ok. i have yet still need to purchase a MINI *sorry*

but alot of my friends get badass speaker and sub sets.

they say ooh its this and that, blah blah. frankly, all i know is if it beats hard or not.

from your (alls) personal experience, what are some good things to get to go in the BACK of a MINI cooper S? installing would be an issue, since i am not going to do it myself.

i did NOT use the search command n crap, because i wanted insight from a mass of people on this certain topic.

if possible, compare it on a rating scale or such....like wal-mart speaker on a 1-10 i'd ASSUME are like a 2.



PS: websites are always good to check it out on my own. I live in IL near stl

 

>>but alot of my friends get badass speaker and sub sets.
>>
>>they say ooh its this and that, blah blah. frankly, all i know is if it beats hard or not.
>>
>>from your (alls) personal experience, what are some good things to get to go in the BACK of a MINI cooper S? installing would be an issue, since i am not going to do it myself.
>>

Hello,

Well I'll add my post about this subject here for you to give you an idea of what I've done for my system just days after getting my MINI: 06-21-03

Whoohooo!!!!!!!!!!!!!!Pooky Jr.'s audio system is complete! It sound awesome, better than expected. I actually kept the head unit and the HK SPEAKERS but did not use the HK amp. I emailed this to Minihune just some minutes ago:

The installer(s) had been working on it from 1p.m. this afternoon til' 8p.m. and the sound was incredible. The HK's sound much crisper, not Infinity or MB Quarts quality...but damn close to it. And the JL stealthbox gave more bass than I would have ever expected from any top of the line single subwoofer box. This definitely beats most setups for the money. With the HK head unit and HK's speakers intact, the ZAPCOs 350 and 360 amps, new wiring for all speakers, connectors, adaptors, analog subwoofer **** dial, JL audio stealthbox, Farad cap, and installation came to a total of $1900.00. I think the cost was reasonable for the great job the shop did. I am very happy.

If you guys notice that on most MINIs there's a missing "toggle" switch in the row of toggles? Well, my installer asked my where would I like to put the JL sub woofer's gain/volume **** (dial) from the ZAPCO 350 amp. I told him if they could install it where the blank toggle switch is at. He said it shouldn't be a problem...and it worked! No more blank toggle space!

And the best part is that the upgrades are not noticeable. Here's some pics:

 

how much total did you pay for this system?

did you buy wholesale or from ebay?

was the installer a friend?

 

>>ok. i have yet still need to purchase a MINI *sorry*

Not a problem.

>>but alot of my friends get badass speaker and sub sets.

Yes, this is common. But for what reason?

>>they say ooh its this and that, blah blah. frankly, all i know is if it beats hard or not.

They are just telling you they like it. Maybe they are getting technical. You are correct- if you like it then that is all that really counts. Trust your ears and that swishy blobby thing and lies between them.

>>from your (alls) personal experience, what are some good things to get to go in the BACK of a MINI cooper S? installing would be an issue, since i am not going to do it myself.

Here we need a little clarification.
"what are some good things to get to go in the BACK of a MINI cooper S?"
Whatever fits in a MCS will fit in an MC. Are you saying you are planning to get an MCS?
What does the back of the car have to do with some good things? There is a boot or trunk area which allows some space for audio upgrades. But in the MCS it is one of the few places for storage so one strategy is to do upgrades that do not interfere or encroach on space as much. Maybe a little.
Help us- do you want advice on a new head unit (CD player, cassette player, MP3 player, DVD player?), amps-( 2 channel, 4 channel, mono amps, pairs of amps?), speakers (front- component vs fullrange, 5.25" vs larger with adapters, rear (6x9 standard or something different), custom speaker boxes for the boot (sub with or without amp),
or additional equiptment like DSP, equalizers, multiple CD changers, TV tuners, etc.

>>i did NOT use the search command n crap, because i wanted insight from a mass of people on this certain topic.

The mass of people have already posted about everything we are about to discuss. Perhaps looking at a thread or two would be the best place to start and we can build on that. Most of us have invested from $1000 to $6000 on upgrades to audio/video so we have lots of opinions. Ultimately you must decide what is your budget and what is your strategy.

>>if possible, compare it on a rating scale or such....like wal-mart speaker on a 1-10 i'd ASSUME are like a 2.
>>
Custom audio or video with the works-9 or 10: relative cost I have seen $5000 to $12,000 easy. Not much room left in the car once everything is done, weighs a ton, not for serious racing. sounds more than great- it's excessive. Takes about a week or more to install. You need an excellent pro audio shop to do it well.

Custom Audio--7 to 8: changing out everything stock from the cooper. Replace the headunit, speakers front and rear, add an amp and a sub, do the crossovers, and more. Est cost $2000 to $4000 easy. Takes a few days to install. Separate sub makes it sound better. Options include JL stealthbox, Infinity Basslink or custom Sub with enclosure.

Harmon Kardon audio upgrade for MINI- 6- Overall it is good, very good. Maybe almost a 7.

BOSE system upgrades in stock cars- 4-7 depending on model. These don't last and are prone to breakdowns.

Stock MINI radio at least a 4- It is OK for most people.

Stock radio in most cars uncluding some so called upgrades- 0 to 3. Walmart speakers=2
>>
>>PS: websites are always good to check it out on my own. I live in IL near stl
Product websites will give you info on their products in general.
We can provide info on how those same products work in the MC or MCS. How easy was it to install, how easy to use, problems or issues, how well something worked with something else, etc. There will always be some hype and opinions vary alot. Take everything with a grain of salt and spend the time you have to do some planning.

So your first assignment is to go out and test drive the MC or MCS of your choice. With audio you must take a few of your own CDs where you know the music really well. Play those CDs at the loudness you normally play them at in the Cooper with the stock radio and with the Harmon Kardon upgrade.

Then come back and post what you thought about it at this thread. The stock radio/CD might be good enough. It isn't bad and most people keep it. If that is not enough then the HK upgrade for $550 is not bad at all. But some people don't like it or are looking for more (only you can determine more of what?). In my opinion you need to take a really hard look at the HK system and see if that $550 isn't the best upgrade in audio that will do the job for you. One really good thing about it is that it is definitely better than the stock audio. Good enough to buy you more time to think and sort out your plans, more time to save up for a much bigger upgrade, more experience listening to music in your car, and like Pooky13, you can build on the components of the HK system if you want. The stock radio and HK both have capability for aux audio in- feeds music from an MP3/MD/CD player into the speakers.

We would love to hear from you. Take care.

 

>>how much total did you pay for this system?

Pooky13 mentioned she paid about $1900 and kept her HK speakers and headunit.
I added Nakamichi CD-400 CD player for headunit, MB Quart speakers Front (DSD 213 comes with tweeter and crossovers) and rear (DKC 169), Xtant 4.4i amp (55 watts x 4 channels), and JL steathbox Sub. Installed price about $2500.

>>did you buy wholesale or from ebay?
Neither of us bought at Wholesale or ebay. Some items cannot be sold on the internet like the JL stealthbox and even if you could get wholesale or internet prices once the audio shop installs your part the warranty is only one year at best. If the shop sells you the parts and installs them then the warranty can be 3 to 4 years parts and labor- terms vary from shop to shop. It's just like your new car warranty. Ebay is questionable unless you know who is the seller and do they back up the product in case of trouble. If an installer at a shop finds something wrong then they pull another part right then. If you bring in the part and it is wrong or doesn't work then you must replace the part yourself. It's risky. Is the risk worth it and is the warranty worth something to you. Take your pick.

>>was the installer a friend?
I was referred to my pro audio shop from other happy MINI owners. I would call my installer a friend now after spending so much time there. They do professional work and will charge professional rates. In a MINI it is easy to screw up the electrical parts and cause tons of damage. One MINI I know had to be totally rewired after a mess up in someone adding an alarm. Took almost a month and 60 hours of labor- Yikes.

Some people have lots of stereo install experience and have friends that can get them wholesale prices- that is great but for most of us we cannot get much of a deal except if you do work with one shop sometimes there can be a discount on the entire package or at least they know you and might cut a deal.

 

yet again you offer ungodly insight on everything minihume

i have yet to test drive a mini, i am hoping this weekend i can *if they allow 17 year olds with both parents to test drive*.

i plan on getting a MCS, no way around it.

i am just really wanting, to quote ya mini on what am i wanting:

1. a pair of good speakers. i have yet to check the stock on the MCS, but who knows.

2. a good pair *2* of subs.

3. as for headunit, tweeter, etc. i have no clue whatcha mean, as i was never into cars into just really. computers are more my thing so i knew what i wanted in the new computer i custom made. =P

with that said i assume i can do some research on my own about what they do, but i know i prolly need a AMP for the subs from what i have heard here and from friends.

 

>>yet again you offer ungodly insight on everything minihume

OK, I think I can help you sort things out better. It doesn't matter what type of music you like.
The audio system should deliver what you want and it will be apparent if it does the job or not.

>>i have yet to test drive a mini, i am hoping this weekend i can *if they allow 17 year olds with both parents to test drive*.

Yes, bring you parent(s) and tell the dealer you are in contact with other MINI owners. In the US this site is the most active online site for MINI owners bar none.
The other great support sites are MINI2.com and Roadfly.com and worth checking. What you want to do in a roadtest is to drive the car and listen to the radio when the car is going. Don't be afraid to try the stereo out like you would use it when you actually drive. This is a REAL test. Don't be shy.
Here is why. In the quiet showroom you get to hear the music without all the noises from driving but when you drive is the time when you want the music to be at it's best. SO the real test is with all of the outside and engine noise, will the stereo play your music the way you want? Only you can answer this. Hence the roadtest is very important. You might even need several roadtests before you can tell.

>>i plan on getting a MCS, no way around it.

This is your choice but I will say that though I am a happy owner of an MCS. I was a fool not to have driven the MC in 5 speed and CVT more before I bought.
Why, because all MINIs are dam good and deserve to be looked at. You open up additional possibilities of finding the right one if you look at both MC or MCS- due to the color and option combinations and availability- I was looking for something in stock. When limited to MCS only then the number in stock droped alot for me. If you are ordering one then it doesn't matter as much but I think the wait time is longer for MCS at my dealer.

>>i am just really wanting, to quote ya mini on what am i wanting:
>>
>>1. a pair of good speakers. i have yet to check the stock on the MCS, but who knows.

In fact the front speakers (a 5.25" mid range/woofer and 3/4" tweeter (handles the high notes)) which are separated by crossover (electronics and wires that limit the signal to each speaker on purpose)do most of the work for those in the front seats. This is the source of most of the music sound the driver can hear. The rear speakers do some fill in work but are for the basic benefit of the passengers back there.

The stock radio/CD player is good. Better than most cars. After I did speaker upgrades ($600 worth) I went back and listened to the stock system. My upgrades were a little better than the stock system but not much. Why? because I did not have the power to run the better speakers to get the potentially better sound. I was using the stock radio (head unit) which had limited power. Changing speakers resulted in speaker upgrades but they were less efficient - i.e. more power was needed to drive the speaker to get the same volume. Not good. If I played the music louder I would just get distortion. So a speaker upgrade is only good if you add power or an amplifier or if the speakers are more efficient than the stock speakers (not likely since the stock speakers are good in efficiency- I had an audio engineer test them and he confirmed this).

>>2. a good pair *2* of subs.

I assume you mean to say you wish to add two subwoofers for the back. While this is possible you will spend alot to do it and it will take up nearly all of the boot space and then you won't have much room to store things. This is fine if you have a big budget ($1000+) or no desire for storage or both. You can spend less but you will get less. I would say that for a MINI two subs is overkill but can be done- it just benefits the shop that installs it for you. More reasonable would be one 10" sub or max two 10" subs. 12" subs require more clean power so bigger more costly amp which is more money and takes up more space.

>>3. as for headunit, tweeter, etc. i have no clue whatcha mean, as i was never into cars into just really. computers are more my thing so i knew what i wanted in the new computer i custom made. =P

The headunit is the dash mounted radio/CD player. Tweeter is the small speaker in the front door on each side near the door pull. Most of this stuff is basic. If you understand computers you can learn the jargon of car stereo. I will see if I can find you a good site to learn more.

>>with that said i assume i can do some research on my own about what they do, but i know i prolly need a AMP for the subs from what i have heard here and from friends.

So far based on what we have discussed this is what I recommend.

Do a test drive. MCS if you like. Doesn't really matter so just drive something. The noise in each car is similar and the stock stereo and the HK upgrade is the same in each car. First drive the car with stock stereo- don't drive one with HK. You are trying to get the feel of the stock stereo- if it suits you needs then it is $550 less and then you can spend the money doing other upgrades to enhance the stock stereo. Bring music CDs of high quality that you like. Figure out at least two songs that you can tell if the stereo is any good right away. If you burn your own CDs the music will not be as good a recording- be careful to judge stereo based on these CDs. Next drive a MINI with Harmon Kardon but you will need to do some adjustments to the settings to get the sound just right.
Read this thread and go to the tutorial page
https://www.northamericanmotoring.co...ic=9562&15
and mark down the recommened settings and then enter them into the HK system then play your test CDs. Check out the sound and see if you like it any better than the stock system. For the extra $550 it is worth it for most people but not people like it. I think it is pretty good. I would have saved myself about $2000 by getting this option but it was not available for me or I would have to wait 5-6 months to get it ordered.

Once you listen to both stock and HK systems then post your results here on this thread and then we will discuss options which include:

IF you listen to the stock radio and find it is OK but lacks the pounding bass that you want then add a subwoofer. If on a budget and you don't mind a limited upgrade the best small addition would be the Infinity BassLink sub which is a powered subwoofer. Circuit city has it on sale now for $269 plus installation. For some people this is all you need. Lots more bass and it rounds out the total sound. You can stop and just enjoy. Less is spent. If you want bigger bass then you will need either the JL stealthbox sub or a custom sub with enclosure. The JL is made for the MINI's boot while the custom job has to be measured and made for you. Results and prices may vary with the installer. The JL product is made specifically for the MINI and tuned for it but it is the sub only and needs a separate amplifier. More cost. If it is a 4 channel amp then you can drive the sub with 2 of the channels bridged together and save the other 2 channels to drive your front speakers, while your rear speakers get power from the radio/CD player or headunit. This set up with the JL or custom sub and amp is going to run alot more than the basslink. about $700 or more depending on the amp. The intent of this series of upgrades is to enhance the subs to give more clean bass, Probably the midrange and highs are handled OK with the stock system for your music.

If the HK system sounds OK then great you can stop there and even add the same Sub upgrades like the JL stealthbox or custom sub and amp later. But the HK is tuned to give you more bass than the stock system already so it might be enough for you. Remember when you said you were looking to add two subs in the rear- well that is what HK is doing. It is using the two rear speakers that have dual voice coils to do the work of subs- x 2 to enhance the bass sound just like a sub would but to a lesser extent- at least that is the intent by HK. For most people this works very well. Don't worry about getting all the settings right- you can fine tune it later.

This is enough to get you started. Be sure to bring you CDs to test. Do not test with the radio which is lousy depending on reception.
Good luck.


_________________
ALOHA

 

and minihume comes through YET again.

 

minihune pretty much hit it right on, i would say.

basically, i would ask around first. either stereo shops that have worked on mini's or do great customer satisfaction or great customized sounds. or ideally all 3.

budget would be considered a close second. the first thing they'll probably ask you is what kind of budget you're looking at. i intended on spending $3k on my p/u, but ended up spending $5k on total customized stuff. after listening to the shops' ideas, i went with it. at least i was in the ball park, kinda.

as for brands...you can have ideas based on car audio mags and friends recommendations. but really, once you choose a shop, they will have only so many brands available. and since they know their brands, hopefully, they would have a better feel for what would fit your needs, especially if you are new to the car audio scene. also, they are more skilled at installing their brands, and likely offer the full warranty when installing their brands. warranty is very key, as problems can pop up anywhere, anytime. this is also why i would highly recommend staying with 1 shop only. putting a whole system together is more complicated than we could possibly imagine. wiring, proper quality connectors, location, safety, not frying your electrical system, draining your battery, background noise, etc. the list of possible problems is endless. stay with 1 shop for everything.

but first...check out the stock stereo, then the hk system. that may be all you need. of course, bring your own cd's to crank up while driving. that's the only way to test it out. under real conditions. especially since the mini's are not all that road noise proof.

as for me...don't have one yet. for now it's stock. didn't get hk's cause i knew i wouldn't be satisfied with them and i would eventually upgrade. save $500+ right there. basically plan ahead. test it out. plan for upgrade to hk's if you like it. if not, don't get it, cause you're gonna upgrade anyways.

i do plan on spending $3500+ eventually. basically new h/u, new speakers both fronts and rear, 1 large amp 5-way to power all speakers and box, sub(s) including box if custom or jl stealthbox, combo cap/mini battery (apparently a relatively new thing) that eases your mind from draining the main battery, customized amp mounting or rack, and the extras like wiring, connectors, fuse, etc. of course, this is a little over the top cause i'm paying for the 'look', as well as the sound.

oh yeah, decide on your trunk space - need it or lose it. or half it. this will decide your sub setup, which will decide your amp needs, which will ultimately decide your cost.

you can get good highs and mids for a reasonable price - quality 4 channel amp with good aftermarket speakers - $1100. add quality h/u - $500. add drop-in jl sub and extra amp with extras - $1000. add custom sub box with xtra amp and xtras and probable 2 amp set up - $1500+ (subtract the previous $1000), depending on number of subs and power requirements and box material. of course, this includes installation.

above all else, be patient. dont' rush into things. it is far better in the long run to save and plan accordingly.

 

OK, Between my posts and kbseto - you have enough info to get started.
Here is a basics site but you can find your own by searching in google.com
http://www.caraudiohelp.com/car_audi...dio_basics.htm

>>basically, i would ask around first. either stereo shops that have worked on mini's or do great customer satisfaction or great customized sounds. or ideally all 3.

Every shop and every person is biased. They know what they stock or what they have installed best. But they don't really know what other things are that might also work- at least not as well. Someone that might know would be a person that has worked for many years in the car audio industry or has worked in different shops. Things change all the time and product lines vary- you pay for name recognition and sometimes the prices are low because the products are OK sounding but fail more easily.

I paid more to get better quality and doesn't have a high chance of failing. Also with a longer three or four year warranty my Audioshop will stand by their work. Hopefully they stay in business- some shops close. So sometimes you see these high prices and think- OH I can buy this cheaper- well you can but you are taking more risk. Your choice.

>>budget would be considered a close second. the first thing they'll probably ask you is what kind of budget you're looking at. i intended on spending $3k on my p/u, but ended up spending $5k on total customized stuff. after listening to the shops' ideas, i went with it. at least i was in the ball park, kinda.

Budget is really important. Always spend less if you can once you find the sound that you can be happy with. The best and cheapest option is to listen to the stock radio and if it suits you stop there. It comes with the car and is much better than average for car stereos. The vast majority of MINI owners keep their stock systems and that is it.
HK is a good option for just $550 more but you have to listen to it and make sure that it sounds good to you.

>>as for brands...you can have ideas based on car audio mags and friends recommendations. but really, once you choose a shop, they will have only so many brands available. and since they know their brands, hopefully, they would have a better feel for what would fit your needs, especially if you are new to the car audio scene. also, they are more skilled at installing their brands, and likely offer the full warranty when installing their brands. warranty is very key, as problems can pop up anywhere, anytime. this is also why i would highly recommend staying with 1 shop only. putting a whole system together is more complicated than we could possibly imagine. wiring, proper quality connectors, location, safety, not frying your electrical system, draining your battery, background noise, etc. the list of possible problems is endless. stay with 1 shop for everything.

Working with one shop is a very good thing. They know what they have done and they build onto the system in a coordinated way. Parts are better matched and they know what the potential electrical problems are from experience.
Also find a shop that has done lots of work on MINIs. These are not your average cars- they are complex and like most 3-series BMWs they are a pain to troubleshoot and do things right. So if you like to do things yourself and you are a first timer- this is not a good car to practice on. You can do lots of electrical damage.

>>but first...check out the stock stereo, then the hk system. that may be all you need. of course, bring your own cd's to crank up while driving. that's the only way to test it out. under real conditions. especially since the mini's are not all that road noise proof.
>>
>>as for me...don't have one yet. for now it's stock. didn't get hk's cause i knew i wouldn't be satisfied with them and i would eventually upgrade. save $500+ right there. basically plan ahead. test it out. plan for upgrade to hk's if you like it. if not, don't get it, cause you're gonna upgrade anyways.
>>
>>i do plan on spending $3500+ eventually. basically new h/u, new speakers both fronts and rear, 1 large amp 5-way to power all speakers and box, sub(s) including box if custom or jl stealthbox, combo cap/mini battery (apparently a relatively new thing) that eases your mind from draining the main battery, customized amp mounting or rack, and the extras like wiring, connectors, fuse, etc. of course, this is a little over the top cause i'm paying for the 'look', as well as the sound.
>>
>>oh yeah, decide on your trunk space - need it or lose it. or half it. this will decide your sub setup, which will decide your amp needs, which will ultimately decide your cost.

This is an important point. Is the trunk or boot a place you need for storage. If so then plan ahead to save as much of it as possible. If not then more options are available.
>>you can get good highs and mids for a reasonable price - quality 4 channel amp with good aftermarket speakers - $1100. add quality h/u - $500. add drop-in jl sub and extra amp with extras - $1000. add custom sub box with xtra amp and xtras and probable 2 amp set up - $1500+ (subtract the previous $1000), depending on number of subs and power requirements and box material. of course, this includes installation.
>>
>>above all else, be patient. dont' rush into things. it is far better in the long run to save and plan accordingly.

Absolutely. You do have time so do some homework and listen to some systems in other people's minis.
And also know what is the bias of each person. For me, I am not an audiophile but I do appreciate good audio systems and this is the first car I have done this much work and it is pretty exciting stuff. I did my upgrades one at a time.
I did:
1.First stock audio-played it continuously for a week or two. (listened to the stock system in the showroom and on test drives earlier). Tried nearly all my test CDs. Got a feel for what it could do.
2. Added MBQuart speakers front and rear only- kept everything else stock. Played this for over two months. Then went back to the stock audio in a loaner car and spent a day listening to that more. Then back to the dealer to listen to HK extensively. Speakers only addition didn't do much more for the audio sound- the limitation of the amp from the headunit was the main reason plus the upgraded speakers were less efficient than the stock ones so I needed more power to drive them and get any improved sound.
3. Added an Amp (4 channel x 55 Watts)- this powered fronts and rears- still kept the headunit (radio and CD player). This helped alot- great upgrade. Lots of clean power. Now think. More power sending the music cleaner and better to the speakers-OK, but now when I listened my old CDs I could hear that some CDs were absolutely junk and others were fantastic recordings. So this additional allowed me to hear the difference in each recording. So now I cannot play junk- it simply sounds horrible. Why-because you are amplifying poor sound and you will hear that difference. The other thing I noticed is that the quality of the CD player/radio limits the quality of the sound you hear since it just all amplified through the system passively.
4. Added the Nakamichi CD-400 CD player/radio, A basic and clean no nonsense design that upgrades the quality of the CD player and radio to "match" the rest of the system and adds a few things- 50Watts x 4 additional power (functions like a secondary amp and later used to drive the rear speakers), gives RCA ports to allow audio input from an external device like MP3,ipod,MD,CD,DVD portable players. Allows separate subwoofer volume control from the deck and controls for treble, midrange, and bass. Allows for various light illumination colors from green to amber and up to 4 combinations of colors- this matches the front dash of the MINI. I played this set up for about a month.
I noticed that when playing music louder the front speakers were totally overworked playing bass. If you never play music loud then it is fine. At high volumes the small 5.25" midrange/woofers cannot possibly handle all of the bass so they try their best but it just amounts to distortion and they don't do the midrange and highs well when this happens.
A solution is a subwoofer to handle the lows via a crossover that sends all of the low notes to the sub and allows the other speakers to handle the midrange and highs that they were designed to handle in the first place- so now they are not overworked and provide better sound.
5. Added JL stealthbox today which is a dedicated small subwoofer built for the MINI and tuned for it. It needs a separate amp so I am using my 4 channel amp and wiring 2 channels bridged together for the sub and leaving the other 2 channels to drive my front speakers. The rear speakers are driven by the CDplayer head unit. What this setup does is provide a broader range of full clean sound from very low up through the highs and each speaker has less work to do as it has just a limited range to function at. I can keep some space in my boot for storage and I am not intested in a custom box, bigger dual subs, or any more amps and higher cost. I am done. I added up the damage, about $2200. Took from mid Feb to mid July to do everything. Worked with one shop except for the speakers.

Possible future work later on- much later- better front speakers and better headunit with DVD player-right now very expensive.

Also got a good aftermarket car alarm installed by the same shop-my MINI didn't have the factory alarm.

For kbseto- I heard his truck ($5000 totally custom showcar quality system). Once getting used to that- one can be totally spoiled so for him the stock system, even HK is not going to be good enough. He's looking for more. It will take planning and make cost more. I don't think most of us want to budget over $3000 to our audio. For him it is worth the effort if he enjoys it.

 

For discussion about HK and speakers see
https://www.northamericanmotoring.co...ic=12908&7

here are some good settings to test HK on your drive-
Bass: -2 clicks
Treble: Detent
Fade: Forward 1 click
Balance: Left 2 clicks
Effects: MINI h/k
Driver: ON

Have fun

 

Whew, Definitely some serious typing going on in this thread!!

 

Since this question comes up all the time, if we get a good thread going we can point to it in the future and not have to
keep typing new answers and suggestions each time. So lets hear comments.

 

i feel like getting my parents credit card and just handing it over to minihune.

now this is just a pure curiosity, if i did go to a workshop *like custom sounds* do they take payments by month or is it all one lump sum? main reason i ask is if my paycheck can only cover insurance and monthly payments, i will be skerroooowed

 

Payments and financing depends on the shop-need to check with them.

Actually everything depends on you the listener. Only you can tell when to stop.
First assignment. Drive the car (CVT is fine for now-don't worry) play the stereo with your CD at the volume you like. See how you like it. If it is just fine then STOP. Go no further.

If it isn't any good then repeat the test drive with a CVT or MINI with HK audio. Same CD at the volume of your choice. You don't need to be the driver this time if you like but do sit in the front seat not the back. You can't judge sound from the back. See how you like the music. Good enough? If so then STOP. Go no further. It is $550 more. It is part of financing the car so no additional payments- Nice huh? It is covered under warranty. It is no mus no fus and quite good. I tell you that if I had the option for HK I would have got it for $550 and saved the other $1700 I spent.

HK was not an option for me because I did not want to wait from Feb until July for my car. Patience is a virtue.
In honestly the system I built is quite good but costly. So I will live with my audio project. It is a hobby.

 

=)

as usual minihune you offer insight above all else

 

Just a little update. I have added a subwoofer to my system a day ago and the difference is wonderful. Naturally you have to like deep powerful bass- the kind that can scare you when it hits. If you can get over the fear then it is great stuff. Until you hear a system like this, you never really appreciate how powerful music can be. Even regular CDs can be spectacular. However if you overdo it, after a few minutes it can leave you ears ringing a bit. At least the loud exhaust is completely drowned out.

IF you have any system with a good subwoofer like basslink or JL Stealthbox added you will be fine. The HK system is probably just right for the average person- it has some scary loudness built in. Some will think that the HK is too much bass. For them a good choice is to just add the Infinity Basslink to the stock audio system and if that is not enough then add a separate amp for the front and rear speakers for plenty of clean power.

So xzibbit99 please do let us know what happens with your test drive and post it right here. I will be watching for it.
It will take me about 2 to 3 weeks to break in my sub.

 

oh indeed i shall. i told the parents about them having to try out the stick shift.....and them having to like my special "hard beats" CD.


knowing my father, he will snap and break a vein in his neck with the volume i like

just a matter of time now until saturday

 

If you don't mind me asking- xzibbit99, How old are you and your dad?
I'm forty five and my daughter (who has learned how to drive the MCS this summer) is 19.
Age doesn't really matter that much. Depends on what you enjoy.
Hopefully saturday goes well for you.

 

dad is 48

i will be 18 in august

and i want your daughters home # =~)

 

>>dad is 48
See almost the same! I like music.
>>i will be 18 in august

>>and i want your daughters home # =~)
Well, both daughters seem to have boyfriends this summer.

Good luck with your test drive this weekend. Drag your music CD and parents to the dealer. I had to drag my kids to the dealer and it was my son's birthday too. I bought the MCS the next day. (I slept on the decision).
Cheers

_________________
ALOHA

 

great fun =)