I am weighing my options for ordering an '09 mini. I have read the threads on audio upgrade and have a few questions I did not find the answer to.

1) With the base stereo, if I purchase the tweeter a pillar covers that normally come with the upgraded OEM system, will the openings be large enough (where the tweeters usually go in the door) for a midrange from a quality 3-way system like focal?

2) With the base stereo, are the mounting points that normally hold the hifi amp present? If not, what have people improvised? How much room in there is there (what amp dimensions can that location accomodate)?

3) I've read discussions of putting 6x9 subs in the location of the 6x9 speakers. Has anyone actually done this? Did it cause rattles or not?

4) If I get the hifi system, which requires the factory amp to remain in place , has anyone found a way to use it in conjunction with an aftermarket amp. For example, bridge it's channels to power a sub, while using a higher quality 2nd amp for the front 2 or 3-way system?

5) I'm still confused about how to get around the bass frequency cut off in the base stereo headunit and yet use the stereo fade to modulate a sub in the back.

Thanks!

Ken

 

I believe the general consensus is that if you want aftermarket sound, you need to go with the base sound system to extract full potential.

 

In the doors, yes. In the A-pillars, no. I misread this when I first answered.

Don't know, I have the HIFI. However, there isn't a lot of space in there. Some amps may be too large.

Search the treads for this. IIRC, someone did post about having done it.

You could leave it connected and tap into the X9331 connector under the dash. With the HIFI, it will give you unfiltered signals for all speakers. The filtering is done in the rear amp.

With the standard audio, the signals are already filtered when they get to the X9331 connector.

Your amp would have to have separate inputs for the front speakers and rear speakers. Then, with the HIFI upgrade, you could use the separate lines for the front and rear speakers.

 

Ihave teh Focal 165V3 in may doors and the midrange fits very nicely. Although the screw holes do not match up

The OEM amp has a custom sized moutning plate that attaches the amp to the side wall of the rear area. Driverrs side fo coops and pasanger side for clubman. There is very little room in there for any ohter amp. I.E. a Apline PDX 5 (10-1/8" x 2-13/32' x 7-35/64") x will not fit without modification of the teh body panels behind the cover or the cover itself on my clubman and i believe the coop has even less room.

I have not found a 6x9 sub that reproduces any loser frequendies than a standard 6x9 so IMHO they are not worth the extra cost or tim to get the mids and highs right.

There is nothing you can do witht he factory amp. It is programed to work for the typeof car it is going in and has no provisions for bridging or any other changes. And if it is not programed properly for the computer system in the car it goes in then there is the posibility of having a problem with the integreations with the main computer of the car.

by swaping the front an rear channels at the x9331 connector then you can have fullrange going to the rear amp channels and sub amp, and have a 100hz cut off going to the front amp channels.

Thanks!

Ken[/quote]

 

thanks! the downside to the front channel swop, as I understand it, is the phone coming from the rear speakers. If I crossed them low to serve as bass then I assume it may be hard to understand the person on the phone (plus the location is further from my ears).

 

Very true.

 

Are there any solutions to this problem, to not do the channel swap, and yet get the bass signal to the rear? Is there a wire swap somewhere to change where the voices go from the bluetooth?

Thanks,

Ken

 

No all the tones are made with in the head unit of the radio and this is not something that can be changed. If you have the park distance sounds ont he car and then do the swap the rear park sensors will then make sound out of the front speakers.

yes this is a PITA but that is just the way it is with out hacking the computer system and making a whole bunch of changes. And that is not easy task.

The largest problem with this car is how they have integrated everything that can into the head unit of the radio. So much to the point that if you remove the head unit you have NO display for ANY functions in the car.

 

sure, just get an oem integration processor like alpine pxe-h650, jl cleansweep, etc

 

Except that when the signal coming out of the head unit is -80db at 20HZ even those will not compenstate.

 

Thanks for the help!

Will clean sweep compensate for this problem?

Does anyone know if I get the Nav. system if it has the same bass roll off?

Thanks,

Ken

 

Most if not all OEM integration processors have the capability of reconstructing full-range signals by grabbing the missing parts from other channels if it can't be EQ'd back. Also, I think it's closer to -40dB than -80 @ 20Hz. Anyway, it's kind of irrelevant, no 6x9 is going to get anywhere close to 20Hz. 40Hz would be a stretch even for a 6x9 true sub.

 

big thing to remeber with jl cleansweep in order to make use of its equalization you must leave the volume set on the stereo and use the jl volume ****

 

using JL audio **** is not what I want to do. Are there other solutions to this problem?

Does anyone know if the Nav. system changes the range on the signals?

Thanks,

Ken

 

NAV does not change any thing.

The difference is with standard or HiFi system and they can both come with NAV.

As for the JL Clean Sweep and others like them. Although the do some reconstruction of very poor low frequency signals, that is exactly what they are doing. They reconstruct a signal that is not really there AND that means that it is not true to the music. It make assumptions on what to generate and that will NEVER match the original signal. Oh and BTW they have been know to make a bass signal that was NEVER present in the original music.

 

So it sounds like I'm where I started. Either get the hifi system or do the swap of front to rear channels and have the bluetooth coming from the rear speakers.

Has anyone done the swap with bluetooth? Is it a problem to hear and use?

If I go hifi the computer can't be upgraded without the regular amp. How often does this really happen? Could I just bring the oem amp along when necessary? It seems it's pretty easy to access.

Thanks,

Ken

 

Many have reported here that it is no problem.

Reality is that it should no t be done very offten but i have had mine done twice in the past year.

The problem with removing the amp is that it can thorugh problems into the system not being attached. And that it is also a pain to get to to hook up for one visit to the dealer. and not knowing if the car will be updated if it goes to the dealer can also be time consuming if you did not bring it with you.

As for the HiFi. IMHO it is even worse than the standard, and i have listened to both. If you are going to do any kind of upgrades to the stock stereo then get the standard and use the extra $500.00 toward better amps and speakers. Unfortunately i did not do this and will now be spending over 2K total ($1500.00 + the $500 for the HiFi) and not using the HiFi system.

 

scatzy,

What about leaving the HIFI amp in place and disconnecting the speakers from it? Then tap the X9331 to feed an after-market amp and speakers? With the HIFI, you have full range signals for both front and rear at the X9331.

The amp would need to handle separate front and rear inputs so you could keep the factory balance in tact. Is this possible?

 

That would be the best way to do it but i would also add New Speaker wiring as the stock OEM wires are only 22 gauge wire and that is not really enough to properly handle any thing above about 15 watts.

Also if someone has not actually gotten or ordered their car i would suggest that they stay away from the HiFi system. f course that is only my advise and others are free to do as thy wish. I mean Some people actually like it.

 

I think it would be easiest to add new speaker wire if you are adding an amp, and leaving the HIFI in place. Since the new amp would probably be in a different location, it would be a pain to try and use the existing wires.

If you get the standard audio, you are stuck with the bass fall-off to the rear speakers at the X9331. So, you'd have to ignore the rear signals and just tap into the fronts for the new amp. The front to back balance would have to be done by the new amp. Also, there are some sounds that only go to the rear speakers. The Park Distance Control option is one. The warning beeps all come through the rear speakers.