I've read in a few other posts the the 'hifi' system in the 2009 models are improved over the 2008. someone had mentioned a bose system is now used. can anyone confirm if this is true and whether or not it sounds better.. and might be worth the extra $500 since it has improved?

 

Dunno. Good question, though. I'll keep my fingers crossed.

 

They have Not gone to a Bose System and the specs are exactly the same for the 08 and 09.

Now that is not to say that they have not played with the programing of the amp to make it sound better.

I had mine in a month ago and they upgraded the software in the amp and it did make an improvement on the amount of distortion that is produced at higher volumes but IMHO it still sounds very muddy at the low end and still not very crisp at the high end. But that is my opinion.

 

I had a 2007 without the upgraded HI-FI and drove a 2008 for 3 weeks with the upgrade. I now have a 2009 with the upgrade and HD radio. To me it sounds better than 08's. HD radio is definetly an improvement over analog radio. Are they both worth $500? Maybe not but it is worth not having to bother installing aftermarket in the hidden compartment and probabally spending more on components and installation. I think it's compareable with the systems most other mfgs provide. It's seems to have more bottom end without distortion. High end is good also. I'm a guitarist in a band and it's good enough for me to rock out to.

 

The standard non-upgraded system in my 2003 BMW 525iT blows the doors off the upgraded system in my Mini Clubman by at least 1000 times. Even my 1999 Dodge 1500 Pick Up again with out hte upgraded system had a better sounding system than my Mini IMHO.

But it is a relative thing So for anyone wanting to get a Mini i suggest Really listening ot both systems and deciding for yourself.

And granted i do not expect it to sound like my home system ($50,000+) but it should still sound better than it does, again IMHO

 

Was the question if the 2009 is better than the 2008? It's always relative to your personal reference (and some people will never be happy) IMHO.

 

anybody else with the hifi in an 09 notice an improvement compared to previous years' hifi systems?

 

Well, I ran over to the dealer and took a listen, and I didn't hear a difference, honestly. It could've been my mind playing tricks on me... "It's okay, your money was well spent... shh..."

 

No difference. gf has an 08 MC and my 09 MCS is just the same. All sounds fine, but at higher levels and quality, the speakers could be improved.

 

I have hifi in my 09 Clubman and i think it is a pretty decent system for $500. The big benefit is that it is all integrated with the car which is way nicer than dealing with an aftermarket system and no mfsw controls and potentially voiding the waranty by messing with the electrical system. It is no $50,000 system of course but does provide the adequate bass and treeble for the size of the car it is. Just my 2 cents.

 

That's always good to hear.

 

From what I heard at the dealership, MINI has gotten alot of flack over the flat out sh1ttee Hi-Fi and are making changes for the Convertible when it comes out (along with adding several options such as black out kit etc).

I hope so...cuz this hi-fi BLOOOOWS!

 

And, of course, that's never good to hear.

 

Yeah, I just picked up my 09 JCW and everything about the car is awesome except the Hi-fi. Actually, it sounds really great until you turn it up much, then the bass distorts. Considering I mostly listen to beat heavy dance music and rock, it's a total bust.

A complete waste of $500 imo. $500 aftermarket would be a HUGE improvement over the Hi-fi.

The system in my FJ Cruiser KILLS the Hi-Fi and being only a semi-audiophile that system sucks.

 

I just received my 2009 MINI with HiFi, and I think it's a great system. To be fair, no stock system will ever sound as good as aftermarket, so that's not a fair comparison.

In short, I think the bass is full and punchy and the high end is a bit soft for my tastes. This is with everything flat (Treble and Bass set to 0). Since it rolls off on the high end, the imaging suffers some as well.

I'm curious what settings everyone has found themselves using with respect to Bass and Treble. I'm very tempted to bump the Treble up a couple of clicks.

 

So why don't you adjust the treble? Mine are set differently depending on the source (cd, ipod, radio). I think the 09 has a better system than the 08's.

 

This is the first car I've ever owned where the treble is set at 0 and the bass rarely goes above 1, though I wish I could set it at 6. The bass in my 04 MINI base system performs very well at the highest level.

 

The 2009 MCS non-HiFi is identical to the 2008. The HU is pretty good and it delivers plenty of good signal & power. You won't shake the pavement, but nobody riding in the car will complain that it isn't loud enough.

The real problem is that the stock speakers are really really bad (2007, 2008, 2009.) I switched them all out and did the channel-swap to reclaim bass (great, easy idea...see the thread if you are a non-HiFi owner) and now the sound is really nice.

Now I can't do much about the horrible front speaker placement in the MINI. Speakers producing treble really shoud not aim at your knee and ankle, but that's what you're stuck with in this particular car. And I have not replaced my front pillars with ones that could support a tweeter in the base. I don't feel I need to with the speaker upgrades.

I was out this AM rocking Dark Side of the Moon. Big smile.