Ok, I too am disappointed with the sound sytem. I am hearing the same warble sa everyone else. I experimented with two songs. I played them on my mini and it could not handle the base or the high notes very well. I then reloaded these songs onto my ipod and changed compresion settings, thinking it my be the ipod, with no better results. Then i took my ipod and played it in my Silverado truck that utilizes Bose speakers, thru a tape converter, and wow!! It sounded like I was in a concert with live music!!! So, I believe we are dealing with inferior equipment and I too will have to visit the dealer!! Let me know what your dealer said.

 

Yes, that's right. Don't use the headphone jack, it sounds worse and the volume is softer than the dock connector. The iPod volume control won't work with the dock connector. Way better, cost me $8 (ebay).

 

Ditto! The HiFi is yucka! Time for an upgrade and we've only had the Mini 2 days!

 

Ok, I just remembered this thread as I have a loaner from the dealer that has the Hi-Fi sound system and I hear everything you guys do.
Bass distorting at even moderate volumes and a warble.

I don't want to put any salt in your wounds already but the stock system in my 08 is light years better and clearer in all ranges than the "upgrade" system.

Did any of you with the Hi-Fi system had a chance to do a head to head comparison with the Stock system?

 

I'm sure many people who opted for the Hi-Fi system only did so after comparing them. I certainly did - after the dealer had shown me how to reset the tone, balance and fader controls so that they produced music instead of the rumbles and squawks that they were giving with the settings the previous drivers had used.

It's no high-end sound system of course but it seems good value to me.

 

The dealer never showed me how to reset the tone... and if by that you mean bass and treb, then it's pretty straight forward. If there is more to it, I'd love to hear about it.

Personally, I'm gonna have the dealer give it a very throuough once over when I take it in for it's 1st schedualed maintanice. I was fairly displeased with what I was hearing after a few days, now I am damn near livid at hearing the cracks and rattles coming from speakers and door frames.

 

Coming from a custom system in my acura w/ 2 10" and a 300w amp in the trunk to the HiFi was rather bad. But after listening to it for a few weeks now, I have to say that it's not that bad. When i have electronic in the CD or off my iPod, it sounds rather good, bass is barely acceptable at low to mid volume (+2 to the bass). The mids and high i pretty much left alone. Listening to the radio is bad, especially when it's rock, but i think it's because some radio stations turn down the bass anyways.
Overall, it doesn't compare to whats in my buddy's E320 or the mark levinson in the IS350 i test drove, but it's barely acceptable. I think changing out the front woofers may make a huge difference.

 

I may be just thick but I didn't find it instinctive to set the thing and didn't see the point of comparing them until I had reset everything to neutral - instead of leaving the extreme boosts they had, presumably to compensate for the lack of detail in compressed mp3s.

BTW, my test was with a quality CD of the Verdi Requiem that I took because of the wide bass/treble and volume ranges.

 

I had this loaner for the 3rd day now (car in for an airbag light issue) and this warbling and rattling bass is very audiable.
I specifically setup the radio to the same settings as on my car. ... bass on 4 treble on 5 ... that's it.

I am not even comparing CD's or the AUX input ... just radio. And don't listen to stuff at very high volumes, but do crank it up sometimes to moderate levels.

Anyone having a problem ... I would highly recommend pulling up to the dealer and just do a side by side with a car having the stock system.

Setup the car with the stock stereo there to the same settings as yours, and just test it with the radio tuner itself. It will show the difference ... no need to even go to the AUX Jack.

I am really amazed to how "not" Hi-Fi this upgrade is and would be pissed if I paid extra for it. You guys really should be able to have a way to "fix" this situation with MINIUSA.

 

I have the hi fi upgrade. It needs a month to fully break in the speakers.

I have a friend at work who has been building systems in cars for years and he asked me where the sub was in the car.

Give the speakers a chance to break in and treat them like a new engine and they will suprise you.

 

Going4Speed is right on the mark. The OEM HiFi speakers require a definite breakin period of at least a month before they can deliver full performance. As others have noted, there is a wide range of adjustment possible which can improve response, particularly if extreme settings have been previously selected.

On the road, the MINI cabin is a high-ambient-noise environment, with many types of mechanical and road sounds laying down a thick blanket of jumbled white noise. In this kind of acoustic setting, what really is the utility of a high-end audiophile-quality system if its refinement is imperceptible? The MINI's HiFI system is not going to win any audiophile awards, but for the setting in which it is actually used, it does just fine. The bass on my fully-broken-in HiFI has surprising punch (though it won't rattle the neighbors' windows) and the tweeters make high notes audible over the cabin din. I doubt that a mega-bucks high-end system would sound much better at highway speeds.

 

My Mini is now 2+ months old and has 5700 miles on it with the HiFi system playing music the whole time and the HiFi system is still YUKA!!!!

There is no "break in period" that will help a poorly designed speaker. That is the biggest problem with the HiFi system. The speakers need to be replaced.

 

I was writing my response to Going4Speed while you were posting.

Now just let me start by saying "we are all allowed to have our own opinions" and i respect yours as well as all the others that have posted to this and all threads.

But have you actually seen the speakers for the HiFi system, I could by them for about $1.50 each at my local electronics supply store. Opps the ones at my local electronics supply store for $1.50 are ten (10) times the quality.

Now some people can't hear the highs and others can't hear the lows and that is part of what makes us all different. That is a good thing.

And you make a good point about the ambient noise it is high, and thus does degrade the sound quality from any source.

The bass in my car at any speed is absolutely horrible. Muddy and not defined at all. Even with all the adjustments i can make the sound could be a lot better if MINI would have spent just a little more money. That's not to say that in your car it is not better. Just in mine it is horrible.

I do not expect it to sound like my home system which cost me over $20,000 but i do expect that it should sound better than it does.

Now will i spend $600+ on Focal's probably not but will i spend $300 on some other speakers probably. Should MINI have spent a little more money on the speakers in the car "Definitely" IMHO.

 

i agree... they are garbage speakers. you are far better off getting bass stereo and replacing speakers and being far ahead, hell you could replace speakers and add an amp and still be ahead

 

Agreed. The notion that the OP made that they require break-in is a new idea to me, but if the system improves, I'll be even happier. Understand that this is after one day.

 

New to Minis and just got a JCW hardtop with Hifi and plugged in the iPod. Seems like I can't turn up the volume enough to listen to the music. Plays too quiet. Am I doing something wrong?
Thanks

 

When the iPod is playing, you can press the far right button (LEV) to adjust the volume level for the AUX input. You may want to check that.

Also, make sure that on your iPod, you have turned off the EQ settings and have turned off the volume limiter (which is under another control screen). Both of these can interfere with the MINI producing good sound from the iPod.

 

Hmmm so far so good with my Hi Fi sound.

 

When someone feels that they have to "boost" the treble and bass settings right off the batt without even listening; there may be a perception problem.

MP3's...not so good. Lossless setting on iPod...better.

You are not in a listening room...the ambieance sucks. Raising the volume to overcome this puts the system into distortion very quickly.

My system is ok; just ok, never will be terrific even if I replace the speakers, I fear.

 

me and ziggy like rap and afew rock songs but hifi is perfect for me pleanty off bass we like it

 

DC1: If you adjust the level on the iPod input, that'll take care of it. I noticed the same thing with mine and with it bumped up one notch it's fine.

 

I've heard people say, "Don't blast your music for a month off the lot with a new car." Maybe this is what you "young folks" (I'm 20 :p ) have been doing.

Who knows? I'll try it out when I pick up mine in a few weeks. I'm sure some Dynamat would solve the issue nicely. Besides, it's a great car... I'm surprised a car this fun is even in this price range.

Then again... I'm coming from a 1992 Protege with NO (you read that right...) speakers, and a 1996 Mercedes C280 with four speakers.

Ah well... I'm no audiophile, and I come from mostly German vehicles. My dad has a Mustang GT with "HIFI" and it is amazing. Perhaps American manufacturers put higher priority to sound than vehicle dynamics. Most people here in the States love their sound and their rims it seems.

 

I'm about a month into ownership of my MINI Clubman S with the HI-FI and the USB/iPod option.

I will agree with many here that, at first, the system is NOT impressive, especially before I learned to make the adjustments that need to be made.

I came out of a Dodge Durango with a premium Clarion system which was awesome. I always had the base and treble controls elevated near the top, with the mid range in the middle. I always cranked the volume and the sound was amazing. There is no doubt in my mind that the "HI-FI" system in the MINI is not a premium system.

But, now that I have learned to adjust the Bass to -2 for the iPod, +2 for the rear speakers, and at 0 for everything else, the system has grown on me. It will not handle the "thump, thump" bass of a heavy rock, dance or techno beat. For some music, I just have to turn it down. But generally, I am happy with it. I think the price of the HI-FI upgrade is worth it just for the A Pillar tweeters which really perform when I'm going 60 with the windows down. I do like that I can set different tonal levels for different inputs.

I have been reading this thread hoping to learn from someone if they have substantially improved the system by replacing the speakers, but so far, a lot of people have talked about it, but there hasn't been much feed back on the results.

If anyone has replaced the speakers, I sure would love to hear if that has addressed some of our concerns! In other words, Is it really worth it?

In the meantime, I do think I can live with the system. And, BTW, while I also have trouble believing that speakers need to be "broken-in", I think the sound has improved with time. But, maybe my ears just needed the break-in!

Rich

 

Thanks, that worked (turning up the volume on the ipod). I eventually thought of that but have little experience with the ipod.

 

It is my impression that there have been lots of posts with people saying that replacing their HIFI speakers has made a significant difference. For me, the Infinity Kappas increased the clarity and eliminated the distortion that some female vocals had with the HIFI. Are the Kappas the best choice, I don't know. I think they are a little on the bright side.

I also wish the system had more bass, but that is not the fault of the speakers. The system clips the lower bass going to the rear speakers. So only the 6" in the doors produce it. My guess is that base in the rear caused the plastic side panels to vibrate and MINI took the easy way out.