Hi folks,

I'm looking to upgrade my 09 JCW with hi-fi option to something a little better.

Does anyone have any suggestions on amp/speaker combinations that would work well with the factory head unit?

I was thinking about a harman kardon combination so that I can stay as close as possible to the factory options, but there doesn't seem to be any way to purchase these components aftermarket.

Cheers,

Andrew

 

Again changing from one type to another is possible but at very huge costs and in the case of the HK upgrade it means probably replacing a wiring harness. Cost for that over 5K for parts and labor.

Read or search thru the threads here and you will find many options for upgrades from just speakers to full blown computer systems in MINI's.

Please do a lot of reading as most of your question will be answer by doing this. Oh and I will tell you right away the OEM Head unit MUST stay in the car, it is part of the central computer system.

 

There is a rumor (I think it came from a MotoringFile.com article) that there will be a drop-in upgrade from the HIFI to the H/K system. Supposedly, the H/K amp would replace the HIFI amp, and H/K speakers would replace the HIFI speakers. I haven't seen anything official about it yet. It would make sense for MINI to design it with the same mounting and plugs as the HIFI. Why use a different wiring harness for the two options?

Personally, I'm putting in the following system:
Q 450.4 - Image Dynamics 4-Channel 450 Watt Amplifier
CTX69 - Image Dynamics 6 x 9" 2 Way Speaker w/ Silk Tweeters
CXS64 V.2 - Image Dynamics 6.5" 4 ohm Component System

I'll report how it sounds after I've completed the install.

 

There are a few great threads to read about this. I probably put as much time into reading the threads in the past couple weeks as I'll put into installing my new system. As a starting point, here are a few:

Speaker replacement how-to:
https://www.northamericanmotoring.co...nt-how-to.html

R56 Audio Specs:
https://www.northamericanmotoring.co...tem-specs.html

These should be enough to get you started. Most people seem to be happy with Focal speakers, but for me, they were just way too expensive for in-car listening.

Since you did ask for recommendations, here's what I did: I opted to go with the Polk DB series (DB6501 components for front and DB691 for rear). Don't worry about matching anything to H/K, since the amplifier doesn't care what brand is in there. If you really want to though, Harman makes Infinity speakers, which some people like, but are a little too harsh for my taste. I'm taking the speaker signals off a pass-through that I made for the x9331 connector, and running those through a JL Cleansweep. You won't need any signal processor though, as you'll find when you read those threads. I'm using an Alpine MRP-F300 4 channel amp, wired up under the passenger seat, and running AWG16 wire to the speakers.

My main goal was to keep the stock look and not have to do anything to the car that would prevent me from going back to 100% stock. That's the main reason I'm doing the x9331 pass-through. A lot of people out there have added subwoofers, so if you go that route, there is plenty of info on here.

So now it's time to sit down for a few hours and read those threads. You'll learn a lot more about making your Mini sound good than you will from replies on this thread. Good luck