Dropped my 2010 MCS with Std Boost Radio off at my trusted car audio shop today. I am having the following components installed:

I am keeping the factory head unit and building out from there:

JL Cleansweep CL441-dsp OEM Interface (allows the ability to keep all factory head unit functions, steering wheel audio, bluetooth/USB adapter etc.)

JL Slash 300 4V2 4-Channel 300wt amp (one amp for everything)

JL Evolution C2-650 2-way Component Speaker System (installed in factory locations on doors, 6.5 Woofers, .75 Tweeters and Crossover Units)

JL Evolution TR690-TXi 3-Way Speakers (6x9s installed in factory rear seat area openings)

JL 10WOv2 Subwoofer Driver (10” subwoofer placed in enclosure/box to sit in boot behind back seats)

Misc installation kits, Stinger Roadkill noise-dampening material, etc.

I also bit the bullet and bought the BMW/MINI Factory Sirius Radio unit from my dealer who ran my VIN and said my MCS was factory pre-wired for the kit)

I am paying $2132.91 which includes GA Sales Tax and installation for all the JL components. I paid around $600.00 for the BMW/MINI Sirius Radio kit. Dealer Installation and Computer Reprogramming of Siruis was $300.00. So total upgrade cost a little less than $3000.00

I would have paid Crutchfield $1399.95 for the 5 JL Audio Components listed above, not including the Subwoofer Enclosure and misc kits and install products. JL Audio can only be installed by the end user or an Authorized JL Audio dealer. So my $2132.91 includes a dealer markup and installation cost of $732.96 over if I had bought the JL Audio components from Crutchfield and tried to install them myself.

I'll post how it all comes out and how I think it sounds. The Service Manager at MINI of South Atlanta is interested in seeing the car after everything's finished.

 

Looks like a great system. Aren't you missing a sub amp? The 4 channel I assume is driving the front and rear.

 

any reason why you didn't go with a dedicated and hidden sub box like the one from Urban Mini?

 

We're going to try a set up that JL Audio suggests where space is limited and the interior is small. There is only one four channel amp for everything, the door speakers and the rear 6x9's are going to be combined to run off 2 channels. Don't know exactly the correct audio terms but the remaining two channels will be switched and bridged together to send maximum output to the one 10" woofer. Since we're using the stock head unit which has no separate woofer control, the stock "fader" control will adjust the subwoofer. So increase the subwoofer volume by fading more towards the back of the car. When I stopped by the shop today to see how things were going the installer said there will be an additional way to adjust the subwoofer volume off the amp itself but I didn't hear what it was (maybe you can set the volume during calibration but cannot adjust it up or down, I don't know).

Just checked out the dedicated sub box from Urban Mini, that's a nice setup. The box we're using is much smaller and more like the wood with carpet sub boxes you see around, a little larger than the 10" sub itself which sits at an angle.

One installer has been working on the car all day today and hopes to get it finished by Saturday night.

 

He is probably running the front and back in parallel. The only problem with this is there will be no fade control and the back may be over powered and you will lose imaging up front. I would suggest ditching the rear speakers, or running the rears off the factory power.

 

Running the rears off the factory power sounds like a good idea, keep the clarity coming from the component speakers while the 6x9"s sort of augment the setup seeing how they will be not run thru the amp.

Have to see how it sounds tomorrow.

 

+1 I was doing something similar in mine. I had a Alpine PDX 2.150 running in parallel running both the front and rear speakers with no way of reducing the output of the rears.

Ended up ditching the amp and went for the PDX 5. Result is much better. I still can't fade with the head unit, but I manually adjusted the rear gain on the amp to be less than the front. Sounds much better. Plus it was getting annoying because all my sounds - such as audio when on a phone call and warning chimes now sound like they're from the front.

 

I stand corrected on the subwoofer. It just came in today and it is a JL Audio CS110RG-W3v3 which is a single 10W3v3-4 W3v3 series JL Audio subwoofer in a wedge shaped carpeted sub inclosure.

Install didn't get finished today so car will have to spend the Memorial Day Weekend inside the shop until Tuesday.

 

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i would chime here again to say i agree with ditching the rear speakers, or powering off the HU.

Run the front off Chanel 1 and 2 and then bridge 3=4 for the sub.

This would give you only 2 channel out of the cleansweep which is perfectly fine and how i run my cleensweep.

As for the ****, i do not use the ****...its a totall PIA...but if you do ecide its a must for you then a nice place to install it is on the center console...toward the back...or if you get lucky and have a talented installer...put it up in the cluster where your window and door locks are

good luck...can't wait to see pics.

 

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Got it back last week and have listened to it enough to say what I think about it. The install is completely hidden except for the sub-enclosure in the boot and the amp volume **** on the center console, very clean.

Nice clear crisp sound, volume can be maxed out with no distortion, although waaaaay too loud to listen to. Stayed with the 6 speakers running through 2 channels and the sub bridged to the other 2 channels.

CD's and Sirius radio sound best. MP3s played through the iPod on my iPhone tend to sound kind of "muddy" or the various sounds or instruments in a song sound too detached from each other if that makes any sense. This also changes when you choose a different iPod sound setting on the iPhone setting menu. Not sure if I like how the MP3s sound.

I don't use the volume on the HU although it will still adjust the sound level. I keep it at a halfway volume point and use the amp volume control to adjust my sound levels.

They took photos of the install, I haven't received them yet.

Also its been hard to compare this system to the one in my truck which has a 600w amp for the component speakers and a separate 400w amp dedicated to twin 10" subs.

 

What bit rate are the MP3s?

 

Not sure what you mean by bit rate, how do I look that up?

 

Just check out the mp3 on a pc, it will tell you the bitrate. Generally you want to be above 128kbs for reasonable sound quality. 192kbs is very common. Most say an mp3 is indistinguishable from a CD at 256kbs.

 

While I don't use an iPod/iPhone, my co-worker says that iTunes has an "info" option for each MP3 that will include bit rate in it's details.

Or, on a PC as mentioned above, you should be able to right-click to check the properties of the MP3. Choose the Summary tab and then the Advanced button. At least that's how to access it on XP.

It's debatable if anything over 128kbs is beneficial. But it would be interesting to see what you have and compare it to something sampled at a higher rate.

 

Actually I can hear the difference when you go up to the higher bit rates. MP3's are inferior compared to Red Book CD's anyway. With an MP3 you are NOT getting the fully digital information.

 

OK I checked it out and did a little unscientific test. I had downloaded a "regular" retail CD of Beatles Abbey Road on to my iPhone iPod via my macbook, it showed it was at 256kbs. I listened to a sample of it when my iPhone was connected to the HU. I then listened to the same track through the CD player with a new digitally remastered retail copy of the CD. I honestly could not tell any difference between the two. After listening to the new system and playing around with the settings I have to say I cannot reproduce the "muddiness" from MP3's as I had originally thought. So I'm happy with the results!

 

AAC (which iTunes uses, naming the files .m4a) is technically superior to the MP3 format. At identical bitrates, the AAC files will produce better sound.

Don't forget that our HUs are capable of playing AAC files, not just MP3s. Not just via an iPod or iPhone, but also via the USB port. 256k AAC is a VERY good format, and virtually impossible to distinguish from original CD content.

 

So can you play via flash/external drive?

 

Sounds like a nice setup, can't wait to see the pictures.

This is going to be random but if you have the old equipment could you weigh it? I want to go with an after market stereo at some point but don't want to add a lot of weight but I don't know how much comes out from the old speakers.

How long did the total install take?

 

Thats good to know. I remember my Mini salesman saying I could play music files off a flash drive or similar USB device. I've never figured out how to do it though.

 

It's in storage area in front of the cigarette lighter (on my 2009 at least). There's an audio input and a USB port attached to the top portion of the compartment. I believe the USB port has a sliding cover.