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      01-14-2021, 03:06 PM   #23
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Originally Posted by Rogerha View Post
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Originally Posted by waterhousej View Post
Thanks for your feedback. I bought the car from Matthew at Cotswold BMW. It's in Dravit Grey and fully loaded with pretty much every extra including the Carbon Pack, Comfort Pack, M Sport Pro Pack and Technology Pack.

I'm not sure if it was a Master Tech who looked at the car but it was only a quick check on Saturday morning. They plugged it into the diagnostics and couldn't find a fault. The technician couldn't hear the crackling but Matt also listened and could he could hear the noise I was highlighting.

We've agreed that I'm going to go back after lockdown ends to compare my B&W system with one in another 8 Series when one is in stock. I'm sure they will then agree that the sound isn't a trait of the car and take a deeper look. There is a setting to control the engine sound in iDrive but I've not tried altering this yet. I think this is set to 'Balanced' so I'll try this in the other settings. I'm not sure if there's a setting to completely turn this off but will ask the dealer to try this if I don't manage to sort this myself.

Regards
Jimbo
Hey Jimbo, I am about 40 minutes away from you, and have virtually an identical car except I have the 'd' not the 'i'. I have the B&W, and can assure you it's the best thing about the car, no crackling - and I am a HiFi buff. If (when we are free from lockdown) you want to meet up to compare, I'd be more that happy to. I hear good things about Cotswold BMW so I expect they will look after you.
@Rogerha I hate to be that guy but since you are a hifi expert and I am a noobie would you please share the settings you find best for the b&w. Surround, mode, EQ, etc.
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      01-14-2021, 05:16 PM   #24
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Hey Jimbo, I am about 40 minutes away from you, and have virtually an identical car except I have the ‘d’ not the ‘i’. I have the B&W, and can assure you it’s the best thing about the car, no crackling - and I am a HiFi buff. If (when we are free from lockdown) you want to meet up to compare, I’d be more that happy to. I hear good things about Cotswold BMW so I expect they will look after you.
Great, many thanks. I’m starting to think there might be more of a general fault with the Hi-Fi and that this maybe isn’t related to something like the active engine sound. I tried a few changes to settings today including each of the engine sound settings and then also ran a full reboot of the iDrive system. While playing around with the settings there were a couple of times when there was a really loud - almost deafening - interference sound even though I was listening to music from a USB rather than a source such as radio where you might expect some interference. It looks like I’m going to have to return the car when lockdown is over and leave it with them for a few days.
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      01-14-2021, 05:50 PM   #25
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Originally Posted by waterhousej View Post
Great, many thanks. I’m starting to think there might be more of a general fault with the Hi-Fi and that this maybe isn’t related to something like the active engine sound. I tried a few changes to settings today including each of the engine sound settings and then also ran a full reboot of the iDrive system. While playing around with the settings there were a couple of times when there was a really loud - almost deafening - interference sound even though I was listening to music from a USB rather than a source such as radio where you might expect some interference. It looks like I’m going to have to return the car when lockdown is over and leave it with them for a few days.
"The crackling, popping or static noise of a speaker is almost always caused by a simple connectivity issue. What this means is that somewhere between your amplifier and speaker drive there is a bad wire. This bad wire then causes the driver to move more abruptly, thus causing that interference with your music".


Hope this helps
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      01-14-2021, 06:59 PM   #26
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Originally Posted by RJC-1 View Post
"The crackling, popping or static noise of a speaker is almost always caused by a simple connectivity issue. What this means is that somewhere between your amplifier and speaker drive there is a bad wire. This bad wire then causes the driver to move more abruptly, thus causing that interference with your music".


Hope this helps
Yep and I was errant as that being another possibility beyond a bad driver or faulty booster or RAM unit as the wiring is the other potential culprit in the signal path.
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      01-15-2021, 03:47 PM   #27
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Originally Posted by Mgrae456 View Post
@Rogerha I hate to be that guy but since you are a hifi expert and I am a noobie would you please share the settings you find best for the b&w. Surround, mode, EQ, etc.
Will come back to you with that fella..... but don’t forget - it’s individual taste of course.
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      01-15-2021, 04:21 PM   #28
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Originally Posted by waterhousej View Post
Great, many thanks. I’m starting to think there might be more of a general fault with the Hi-Fi and that this maybe isn’t related to something like the active engine sound. I tried a few changes to settings today including each of the engine sound settings and then also ran a full reboot of the iDrive system. While playing around with the settings there were a couple of times when there was a really loud - almost deafening - interference sound even though I was listening to music from a USB rather than a source such as radio where you might expect some interference. It looks like I’m going to have to return the car when lockdown is over and leave it with them for a few days.
I hope you get it sorted !
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      01-15-2021, 06:07 PM   #29
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Originally Posted by Rogerha View Post
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Originally Posted by Mgrae456 View Post
@Rogerha I hate to be that guy but since you are a hifi expert and I am a noobie would you please share the settings you find best for the b&w. Surround, mode, EQ, etc.
Will come back to you with that fella..... but don’t forget - it’s individual taste of course.
@Rogerha I understand your help will be greatly appreciated.
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      01-15-2021, 08:09 PM   #30
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Originally Posted by Rogerha View Post
Will come back to you with that fella..... but don’t forget - it’s individual taste of course.
And back to the original guidance in this posting... https://f92.bimmerpost.com/forums/sh...6&postcount=11. That said my only true desire with the iDrive memory settings is for it to support the B&W EQ as it changes based on the source material. Sure, I have a baseline that works best across the board for SiriusXM and my SSD FLAC sources but when I want to truly relish in the B&W audio on my FLAC sources I have Evernote notes with specific EQ settings for various albums I've spent the time to dial in.

Tonight's choice is a source I use to evaluate all audio gear for my hand picked home audio system, i.e., Rush's master audio release for A Farewell to Kings and specifically Xanadu. The reason being is it is an absolute master art work in sound tapestry with Neil Peart (#RIP #TheProfessor) and Alex Lifeson exercising any audio system to its greatest abilities to either shine or fail. I dialed in the EQ based on my Evernote note for the album, turned it up to 60 and relished in an amazing soundscape from the B&W audio in my M850i. For those out there still stating the B&W is not worth the $ or it doesn't have enough bass, etc. sorry you're all wrong.
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      01-15-2021, 09:56 PM   #31
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Originally Posted by bloozemanAZ View Post
And back to the original guidance in this posting... https://f92.bimmerpost.com/forums/sh...6&postcount=11. That said my only true desire with the iDrive memory settings is for it to support the B&W EQ as it changes based on the source material. Sure, I have a baseline that works best across the board for SiriusXM and my SSD FLAC sources but when I want to truly relish in the B&W audio on my FLAC sources I have Evernote notes with specific EQ settings for various albums I've spent the time to dial in.

Tonight's choice is a source I use to evaluate all audio gear for my hand picked home audio system, i.e., Rush's master audio release for A Farewell to Kings and specifically Xanadu. The reason being is it is an absolute master art work in sound tapestry with Neil Peart (#RIP #TheProfessor) and Alex Lifeson exercising any audio system to its greatest abilities to either shine or fail. I dialed in the EQ based on my Evernote note for the album, turned it up to 60 and relished in an amazing soundscape from the B&W audio in my M850i. For those out there still stating the B&W is not worth the $ or it doesn't have enough bass, etc. sorry you're all wrong.
Fly by Night and 2112 were high school staples along with everything Led Zeppelin, Pink Floyd, Steely Dan and Boston (even some Jean Luc Ponty's Enigmatic Ocean and Alan Parson's Project I Robot for good measure...saw Rush in concert in 1978...ah the good ole days. I miss my old bong, wonder whatever happened to that thing lol
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      01-16-2021, 04:18 AM   #32
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Originally Posted by Mgrae456 View Post
@Rogerha I understand your help will be greatly appreciated.
Well... I think bloozemanAZ has given you all the information you could ever need !
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      01-16-2021, 05:21 AM   #33
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@Rogerha I understand your help will be greatly appreciated.
Well... I think bloozemanAZ has given you all the information you could ever need !
I appreciate you both
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      01-16-2021, 07:23 AM   #34
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Originally Posted by bloozemanAZ View Post
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Originally Posted by Rogerha View Post
Will come back to you with that fella..... but don’t forget - it’s individual taste of course.
And back to the original guidance in this posting... https://f92.bimmerpost.com/forums/sh...8;postcount=11. That said my only true desire with the iDrive memory settings is for it to support the B&W EQ as it changes based on the source material. Sure, I have a baseline that works best across the board for SiriusXM and my SSD FLAC sources but when I want to truly relish in the B&W audio on my FLAC sources I have Evernote notes with specific EQ settings for various albums I've spent the time to dial in.

Tonight's choice is a source I use to evaluate all audio gear for my hand picked home audio system, i.e., Rush's master audio release for A Farewell to Kings and specifically Xanadu. The reason being is it is an absolute master art work in sound tapestry with Neil Peart (#RIP #TheProfessor) and Alex Lifeson exercising any audio system to its greatest abilities to either shine or fail. I dialed in the EQ based on my Evernote note for the album, turned it up to 60 and relished in an amazing soundscape from the B&W audio in my M850i. For those out there still stating the B&W is not worth the $ or it doesn't have enough bass, etc. sorry you're all wrong.
@bloozemanAZ last question I promise. What level on the surround intensity.
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      01-16-2021, 05:03 PM   #35
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Originally Posted by Mgrae456 View Post
@bloozemanAZ last question I promise. What level on the surround intensity.
Pretty sure I left that at default but will check the next time I'm in the car. The other tip is if you listen at low volume then Studio does slightly better for that. However, when you're 40% plus Concert is the way to go.
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      01-16-2021, 05:33 PM   #36
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Originally Posted by Mgrae456 View Post
@bloozemanAZ last question I promise. What level on the surround intensity.
Pretty sure I left that at default but will check the next time I'm in the car. The other tip is if you listen at low volume then Studio does slightly better for that. However, when you're 40% plus Concert is the way to go.
I just got home. West a difference bloozemanAZ thank you!!!!
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      01-17-2021, 11:55 PM   #37
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Originally Posted by waterhousej View Post
Hi

I recently purchased a new 840i with the B&W Hi-Fi option. I immediately noticed a low level crackling sound coming through the speakers even when the system is on mute. The sound isn’t very loud, and can’t really be heard when the engine is running and music playing, but it’s really annoying when the engine is switched off.

I took the car back to the dealer and they ran a diagnostics check but we’re unable to detect any fault. The salesman could hear the crackling and thought it was probably just a trait of the car but he didn’t have another 8 Series with the B&W Hi-Fi to see if the issue was common to all cars.

Has anyone else come across this issue?

Many thanks
Jimbo
My issue was more a whining noise that increased / decreased with acceleration. This was being caused by the engine noise reproduction software. The issue was fixed with a dealer software update.
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      01-20-2021, 08:24 PM   #38
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Originally Posted by RJC-1 View Post
Fly by Night and 2112 were high school staples along with everything Led Zeppelin, Pink Floyd, Steely Dan and Boston (even some Jean Luc Ponty's Enigmatic Ocean and Alan Parson's Project I Robot for good measure...saw Rush in concert in 1978...ah the good ole days. I miss my old bong, wonder whatever happened to that thing lol
Ah the irony as Fly by Night, 2112, Led Zeppelin (first 4 albums) and Pink Floyd (Animals, Dark Side of The Moon and Wish You Were Here) all currently live on my SSD. I rotate its content when I need a change of pace and when my jazz catalog hits that includes Jean Luc Ponty, Steely Dan, Thelonious Monk, Coltrane, etc. That said back to the desire for the BMW memory settings supporting the B&W EQ when I switch to my jazz catalog it requires EQ tweaks vs my core hard rock settings.
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      01-20-2021, 08:41 PM   #39
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Ah the irony as Fly by Night, 2112, Led Zeppelin (first 4 albums) and Pink Floyd (Animals, Dark Side of The Moon and Wish You Were Here) all currently live on my SSD. I rotate its content when I need a change of pace and when my jazz catalog hits that includes Jean Luc Ponty, Steely Dan, Thelonious Monk, Coltrane, etc. That said back to the desire for the BMW memory settings supporting the B&W EQ when I switch to my jazz catalog it requires EQ tweaks vs my core hard rock settings.
Have to add Stan Getz to the list, luv the Jazz Samba album he did with Charlie Byrd
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      01-21-2021, 12:22 PM   #40
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Originally Posted by RJC-1 View Post
Have to add Stan Getz to the list, luv the Jazz Samba album he did with Charlie Byrd
More like minded musical tastes as the "etc." includes Stan Getz. However, I do not have Jazz Samba but with the recommendation I just found it available on HD Tracks as a Verve Reissue release in 192kHz · 24bit FLAC.
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      01-21-2021, 09:28 PM   #41
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Originally Posted by bloozemanAZ View Post
More like minded musical tastes as the "etc." includes Stan Getz. However, I do not have Jazz Samba but with the recommendation I just found it available on HD Tracks as a Verve Reissue release in 192kHz · 24bit FLAC.
You'll luv it and I'd bet Mrs. Blooze will as well, my wifey does.
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Last edited by RJC-1; 01-21-2021 at 10:01 PM..
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      08-16-2023, 08:16 AM   #42
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waterhousej did you ever get a resolve to this? I have just noticed mine is doing exactly the same thing this morning - never noticed it before
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      08-16-2023, 06:18 PM   #43
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Originally Posted by RJC-1 View Post
Fly by Night and 2112 were high school staples along with everything Led Zeppelin, Pink Floyd, Steely Dan and Boston (even some Jean Luc Ponty's Enigmatic Ocean and Alan Parson's Project I Robot for good measure...saw Rush in concert in 1978...ah the good ole days. I miss my old bong, wonder whatever happened to that thing lol
You left your bong at my house....2 years ago.
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      08-16-2023, 07:00 PM   #44
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Yeah, also interested to learn what was the culprit with that 'crackling' noise. And does the fake engine noise really stop with the stereo off??? I really doubt it, but it'd be awesome if yes. Otherwise, I'd code it out. By the way, there should be 3 levels of fake noise volume, right? My G70 also has 3 levels, plus OFF, so not sure why BMW didn't include an off.
Finally, if the engine noise is reproduced by stereo speakers, doesn't that degrade the fidelity of the music? BMW should have put a dedicated speaker for that IMO. Oh well.
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