So, as many of may have noticed, the 10-speaker HiFi sound system on our beloved Mini is awful (as far as I'm concerned, the car's only flaw, but WHAT a flaw!). I'm looking to upgrade the sound system, but I have no experience doing so.

What is a good system to replace the HiFi system, or where is a good place to start? How should I go about replacing it -- should this be done in a shop rather than DIY?

(2009 Clubman HiFi system)

 

Read this first, then browse through the various threads on speaker recommendations.

You can DIY, or take it to a shop. It is a time vs. money decision. There are several stages regarding how much you want to spend, what your tastes are, and what you will find acceptable.

The first thing most people do is to swap speakers. These are the weakest link in the HIFI system.

Next would be to add a sub to fill in the bass missing from the rear speakers. Unless MINI changed things lately, the rears do not get any bass below about 100 Hz. All bass goes to the lower speaker in the doors.

Some prefer to add an amp before a sub. It is probably best to leave the HIFI amp in place and connected because some dealers have refused to do software upgrades to MINI if the amp is removed. Others seem not to have a problem with it. You could talk to your dealer about it. If you do want to add an amp, you might want to read the threads on the X9331 connector. The channel swap does no good in a HIFI equipped MINI, but it is probably a good place to pick up signal for an amp.

 

Swapping speakers would be my first step. Is there a risk of damaging the car in the process? Perhaps it would be safest to take it to a shop -- I wouldn't want to harm my Clubman. After that I'd consider adding a sub, but I'm not sure where one would fit.

I read this in another thread. Do you think any of those systems would work with minimal risk to the car during installation?

 

Yes, there is a risk of damaging the car. This is true of almost any DIY project. A shop could also damage your car. I know one person who took their car to a very reputable shop that had lots of experience with high-end cars. They put Dynamat in the doors and damaged the door lock. They paid to have the dealer fix it. Another person reported on this forum recently that they watched an installer almost break a door speaker grille because he didn't know you had to remove the entire panel. This was after saying that they knew how to work with MINIs.

If you do it yourself, read all the threads about speaker installation. If you take it to a shop, make sure they fully guarantee their work in writing, and that they will take responsibility for any damage done to the car. Also, make sure they have a good reputation locally.

I have Infinity Kappas, and don't really like them that well. Perhaps it is my ears, but they are too harsh for my taste. I'm about to replace them with Image Dynamics CXS64 V.2, and CTX69, and possibly CTX4 speakers. I'm hoping I will like these better, but haven't heard them yet.