One of the most obvious indicators of an aftermarket ICE setup is the head unit. Some cars, especially the ones of ICE-mad owners, go for multiple DIN head units that incorporate flashy bells and whistles, such as a touchscreen interface or a screen for video playback.
This BMW 6 Series, however, doesn’t have a flashy head unit. Heck, it doesn’t even have an aftermarket one – it’s still using the one that came with the car when it left BMW’s factory in Dingolfing.
Its owner might have went down the conservative route (for now, anyway) in that respect and in other aspects of his ICE setup, but to say that it’s diminished in any way would be a mistake.
Over the stock setup, the sound produced by this 6 Series is now richer, fuller and with impeccable sound staging, with the entire system having its components picked out, installed and tweaked by Ken of King’s Way Sound Garage.
Says Ken, a good installer with plenty of experience is essential, not only for his experience in ensuring the system is set up properly, but also to act as a guide on the owner’s “adventure”, tailoring a system to suit his (or her) budget and musical tastes.
Should the owner decide to take it a little further, Ken says that a skillful ICE specialist will be able to prepare a car worthy of entering (and possibly winning) shows such as the European Mobile Media Association (EMMA) competition. To win an award, it isn’t enough just for a car to sound good – even something as seemingly mundane and unseen as the wiring must be “clean”, Ken tells us.
And while Ken tells us this 6 Series isn’t yet ready to be a “show pony”, it’s certainly no less tuneful. To start with, Ken has gone with a Mosconi 6to8 DSP, which, as its name implies, provides six input channels and eight output channels, allowing for finer control over the final sonic product. The beauty of this (proudly Italian-made) DSP is its ability to allow adjustments via a laptop, tablet or smartphone.
The driving force behind that sound is a pair of 4-channel, 100W Gladen AS 100.4 amplifier also from Mosconi, providing a little more “headroom” over the stock amplifier, so that the sound output isn’t so strained.
However, the Mosconi DSP and amplifier have been cunningly hidden from view by Ken. The only outward signs of this 6 Series not having non-standard ICE system is the presence of a set of Micro Precision 7 speakers mounted onto the A-pillars and doors. These German speakers tout a natural midrange and “no sound colouration”, so it lets the music, and not the speakers, do the “talking”.
Providing some “meat” for that sound is a HX 12Phase subwoofer from Audio System. This (plus the Mosconi Gladen amplifier) takes pride of place in the boot of the 6 Series in a custom enclosure, with a custom acrylic cover to add some protection and visual “pop” for the subwoofer.
In the big scheme of things, the work done to this 6 Series is considered light, though if the owner decides to plunge deeper into the ICE scene, we have no doubt Ken will do a stellar job of it. And who knows, perhaps you might even see this car’s owner on the podium at an EMMA show some time in the near future.
THE LIST
HEAD UNIT
BMW iDrive
PROCESSOR
Mosconi DSP 6to8
SPEAKERS
Micro Precision 7 Series
SUBWOOFER
Audio System HX 12phase
AMPLIFIERS
Mosconi AS 100.4 (x2)
