MINI Audio 101: Specs, Details, and Upgrades (START HERE!)
 

Been meaning to put this together for the benefit of the community for a while, finally found the time….mods, if you would, please make this sticky….thanks!

I see a lot of posts inquiring about the quality of the different MINI audio systems, whether or not to upgrade, and if so, how and what to upgrade. The threads generally devolve into some people claiming that the system is great, others saying it’s terrible. Each side often attempts to back up their argument/credibility by claiming that they used to work in the car audio business or that they have some fantastic home system or their brother’s uncle’s dog is an audio expert and told them such-and-such. How do you know who to listen to? How can you tell who’s full of crap and who isn’t? It’s important to keep in mind that the listening experience is subjective, and a person’s perception of sound quality is dependant on their knowledge and experience, or lack thereof. If you are going to listen to others for advice on audio you need to make sure you are listening to people who a) have experience, tastes, and expectations extremely similar to yours, or b) look for hard evidence, testing, and people who know what they are talking about. While the listening experience may be subjective, sound is not – it is pure physics, and is measurable and quantifiable. You want to avoid subjective, qualitative comments in favor of accurate, meaningful measurements and specifications. When someone says something like “this system has great bass” or “it is perfectly balanced’, you should say “show me”.

Bottom Line: Read ALL advice/comments with a healthy dose of skepticism. Weight opinions based on the credibility of the person expressing the opinion. Go listen to the product in question if at all possible. And if not possible, make sure there is a good return policy.

Below are actual measured details of the factory MINI Audio Systems and an overview of each system to give you a starting point and help you understand how the different systems compare to each other, and how to set about upgrading.


Standard 6 Speaker Stereo:

6 speakers: 6.5” door woofer, 3.5” cone midrange, 6”x 9” rear woofer

Speakers driven directly from Head Unit: 8 watts per channel @ 1% THD, 1kHz (image below shows the clipping hard into a 4 ohm dummy load, the HU can only deliver 4 volts clean - I didn't save a screenshot of the unclipped measurement)

http://www.integralaudio.com/other_f...wer_scaled.jpg

Head Unit Frequency Response (image): Front channels in yellow, rear in red (rear channels offset +6dB for clarity). Note the notch filter at 70Hz on the rear channels.

http://www.integralaudio.com/other_f...esp_scaled.jpg


Overview: The speakers are driven directly from the low-power head unit. There are no tweeters in the system. Relatively average for a low-end OEM audio system. Low cost/quality components and low power. Because of the lack of tweeters, the high-frequency response is poor. Because of the low power of the head unit, the speakers have to be efficient, and they are quite efficient. Efficiency comes at the cost of bandwidth (frequency response range), so the bass response in the system is poor. The bass response is further reduced due to an artificial notch filter that severely limits bass response below 100Hz in the rear speakers. Because of the low quality of the components, the midrange is muddy and lacks clarity, distortion is high.
The notch filter on the rear speakers is an interesting thing. It significantly impairs the bass response, and the only reason for it is to reduce the performance of the standard system relative to the HiFi/HK systems and thus entice buyers to spring for the more expensive upgrade.

Bottom Line:If you are satisfied with the built-in speakers in your TV, this system may be sufficient for you. Otherwise probably not.

Upgrade Options:

Swap the Front/Rear Channels @ the X9331: $0 + your time. Search this board for Front/Rear Swap. If you have the time and aren’t inclined to do anything else, it’s not a bad idea. This will send the front channels – which don’t have limited bass response – to the rear speakers which are more capable of producing them.

Replace speakers with high efficiency aftermarket speakers: Cost $200-400+. Because the headunit is very low power, you will need very efficient speakers. The biggest benefit to be gained here is in improved high frequency response through adding a proper tweeter. Bass response will be limited regardless due to the low HU power and necessary efficiency of the speakers. Your best bet is to find a very efficient 2-way 6.5” component set. Coaxial speakers can be installed, but can pose some issues. A single 4” coaxial set in the upper door location will likely not be sufficient, and a single 5.25” or 6.5” set in the lower location does not give the best placement. Adding coax sets in both the upper and lower locations is problematic. It can give you greater output, but having two sets of front speakers duplicating the same frequency range will cause significant lobing and cancellation issues.

Add a Subwoofer: Cost varies widely, from $400-$2500+. A proper subwoofer can make a tremendous difference, far more than most listeners expect. In addition to adding an entire spectrum of low frequencies that your stock speakers can’t even produce – frequencies that you can both hear and feel – a subwoofer’s impact stretches into the upper mid-bass and midrange spectrum. It does this – when properly installed and tuned – by allowing you to reduce the bass load on the rest of the speakers in the system and relieve them from trying to produce frequencies that they aren’t capable of producing, reducing distortion across the entire spectrum the speaker is producing.

Add an Amplifier and Replace Speakers: Cost also varies widely, from $800-3000+. This cuts you loose to do whatever you choose to do, and frees you from virtually all the limits of the factory system.

Integral Audio Soundstage + Subwoofer: Our Soundstage + Subwoofer systems are purpose-built for each MINI model. The systems are designed based on actual in-car measured responses for sound tailored exactly to your specific vehicle. No traditional aftermarket system can come close. Each piece of hardware is custom-made for a perfect fit, installation is easy, and everything you need is included - down to the last screw. Our detailed installation instructions are the best in the business. The systems are designed to work best as a pair, but are also available individually. If you are considering anything more than a very modest upgrade I highly recommend you give them a look.


HiFi (2007-2009 upgrade, $500):

10 speakers: 1” tweeter in A-Pillar, 3.5” cone midrange, 6.5” door woofer, 1” tweeter in rear panel, 6”x 9” rear woofer.

8 channel Amplifier: 76W RMS Total: 24W front door woofer, 5W midrange/tweeter, 7W rear woofer, 2W rear tweeter

Amplifier Frequency Response (DSP) [Front Woofer: red, Front Midrange/Tweeter: Green, Rear Woofer: Orange, Rear Tweeter: Purple]

http://www.integralaudio.com/other_f...DSP_scaled.jpg

Amplifier Power Output: Front Woofer

http://www.integralaudio.com/other_f...12W_scaled.jpg

Amplifier Power Output: Front Midrange/Tweeter

http://www.integralaudio.com/other_f..._4W_scaled.jpg

Amplifier Power Output: Rear Woofer

http://www.integralaudio.com/other_f..._4W_scaled.jpg

Amplifier Power Output: Rear Tweeter

http://www.integralaudio.com/other_f..._1W_scaled.jpg

In-Car Response: (will post later….)

Overview: The HiFi system adds tweeters in the A-pillars and in the rear locations, bringing the speaker total to ten. It also adds an 8 channel amplifier, with the front midrange and tweeter sharing a channel, and each other speaker getting its own channel. The amp has electronic crossovers and signal processing built in. The speakers and amp are specifically mated to each other – the signal processing in the amp is used primarily to apply speaker correction curves in a attempt to make up for their deficiencies (see images above). For this reason, you can not simply replace the speakers with better quality speakers. Unfortunately, the existing speakers are of low quality – a bit better than the standard 6 speakers system, but still not very good at all. The amp is pretty low power (see above), less than 40 watts RMS total combined for all 8 channels – a FAR cry from the 400 watts claimed by MINI (Interesting Side Note: MINI gave some of this away in an advertisement for the 2010+ HK system, where they claimed in the ad that the new 480W HK amp delivered "twice" the performance of the old HiFi amp). As a result, the speakers in the HK system must also be relatively efficient, at the expense of bandwidth. To make up for the lack of low frequency extension, the DSP curve in the amplifier boosts the low frequencies drastically, to a level that the door speakers can’t physically can’t produce. When they try, they distort – the cone is not stiff enough and the XMAX isn’t large enough. The system is tuned to produce excessive bass in the 70Hz range to give the illusion of producing decent bass. The front midrange and tweeter channels are combined, and the same signal is run to both speakers. There is no high-frequency control on the midrange (the DSP limits the low frequencies). It gets a full range signal, which leaves the breakup node – a large, very distorted high-frequency bump in the response at about 10kHz – in the speakers pass-band. The tweeter uses a very low quality capacitor to block frequencies below 8kHz.

Bottom Line: The system is an improvement over the standard system but the high distortion, limited output (notable for the R57 with the top down), and exaggerated bass at 70Hz (and lack of bass below ~60Hz) are all significant shortcomings. The result is muddy bass, no real low-frequency response, a lack of clarity in the midrange, and harsh, underperforming highs. If you are satisfied with the $300-500 home-theater-in-a-box solutions, you may find this system satisfactory.

Upgrade Options:

Upgrade/Replace the Speakers: NOT RECOMMENDED!! If your goal is an objective improvement in sound quality, do not do this. The vast majority of the signal processing in the HiFi and HK amps is speaker correction, i.e. the signal alteration is there to correct deficiencies in the speakers. Speakers vary drastically, and plugging a different speaker into the HiFi/HK systems is going to give you awful, unpredictable frequency response.

Add a Subwoofer: Cost varies widely, from $400-$2500+. A proper subwoofer can make a tremendous difference, far more than most listeners expect. In addition to adding an entire spectrum of low frequencies that your stock speakers can’t even produce – frequencies that you can both hear and feel – a subwoofer’s impact stretches into the upper mid-bass and midrange spectrum. It does this – when properly installed and tuned – by allowing you to reduce the bass load on the rest of the speakers in the system and relieve them from trying to produce frequencies that they aren’t capable of producing, reducing distortion across the entire spectrum the speaker is producing.

Replace the Amplifier & Speakers: Cost also varies widely, from $800-3000+. This cuts you loose to do whatever you choose to do, and frees you from virtually all the limits of the factory system. This is a bit more difficult when starting with the HiFi/HK systems.

Integral Audio Soundstage + Subwoofer: Our Soundstage + Subwoofer systems are purpose-built for each MINI model. The systems are designed based on actual in-car measured responses for sound tailored exactly to your specific vehicle. No traditional aftermarket system can come close. Each piece of hardware is custom-made for a perfect fit, installation is easy, and everything you need is included - down to the last screw. Our detailed installation instructions are the best in the business. The systems are designed to work best as a pair, but are also available individually. If you are considering anything more than a very modest upgrade I highly recommend you give them a look.


HK (2010+ upgrade, $750):

10 speakers: 1” tweeter in A-Pillar, 3.5” cone midrange, 6.5” door woofer, 1” tweeter in rear panel, 6”x 9” rear woofer

8 channel Amplifier: 156W RMS Total: 34W front door woofer, 15W midrange/tweeter, 24W rear woofer, 5W rear tweeter

Amplifier Frequency Response (DSP) [Front Woofer: red, Front Midrange/Tweeter: Green, Rear Woofer: Orange, Rear Tweeter: Purple]

http://www.integralaudio.com/other_f...DSP_scaled.jpg

Amplifier Power Output: Front Woofer

http://www.integralaudio.com/other_f...68W_scaled.jpg

Amplifier Power Output: Front Midrange/Tweeter

http://www.integralaudio.com/other_f...29W_scaled.jpg

Amplifier Power Output: Rear Woofer

http://www.integralaudio.com/other_f...48W_scaled.jpg

Amplifier Power Output: Rear Tweeter

http://www.integralaudio.com/other_f...10W_scaled.jpg


In-Car Response: (will post later….)

Overview: While the HK system is a completely different system with redesigned speakers and amplifier, the layout and topology of the system is identical to the HiFi system described above. As such it shares the same weakness in having the front midrange and tweeter share a signal, no high-frequency control on the midrange, and the inability to do a drop-in replacement of the speakers due to the speaker correction/mating of the speakers and amplifier. The HK system improves over the HiFi system by using a more powerful amplifier, with the amplifier delivering 310W RMS (or ~440 peak, not too far off of MINI's claimed 480W). The speakers are of higher quality and have greater bandwidth. The greater bandwidth comes at the expense of reduced efficiency, but the higher power amp makes up for it in output. The most improved speakers in the system are the tweeters, though they still are a far cry from a quality aftermarket set. The end result is a system that has improved high and low frequency extension (though it still lacks any real bass below 50-60Hz), has a bit more volume capability, and reduced distortion as compared with the HiFi system. Unfortunately the designers tuned this system with even more exaggerated bass in the region of 70Hz than the HiFi system, resulting in an even greater degree of boomy, muddy bass. Listeners looking for flatter, more accurate frequency response will find that they need to turn the “bass” setting in the headunit down significantly. Of course, doing so takes what was already poor response below 50-60Hz and reduces it to none. I’ve also heard from three official MINI sources and numerous customers that the HK amp has been experiencing some significant reliability issues. These may stem from the significant amount of heat the amp generates – the amp appears to be a bit under-cooled. Not the hugest deal while you are still under warranty, but definitely something that would be an expensive issue post-warranty.

Bottom Line: The HK is a better value at $750 than the HiFi was at $500. With the exception of the nearly inexcusable exaggerated bass, the system delivers reasonable mid-grade performance for a factory system. If you are happy with the higher end ($500-800) of home-theater-in-a-box solutions, you will probably be satisfied with the system. If you plan to upgrade your system at a later date avoid this system and go for the standard 6 speaker system instead, as that system is much easier to upgrade (unless you are happy with the mid and high frequency performance of the system and just plan on adding a subwoofer - see below).

Upgrade Options:

Upgrade/Replace the Speakers: NOT RECOMMENDED!! If your goal is an objective improvement in sound quality, do not do this. The vast majority of the signal processing in the HiFi and HK amps is speaker correction, i.e. the signal alteration is there to correct deficiencies in the speakers. Speakers vary drastically, and plugging a different speaker into the HiFi/HK systems is going to give you awful, unpredictable frequency response.

Add a Subwoofer: Cost varies widely, from $400-$2500+. A proper subwoofer can make a tremendous difference, far more than most listeners expect, especially for the HK system. In addition to adding an entire spectrum of low frequencies that your stock speakers can’t even produce – frequencies that you can both hear and feel – a subwoofer’s impact stretches into the upper mid-bass and midrange spectrum. It does this – when properly installed and tuned – by allowing you to reduce the bass load on the rest of the speakers in the system and relieve them from trying to produce frequencies that they aren’t capable of producing, reducing distortion across the entire spectrum the speaker is producing. The exaggerated bass is the largest problem with the HK system; adding a proper subwoofer and then tuning it and the rest of the system properly can eliminate that issue.

Replace the Amplifier & Speakers: Cost also varies widely, from $800-3000+. This cuts you loose to do whatever you choose to do, and frees you from virtually all the limits of the factory system. This is a bit more difficult when starting with the HiFi/HK systems.

Integral Audio Soundstage + Subwoofer: Our Soundstage + Subwoofer systems are purpose-built for each MINI model. The systems are designed based on actual in-car measured responses for sound tailored exactly to your specific vehicle. No traditional aftermarket system can come close. Each piece of hardware is custom-made for a perfect fit, installation is easy, and everything you need is included - down to the last screw. Our detailed installation instructions are the best in the business. The systems are designed to work best as a pair, but are also available individually. If you are considering anything more than a very modest upgrade I highly recommend you give them a look.


I will also add the T/S parameters for all the drivers in each system and mounting dimensions later....as well as a little more detail on the new HK system, and the in-car response curves that are missing from above. If you have something specific you would like to see or have a question, please let me know.

Speaker Specs
 

Placeholder for T/S params post.....

Speaker Mounting Dimensions
 

Placeholder for mounting dimensions/diameters post....

Tweeters?
 

I am a new owner (6 months) of a 2010 clubman. I am a little disappointed with the stock sound system. It doesn't have the full range I was used to in my Dodge truck, the sound in the car feels centered too low in the passenger compartment and it seem like you have the choice of mid range or high range, but not both at the same time.

A friend of mine had this same problem in an SUV and solved it by installing 2) 1" windshield mounted tweeters. The effect was great. The sound lifted to fill the entire car, and the high end made the sound much more crisp.

Do you think this could be done with a mini, and if so, where should these tweeters be tied in?

This is one of the things our upcoming Soundstage upgrade does. This is not something that can just be added - you have to deal with dividing up the frequencies and sending them to the appropriate speakers, as well as power, wiring, and a whole host of other issues. In the case of our Soundstage upgrade, our tweeters mount in the tweeter mounts in H/K A-pillar trim pieces, which ship with our kit.

Are you comparable to the alpine thin type R?

thanks,
Daniel

I'm assuming you are asking about our 1101S Subwoofer System for the MINI. The short answer is no. Are the drivers themselves comparable? Yes, in that they are both extremely high-quality drivers (Alpine, not historically known for quality speakers, has really stepped up both their engineering and build quality in the past couple years). Beyond that, they aren't particularly comparable. The T/S parameters are different enough that you would need totally different enclosures to try to approximate the same sound. The Alpine's motor is less linear than ours (look at the Klippel graph of BL on the Alpine product page). Fs and Qts are higher (worse in this case) for the Alpine. It has an edge in thermal power handling (although twice the power will only yield 3dB of add'l output) and Xmax (displacement power handling). However, I have to admit that I don't believe the the Qts/Vas numbers in light of each other. I suspect Qts for a real production sample would be much higher than claimed, which would make the driver much less appealing. In terms of similar drivers, the JL Audio 13TW5 is the most similar to ours in terms of specs.

But we don't sell our driver on it's own, so what you are really comparing is our complete system to a raw driver + some unknown enclosure/etc. Contrary to popular belief you can't just plug any speaker into any enclosure and get good sound - both the enclosure AND the interior of the vehicle are CRITICAL components of the resulting sound. Try it - put the same driver in different size enclosures and different vehicles. You'll get totally different results. And unless you really know what you are doing the odds are extremely low that you'll get it right. If you or your local shop can answer these questions - "What's the corner frequency and slope of the transfer function of the MINI cabin?" and then "What's the ideal Qtc and cutoff frequency and what size enclosure do I need to acheive that for driver X in this vehicle?" - then you/they can probably get it right. But you'd still have to spend the time to do it, or pay the local shop. A shop with those skills is going to be much more expensive than our system to do a one-off.

In short, if you want flat, accurate response that is tailored to the MINI and a fit/finish level that neither you nor any local shop can replicate for anywhere near the price, our system is your best choice. Period. No one has spent the amount of time researching and developing a system specifically for the MINI that we have, and extremely few, if any, shops have the engineering expertise and equipment that we have. No shop that I'm aware of can match our manufacturing capabilities and precision. Of course, that's not really a fair comparison, because we're not a shop, we're an OEM. But that's also the point.

Kevin, I am superbly impressed with the time and analytics that you applied to figuring out what can and should not be done with the stock system. Now, with that said, I'm sure that given the existing hardwired responce "bumps" that are coded into the amp, I did do a speaker upgrade only and the results were worthwhile. I installed 3.5" Boston Acoustics S35 3.5" (ebay) and M&K 6.5" midbass's (deepsurplus.com). Now, I realize the whole speaker driver/amp engineered/tuned from the-ground-up project is going to provide the best sound, especially if the tuning is done in a vehicle that is "prototypically" the ideal, IE leather seating, headliner material, etc so that the frequency curve would be flat and attenuation compensated for reflective leather etc versus absorbent cloth, ad infinitum, if your vehicle has leather. Given a phat budget of an extra $3K or so, I would go that way.
Given the $130 and 3 hrs personal install time for this project, for the cash, worthwhile. Are they perfect? no. The items you identified are still there, the 70Hz bump etc, but in the real-world for "untrained" ears they are much better (worlds better) than the single element paper garbage-can liners that I pulled out. In retrospect, I would only do the SE45s instead, I am sure that a 4" will fit that hole even if it required some minor Dremel work. The 3.5"s are loose. However, doesnt detract from my newfound enjoyment, and my elec EQ in my MP3 player now sounds best at the flat/bypass setting, not introducing more peaks/valleys per somebodys idea of what center frequencies are desireable. I am very looking forward to see what kit(s) you produce for the R56 and maybe upgrade some sweet day.

I am quite curious to know if the Head Unit on the HiFi System is the same as the Head Unit in the 6 speaker system. I want to grab a full range signal and if I can do that before the amp, I would be happy.

Any updates on Soundstage system upgrade yet? My Mini is about 2 weeks from arrival and I skipped on the H/K system to get your guys system instead. And from what I read I think I made a very good choice :D

Cheers

Purie,

We certainly appreciate your vote of confidence! Still looking like end of the year for availability to the general public. At this point I am pretty confident that all remaining details will be settled and the Soundstage kits will be available on the website by that time. The actual shipping date may vary a bit, should know more in the next couple weeks.

Sounds good, and I can't wait :D

Awesome sticky. Sure to help users. Curious, could you ever possibly analyze the Alpine upgrade kit? (http://www.shopminiusa.com/PRODUCT/5...--RETROFIT-KIT -- high res images at http://www.ecstuning.com/Search/Alpine/ES1599518/).

MINI says 2x100 W? Somewhere else I read 80W? I can't find specs on the amp (Alpine "PDA-T200").

This info is amazingly helpful! Now I am a little bummed I have the HK system as it seems to be the least easily adjustable in terms of swapping things out or making a little better. My clubman is a used 2011 though so it came with what it came with. The only thing i really wish it had was more mid-range adjustability. Crisper highs, richer bass. Basically, I love the sound of my music from vinyl with amazing headphones on. You can hear *everything* in the music. Love that. I know I won't have that in my car (because I can't spend $2K+ to do that), but I'd like to try for something a little better than the factory sound.

So my question is... can you add an equalizer to this system? Or is the subwoofer the only way to go? Where the heck would a sub even go? I don't want to go swapping out the entire system, or taking up precious cargo space with honkin' sized speakers, but i feel i need to try something...

TO UPDATE:
Just saw this, intriguing, but it's not for Clubman?
http://www.integralaudio.com/index.p...-system-1.html

That would by my first pick too for the H/K update but it is pricey. Have you emailed them to ask about Clubman compatibility?

Are you measuring the nearfield frequency response using a microphone or are you measuring it across a resistive load?

Pricey but if it makes enough of a difference worth it... wonder how noticeable it really is though. Hmmm...

We're working on a Clubman-specific sub. Stay tuned...

The sub makes an astounding difference. Take a look at the reviews in the Product section of this site (https://www.northamericanmotoring.com/reviews/showcat.php/cat/52), and browse some of the existing threads in this forum.

The measurements above are electrical, not acoustical - they are measured directly at the amplifier output with the amp loaded with a large dummy bank of resistors. Measuring with a microphone would give you the combined response of the speakers AND the amp's DSP. The point of the above measurements is to show just how much manipulation of the signal is happening. They are unprocessed measurements - what you are seeing is exactly what is happening.

CORRECTION: I noticed I did post one acoustical response measurement above - for the standard 6 speaker system. This was measured with a binaural mic setup at the driver's head location, with an FFT applied to an MLS impulse response. It is an average of several measurements, and smoothed to (I think) 1/6 octave.

I own a 2012 MCS w/ the HK sound system and was looking to add a Subwoofer, how would I go about doing that to the current system? The system now sounds good, but I would like that additional low freq response... Thanks for the help!

Take a look here.....http://www.integralaudio.com/index.p...-system-1.html

Also take a look at the instructions under the "Installation" tab. If you have any questions, shoot me a PM.

Looks pretty awesome, will def. have to save up for that one though. Thanks for the info and help!

How about if you run a full range 6.5 in the lower location and then a coax up top?

If this will still cause freq lobing/cancellation issues, can on one use the component setup you recommend and install the tweeter where the 4 inch upper goes?

You'd still have the same issue - two different speakers replicating the same frequency range from different places, yielding the same comb filtering effects.

Yes, this is a more traditional setup. You still have the same problem in the crossover overlap region, but a good crossover design will minimize this. Of course, a good crossover design needs to be based on the location, angle, and separation of the drivers in the vehicle, something that you can only get with our Soundstage upgrade :grin:.

I have M&K 6.5" in the stock bottom location and Boston Acoustics 2-way coaxials in the top buckets, and depending on how well the source was mixed, they sound anywhere from very good to outstanding, and the total was under $110. With due respect to Integral Audio, Im sure their systems are quite good but there is a recession here in the States. Some of us have to go a bit down n dirty to get the job done. The M&Ks came from deepsurplus.com and the BAs from ebay.