Can anyone comment on the quality of the radio/Cd not upgraded one. I heard that the upgraded unit (which I think is mostly speakers and amp) won't be ready until September which pushes me way down in the queue.

 

On my last test drive I made a point to listen to the radio.
For being the base system it sounded great.
I didn't turn it up too lound because the saleslady was with me but from what I could tell it sounded good.
Nice bass..... somewhat clean treble..... It did sound like it may distort a bit at higher volumes though.
SW

 

stock radio ? is there a point? when there is rockford/fosgate. the back seats can be easilyhollowed out for power amps and with the average 12" box your left with about an inch of trunk space on either side

 

I've been pleasantly surprised by the sound quality of the base radio. I've not heard the premium one, but the base sysytem on my MINI is very good overall. The CD player and radio work flawlessly and having controls on the back of the steering wheel makes it even more fun!

 

Anyone know what the size of the stock speakers are?...both front and rear? Anyone care to measure? Thanks.

 

I've read that the back speakers are 6"x9"s. Not sure about the fronts though.
To me they look like 6.5's.
Side note: Looks like there may be a depth issue for the front speakers.
I've seen builds where they had to put in spacers to make the speakers fit.
SW

 

Many companies make shallow speaker applications for cars like these. The magnet just dosen't stick as far back. If it is an issue, I would definatly reccomend a set of these. I know that Infinity Kappa's can be bought in the shallow 6.5"

 

A nice upgrade to this stereo is the Kenwood WooX system - I heard one in a small hatch back and for the $$$, I couldn't believe how much low end you get. It is also amp'd - I'll be adding this to the stock stereo in my Mini.

 

Although the sound of the stock unit is good..... I will be upgrading my MINI..... When I get it.

Currently I have MB Quarts all around. I'll be putting those in.
I have an Old Rockford Fosgate Head unit that I will probably bring over too.
The only thing I won't be adding is my sub. I have a RF Power DVC 12" with a RF Power 200.2 700watt amp pushing it. When I finally get my MINI this will be up for sale.
It will be a while before I get it but when I do I will post the sub and amp for sale in the Marketplace forum.

I'm still trying to figure out a way to get some bass..... with out taking up the entire cargo area. Anyone ever try those Bass Shakers?

SW

 

I really want to put my sub's in the Mini but I want to keep the original CD player because I like the fact I can use the controls on the steering wheel.

Does anyone know of a way I can connect my amp to the stock head unit without compramising the sound ?

 

To my knowledge.... there is no way to do so.
But thank you for bringing up that point. For the longest time now I've been building my MINI at the MINIUSA site with the optional steering wheel upgrade.

I don't want to give up my cruise control but don't need the stereo features if I'm going after market.

Correct me if I'm wrong but does this mean I have to pay 350.00 for cruise and useless buttons? :evil:

SW

 

That is what I am thinking too. I ordered mine with the wheel mainly for the cruise but also for the contorls on the wheel. It is a handy thing to have as I tried them out when I took the car for a test drive. I would like to be able to keep it. It costs $700 AUS here to upgrade the wheel, so it is not cheep.

I will search the net to see if there is anything I can do to keep the original stereo.

 

They make amps that allow you to use regular speaker wire as the imputs, so the stock radio would still work, but they aren't normally rated very high. I really like the steering wheel controls, so I most likely will end up just keeping the stock radio. I might go for the HK upgrade, but I find that premium stereos are hardley ever worth the money you pay for them. I don't even listen to loud music anymore anyway.

 

most amps and electronic crossovers come with high level inputs - which is regular speaker wires, not RCA cables. I have a coustic crossover, an eclipse amp and a phoenix gold amp and they all have high level inputs. I did use them a while ago, but not recently, so i don't remember how well it works. That's what i was going to do to get a sub in my mini when i get it. Just go talk to a car audio shop and see what they say, they'll know the best

 

I just got my Cooper this week and it has the standard CD. It sounds very good, plenty of bass and nice upper end out of the tweeters. If you set both tone controls to the max and then crank it up it does distort, but if you are into music and want a good stereo I think it is a great choice. If you want window shakin volume its not for you.

The controls on the steering wheel are great, I don't mind the little volume button because I rarely use it now.

 

>>Can anyone comment on the quality of the radio/Cd not upgraded one. I heard that the upgraded unit (which I think is mostly speakers and amp) won't be ready until September which pushes me way down in the queue.

Just like with BMW upgrade on the Harmon Kardon, you get the 2 extra speaker and a slightly more powerful amp. It does sound a little better than the standard stereo, but the Mid's and tweeters are the same on the stock unit as they are on the upgrade. As you can see, there are a lot of different things you can do with the aftermaket speaker and amp division. However, keep in mind that if you hack into the factory wires and it causes a problem with the electrical, you could be faced with a "voided" warranty if they find that to be the cause of a problem.

 

>>I really want to put my sub's in the Mini but I want to keep the original CD player because I like the fact I can use the controls on the steering wheel.
>>
>>Does anyone know of a way I can connect my amp to the stock head unit without compramising the sound ?

Actually Cooooper, you can connect your amp to the standard stereo without comprimizing the use of you steering wheel controls. You just replace the standard amp with the new amp, so long as your new amp isn't too big to fit in that area

 

Check this little device out. HERE
It looks like you can put a different head unit in and then use this device to tune the Buttons on the wheel to your new player. It is a good idea if you are considering changing it.

Sounds like a good idea KiwiThunder but how do you replace the amp ? I thought it was acutally in the head unit itself or does the Mini come with a seperate amp ?

_________________
Time stops for no one.... But people always stop to look at a MINI

 

does anybody know the make of the base system?

 

The head unit is made by Alpine.

 

>>The head unit is made by Alpine.

how did you know it's made by Alpine? that kicks *** if so.. anyhoo, the following is info i recieved from Emily in customer relations on the H/K upgrade:
Hi Jeff, thanks for writing in.
So, I take it you're one of those people who likes to listen to the radio while you motor? I'll give you all the info I can.
The system is tailored to provide the highest quality audio environment in every seating position. The base speakers are replaced by a branded harman/kardon system, consisting of eight speakers and supplemented by a digital amplifier.
The speakers occupy the same positions as before but the tweeters are replaced by mid-tweeter co-axial speakers, while the rear speakers become dual coil and focus purely on the low bass and sub-bass frequencies.
I'm not a stereo person--so I don't know if this is the info you're looking for or more like a sales pitch. You may want to check with your MINI dealer for more information.

Good luck, and LET'S MOTOR.

 

Can I ask - exactly what controls are on the steering wheel that comes with the premium package? can you change CD tracks and inc/dec volume? That's all i would really need it for...

Thanks,
Darren

 

>>A nice upgrade to this stereo is the Kenwood WooX system - I heard one in a small hatch back and for the $$$, I couldn't believe how much low end you get. It is also amp'd - I'll be adding this to the stock stereo in my Mini.
>>
>>

Yo BP,
How will you be hooking this up to the stock system? Does it hook up via RCA jacks?
Anywho who knows about the existance of RCA jacks on the stock CD player please let me know.

 

>>Yo BP,
>>How will you be hooking this up to the stock system? Does it hook up via RCA jacks?
>>Anywho who knows about the existance of RCA jacks on the stock CD player please let me know.

From what I've read here and elsewhere, the stock radio doesn't have RCA jacks for an amplifier. BUT, after doing some investigating on the Kenwood WooX system, I know that it has speaker level inputs. I think I'll get one and just tie in to the rear drivers side speaker for an input into the Kenwood powered sub. And by putting it on the drivers side, I leave myself room for a CD changer on the passenger side of the "boot".

 

>>Can I ask - exactly what controls are on the steering wheel that comes with the premium package? can you change CD tracks and inc/dec volume? That's all i would really need it for...
>>
>>Thanks,
>>Darren

there are six buttons, three on each side. from memory - it's...

left hand side
top button - up cd track / up radio preset
middle button - change disc (if you have cd changer)
bottom button - down cd track / down radio preset

right hand side
top button - up volume
middle button - change between cd / radio
bottom button - down volume

or something like that