 euros as optional and there was no disturbance in sound even at maximum volume.Crisp and clear as I have never experienced anymore in any other car. My previous G20 3 serie HK was ...just average.

To answer your question , my G02 is produced on 25.05.2021.

If this HK swap is involving coding as well, coding that I cannot afford (yet) due to warranty issues, I would still try doing a speaker (Focal) upgrade or amp if not requiring coding.

I would do anything I can if there will be possible to uplift my audition in the car :/

Cheers !