First, I did search but found nothing addressing my issue.

I have an 04 MCS with the HK CD and Nav. The volume for this stereo is all over the place. AM radio is nice and loud. FM is medium at best. I have to max out the volume if the windows are down to hear it clearly. Some CD's play nice and loud. Some CD's I have to roll up the windows and still turn the stereo to 10 just to hear it. I'm a 45 year old man so I'm not looking to blast my neighbours. I just want normal driving down the road volume. Ideas?

 

I have an '04 MCS with HK (w/ satellite but no nav or cd changer). 104K and original head unit and HK amp. I do not have your problem, and can't imagine what would cause it.

 

Yea I'm wondering if the head unit is going bad or if this is a normal thing with these cars. I've taken the same CD that was quiet to another car and it was fine. I've taken the CD out and reinserted it. No change. Very odd.

 

some CD's are recorded at different levels. so this could be an issue. unless your going from MINI to MINI you can not really compare the way it sounds from car to car. your head unit could be going, or the H/K amp is having problems. i have seen them go before. i would try a head unit swap first. Do you have any MINI club friends to try it out with? that will save you from having to buy something then it not being the problem. i am sure a DC metro MINI member will help you out. a head unit swap will take about an hour from car to car. if it's an amp issue that could take longer to swap to see if that is the problem.

hope that helps a bit.

Chad
Detroit Tuned.

 

Weird.... Have you tried playing around with some of the settings on the Head unit?

 

I didn't notice that you're in DC Metro Minis, like me. I have a spare head unit and HK amp, in case you want to test yours by temporarily installing mine. But mine are not for sale.

 

Do you have your BASS or TREBLE controls set very far away from the middle position when you're listening to FM radio? My wife and I have the H/K systems in our 2006 MINIs, and we've noticed that if you boost the bass or treble even a little bit, the system reducing the overall maximum volume by a LOT. Try setting all of your tone controls and balance/fader controls to the middle for a few days and see if you still have the same problem.

I agree with Agokart about the different recording levels for CDs. As an example, I've noticed that all of my Dire Straits CDs are mastered so that the dynamic range is preserved, meaning that the quiet parts are significantly softer than the loud parts, and are often hard to hear in the car without cranking the volume way up.

 

Well I installed my Dice Duo tonight to eliminate the need for CD's. It's better but I have to decrease the volume on the Duo to no more than 2 in order to avoid distortion. It's clear now but I can easily listen to it at full volume. But everything is even. I guess these aren't very loud stereos. I just figured it would be the same as the HK system I had in my Z3. I think the HU has already been upgraded to an 05 unit because I get iPod readout on my Nav.

 

Thanks man. I'll see how it goes for a few weeks and go from there. I am a DCMM Member. I'll be at the Annapolis Gtg on the 17th!