If your F56 BEV OEM subwoofer isn’t quite doing it for you, then consider upgrading to the Bavsound Ghost v3 underseat subwoofer. This is a great plug and play solution without the need for wire splicing or mounting brackets. Anyways, have some courage and go for the do-it-yourself option! The YouTube videos online are mostly accurate for the F56 but there has been a change to the F56 subwoofer cradle fitment (tighter tolerance) to make things extra annoying. Bavsound Ghost v3 F56 BEV Underseat Subwoofer Guide (~2 hours DIY) Annoying Scale: Driver side speaker (6.5/10 less space to work with) Passenger side subwoofer (4/10) Tools required · T50 Torx 3/8 drive bit socket* and socket wrench* · T20 torx screw bit for screwdriver* · Slotted screwdriver or pick* (to unclip subwoofer jumper) · Optional gear – plastic trim remover*, extra lighting, low profile T20 torx screwdriver *I did purchase the Bavsound universal tool kit, but only ended up using 6 of the 37 pieces. Seat removal Before you begin, create the most space by pushing in the steering wheel and ratchet the seat to the highest position (to access rear bolts). Remove the two T50 front bolts by sliding the seat all the way back. Use the rear passenger handle to slide the seat and backrest forward. Remove the 2 rear T50 bolts and tilt the chair backwards into the rear passenger bench. To speed up the seat removal (and reassembly), use the socket wrench as a breaker bar to release the tension and then disconnect the T50 bit and hand loosen. You could also disconnect the airbag seat sensor (yellow clip). However, if you do remove the sensor, you may have to clear the error codes via OBD II. Subwoofer speaker removal Remove black perforated cover plate by unscrewing 4 black T20 screws to reveal the speaker. To remove the woofer from the cradle, unscrew 4 silver T20 screws (Roughly 60°-150°-240°-330°). Once the screws are removed, dislodged the friction fit rubber gasket seal by gently prying the speaker along the edges with a plastic tool. Once freed, disconnect the blue speaker jumper by pressing the tab towards the speaker pins while carefully pulling up the blue jumper. All F56 BEVs have a speaker cradle which adds extra annoyance. The most difficult screw to reach is in the 4 o’clock position (about 150°) and may require multiple viewing angles (interior looking outwards) to locate the screw covered by the foam liner. The speaker plug is around 195° or 7 o’clock position and you will have to lift the foam liner. Ghost subwoofer installation Line up the subwoofer and attach the blue jumper to the new subwoofer. Orientate the subwoofer to as close to the screw holes as possible (very tight tolerance for speaker cradle cutout) before tucking the subwoofer under the foam liner (speaker plug around 195° or 7 o’clock position). Use your fingers or a plastic tool to lift the foam liner. If properly aligned the subwoofer will lock into place. Give the subwoofer before mounting to the cradle (4 silver T20 screws). The hard part is done and you can begin reassembly! Align the cover with curved sides towards transmission tunnel (see figure below) and screw down the four black T20 screws. Reattach the seat and repeat for other side of the vehicle. The fit into the speaker cradle is extremely snug. Fit the speaker plug side in first (around 195° or 7 o’clock) and then work your way around until you feel the speaker lock into place. The 4 o’clock T20 screw underneath the foam liner is probably the most annoying part, and a slim low profile T20 screwdriver will serve you well. Final Thoughts If you want to build your confidence, start with the passenger side first as there is more space to work with. Start with neutral audio from Media -> Tone and set treble and bass to 0. For break in period, give your Ghost subs 12-15 hours of playtime before making judgment! HK subwoofers are 2 ohm (+amp) and base hi-fi subwoofers are 4 ohm so the results could be different.
@teslarati97 wrote in another thread, "Got sick of my chip shortage F56 JCW GP3 speaker system." So these are mods for his non-Harman Kardon F56.
Bavsound is available for both F56 base audio and HK. The base audio has 4 mid range speakers + 2 4ohm subs and the HK has 4 tweeters + 5 mid range + 2 2ohm subs + HK amplifier. The installation process is identical for the Ghost subs regardless of base or HK audio. I have a chip shortage 2022 Electric Collection w/ HUD and adaptive cruise control. HK was sadly deleted.
Great write up, did you hand tighten the T50 bolts? There is no torque spec I assume? Look forward to more feedback from you once the subs are fully worn in.
So I've been playing around with Bimmercode expert mode on the headunit with the equalizer settings (only 2 channels for Treble & Bass by default). HU_NBT_EVO > 3002 AUDIO_TUNER_TRAFFIC EQ_VARIANT > variant8 0x07 (previously variant1 0x00) I also switched to see what hifi was: HU_NBT_EVO > 3002 AUDIO_TUNER_TRAFFIC AUDIO_SYSTEM > hifi 0x01 (previously stereo 0x00) Audio is certainly more clear but the gain is now a little more logarithmic as it's fairly quiet 0-70% volume and then gets really loud at 85%+. Will need more time to experiment maybe I'll change it from hifi to Harman Kardon for giggles.
Went through all the options. I settled variant 5 equalizer and enabled the AMPLIFIER_VARIANT, also set treble +4 and bass +4. Most genres were balanced with added clarity from FLAC audio files. FM radio is just a mess!
Yeah I forgot the tweeter in the center speaker so that's 5 tweeters and 5 mid ranges for HK. After a certain period, you can't edit the post...so it is what it is! My Iconic Level 3-minus has the no charge HK delete.
Speaker update after the break in period for Ghost subs + Stage 1 speakers (may get around to writing a guide eventually). I decided to revert my Bimmercode settings back to the default stereo setup for base audio and equalizer variant 1. Audio is very clean/crisp and the bass response is tight! Makes things kind of fun rediscovering the layers of music that were previously absent.
Question, do you have annoying rattling now that you swapped the bottom woofers? I can't locate it but I do have a feeling the black perforated cover plate is what causing it but curios if you or anyone that has replaces the woofer has the same issue? Also I switch it out with Earthquake SW 8X woofer and it's even worse so I'm assuming the more excursion they produce the more annoying the rattles gets.
