Hey,

So the HK amp in my gf's r53 blew. Surprise surprise. We have a cross country move coming up and I can't expect my gf to drive her car for a day an a half with out audio. Buying another HK amp (used or new) is not an option. I don't see the point.

What I would like to do instead is eventually do head unit front/rear speakers and amp/sub. For now, I think a head unit and two good front speakers will do given the time/money constraint.

What I need is some advice on which head unit and speakers to go with.
I want, CD, Radio, and I pod connectivity.

Think budget meets quality.

Thanks a lot. I've searched quite a bit, but given the infinite amount of possibilities and my limited experience with audio, I am turning to you guys for some much needed help.

 

www.crutchfield.com

or

www.newministuff.com

Either way you can get an idea of possibilities. My advice is to also run new wiring as well since the HK is a digital system.

 

How do you know the amp is blown? I had hail damage repaired and has been without it for two weeks. I get back in and it doesn't seem like it is limited in how loud it gets. I did notice that the amp is very very warm to the touch.

 

Generally you will get a lot of crackling from the speakers in most cases. Others just had the amp go out totally (no music).

 

No crackling. Would a reset do anything for it? I didn't know it had one until today. What does it do?

 

I didn't know it had one either, I guess you could try it. The HK system is known for not being very loud.

 

A amp is what delivers and controls the power distribution to your speaker system which can include the head unit, the speakers, subwoofer, tweeter..etc.

The thing about the HK amp is that once it's gone, you can only replace it with a HK amp for MINI. I believe I've seen threads where a HK Amp from BMW would not power the HK speakers in a MINI. Aftermarket Amps/Head units are not compatible with the HK speakers to the Ohms difference. I could be wrong, hopefully someone with more in-depth knowledge can jump in and explain.

When my amp blew, I replaced the entire system: Head unit, speaker and amp. I even added a sub-woofer and the entire project came down to about $700 for parts. Labor was done by my brother and I.

 

The HK system is a digital system, but there are amps out there that can drive the 2 Ohm speakers and sort of replace the HK amp. That being said, they are not as good.

 

MrCooperS, what did you wind up with to replace the system? I'm looking at options and any feedback on what you used might be helpful.

My amp seems to have died in my '03 MCS with the H/K system as well. I'm waiting for my dad to find some time to test the amp components to see if it's reparable, but based on what I've found so far on the forums I'm not keeping my hopes up....