I thought I'd start this thread to document the steps in upgrading my new 2011 R57 Convertible's sound system. A fair amount of discussion has already occurred relating to what I was proposing in the sticky R56 Speaker Replacement How To thread in this forum. That material is on pages 32-33 of the thread. I've had lots of help and even more advice. I thought it appropriate to start a new thread rather than hijack an already very long and very useful thread.

I've read that thread front to back along with a great deal of other material. So why am I starting yet another speaker upgrade thread?

• First of all, MC convertibles have a unique set of challenges and as a very small percentate of the MC population, there is not as much how-to material available at this site.
• Second, a lot of the material that will be used in the install is scattered hither and yon in a variety of threads. I thought it would be helpful to bring it all together.
• Third, this will be one of the first 2011 MC audio upgrades, at least one of the first to be documented. Based on what I've heard, seen and read, changes have been made to the head unit and the HK option has been significantly upgraded from the standpoint of sound quality. An unanswered question I hope to resolve is whether there were wiring changes that accompanied the upgrades. If not, most of what has been published here still applies. If so, I want to help out others by documenting changes that were made.
• I bought my MC off the showroom floor and while I probably would have forked out the cash for the HK upgrade, it just wasn't an option in combination with the other equipment and color that I found attractive. I could pay for a dealer upgrade but if I did so I suspect the cost including installation would be will over $1,000. So I challenged myself to build a better sound upgrade using aftermarket components while keeping the cost less than $750 and hopefully closer to $500.

In my next post, I'll tell you a bit about my new pride and joy.

 

My Chevy Avalanche is getting a bit long in the tooth. I live in the country and fell in love with the utility it offers. Big tires, 4 wheel drive, lots of weight, heated seats - perfect for Wisconsin winters. But it ain't exactly exciting to drive and I don't want to feed it full time if gas goes back over $4 a gallon.

So I decided to place it in semi-retirement. I will drive it tomorrow as snow is falling and will into the night. The Blizzaks for my Mini are scheduled to show up at my office from Tire Rack Tomorrow. Carry four mounted tires in a Mini convertible? Might fit with the top down. Need I rermind you it's snowing and flirting with 0 degrees.

I wanted a sports car and considered a used S2000 or possibly a Miata. but I'm a big guy and those teeny cabs are confining. In my research I kept coming back to the MINI vert. The new Madison, WI Mini dealer opened his doors this summer. I'd driven by a few times and kicked a few tires when the dealer was closed.

Three weeks ago I went on line and checked out both the MINI site and the dealer site. $5,000 off on a yellow 2010. The cosmic forces were at work. So I called to make an appointment. Then I noticed the 0.9% financing on the 2011 plus a $1,000 discount. Hmmmm. When I got done crunching numbers including financing, the difference had shrunk to $2,000. And I had three 2011 MCS verts to choose from rather than a single 2010 MCS vert.

After reading about all the upgrades between 2010 and 2011, it would have seemed almost stupid to buy a 2010.

How do you feel about orange? I have never owned a yellow car, much less an orange car. But when I got a close look, I sorta fell in love with the burnt orange. I know some would like a brighter orange, but burnt orange is perfect for me. It had almost all the equipment I wanted, Cold weather package (love those heated seats), 6 speed manual, sport package, stripes, attitude ..... all it needed was some black magic Hellas, badges, chrome blackout, a leather shift linkage and parking brake boot, and .... well, you all know that list never reaches the end.

I'd show you a picture but my 'lil punkin' is hiding under a blanket of snow. The only disappointment was the base sound system. The radio shack amplifier I assembled from a kit as a teenager 50 years ago sounded better than that.

MC convertibles offer some interesting challenges as compared to their brothers with metal roofs. First of all, the accoustics are different. They are noisy, even with the top up. Anyone ever tried to Dynamat a MINI vert top?

And with the top down, there is no reflection of sound waves. All the bass heads up into space. Cut it any way you want. It will take more RMS Watts for quality audio in a convertible, than in a MC metal roof cousin. Of course I haven't tested this theory since I picked up my MINI. It has been hovering around zero in the evening ever since I brought her home. But I did own a Mustang convertible a number of years back and it took all the power in its upgraded sound system (400 watts if I recall) to make some lovely noise.

There is one additional problem with a R57. Most of you have a pair of 6x9 speakers in the rear of your MCs. Lots of folks have reversed front and rear amplifier signals to send better bass to the 6x9's. That doesn't work on a convertible as the same lousy 6" speakers are in the rear that most of you find in the doors. I guess with the retracting top there just isn't room for 6x9's. Either that or the BMW engineers decided to play a nasty trick on MC vert owners.

Upgrading the audio is not an option. It is a necessity. Some of the other upgrades have been pushed to the back burner.

I suspect I could go out and spend $2-4,000 on top shelf components and have a kick butt system. But I'm 65 and spending so much time listening to loud music over 50 years has extracted a toll on my hearing. I just don't think I'd notice the difference the last few thousand dollars would bring. So I put a constraint on my pocketbook. For the same money as a HK factory upgrade can I build a better system? The target is $500. The maximum is $750.

That means I have to use relatively inexpensive quality components. I really enjoy doing research on the internet. In my next few posts I'll share the audio components I selected. All are on order and beginning to arrive. So there is no turning back.

 

I'm a Polk Audio fan. I have a Zotac computer I built myself from components with a NVIDA graphics processor feeding 6.1 surround sound to a set of Polk Audio speakers through an Onyko receiver/amplifier. This digital jukebox rocks! The whole system came together for under $1,200 including the computer, keyboard, and monitor.

My last auto audio upgrade was to my now departed Acura RSX. A pair of Polk 651s was the cornerstone of that upgrade.

I like the way Polks' sound. I like their dependability. I like the way they are made. You'd be hard pressed to get more bang for your buck.

A number of you have used Polk 6501s in your door upgrades. I read through the threads. So I checked them out. $153.57 from amazon including shipping. Well within my budget.


These component speakers are really three pieces. Based on the installs I've seen, the 6 1/2 speakers fit nicely into the lower door locations of the larger factory speakers. Placement of the tweeters kicked off a bit of controversy in the other thread. There are basically three choices.
1. Put them in the higher factory speaker location. That involves placing tweeters very low.
2. Buy upgraded A pillar covers designed for the HK upgrade and mount them in the A pillars. On a vert we are talking about $100 for the parts plus shipping. Then there is the issue of running speaker wires when the 6 1/2s are in the doors and the tweeters are in the A pillar and the crossover is ???.
3. Find another location. I'm eyeing the flat triangular location on the door above and in front of the door handles.

The tweeters can either be surface mounted ...



or flush mounted ...



and as you can see from the slots in the tweeter housing itself, they can also be aimed to some degree. Just how much remains to be seen.
I won't settle this issue until my door has been disassembled and the Polk 6501s are in hand. Most have mounted the crossover in the door arm rest.

These speakers can handle 125 watts RMS but have 95db sensitivity. Some have found them to be fairly happy with the weak power output from the base MC sound system. But others say they really come alive when fed power by an amplifier capable of matching their RMS capabilities. And remember, this is a convertible that will need more power than a MC with a metal roof.

I figure with sufficient power behind them, the Polks can handle the mids and highs. But what about bass?

 

I don't think anyone would question that the ideal companion to the Polk 6501s would be a subwoofer to handle the lows. Keep in mind there are no 6x9s in the rear of a MC convertible, just the same lousy 6" speakers as those in the doors. To get at the rear speakers, you need to strip the entire rear of the car including the rear seats, so there is no such thing as taking a quick peek to see whether something else could be fitted.

But the MC vert is very low on luggage space to begin with so a big honking sub enclosure isn't in the cards. Some have installed false floors. I decided to go the small powered sub route. Many on this forum have gone with the Boss Audio powered sub and are satisfied with their results.

In poking around, I came across the Sound Ordinance 8-Bt a product only sold by Crutchfield. It feeds 120 Watts RMS into an 8" sub. Its dimensions ar roughly 3" x 9" by 14", its dimensions are close to the Boss Audio. Feedback was a bit better. Crutchfield had it marked down 25% to $150 including a $25 installation kit. The sale ended the day I found it. I pulled the trigger and it was on its way.



It arrived yesterday, three days after I placed the order. It is a very solid unit, well made, I wouldn't feel bad if it was visible in my mini as it exhudes a quiet comptetence. Quiet, that is, till you crank up the sound. At that point, based on the reviews, it turns into an entirely different animal.



From the left are ground and power terminals with an input for a remote in/off signal between. Next is a 15A blade fuse. You are offered the option of low level RCA jack inputs or speaker jack inputs through an included Molex connector pigtail. Gain can be adjusted from a remote location using a pot with a long telephone line tether.



Don't want to feed a remote on/off. Flip the left switch and it will turn on/off automatically based on signal input from speaker connections. Pots are provided to adjust level, bass equalization, phase, and frequency crossover.

A pretty well thought out unit. I can't wait to hear how it sounds.

 

I agonized over whether to order the amplifier the longest. With the Polks driven by the factory head unit amplifier and the powered sub, I might have just enough power to get by. But deep down inside I knew I would never be satisfied until I pushed real power to the Polks. Yes, the red faced guy is the devil. He made me do it.

Of course even considering such a thing would risk voiding warranty on a Mini only a few weeks old. But I dug into the mysteries of the X9331 connector hidden behind the drivers side kick plate. Think this was covered in some obsure thread? Run a search on X9331. You'll find lots of bedside reading.

I plucked this tidbit out of one thread, that tidbit out of another. I read about how to swap front and rear speaker leads. Found labled diagrams of wire colors and uses for the 12 wires entering and leaving the connector. I scored the MINI/BMW part numbers needed to build a harness between the male and female X9331. I even found that the X15 connector immediately behind the X9331 has an on/off signal line at terminal one. Most importantly, I gained confidence and knowledge. What a great site? I am so greatful to all that contributed.

I also found a story of one soul who used undersized wire in his mod and fried his air conditioner and warranty coverage.

So I pulled the trigger and ordered the Alpine. A video at Crutchfield will tell you this is their largest selling amplifier. The reviews are in the 5 range.



This unit puts out 50 watts RMS per channel (4 channels) at 4 ohms. It can be bridged into a two channel amplifier putting out 150 watts RMS per channel.



The rear provides terminals for four channel output. Next are two fuses. finally you see terminals for ground, power. and on/off leads. This amplifier needs an on/off signal. I procrastinated on its purchase until I located a tap-in location to pick up the on/off signal. It's right there in the X15 behind the X331. Is that convenient or what? Once that was nailed down, I ordered.



From the right front, the Alpine allows for high level speaker inputs or low level coax inputs via RCA connectors. RCA connectors to the left of the speaker inputs are preamp outputs to feed the sub amplifier. Channel 1-2 has crossover, gain, and filter controls. Channel 3-4 controls duplicate those in 1-2 and add a bass equalization switch.

Cost - $134.99 from Amazon plus $8 shipping.

So those are the big 3 components at a total cost of roughly $440. I am still well under budget. But what about the MC rear speakers you might ask? Unless I discover I need them, they will live out their lives mute. I don't think I'll find the need to upgrade those speakers. We're not talking about a Chevy Suburban interior here. We are talking about a total of 270 watts RMS of combined amplifier power feeding five quality speakers designed to take the load.

Oh yes, if I don't need to feed the rears, I only need two channels. That allows me to bridge the Alpine and push up to 150 Watts RMS per channel at the Polks, just a hair over their steady capacity and well below their peak capacity.

Of course all of this needs to be wired together. Therein lies the challenge. I have a plan and all the parts are on order. But this old dog is tired so I'll sign off for now. I'll pick this back up when the MINI karma returns.

 

I've presented the three main components I chose for my install and explained why I chose them. I don't want to imply in any way that I'm qualified to do audio reviews. But I do want to point out that the general approach I'm about to take, can be applied to components of your choosing. So I thought I'd mention a few alternatives.

Speakers - There are plenty of JB Audio fans at this site. They make component speaker systems similar in capabilities and price to the Polks I have chosen. They should work as well as the Polk DB6501s. If your pockets are much deeper, the Focal Polyglass line has been used in a number of installs in this site. But the door components alone exceed my entire budget for this project.

Amplifiers - One of the options I will introduce a bit later is the use of a wiring harness from newministuff.com. They do a lot of audio installs in the UK. Their amplifier of choice is the Kenwood KAC-8405. It has auto sensing turn on/off capability so an on/off feed is not necessary. I passed on it as there were very few reviews even though it is a bit cheaper than the Alpine I chose. Again, if your pockets are deeper, there are much higher priced amps available.

Powered Subwoofer - I chose the Sound Ordinance 8-PT as it was on sale for $150 including an amp installation kit. It is now back up to $200 at Crutchfield. Many others have gone with the Boss Audio powered sub with a nearly identical footprint at a price in the $100 range. Once again there are more expensive options along with custom enclosures designed for the MC. I haven't seen any specifically designed for the convertible however.

I thought I'd pass along a quick heads up on my decision to mute the rear factory speakers. It is my understanding that the sound for factory backup sensors is routed to the rear speakers. I don't have that option so it is not a factor in my decision.

 

As I see it, this project is made of three parts.

1. Designing the electrical interface for power and to the head unit speaker output. I will lay out both a build it yourself option and a 'buy it' option. My design work is complete and I will document it in tthe next series of posts.
2. Selecting the location for the components. The location for the 6 1/2 inch Polk is nailed down. The tweeter location, the Alpine location, and the Sound Ordinance location are all up in the air. Once I have all the components in my hands and some free time, I'll explain my options and how I settled on locations.
3. Run the electrical lines and hook it up. One of my objectives is to minimize the amount of tearout I need to do. That desire will drive some of my choices. I'll take photos and show the entire install as it takes place.

 

Thanks for taking the time to be as thorough as you were. I look forward to reading more about your project as the phases begin.

 

Oops, double poet.

 

"Tom, it's easy. Hook one end of the positive lead to the battery, the other to the positive lead of your amplifier(s). Run the negative lead from the negative terminal of the amplifier to the closest metal point on the frame, you're done."

That is a quick summary of the installation steps. We're in the design phase. And when we're designing the connection between our 12 volt system and the amplifier, we need to think about the following:

1. Wire size - driven by the power draw of the amplifier and the length of the run.
2. Power run distance from speaker lines.
3. Fuses.

The easy way - say you don't want to deal with this. Order your amplifier from a supplier like Crutchfield. You'll pay more. But what you are paying for is all the expertise and experience in supporting do-it-yourself installs. They will supply you with everything you need (in most circumstances) to complete the install and instructions on how to do it. I ordered the Sound Ordinance 8-BT powered sub from Crutchfield. The box that arrived included my powered sub and an Scosche EFX amplifier installation kit. The kit included:

1. 17 feet of the approprite sized (#10) positive and 4 feet of negative hookup wires for my Sound Ordinance.
2. 17' of spiral shielded audio cable with RCA connectors on both ends.
3. An appropriatedly sized in-line fuse holder.
4. A set of terminals for the install.
5. Instructions and wiring diagrams for the hookup.

I ordered the amplifier from Amazon, saving $66 on the Crutchfield price. But I had Fosgate amplifier installation kit left over from a previous install. Of course I needed to determine whether the power wires were an appropriate size myself.

The hard way - can save you money but requires you invest more brain and sweat equity in your install. In my case I already had a kit, but was it appropriate for my Alpine?

Power line wire size - When you think about wire capacity to handle your power draw, think about a garden hose. How much water comes out per second is a product of:

• The water pressure in your house - electrical pressure is measured by volts (V). We all run 12 volts in our cars, so all our pressure is the same.
• The flow rate of the electricity - in an electrical setting we measure current in amps (I).
• The size of the hose - In electrical terms resistance (r) is a product of wire size.

The water coming out per second is the plumbing equivalent of electrical power (P), which we measure in watts.

So what is the issue in selecting wire size? Electricity flows from your battery in the form of electrons that are moving down the wire as a result of the electrical pressure being applied by the battery and charging system and the demands for power at the other end. But these electrons collide with each other (like the mad rush of shoppers in line on Black Friday when store doors open and everyone tries to get through the doors at the same time.)

Friction creates heat. The smaller the wire, the more collisions and the more heat created. Sufficient heat can melt the insulation on wires, and ignite combustibles in contact with the now bare wires. A fire is not a good thing in a MC containing gasoline.

We need a big enough wire that the wire temparature stays within a safe range. Most amplifier manufacturers will tell you in their documentation the minimum wire size needed to provide power to their amplifier. I suspect Crutchfield looked at the spec for the Sound Ordinance 8-PT which specifies a minimum of #10 wire in matching a kit to my amplifier.

But there is a second issue that affects wire size. Put 12 volts at one end of a wire and you will get less than 12 volts at the other side. This phenomenon is referred to as voltage drop. For a given amont of current, the longer the wire run and the smaller the diameter, the greater the voltage drop. If voltage drops 5% over the length of the cable, you will have 12 volts in and will receive 11.4 volts at the other end. Manufacturers design electrical components anticipating some voltage drop. If voltage drops significantly below the manufacturer's minimum target, the component may not operate properly or may not operate at all.

Fortunately, in a MC, the runs are going to be relatively short as compared to a Chevy Suburban with a subwoofer in the back. The good news is that other folks have had to deal with this and some have created resources on the Web so you don't need to run a bunch of calculations. One specifically aimed at audio installs is at www.the12volt.com.

http://www.the12volt.com/info/recwirsz.asp

Note that the table specifies minimum wire size both from the standpoint of watts RMS and cable length.

My Sound Ordinance 8-BT puts out up to 120 watts RMS. The 100 watt line of the table indicates I can make a run of up to about 8 feet with #10 wire. Beyond that I ought to consider #8 wire. Crutchfield supplied me with 17' of #10 wire. Hmmmm. At 16' the table recommends #8 wire. If my run is 8' or less, I'm cool. That will probably be the case with my mini.

My Alpine MRP-F300 draws 150 watts per channel when bridged times two channels or 300 watts in total. The table indicates I can run #8 wire which was supplied with my Fosgate kit for up to roughly 8'. Of course the table 's line is for 400 watts, so I might be able to go a bit further with 300 watts. Again, in my Mini, the runs are likely to be 8' or less.

In summary my two kits should work, #10 wire for the Sound Ordinance and #8 wire for the Alpine.

Distance from Power wire run to speaker line run - Electrical wires carrying power create an invisible magnetic field surrounding the wire. The more current running through a wire, the stronger the magnetic field. If a sufficiently strong magnetic field comes in contact with your speaker wire runs, hum is introcuced in the signal going to your speakers. The longer the distance the lines run in parallel, the more hum is introduced.

There are three ways to defeat the hum problem.

1. Shield the power lines - I'm sure you've all seen shielded cables where either a wire mesh or alumninum foil surrounds the power fields. Often the shield is the negative side of the electrical connection. Generally, in 12 volt auto installs, the power lines are not shielded.
2. Shield the speaker lines - As pointed out in #1, this can be accomplished with a woven wire or foil wrapper around the lines. To a lesser degree it is also accomplished by twisting the positive and negative lines (twisted pair).
3. Sufficiently separate the power runs from the speaker runs that magnetic fields do not come in contact with your speaker runs.

I've seen resources on the Web that recommended up to an 18" separation between unshielded power and speaker runs. Other resources specify at least 12 inches.

The EFX installation kit that came with my Sound Ordinance has spiral shielded audio cable. Because the speaker lines are shielded, they recommend at least six inches of separation.

The Rockford Fosgate installation kit provides twisted pair audio lines. I suspect when I dig out the installation instructions I'll find that Rockford Fosgate is recommending a minimum separation somewhere between 6 and 12 inches.

Does the hum issue play a role in deciding where to locate components? It does. You not only need a location where the component fits, you need to think through how you will run your wiring and speaker lines so you are listening to music, not hum.


Fuses - Think about a power wire as a road. Think about a fuse as a bridge in the road. Envision that the road is a supply line (troops, supplies, armaments) for an army. If the opposition wants to stop the flow of manpower and materials down the road, they are most likely to attempt to knock out the bridge as it will stop the flow completely for a while.

Your positive power line needs to have a minimum of two bridges (fuses). One is commonly found at the component being supplied with power. If that component attempts to draw too much power, the fuse blows and power is cut off to the device. Most automotive fuses bridge the gap with a special wire. Once the wire heats up to a certain point, the wire melts breaking the flow of electricity to the device. Fuse sizes at the device are selected based on the maximum power the device is designed to draw.

You could easily conclude that if a fuse properly protects the device, that is the only fuse you will need. But say your MC is involved in an accident. the accident pierces the insulation on your positive power line and lays that unprotected power line against the car's frame. Say the collission also pierces the fuel tank allowing gasoline to escape. You are toast, baby !!

In your home, the fuses or circuit breakers are as close to the incoming power as possible. Those circuit breakers protect the lines from overheating. You need to provide the same protection (with fuses) very close to the source of your power (your battery). The size of the fuse near the battery is based on the power capacity of the wire.

A bit further down the table you used to look up minimum wire sizes for your device is another table that specifies the maximum current capacity of various sized wires in a 12 volt system.

http://www.the12volt.com/info/recwirsz.asp

If you look up #8 wire you will see a maximum current capacity of 100 amps. You need to insert a fuse in that line of 100 amps or less. In my Rockford Fosgate installation kit, #8 wire is supplied. They also supply a very conservative 60 amp fuse. That fuse will protect the wire until it reaches my Alpine amplifier. Once it gets there the device circuit breakers control power to the device using two 25 amp fuses, a total of 50 amps.

Even if you decide to go the easy way, you may find it sorta fun to double-check the specifications of the components included in an installation kit. The most important point I discovered in double-checking my installation kit components is that if my positive power runs are much longer than 8 feet, I'm going to need to upgrade my power line wire sizes.

Are we having fun yet?

 

Tom, realy appreciate the option 1 and 2 write ups. I have been sick the whole weekend. Been sort of a clutz and in denial about being sick all together. Bottom line, decided to hold off replacing the front speakers to avoid errors. But that gave me more time to analyze if I had enough to do the amp and speaker install at once. I remember my amp producing a pop or click on startup with previous vehicles. I hope to read or find a thread that talks about how to avoid that during amp hook up. Good luck on your install!

 

Guys,

Thank you for the feedback. My weekend was a bit of a mixed bag.

1. I spent Saturday morning installing the mounted Blizzak snow tires that arrived Friday. Good thing because a major snow storm blew in Saturday night. They are going to make a huge difference this winter.
2. Much of Saturday was consumed clearing 10" of very wet snow from my long country driveway.
3. Monday moring I was at work till around 11:00 AM. At that point my Lil Punkin went on her first road trip, a 500 mile jaunt from Madison to southern Missouri, where I'll spend some time with a customer tomorrow (actually today as it is 1:20 AM). She now has 800 miles on her clock.

I think I'm really going to get into driving my MC.

Derepente,

Hope you are feeling better. Theoretically tapping Terminal 1 of the X15 connector behind the X9331 should eliminate the pop issue. If it doesn't I plan on ordering a PAC TR-4 Low Voltage Remote Turn On Trigger from Amazon ($13) and wiring it into my circuit. It is designed to provide a 1 second delay.

http://www.amazon.com/TR-4-Low-Volta...2309973&sr=8-4

Of course, you can duck that issue entirely if you choose an amplifier like one of the Kenwoods with turn on/off sensing from speaker wire feeds. I went with the Alpine as I liked the reviews and figured I could beat the on/off sensing issue.

Back to bed. This stuff was running through my mind so I thought I'd get it in a post so my mind would shut off.

Spent a lot of time thinking about component locations on the drive down. In a Mini, there aren't a lot of options. Once I deal with the speaker wiring issue, I'll share those thoughts with you all.

 

Yes, I feel like an attorney saying this. I'm documenting this installation as I proceed, not knowing where the process will take me. So before following along or even getting ahead of me, keep in mind I am learning as I go.

While there are many who have performed installations before me, I'll be tapping into the sound system of a 2011 MCS. This will be a learning experience because:
1. There were changes made to the head unit in the 2011.
2. It has been reported that the bass in particular is stronger in the 2011 on the HK upgrade than the same option for 2010.

Because in the next step I will be tapping into the x9331 connector, I may encounter changes in:
1. Wiring layout. For example the speaker swap many have implemented in earlier years could have been performed by the factory in 2011.
2. Crossover settings in the head unit.

I won't really know until I get beyond the design stage and moving forward with installation. So proceed with caution.

I plan to work on my installation the week between Christmas and New Years when I have some free time. Hopefully the Wisconsin winter will provide a temprature break that will make the installation easier.

 

Love the write-up so far, Tom! You're very thorough, and you make it easy to follow and understand. This will be a great resource for anyone diving into car audio in general. Here are some things you may want to consider in the planning stages.

What I've done in the past (because I saw an installer do it) is to choose one side of your vehicle for your power runs and the other side of the vehicle for your speaker/data runs. You can get a little fancier and 'make' a third rail in the middle of your vehicle for returns and such, but without needing to pull a lot of stuff out (as you've mentioned as a design choice), the easy fix is left/right rails.

Is the battery located on the right side (American passenger side) of your vert as it is in my R56? If so, it seems logical to use the right side for your power runs, and since the X15 and X9331 connectors are on the left side of the vehicle, use that 'rail' for your speaker wiring/turn-on runs. You may already know this since you mentioned EMI with parallel lines, but if/when you need to cross over power lines (or signals in general, but esp. high power), do so at perpendicular angles to avoid EMI.

For the turn-on lead, you might be able to pick that up somewhere in the rear as well (which may be helpful if you decide to place the amp back there). I know on my R56, it can be found in the hatch cubby hole. Not sure on a vert. though, but I'd look for where the factory stores the HK amp.

Also, have you considered running your components on separate channels -- i.e., using one channel of your amp per speaker and not bridging? While it probably won't make a noticeable difference in real world application, you'll have less distortion and crosstalk (yeah, I'm a perfectionist). This may also open up other options on tweeter placement, since I've read running speaker wire into the doors to be difficult.

*EDIT* Someone asked me why you would want to run each component on its own channel. There are a few reasons (none that are too convincing for most people); however, let me sum it up like this: if you were designing a high-end system and controlled the whole signal path of processor/amplifier/speaker, you would NEVER use passive crossovers. Seek out bi-amping if you're interested on the benefits. To name a few, better damping, more power from your amp (possibly double), less distortion, less crosstalk, no wasted power for component sensitivity matching ... now does any of this make sense to do in a imperfect listening environment like your car? <shrug> That's for you to decide. Cheap speakers have cheap crossovers, so removing them and doing active (i.e., bi-amping) nets greater gains.

 

There are three places to pick up amplifier output for speakers I've seen discussed at this site.

1. At the head unit. Getting at these connections requires a significant amount of dashboard disassembly. I'm trying to minimize disassembly in my install. The next option represents a better option from that perspective.
2. At the X9331 connector. This connector is located behind the driver side kick plate. Bacause the kick plate is easily removed and the connector readily accessible, this is the most common place used by those upgrading audio systems at this site.
3. At the X10266 connector behind the left panel in the boot. This is where the amplifier is located in the HK upgrade. There is minimal information on the pin outs for this connector and could require longer wiring runs to access. I've rejected that connector for this reason.

That means I am going to pick up my speaker leads from the x9331 connector behind the kick plate. There are two primary methods used by those doing audio upgrades in interfacing with this connector.

1. Pull appropriate pins out of the connector and splice lines into those pins. As an alternative, insert Y or parallel taps into those lines. In a modified form, this is the same general approach used by most switching front and rear channels. This approach is the cheapest but requires that those taking this approach either use wire taps or solder connections. It may also require pulling pins out of the X9331 connector. If in the future it becomes desirable to convert the x9331 back to factory pinouts, this approach represents a bigger challenge.
2. Insert a wiring harness between the male and female x9331 connector. Take off appropriate speaker leads from the harness while passing through those lines that need to continue between the male and female connector. This is the more expensive approach but is the approach that makes it easiest to convert back to factory pinouts, Remove the harness, then reconnect the male and female x9331 connector. This is the approach I plan to take in my install.

The Easy Way - NewMiniStuff.com in the UK sells harnesses that can be plugged in between the male and female x9331 connector.

http://www.newministuff.com/new/shop...uctshow&id=469

They actually manufacture four different versions. The first has speaker wire outs, a second has front RCA speaker outs, the third has rear RCA speaker outs and the fourth offers both front and rear RCA speaker outs. Prices range from 45 to 50 UK pounds plus 15 pounds per shipping. With the US dollar trading at about $1.60 per pound that translates into roughly $100 to $110 US. The 'looms' come with complete installation instructions and are plug and play. They represent a good option for those that don't want to mess with building, tapping or soldering connections to Molex stylle connectors.

They also manufacture a loom for taking leads off the head unit.

One major caution - I sent them an e-mail asking whether they had any experiences with their looms on 2011's. So far I haven't received a response.

The hard way - Under this option you order the parts and build your own harness (loom). This option is somewhat cheaper. I chose it not because it is cheaper but because I want to check out whether the wiring at the X9331 changed for 2011. If you chose this option, you will need to order the appropriate BMW/MINI parts. Mine are already on order. I chose to order from ECS Tuning.

www.ecstuning.com

You will need the following part numbers and quantities:

• 1 Female Plug Housing - 61131378139
• 1 Male Plug Housing - 61131378137
• 12 Female Connectors - 61131376204
• 12 Male Connectors - 61131376193

My total bill came to $38.37 including shipping.

In addition, I ordered the following Molex style connectors from Radio Shack

• 4 Four Position Female Polarized Connectors with pins
• 4 Four Position Male Polarized Connectors with pins
• 1 Six Position Female Polarized Connector with pins
• 1 Six Position Male Polarized Connector with pins

Cost was around $30 with shipping.

Note that the Radio Shack connectors will be used on both the X9331 and the component side of my installs to make it easy to connect and disconnect components. These connectors may not be necessary but make the installation much more flexible and professional. It also leaves my options open for run lengths while I'm experimenting with component placement.

I'll also need speaker hookup wire. But my two amplifier installation kits should provide more than enough speaker wire for my install.

One additional caution. In building the wiring harness it is absolutely essential to use wires at least as large in capacity for the pass-through connections in the harness as the wires coming into the harness. At least one install in these threads failed voiding the manufacurer warranty as a result of use of undersized wire. I'll elaborate further on this as we dig into the X9331 connector.

 

Thanks for posting this follow up, TomFarin. I see the wisdom in getting to the x9331 molex. I don't have a 5 channel amp yet. I'd like to at least connect my HERTZ speakers with their respective crossovers to the x9331. I am very interested in the do it yourself approach and might end up ordering as you did from ecstuning.com. But it's bedtime and I might have to shovel snow in the morning.

Looking forward to your next post and pictures of your home grown loom.

 

wuttuptae,

Thank you for the suggestion. I had a similar thought about routing power down one side and speaker leads down the other. But I haven't settled on component location yet. Also, some have tapped into a cigarette outlet in the rear on their BassAudio powered subwoofers. That could eliminate the need to run power all the way to the back although I'm concerned about wire size as I'm using a different powered sub.

I'm hoping I can find a place for the Alpine under one of the front seats. That would materially shorten run lengths and cause speaker wires to come from the drivers side (X9331) and power to come from the passenger side (battery). But is has been so darn cold here I haven't been inclined to crawl around and nail down component locations yet. If I can pull off the front amp install, I'd be running preamp leads to the powered sub and might not need to run power at all.

Folks,

Having to write this stuff forces me to be disciplined about my install and to check out all the options. I spend a fair amount of my time teaching adults. Sometimes one of the best ways to really learn a subject is to commit to teach it. The same general concept applies to committing to document step by step as you install. If you wait until the install is done to start writing, you often skip discussing the paths you investigated and rejected, and why they were rejected.

The other nice thing about documenting as you go is suggestions and counterpoints can change the course of the install, reducing the probability of a major mistake. So I really do appreciate your thoughts and suggestions.

 

Sometimes diagraming a circuit helps people visualize where we are going with connections. This is my proposed diagram for my MCS 2011 R57 install.



The battery in the lower right corner is the power source for the Powered Subwoofer and for the Alpine amplifier. The thick red lines are the (+) power runs from the battery to the positive power terminals of the components. We've already discussed considerations in wire size and wire placement. The power lines will be fused on the battery side to protect the wires from overheating. Both components also have fuses to protect the components.

The black lines run from the negative terminal of the battery and the two components to the metal part of the frame and body which serves as the common ground.

The X9331 connector is shown in the lower left corner. It is the source of the speaker signals from the head unit. The X9331 is shown separated as a harness will be built to bridge the male and female sides of the connector. My objective will be to intercept the front speaker signals from the head unit and route them along the green path to the high level speaker inputs on the Alpine unit. While not shown in the diagram, I also plan to pick up an on/off signal from the X15 connector behind the X9331 and route it along the same path.

Once the front (door) speaker signals have been amplified they will be routed back along the Speaker Out path to the output side of the X9331. From there the amplified power will be directed to the front door speakers through the MINI wiring already in place.

The powered subwoofer will receive its speaker signals through the pre-amp output RCAs on the Alpine. That line is shown in blue.

Note that if I ever wish to remove the sound system upgrade, it will be a matter of removing the power leads, unhooking the harness between the male/female part of the X9331, and reconnecting the male/female parts. My upgraded door speakers will remain in place. They have sufficient sensitivity that they can be powered with head unit signals. Rear speakers will be reconnected when the X9331 male/female halves are reconnected.

I can remove the Alpine and the Powered Sub and pull out the lines connecting them (green and blue lines). Or I could leave the connecting lines in place, disabling the speaker lines by disconnecting the Molex connectors that will be in both ends of each line. The preamp line can be disabled by disconnecting the RCA connections on both ends.

 

I am looking inside this connector vicariously, through the eyes of others who have seen it and have posted photos. I want to apologize to 'euells' for purloining and cropping the first two photos from one of his posts. I could link to them but sometimes photos you don't control disappear and you are left with broken links.

This is a connected X9331. It is located behind the kickplate on the left outside wall of the driver's foot well.



The next shows a disconnected x9331. I presume that is euells' hand holding the connector.



You are looking at the business end of the female side of the x9331. Based on information in multiple posts, the female side of the X9331 is hooked to the head unit. It is the same whether or not you have the upgraded HK audio system. The male side of the connector goes to the speakers on the base audio sustem. On the upgraded HK system it goes to the amplifier which is in the boot behind the drivers side panel.

I'm not sure who to credit for this graphic as I have found it in many posts. It shows the pinouts for the x9331 from the head unit (female connector).



As can be seen, 12 wires run through the X9331. Let me warn you again. This could have changed in 2011 with the audio system changes. I won't really know till I tear out the real thing. Eight of the twelve wires are positive and negative wires for the four channels of speaker output coming from the head unit. The other four wires are for some other purpose which is not well documented in the other threads.



In this graphic I used the oval thingy in Powerpoint to circle the four non-speaker wires. Our harness will pass through those wires from the head unit side connector to the speaker side connector directly. Their purpose is not terribly important but their wire size is very important. This is where one poor soul voided his warranty and ruined his air conditioner by using undersized wire. It is important when you build a harness to pass through these four leads to use the same or a larger sized wire between the X9331 male and female connectors as those coming into those four pins from the other side.

I've seen multiple requests for information on the wire sizes for these four pass throughs. If you know the answer, please share your knowledge. If no answer is provided I'll take a shot at finding the answer when I move from the planning to the install phase.



The four circles on this graphic show the pinouts for the + and - right and left front channels. In my install, these are the leads I am going to pass through to the high level inputs in my Alpine amplifier. Note that these lines are reported to carry full frequency spectrum audio signals. That is why I am feeding these leads to my amplifier. I'll use the amplifier to define the crossover points on feeds to my subwoofer/front speakers. I'll use the crossover on the Polk Audio components to separate midrange and treble.

Note in a front/rear speaker swap, the four front speaker lines from the head unit side of the connector (female) are attached to the back four speaker lines on the speaker side of the connector (male). That causes full frequency spectrum audio signals to be sent to the rear speakers, 'waking up' their bass response.

I won't be doing that swap because in a convertible you do not have 6x9 speakers in the rear, you have speakers very similar to the larger diameter circular speakers in the front. In other words, a speaker swap does nothing in a convertible as your bass will be just as lousy after the swap as it was before the swap.



The remaining four circles on this graphic show the pinouts for the + and - right and left rear channels. For reasons nobody has been able to figure out, the lower frequency ranges are clipped from the feeds to the rear speakers (which on non-convertibles have the greatest ability to produce bass). In front/rear speaker swaps, these leads are connected to front speaker leads in the mating male x9331.

As I have no intention of using the rear speakers in my install, these lines will be terminated. I will run them to a Molex connector so that if I ever want to route these feeds somewhere, I'll just need to connect with the Molex. Also, should MINI have performed the front/rear swap for 2011, I'll be able to feed the rears to my Alpine amplifier by disconnecting my amplifier lead from the front Molex and connecting it to the rear Molex.

Why am I not using the rear speakers at all? Because my powered sub will provide the bass and my door speakers the mids and highs. The rear speakers would do little other than muddy my sound.

Assuming the X9331 pinouts didn't change between 2010 and 2011, that's all I will need to know. I did send another e-mail to newministuff.com asking whether they had done any 2011 installs and whether they needed to deal with changes. We'll see what they have to say. I hope they say, "Our harness still works" meaning the x9331 was left alone in 2011. Those of you that do not want to build your harness can purchase one from them using the Easy Method posted a few posts back.

 

This is a fairly high level view of the wiring harness circuits.



In this view the male and female half (in blue) of the factory X9331 have been further separated. The bottom blue block represents the female (head unit side) connector. The top blue block represents the male (speaker side) connector. Inserted between the two factory pieces will be the x9331 components I purchased from ECS tuning (green). From the head (female) unit side of the ECS connector, four wires (orange line) will be passed through to the output ECS connector. Those are the four lines where wire size is crucial.

Four more lines (front speaker leads) from the head unit side of the ECS x9331 (red line) will be passed to a six line Molex connector I purchased from Radio Shack. Those four lines will be joined by the on/off signal line I will pick up from the X15 connector (red line) located directly behind the X9331. From a mating six line molex connector the five lines will be passed to the Alpine amplifier, four to the high level input terminals and the fifth to the on/off input connector on the Alpine. The Alpine will amplify the signals and send them back to a four line Molex connector on the output side of the harness. That Molex connector will feed amplified front speaker signals through the output side ECS connector to the factory x9331 and from there through factory wiring to the upgraded door speakers.

Rear speaker signals on both the head unit side and the output side will be terminated at four line Molex connectors, which will be left unattached in this install. However, should I later want to use either the four head unit rear speaker leads or the four rear speaker output leads, the connectors will be all ready to go. In the event the factory has swapped front and rear leads, I'll use the rear speaker molex on the head unit side to feed the amplifier and leave the front unit speaker leads unattached.

The Powered Sub will be fed with preamp lines from the Alpine.

Soldering a Molex Connector - Why?

Some of you might be saying, "TF you are going to be doing a lot of soldering - what a PITA!" I would agree if I was planning to solder my connectors. I've done it. It is a PITA!

But Molex Connectors were designed to be crimped rather than soldered. When crimped properly they offer solid electrical connections and are more vibration resistant than soldered connectors. Would vibration resistance be a desirable thing in a speaker install ???

Here's a real good, but slightly technical article on crimping Molex connectors - aimed at pinball people who also need to be concerned about vibration. The first three parts explain why crimping makes sense and gets into specifications. The important part is part 4 which shows how to properly crimp a Molex connector. Part 5 is for those of you that insist on soldering, which the article discourages.

http://www.pinrepair.com/connect/

So I'm going to invest in a good crimping tool. I'll bet this harness goes together relatively quickly. Now if the parts from ECS would just show up

 

In planning my install, I have two relatively large components to place in my 2011 MCS Convertible.



The first is my Alpine MRP F-300 amplifier. This unit is 10 11/16" by 9 9/16" by 2 7/16". My preference would be to mount that unit as far forward as possible to minimize front speaker runs and power runs.



The second is my Sound Ordinance 8-BT powered sub. Dimensions on that unit are 9 1/8" by 13 7/8" by 3 1/4".

Most installs I've seen on powered subwoofers are placed vertically against the driver's side of the boot, tapping into a 12V outlet at that location for power. That doesn't work so well in a convertible as the top mechanism intrudes into that area making a flat vertical placement impossible.



In addition, there is no power outlet I've been able to locate. That's not a biggie as I could run a line from the battery as I discussed earlier.

I looked briefly at the tool recess.



The dimensions are about right. Unfortunately this opening is neither square or vertical. The Sound Ordinance doesn't fit. In addition there could be both heat and potentially water issues at this location. Remember, this is a convertible and the tool recess is the lowest point in the boot area.

I explored the area under the seats. The drivers side seat has a square component below the seat that I suspect is the control unit for an airbag. That component limits how far the alpine could go under the seat. I pulled the seat forward, pushed the Alpine under the seat, then brought the seat all the way back to see where the alpine would end up.



As you can see the Alpine fits nicely between the seat tracks, but protrudes into the footwell area when the seat is all the way back. On the positive side, speaker runs from the X9331 connector would be very short and the power run from the battery in the passenger side of the hood area would b relatively short.



There is a metal bar that runs underneath the passenger seat between the rails. I was getting cold so I didn't bother to check out why it was there. I pushed the Sound Ordinance underneath the seat when all the way forward with the long dimension between the rails. It fits between the rails. The horizontal bar pushes the Sound Ordinance back against the back of the footwell with the seat almost all of the way back. On the plus side power runs would be very short at that location and the preamp run from the Alpine to the Sound Ordinance would also be very short. Because the actual subwoofer speaker is offset in the unit, positioning the unit so the speaker is near the middle of the MINI would cause sound to be coming from a position slightly to the passenger side of the centerline and slightly behind the front seat occupants.

I can only think of two other potential locations for the Sound Ordinance.

1. On the floor of the boot where it would constantly be in the way for loading and unloading. Loading and unloading is already a hassle on the convertible because of the top.
2. In a raised platform in the boot area where it would be hidden but have a similar effect on loading and unloading.

 

Space is at a premium in a MINI. That is even more true in a convertible. I could see this sound system install problem coming at me for the last week. It materialized as I expected when I started test fitting newly arrived components today. Something needs to go.

I bought my MCS Vert because I wanted a 'sports car'. I considered a used S2000 or a Miata. But driver areas in those two cars for a big guy like me are very confining. So I went with the MCS instead as I appreciated the amount of room in the driver portion of the cabin. I also have a Harley Heritage Softail Classic which my lady and I took on two long trips the last two summers. While I really enjoy the bike, at my age long trips balancing two people and luggage are draining. And motorcycles are not the safest form of travel.

We'd considered a Harley Trike which would have been nearly as expensive as the MCS convertible. But Harleys are useless 4-5 months out of the year in Wisconsin. So I saw the MCS convertible as a daily driver offering similar fun to the Hog, but a whole lot safer and practical. I may keep the Hog for weekend fun. Or I may sell it in the spring.

All the vehicles I just mentioned are two seaters. So when I reached the installation barrier, I asked myself what my potential time allocation might be between different numbers of passengers.

• Driver only - 75% of the time,
• Driver and 1 passenger - 24% of the time,
• Driver and more than one passenger - less than 1% of the time.

I also asked myself how important it was to be able to carry stuff. The answer is stuff hauling on long trips and around town are important.

Finally, I asked myself how important is the sound upgrade. To me it is important.

You can probably see where I'm heading. I spent a lot of time reading rear seat delete threads last night. If I remove the rear seat there is no reason I can't use the rear seat footwells for my amplifier and powered subwoofer. If I remove the rear seat and fabricate a platform in the boot area, I can haul stuff behind the driver. If the platform in the boot area is raised to match the area supporting the seat, I can either:

1. Have lockable storage below the raised deck, or
2. recess the Sound Ordinance under the raised deck, or
3. some combination of the two.

Of course I didn't find any convertible rear seat deletes in my reading. And I didn't find any kits I can buy for R57 convertibles. Neither of these concern me as I'm a creative type and pretty handy with tools. And convertibles offer some fairly unique opportunities for rear seat delete projects.

1. They have a tailgate. Anyone interested in attending a MC tailgate party? What if the surface of the raised deck slid backward when unlocked and was supported by the tailgate?
2. What about a tonneau cover?

So my conclusion for now is to:

1. Pull the rear seat to see what I have to work with.
2. Use the footwells for the Alpine and the Sound Ordinance installs. But incorporate disconnects in the wiring for the Sound Ordinance so I can move it later.
3. Spend some time planning my rear seat delete project. I'll start a new thread in the R57 forum when I reach the point the plan is firming up and post what I do there.

I'd appreciate any feedback you might have. If you see a major hole in my thought process, please share it with me before I make a major mistake.

Are we having fun yet? I sure am !!!

 

Tom,

while writing your review on the Alpine amp, you mentioned X15 and X331 to 'tap in' for the on/off signal. Enlighten me... what and where is the X15 and X331?

Thanks.... excellent write up BTW!

 

Slider,

The x331 is a typo. It should have read x9331. The x9331 is a connector located behind the kick plate in the driver's wheel well. There are photos of it further up my thread. It is the most common place folks here tap into sound when doing an audio upgrade.

The x15 is a connector located directly behind the x9331 in the same area. Pin one on that connector is a positive wire that goes on and off with the ignition switch. If your amplifier needs a on/off signal, the x15 is one place to get it. Others have used the + terminal from the cigarette lighter. There are a number of places to pick up that signal, but the x15 is the most convenient for my install.

Thenks for the compliment.

 

First of all, Merry Christmas.

I did hear back from NewMiniStuff.com. They have not performed a 2011 install, so the issue of whether the wiring changed at the X9331 connector is still up in the air. I'm going to have to figure that one out myself.

My parts showed up from ECStuning, so everything I need is on hand. I'm heading out of town till the 28th, so I suspect I'll start ripping her apart sometime in the 29th to Jan 2nd range.

At this point, my plan is to:
1. Do the Polk Audio door installs first. I'll test those installs with the factory leads from the factory head unit first to make sure they are working. With speakers installed and tested, there will be no need to reopen the doors.
2. Open the kick plate and check out the X9331. Once I have her apart, I'll take and post photos of the 2011 version of the wiring.
3. Assuming #2 checks out OK, build the harness that will fit between the male and female X9331 connectors.
4. Run power for the Alpine and Sound Ordinance in their rear seat footwell locations.
5. Insert the harness and test the operation of the Alpine.
6. Add the Sound Ordinance and test the operation of the powered sub.