Hey Guys,

Planning to install an amp and rear speakers next week and had a couple noob questions..

1) remote turn on lead: I'll be tapping into speaker wires for signal and thus not pulling the head unit to get to the remote turn-on lead. Since I have the stock (base) stereo, how can I get a remote turn-on lead elsewhere? Can I just use an "add a circuit" or similar device from the fuse box on a fuse that is switched when the car turns on? Any downside to doing it this way vs. actually taking apart the dash and finding the real lead?

2) since I will be using existing speaker wiring for my signal as previously mentioned, what is the advantage of using a line-level (hi/low) converter vs. just using the speaker level inputs on my new JL amp?

3) I've heard both..can anyone for sure confirm or deny that the rear speakers get a full spectrum of sound from the head unit? It'd be a lot more convenient tapping into those vs. the front speakers...

thanks in advance!!

Andrew

 

Which JL Audio amp are you using? The 250/1 (and probably most, if not all, of their amps) have a "signal sensing" feature that will automatically turn the amp on when it detects activity on the speaker-level inputs.

Does the R56 still have a power outlet in the back? On the first-gen cars, that's a switched power source, so it would be ideal for a turn-on lead (at least, if you're planning on mounting the amp in the back).

As for the high-level/low-level issue, I'd trust the converter in a JL amp more than I would an external converter.

A few months ago, one of the R56 owners posted response-curve measurements from the front and rear speakers. I don't know why MINI would do this, but the rear speakers had a definite low-frequency roll-off compared to the front speakers. If you can't take measurements of the speakers in your particular car, I'd probably tap off of the front speakers just to be safe.

 

Awesome, thanks Scott. I bought the JL Audio A Series A4300. I'll look into it more in depth to see if it has this feature. If it does, that's awesome. If not, just use like a wire tap or something to connect to the cig lighter power? (yes my R56 has one) I was thinking the same thing re: trusting the JL to do the hi/lo conversion for me vs. adding an additional piece to the puzzle.

Real bummer about the rear speakers, but what are you gonna do. Should I be tapping the bigger or the smaller front speakers, or does it matter?

thanks again!

Andrew

 

It doesn't appear that the A4300 has the auto-input sensing of their "Slash Series" amps, so you'll probably need a turn-on lead. Check to make sure that the rear power outlet is switched, and if it is, that would be a perfect source for the turn-on lead.

I'll let one of the R56 owners chime in about where best to tap off the front speakers, since I can't visualize the front speaker wiring off the top of my head. My instinct would be to connect the amp input wiring to the inputs of the larger of the two front speakers, as that will give you the best chance of getting an unfiltered input to the amp.

 

I'm using the rear cig lighter for my remote turn on (it is switched). As far as the rear speakers getting the full spectrum . . . I don't think it has ever been determined if there is a difference between the standard vs the HiFi. It makes sense that the amp in the HiFi might be monkeying with the outputs to the different speakers but why would the headunit do this on the standard system? My installer CLAIMED (caps intended) to have measured the rear outputs on my standard system before my upgrade and stated that they were getting full spectrum. For other reasons, I'm not sure I believe him BUT I am getting excellent sound from my upgraded system which is wired using the rear speakers as inputs.

poyzin

 

Thanks poyzin. Yea, that was my thought too, why would the stock HU mess with the rear signals at all?

Anyone else actually taken this measurement themselves and can confirm or deny the claim that the rears are clipped?

Andrew