I'm thinking about buying a 2004 Mini Cooper. Its a great car, great price. However the amplifier that came with the H/K sound system has gone bad (pretty common from what I hear.) I don't plan on giving BMW a grand to fix it either (wouldn't a replacement just break again eventually?) so I'm looking at aftermarket amps. If I get an aftermarket amp will it be compatible with the H/K speakers and head unit?

 

Compatible? No.... Speakers are 2 Ohm and the system is digital. I have heard that someone wired in an amp but it was running full blast and the quality was not good at all.

 

So my only option is to buy another H/K amp? Would i have to replace the head unit and the speakers as well as the amp if i were to buy an aftermarket system? Sorry, my knowledge of car audio is pretty limited.

 

The HK is an entire system. As I said, I have heard of a guy that bought an amp that can handle 2 Ohm and then wire it to run full blast always on. If you decide to not go this route then you will need to do a complete install of a system. You could reuse OEM radio with the proper harness but I think that most people just do a full aftermarket install as it is cheaper.

 

It's more then just 2 ohm speakers, the crossovers for the system are also held in the amp... Meaning it's the amp that controls what signal level goes to which speaker. Most aftermarket amps relay on you speakers to do this. You could do a retrofit but... that probably more trouble then it is worth. I have never heard a dieing HK amp referred to as common.

The full blast thing sounds more like a reference to the old HK enabler, which let you use aftermarket head units with an HK amp. That let you use a different head by running the amp at full blast and then modulated audio by using the signal that came from the head.

 

You could replace the H/K amp *and* all the speakers with aftermarket - that'd give you a working non-H/K system and it might still be cost competitive with replacing the H/K amp, so long as you're comfortable with the rewiring involved.
You'd want speaker level inputs on the amp (or line level converters)

 

Keep an eye out on eBay and other used parts sites. Lots of people have replaced the whole HK system with aftermarket and sell the HK parts. I recall the amp running in the $200-400 range most of the time (more than half the price of a new unit). I lucked out and found one locally for just $150 so I snagged it as a spare. Unfortunately my friend's MINI had it's HK go out, so I sold him that spare and helped him install it. Doing this yourself isn't too bad. Mostly remove the back seat and then the rear side panel. Take your time and it's not a difficult job. It helps to have two people get the panel aligned and back on though. Going this route will save you hundreds when compared to the dealership. Even if you went completely aftermarket, you would have even more labor involved for the rewiring, so this is probably the best solution for you.

 

Alright that helps a lot aDeLoreanGuy. Theres only one up on ebay atm for $375. Is there any other model BMW or other make that uses the same amp as the 04 mini? I believe its the HS 7517.

 

I don't believe so. That HK amp is tuned specifically for the MINI's interior, so I would not expect them to use another HK amp. Just use any first gen HK amp and you should be set.

 

Nope, there was a guy that had a group wire and aftermarket amp capable of driving the speakers. Not sure how well it worked but this was his claim. Could have been nothing but fluff....

 

Last weekend I was reading NAM threads about a couple of successful HK amp replacements. From what I remember the only thing you lose is the HK EQ options. The head unit still works otherwise. Also I seem to remember that a couple of extra wires are required to get the front / back balance working. Unfortunately I didn't I bookmark them for future reference.

 

Can I get anyone else to verify what daflake is saying? My roommate still thinks I can put in an aftermarket head unit/amp combo and keep the original harman kardon speakers.

 

There are NO CROSSOVERS in the doors for H/K speakers.
Separate feed to the lower "woofer" and the upper mid/tweeter combo.
How will you solve that, when you don't have an H/K amp?

The speakers are 2 ohm. That's OK, some amps (better ones) can drive 2 ohm loads.

The rear speakers are DUAL VOICE COIL, 2 ohms each.
Connect only one coil on each, and get half the power output.
Connect both coils on each, and you'd better find a really good amp that can drive a 1 ohm load!


Is that good enough verification for you (from someone that has disassembled an H/K equipped MINI)

 

Sorry, just saw this but exactly what Ian said.

What I stated was posted on a forum from a non-regular user, so I took it with a grain of salt. All of the professionals that I have spoken to say exactly what Ian posted so I don't think that it can be done.

 

Thanks GBMINI. It wasn't really for me as much as my dense roommate and the autotech guys over at bestbuy where he works.

 

Reading threads on this topic is so frustrating.

Stupid engineers build a product that craps out widely and often and then the greedy operations arm of the company only offers to sell the whole unit rather than just the board. "Brilliant" and "dedicated" and "innovative" technical support offers no support for those of us who have attempted to repair the obviously common problem.
They sit back and laugh at those of us who just simply cannot afford $1000+ to get a new amp when they KNOW the fix is at most a $20 part + labor. (If anyone at the corporate office even reads these forums)
I have hit a brick wall every time I have tried to contact anyone at Mini or H/K. I almost wish they would just come out and say they have NO DESIRE to give any assistance on their substandard product.
The sad thing is, I know there is a guy or gal somewhere within the H/K corporation that really has the answer we are all looking for, and would be happy to divulge it, but for whatever reason has not been made aware of the problem.
With all the threads that have bashed MINI service, you would THINK that the company would have gotten the message and come out with a TSB or the like.

 

The h/k amp is not the only example of MINI/BMW's indifference to our plight. Consider the low-speed fan resistor, the tensioner damper, etc. In each of these cases the failure of a $25 part that can not be separately purchased necessitates a repair at a cost of $250 or more. And don't get me started on the brilliant design of the supercharger and its 'life-time' lubrication that you can't check.

 

you might want to check with beaner, he is parting out his MINI to race its an 06 with H/K. last I heard he still has the AMP is trying to sell it.