At this point, we can plug the amplifier harness into the amplifier and begin the tuning process as
outlined below.
Amplifier Tuning
Head up to the front of the car and turn on the stereo. Put in your favorite CD (not a burned CD, but one that
was professionally mastered and recorded), and tune in to your favorite track. We recommend using a very
dynamic type of music, with many types of musical variations within the CD. Make sure that your bass
settings on your radio are set in the middle or slightly lower. This will decrease distortion and increase the
overall sound quality in the vehicle.
Make sure all bass and treble settings on your radio are flat, or in the middle.
We’ve roughly adjusted the settings on the amplifier at the factory, but you’ll want to fine tune things
based on your own listening preferences and sensitivities.
Gains:
Begin turning up the volume until you hear the music at a reasonable level and increase the volume slightly
up to the point that you begin to hear distortion coming from your interior speakers. Now, back down the
volume until the distortion disappears and stop there. Head back to the trunk and slowly begin adjusting the
gain(s) of the amplifier until you are content with the amount of bass being produced by the subwoofer
without any audible distortion of the woofer. Make sure that this blends in with the rest of the music, and
you’re on your way to a rich, full sound.
When adjusting the amplifier gains, do everything in very small increments. Make sure that you
increase both gain control knobs at the same rate.
We recommend 1/8th turn adjustments of the gain to find that sweet spot where there is no distortion and
plenty of volume. Everyone listens to music differently, so the tuning process make take some of us days,
while others can do it in a matter of minutes, whether they’re a beginner or not.
Boost:
Again, make SMALL, incremental adjustments. We’re boosting frequencies at 45hz by adjusting this
knob, so keep a keen ear out for distortion.
XOVER:
You’ll want this set at approximately 80hz. Eyeballing is fine, as the potentiometer has some forgiveness to
it. Your ears will tell you where the crossover needs to be set in your car based on your listening
preferences.
Troubleshooting Guide
Invariably you’ll come across one or two things in your install that didn’t quite match up or weren’t perfectly
clear to you. We’ve put together several common things that may come up during an install, and how to
isolate and troubleshoot them if they do. It is very advantageous to have a digital multi-meter on hand to
troubleshoot anything electrical in your BMW. They can be found at any hardware store for around $20-$30.
No Sound from subwoofer:
•The fuse wasn’t installed inline on the power wire at the battery. This is very often overlooked. Pop
in the fuse, and you’ll be good to go.
•Amplifier isn’t turning on properly. See next section.
Amplifier isn’t Powering Up:
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expressly forbidden and a violation of international copyright law. Any violation will result in prosecution to the full extent available under the
law!
© Bavarian Soundwerks, LLC.
2195 Defoor Hills Rd., Suite D, Atlanta, GA 30318
P: 404.963.8857 | www.bavsound.com
