This is less of a question, or a how to, but just a narrative and review of the things I've done.

In the beginning, there was crap.
Sound started at the lowest point possible. An 02 with the base stereo. The highs were muted, the lows distorted, and no MP3 cd support. About the only thing it had going for it was a stock look.

Step 1: Some crap I had laying around.
The first step was to try to give the high end some life. So I grabbed the tweeters I had from a Focal 165v1 component set. Even on the weak deck amp, the difference was wonderful, the highs became much brighter and crisp, and it also gave me the chance to put small patches of dynomat around the plastic clips to stop minor buzzes.

Step 2: speaker replacement round 1
Now it was time to spend some money. Random shopping, and some blind listening produced the 1st round of speakers. Up front, I choose some Boston Acoustic SX55 5 1/4" 2-ways, and in the back was a pair of Pioneer TS-D691R 6x9" 2-ways. The results were pretty damn good. The low end was much fuller, and the whole range just sounded clearer. But the Boston's just weren't right.

Step 2.5: Bye bye Boston.
After tracking down the problem to those damn Boston Acoustics, I set on a plan to replace them. The plan ended in a pair of Infinity Kappa 52.7I's. In a word, wow. Everything I hated about the BA's was gone, just plain gone. I'll recommend the entire line of Infinity Kappa's to anyone, I've even thought of replacing the 6x9's with kappa's to match, but the pioneers are working fine enough to not need it.

Step 3: Head Unit.
By now, I had a pretty good sounding system, but the limitations of the stock deck were really starting to get to me. Lack of an EQ, no MP3 cd, weak amp all lead me to one conclusion: it had to go. So after a VERY long time, I finally found a HU. The Alpine CDA-9885. There were a couple reasons I choose it. It had a relatively stock appearance compared to most of the other ones, including red lighting, where most others were blue. The other main reason was the reputation for quality that alpine has had for years. I'll post pics later of there's demand, but the look is pretty damn good, not totally out of place, but not a perfect fit. The sound: amazing. For all the features, and the quality, I'm very pleased with it, and it's ipod integration is second to none. If you're looking for a new HU, take a very close look at this one.

Step 4: More bounce to the ounce.
Now that I've upgraded everything, and gained nifty RCA outputs, it was time to look for a subwoofer. As I'm sure most know, there's really 3 ways to go if you want bass, and don't want to take up the whole trunk. Those three are: 1. Custom Fiberglass, very expensive and/or time consuming, but in the end, you get exactly what you want, hopefully. 2. The JL audio Stealthbox, still a bit spendy, but tons of R&D, and great fit and finish. 3. Infinity Basslink, Small, integrated amp, priced right. So of course I went with the basslink. My review? It's perfectly small, easy to install, and fills in the low end. However, it just doesn't sound right. The bass just doesn't sound like it should, it makes noise, and fills the cabin, but the sound is just never right. I kept this for a few months, until...

Step 5: More....
I just got tired of the basslink, it just didn't sound right. So the choice was either find a shop I thought was good enough to do a custom fiberglass job, or the stealthbox. I of course went with the JL Audio Stealthbox. Mainly because I didn't want to chance a bad job, and pay too much for it. With the stealthbox, you got something that was designed not only to fit, but to sound amazing in the MINI. For power, I went with the Alpine PDX-2.150. It produces the recommended 300watts bridged, and the size it just perfect for the mini. I installed it under the driver seat, removing the foam block for a nice stealth installation. The result: The bass finally sounds right, kick drum hits sound deep and resonant, the accuracy is spot on, and if pushed, it can be felt right in the chest. All in all, if you want some serious low end, and still value cargo capacity, the stealthbox is where it's at.

Step 6-?: The road ahead
So whats' next? Two things that I can see. the 1st in DYNOMAT. Or some other type of sound deadening. With all the new sound, the MINI is starting to rattle like no ones business. A roll applied in the right location will not only stop the rattling, but will also increase the fidelity of the entire system. After that, it's time for a 4 channel amp to actually give the speakers the power that they're rated for. Most likely it'll be the Alpine PDX 4.100.

Well, that's all, if you've made it this far, go to the store, and buy yourself a cookie, you've earned it. If you have any questions about that I've written, just ask and I'll try to answer them to the best of my ability.

 

great narrative!

 

You might have inspired me to write my own story.... thanks!

Do you have a pic of the PDX under the drivers seat, with the foam removed... ?

 

Honestly, no, and I probably won't until I can figure out a way to clean up the install, as it's pretty rough. It's not show quality, but it's also not visible at all.


Also bumping this to the top for the people who might've missed it.