[Pyrat 2]

Originally Posted by kovsky

Perfect! I will install that little bad boy. This is exactly what I would want to do.. keep that sound as pure as possible.

Their site has been under construction for several weeks. Smells to me like they aren't in business. Did you get the part?

[kovsky]

Originally Posted by Kantalias

I didn't have this experience at all. My harness went in with absolutely no modifications.

Very interesting. Due to my experience though I can not recommend this method. Other than ASD being gone, there is no audio benefit that I can hear which was the main reason I chose this method over just coding it off. I want to do some A/B tests with the asd amp plugged in while it is coded off to see if there is any difference in sound quality.

Originally Posted by Pyrat 2

Their site has been under construction for several weeks. Smells to me like they aren't in business. Did you get the part?

He responds to email promptly.

[Powaup]

Just wait for jb4 lol

[M3 Adjuster]

Originally Posted by unreg

My posts are sent by pigeon and typed remotely ;D Thanks , I'll check it.

[3tekcorps]

Originally Posted by kovsky

Very interesting. Due to my experience though I can not recommend this method. Other than ASD being gone, there is no audio benefit that I can hear which was the main reason I chose this method over just coding it off. I want to do some A/B tests with the asd amp plugged in while it is coded off to see if there is any difference in sound quality.

He responds to email promptly.

Can you clarify on this? Are you saying there was no audio change by using the wiring method over coding it out?

Has anyone coded it out and noticed poor audio quality in the sound system?

[M3 Adjuster]

Originally Posted by 3tekcorps

Can you clarify on this? Are you saying there was no audio change by using the wiring method over coding it out?

Has anyone coded it out and noticed poor audio quality in the sound system?

I believe he is saying that as an audiophile, he wants to go beyond coding, because there is an additional amplifier involved in the system that is introducing some low level noise and interfering with ultimate sound quality. So he is looking to bypass the entire ASD system as he feels that while coding will turn off the ASD, the sound quality of the audio system is still compromised because of the amplifier used for ASD still being in the signal path.

[3tekcorps]

Originally Posted by M3 Adjuster

I believe he is saying that as an audiophile, he wants to go beyond coding, because there is an additional amplifier involved in the system that is introducing some low level noise and interfering with ultimate sound quality. So he is looking to bypass the entire ASD system as he feels that while coding will turn off the ASD, the sound quality of the audio system is still compromised because of the amplifier used for ASD still being in the signal path.

"there is no audio benefit that I can hear which was the main reason I chose this method over just coding it off"

I read from his statement that he went with the harness, but didn't hear any audio benefit over coding it out. Hence the reason he can't recommend the harness.

[her02k]

Turning off the fake engine sounds will be the first thing I do.

[pruettfan]

I ordered my ASD bypass device last night. I did get an email with the invoice that warned using that device can have a small impact on the bass. Not sure what that impact is. 65 bucks is kind of silly for a small wire harness but I like the fact I can reverse it easily. Of course all I need now is my damn car.

[kovsky]

Originally Posted by pruettfan

I ordered my ASD bypass device last night. I did get an email with the invoice that warned using that device can have a small impact on the bass. Not sure what that impact is. 65 bucks is kind of silly for a small wire harness but I like the fact I can reverse it easily. Of course all I need now is my damn car.

Ok, so I am not crazy. I definitely noticed the reduction in bass. So to recap, you get ASD removed with the harness and a reduction in sound quality.

Just code it off guys, this harness is no bueno for our cars, in my ever so humble opinion.

[dammitcubs]

So this is probably something i'm having a hard to distinguishing. Do my ears suck?

Because I tried pressing the button at different modes and it did get louder but I thought that was a correlation with the fact that the throttle was more sensitive at the given location.

It has not bothered me yet...

[SGL]

Originally Posted by dammitcubs

So this is probably something i'm having a hard to distinguishing. Do my ears suck?

Because I tried pressing the button at different modes and it did get louder but I thought that was a correlation with the fact that the throttle was more sensitive at the given location.

It has not bothered me yet...

I noticed it's only a bit quieter when cruising at low speeds in comfort mode.

[Kantalias]

I really think the ASD is +6 dB. It's super loud. Turn it off and you'll never go back.

[Viffermike]

Originally Posted by kovsky

Ok, so I am not crazy. I definitely noticed the reduction in bass. So to recap, you get ASD removed with the harness and a reduction in sound quality.

Just code it off guys, this harness is no bueno for our cars, in my ever so humble opinion.

The bass in the car sucks as it is because the subs don't get nearly the power that they need. The HK subs are 8 ohms, wired in parallel and running off a single channel from the amp at 4 ohms -- the same ohm rating as each woofer-tweeter set. That means they are getting the same power form the amp as each woofer-tweeter set. Other things being equal, bass frequencies require up to five times the power as higher frequencies to be equal in SPL. This is partially made up for by the subs being more sensitive than the other speakers in the system, but that only helps so much.

The ASD elimination harness doesn't reduce the sound quality; it removes yet another trick that BMW uses to artificially boost bass SPL; the power amp in the ASD module. It actually improves it by removing an element that is designed to hide the 2 Series HK system's many deficiencies. In addition, as stated before, the harness also removes a significant amount of floor-level system noise caused almost exclusively by the ASD module.

You would actually need to run an A-B-C test to hear all of this for yourself:
A: Stock HK system
B: System with ASD coded off
C: System with ASD harness installed

If you want to do this, go for it. Or you can trust those of us who have done all of this already in the 2Addicts forum and know this as fact. Your choice.

Finally ... Technic, who is a pro audio installer in SoFla and a BMW enthusiast, makes each of those harnesses by hand. They're not spat out by some factory in Hunan province. For context, try finding speaker pigtails with OEM harnesses. Companies like Scosche make those by the hundreds for many other makes. But for BMW, they're not available anywhere -- except from one DIYer on the bay.

[kovsky]

Originally Posted by Viffermike

The ASD elimination harness doesn't reduce the sound quality; it removes yet another trick that BMW uses to artificially boost bass SPL; the power amp in the ASD module.

So the ASD amp also adds some power to the subs. This aligns with what my ears heard. There is a reduction in bass, period. That is sound quality loss to me. My harness was not plug and play. I could tell it was hand made. I do not recommend the harness to others. My experience, my results, my opinion.

[gmzanatta]

Does anyone know if Technic ships to Canada?

[Viffermike]

Originally Posted by kovsky

So the ASD amp also adds some power to the subs. This aligns with what my ears heard. There is a reduction in bass, period. That is sound quality loss to me. My harness was not plug and play. I could tell it was hand made. I do not recommend the harness to others. My experience, my results, my opinion.

This demonstrates that your definition of sound quality is not one of an audiophile's. Sorry.

Also worth consideration: the DSP in the HK system is biased toward bass, mids, and high-mids. It cuts mid-bass and treble significantly. Why? Because the OEM speakers can't handle those frequencies, and the HK tweeters are harsher than most partially because of low quality.

I would suggest searching through this subforum on 2Addicts to learn about the HK system that's standard in the M2 -- and available on every 2 Series car as an option. The system is not built for an audiophile's ears; it's built for low-density, low-bitrate digital music and integration with the car's other audio systems (ASD, Bluetooth, iDrive sounds, etc.) -- and at a price point.

[Kantalias]

Originally Posted by kovsky

My harness was not plug and play. I could tell it was hand made. I do not recommend the harness to others. My experience, my results, my opinion.

Did you swap the harness and OEM connector housings before installing?

[M3 Adjuster]

Originally Posted by Viffermike

This demonstrates that your definition of sound quality is not one of an audiophile's. Sorry.

Also worth consideration: the DSP in the HK system is biased toward bass, mids, and high-mids. It cuts mid-bass and treble significantly. Why? Because the OEM speakers can't handle those frequencies, and the HK tweeters are harsher than most partially because of low quality.

I would suggest searching through this subforum on 2Addicts to learn about the HK system that's standard in the M2 -- and available on every 2 Series car as an option. The system is not built for an audiophile's ears; it's built for low-density, low-bitrate digital music and integration with the car's other audio systems (ASD, Bluetooth, iDrive sounds, etc.) -- and at a price point.

Like every other OEM car stereo...


I actually am an audiophile, and while I can definitely see perhaps removing the ASD circuit via a bypass if I were going with aftermarket components ..

It seems that the preferred method for Joe bimwad that isn't an audiophile, [in other words , anyone reasonably happy with the stock stereo , ] should just have this coded out.

[David1]

So if you like good quality sound knowing the M2 is louder to start with than the M235 which should you do? code it out or bypass? I will be changing the speakers with the Bav kit.

[Mavus]

It is unbelievable that M car has fake sound and we need to disable it to hear actual sounds. Why remove sound deadening and install asd. Marketing dept needs to be fired! So annoying ...

[Kantalias]

Originally Posted by Smooth 330i

Why remove sound deadening and install asd.

Having disabled ASD, I'd say not just having it but cranking it up makes a lot of sense to cover up all the road noise from the absent sound deadening material. Do I prefer road noise to fake engine sound? Hell yes! Would the average $55k+ car buyer rather think they're hearing a gnarly engine instead of experiencing the sound of a basketball being dribbled at an indoor gym every time they go over a seam in the pavement? Probably. To each their own. For me, no ASD. Given the controversy, it seems this should have been a setting that's easy to toggle.