The System

I stumbled on the a/d/s/ site after reading some posts on the Bimmer.org web site. I decided to go for a modified Upgrade II. Visit this link to see what a/d/s/ recommends.

I spent considerable time in a listening room at a local auto sound specialist comparing high-end equipment for my car. After comparing speakers from a/d/s/, Boston Acoustics, and McIntosh, I decided to go with the a/d/s/ offerings. They have a warm and natural sound that could not be matched by the other manufacturers. I also compared amplifiers from a/d/s/ and McIntosh. I preferred the McIntosh for it's clarity, but it was massive in size and massive in price - twice what I paid for the a/d/s/ and way out of the financial scope of this project. The amp I decided on sounds great and offers incredible installation flexibility with it's 8 channels of power. So, here's what I got...

Front Speakers

Rear Speakers

Subwoofer &
AC502 Remote Subwoofer Control

Amplifier

All equipment was purchased from Auto Symphony in San Francisco. I chose these guys because they spent time with me in the listening room and explaining my options, plus they worked with me on the price. Not as cheap as mail order, but I built a relationship with a shop that I can go back to time and again. It is true that you may get better prices over the net, but these dealers are not authorized to sell the a/d/s/ equipment in most cases. So, that good price gets you nowhere should you have a problem with your purchase. You need to go through the repair loop rather than the exchange loop. Not worth the hassle after spending hours and hours installing and tweaking your new system.

I also used the following installation items:
26-pin Connector - Amp/Tyco Germany (Part No: 1-965056-2)
Contact pins for above - Amp/Tyco Germany (Part No: 962886-1)
12-pin Connector - Amp/Tyco Germany (Part No: 1-828 879-1)
Contact Pins for above - Amp/Tyco Germany (Part No: 927796-2)
18ga stranded wire (about 200' total)
Monster Cable gold plated RCA connectors
Monster Cable 8ga power and ground wire
Monster Cable 40amp Fuse and holder
Q-Logic 6510S subwoofer box
Acousta-Stuf poly fill
Miscellaneous air/water tight weather stripping
Custom built amp shelf