BMW X5 (G05) HiFi Upgrade – Alpha One Case Study

“Purchased a complete set of Alpha One Speakers and Amp for my X5. Installation was very easy and would highly recommend this update. (...) The support team was fantastic to deal with. They answered promptly and efficiently took care of making everything right. (...) I am 100% satisfied and would recommend without hesitation.”

–Julian

While it’s always nice hearing praises about the quality of our products, it’s even nicer when our customers appreciate the quality of our service. This really drives our audio team forward – helping you get the most out of your BMW sound system in the most straightforward way possible. The review you can see above is one of numerous testaments to that. But what exactly did we do in the case of this BMW X5 (G05)? 

Where we started – Stock BMW G05 HiFi sound system (S676A)

Before we dive deeper into the scope of this Alpha One upgrade, let’s take a quick look at the stock setup this customer wanted to improve. Their 2022 BMW X5 (G05) with the xDrive45e drivetrain came with the HiFi sound system (option code S676A), which is very common for most North American BMWs. 

Right from the factory, the HiFi audio is composed of:

• 3 tweeters
  
• 5 midranges
  
• 2 underseat woofers 
  
• 7-channel amplifier 

Since its MGU head unit is running the iDrive 7.0 system, we know that this setup utilizes a Receiver Audio Module (RAM) to drive the speakers. Apart from the rare Base system, there isn’t really anything positioned below the S676A and it shows – for most US cars, HiFi was actually the lowest audio option you could get.

Why exactly is it still sub-optimal? 

Factory BMW G05 HiFi sound system disadvantages

Compared to the Base audio system, the S676A option offers a slight yet noticeable improvement in the sound quality mainly thanks to more and better speakers than in the Base system cars. This results in HiFi being able to play louder with less distortion; its woofers are also more capable than the ones used in Base audio not to mention base audio models don’t have any tweeters. 

However, these are the only positives. 

As for the negatives: the BMW HiFi sound system in G05 lacks the low end. Based on our research, the amp utilized by it has only a suspected 205 W of peak power which means it has around 100W or less of RMS power. So, with the whole 10-speaker setup, it quickly runs out of juice to fully power even the average factory speakers and you’re guaranteed to start hearing audible distortion around 85% on the volume bar – mainly due to the RAM hitting its ceiling as the OEM speaker would still take more clean power given the opportunity

Luckily, as proven by the sole existence of this Case Study, there are ways of dealing with that…

Why did the customer choose Alpha One?

When Julian was doing the research for the stock audio replacement, he came across the Alpha One solutions. What drew him to our brand in particular were:

✔ Plug-and-play, direct fit 
✔ Overwhelmingly positive user reviews
✔ Availability of a complex (speakers & amp) package for his BMW G05

After weighing in the pros and cons (were there any?), he finally pulled the trigger on his order. This meant only one thing…

What have we changed in this car?

Well, pretty much everything, since Julian chose the path of a total overhaul. The kit he ordered contained:

• 3 Alpha One A10R Tweeters
• 4 Alpha One A45 Midrange Speakers (door-mounted)
• 1 Alpha One A40 Midrange Speaker (center dash)
• 2 Alpha One A90 Underseat Woofers (4 Ohm)
• 1 Alpha One UP8 Amplifier

And a personalized DSP tuning file loaded right into his brand-new amp, customized to fit his musical preferences – we always ask for these when you’re ordering our Alpha One amps. In this instance: an amplifier with a whopping 1420 W peak power rating, which is 7 times more than what the stock one has. This allows it to push more power to the new Alpha One Speakers; luckily, not only can they handle it with ease, they also provide much more clarity at that. 

How to install the BMW X5 (G05) sound upgrade?

Thanks to our customized mounting brackets and harnesses, all our Alpha One upgrades are fully plug-and-play. No splicing or re-wiring is required – regardless if you’re planning on selling the car unaltered or replacing the audio components along the way.

Below is a very brief summary of the entire installation process. CAUTION! Please note that it’s only for overview purposes and to demonstrate how straightforward the process is – when buying an audio kit from us, you’ll receive a more detailed installation guide.

1. Front door speakers – remove the door trim, mount the midrange speaker and tweeter, reinstall the trim.
2. Rear door speakers – remove the rear door trim, install the midrange speaker, reinsert the trim. 
3. Center channel speakers – pop off the center speaker grille, unscrew the speaker housing, install the midrange speaker and tweeter, reinstall the housing and pop the grille back on. 
4. Underseat woofers – remove the bolts holding the seat in and tilt it back; remove the woofer grille and move the carpet to gain access to the housing. Unbolt the lower housing, take it out of the car and replace the woofer. Proceed in reverse to re-assemble everything.
5. Amplifier – remove the side access panel in the trunk. Take out the bolts holding in the main main harness, disconnect it from the RAM, and take the harness out. Plug in the Alpha One PnP Harness. Install the UP8 Amplifier on the bracket, connect the harness, and mount the whole assembly inside. Reattach the access panel.

If you are interested in seeing a more detailed overview of how simple the whole installation process is, we’ve got it covered in a couple of video tutorials on our YouTube Channel. Here’s the guide for the Complete BMW G05 Speaker Upgrade:

…And here’s the one for BMW G05 Amplifier Upgrade (with the factory S676A option):

Isn’t that as easy as putting LEGOs together? If you’re not a professional DIYer, you can always have your Alpha One upgrades installed by one of our official Installers – check out the Installer Finder to see who can help you nearby!

Full review – How did the customer feel afterward?

“Purchased a complete set of Alpha One speakers and amp for my X5. Installation was very easy and would highly recommend this update. However the reason for writing this review was for the support I received while needing replacement of one speaker. The support team was fantastic to deal with. They answered promptly and efficiently took care of making everything right. It is one thing to have a great product but more important to be able to support that product. It is worth mentioning that I am an individual who bought a vehicle during the pandemic that was delivered with a stock audio package and not compensated in any way to write reviews. I did my research and selected the Alpha One solution. I am 100% satisfied and would recommend without hesitation.”

How much does a BMW X5 (G05) HiFi upgrade cost?

A complete Alpha One Speaker set combined with the Alpha One UP8 Amplifier costs $2,539.00. Included are all the components discussed earlier, the amp custom bracket, and all the necessary plug-and-play wiring – the shipping is free. 

Tight on a budget? Start with just a BMW G05 Amplifier Upgrade!

While the Case Study we discussed today covered a full speaker swap and an addition of the amp, you don’t have to start big to notice improvements. If you’re constrained by how much you can spend at once, getting just the Alpha One UP8 Amplifier for your S676A-equipped BMW G05 will be a solid starting point. 

Of course, the factory speakers have their limits, but more power flowing to them will allow them to produce better sound with some extra clarity up to higher volumes. When raising it after a certain point, you’ll start to notice more and more distortion.

The main thing is that with the amp installed, you’ll have the power reserve already in place to swap them out at a later point and you’ll still enjoy better sound quality.

Is the BMW G05 S676A upgrade by Alpha One worth it?

If you want to significantly improve the sound quality without stripping out half of your car and fabricating your own speaker mounts, then the answer is yes. Apart from a true Hi-Fi studio quality sound (not just in the name, like the stock system), what you’re getting with Alpha One is the complete aftersales support. 

Custom DSP tunes, detailed installation instructions, concierge-grade assistance, and a 2-year warranty for the amplifier. It’s the whole upgrade package with the peace of mind to see it through from the moment it arrives at your doorstep, to when you first test it out – as proven by Julian.