That's perfectly ok, we certainly won't try to make you! Everyone is different and has different views of what is and isn't worth spending money on. For some folks, Natural Light Ice is a perfectly good beer and there is no point in spending more. Others feel the exact opposite.

There are plenty of people who are satisfied with the HK system. Some are even satisfied with the standard 6 speaker system. Our systems are targeted at folks who are disappointed by the short-comings of the HK, and who want high-end audio performance in their MINI.

Are our systems expensive? Yes. But, do we believe they are the best value out there in terms of bang-for-the-buck? Absolutely. Our systems are built with much higher quality components with much lower markup than any factory system, upgraded or otherwise. Example: the 6" door woofer in the new HK system is about a $9 speaker. The 6" woofer that is replacing it in our Soundstage upgrade is a $90 speaker. Those are equivalent wholesale costs, and are representative of the other components in the system. Our Soundstage will be about $2000, vs $750 for the HK. Ignoring all the advanced R&D we do, just on the component cost and markup there is no comparison.

At the end of the day, though, it isn't about cost - it's about the sound. At $949, folks have a very high expectation for how the subwoofer system should sound & look. Do we meet & exceed those expectations? Take a look at the reviews here on NAM and judge for yourself.

 

I bet you couldn't justify the price of a Mini until you drove one either or were happy with DVD until you saw Blu-Ray. Like most things, people with no experience with something tend to fault others for spending money on them.

Once you add a sub to a system, any system, especially in a car, you'll never own a car without one.

 

Not trying to be a hater by any means! Please don't get me wrong. I have actually had subs installed in every one of my cars, and my MINI has been the first without it. My other cars, a C230 and an X5, had, in my opinion, a stock stereo very lacking in the bass department. I spent more than I care to say on my sound system in my other cars, but as soon as I heard the 10-speaker HK, I was thrilled that I could focus more on performance than SQ. I think the HK is perfectly even (even for a basshead like me). For owning a car with 3 15" subs and 2 12", and even going as far as buying a sub and amp for my girlfriend's VW Golf because it was seriously lacking (even with the upgraded sound system), I think the MINI's sounds very even and very good.

But again, I'm not trying to hate on the people who are spending the money to get your sub- if I wanted one for my car, yours would be the first choice. Build quality is great from what it looks like.