I spent a while talking with a Crutchfield rep, and now I am looking to bounce some of that off of you guys who know your stuff when it comes to MINI. Let me first say, I am no audiophile or anything. Im a guy smart enough to take apart my car and splice some wires and hope it sounds better in the end.

My main interest is in getting integrated bluetooth capability for audio and phone usage. If I can improve the sound a little bit on the way, all the better. I am looking to spend not too much money overall. A bang-for-your-buck situation.

Shopping list:
Head unit - http://www.crutchfield.com/p_105KWR9...KW-R910BT.html
Harness - http://www.crutchfield.com/p_120BMRC...n-Adapter.html
6.5 Door - http://www.crutchfield.com/p_158GT16...S-GT1638F.html
3.5 door - http://www.crutchfield.com/p_2064CS3...54.html?tp=105

When talking to the rep, he was saying that for the install I would need to bypass the amp in the hatch. Apparently this is literally just splicing the input side of the amp to the output side. I guess the built in amp would conflict? Im not sure. Does this sound legit? Am I getting more power from the head unit I listed?

He also said that since the head unit is only pushing 4 channels, I would lose the A pillar tweeters. Is this true? Will I miss them if I put better speakers in the doors? He is saying that the midrange door speaker is wired up to the same channel as the door woofer, so presumably I could replace just the front door components and leave the 6x9s in the rear.

Is all of this making sense? Am I overlooking something?

Thanks

 

No insights to be shared?

 

If your main interest is getting Bluetooth, try Kinivo or some other aftermarket Bluetooth for $40-$60. My daughter has one of her 2011 MINI and she loves it. The dealer wanted $1200 to put a new Bluetooth and it said it wasn't worth doing.

 

Several issue's I see here. The headunit is a double din so your going to need a dashkit that will allow for that. Second the price harness is pretty steep. Third the Sony's wont sound much better than the factory. Fourth your leaving the rear speakers stock ? And your going to power all that with just the head unit ?

 

Crutchfield includes the necessary dash kit and installation parts for free with the head unit.

The harness is only $100 when purchased with the head unit. Crutchfield wont support the install otherwise, as removing the head unit will disable the car warning chimes. That harness has a speaker and a chip that maintains warning chimes as intended for safety reasons.

I would be surprised if paper ukranian speakers sound the same as aftermarket name brand speakers, but I suppose I havent heard them side by side to know for sure.

I may eventually try and replace the rear speakers, but I want to hear what it sounds like with the front replaced. I know that you have to basically remove the whole rear interior to replace the rear speakers, and I didnt really want to do that if I didnt have to.

The head unit puts out 22 watts RMS per channel (4 channels, so 88 w total). The sticky on this forum says that the amp Ive got in the HiFi system outputs only 76 watts RMS total, so I presume that it shouldnt have any issue. I am not adding a subwoofer.

 

I dont want a little battery powered speaker or something for doing calls. I want full integration with streaming bluetooth music to the car stereo, voice dialings, automatic pairing, etc. Pretty sure I cant get that without a new head unit.

 

Was just trying to give you the benefit of my experiences with custom car audio. Heed it or not, means nothing to me either way. And you may be happy with what you've chosen but I always go with matching speakers as imo it sounds better. GL

 

Arg - now this would be spending much more but the more I read the more I want to worry about making something that will work and that can be expanded upon further down the road should I choose to do so.

Now considering this head unit because it has 6 channels of preamp outs if I decide to add a sub
http://www.crutchfield.com/p_113DPX5...-DPX500BT.html

Going to kicker 6 3/4"s in the doors, same 3.5s
http://www.crutchfield.com/p_2064CS6...r-40CS674.html
http://www.crutchfield.com/p_2064CS3...r-40CS354.html

Rear 6x9s
http://www.crutchfield.com/p_20641D6...er-DSC693.html

And then adding a dedicated amp so I can crank it up without distortion
http://www.crutchfield.com/p_500MRPF...-MRP-F300.html

The plan would be to buy an additional mono amp and a sub if I ever should choose to do so.

This adds up to $665 with everything I need to install. Edit - i forgot about the wiring stuff required for the amp. Im not sure how much I would be able to re use from my existing amp.

 

I think I follow you, seems a bit complicated tho!

So you have the HiFi and not the HK right? How many speakers upfront do you have? And you have the original amp inthe back yes?

You would need a new fascia to house the double din new stereo too, or are they fitting this all? Forget about the speakers you have chosen, try to install the new stereo and connect them up to the existing speakers, you'll be surprised how good they do sound from a new after market head unit. Having said that, the only problem i can see would be the tweeters in the a pillars, would they still work - all depends on how the front speakers are connected up to the oem amp. See if you can get hold of the wiring diagram for your cars amp to speakers and you'll know how its all connected.

By passing the amp by connecting the input to the output sounds doable and use the built in amp from the new head unit, sounds fine to me.

 

The Crutchfield rep told you correct. The Axxess harness is required to properly do this, and you MUST bypass the factory amp. Even with no speaker amp it will sound much louder and cleaner than the factory HU and amp. The stock speakers don't even distort as long as you can filter the lows out with your headunit. I have my filter set at 125hz, so no bass comes out my speakers. Here is my install:

 

Kinivo is a Bluetooth device that integrates with the stereo through the aux input. Music and phone works thorough the stereo and it has automatic pairing. Just a thought, but it may not be what you're looking for.

I think this is actually what she got:
iClever Himbox HB01 Bluetooth 4.0 Hands-Free Car Kit for Cars with 3.5 mm Aux Input Jack (Convenient Siri / Voice Activation, Dual USB Car Charger and Magnetic ...

Dumb name, but it works well.

 

Mines a 2gen so might have a few things different but this is whats going in mine this week. Little less budget friendly but my little mini is gonna be a thumpin little vert

T-Spec V10-4RAK Amp Kit 99.99T
1 Polk Audio MM1040 10" Subwoofer 199.99T
1 Polk Audio PA D5000.5 5 Channel Amp 409.95T
Pioneer DEHX9600BHS CD Reciever with MIXTRAX, Bluetooth, HD
Radio, adn SiriusXM Ready 229.99T
labor to install amp, head unit, steering wheel controls, components,
coaxials and sub 300.00T
1 Polk Audio MM6501 6.5" Component Set 299.99
1 Custom sub enclosure 100.00
1 Metra ASWC-1 Steering Wheel Control Module 58.99
1 MINI COOPER 07-UP/09-10 CONV Dash kit 44.99
1 BMW and MINI Cooper Accessory Wire With Chime Speaker 99.99
1 Metra 40-EU10 Euro CAr Antenna Adapter 9.99
1 Stinger RCA 8000 Series 12' 4 CH RCA 79.99

 

THANK YOU for sharing a photo. I really wanted to see how it looked. Is the screen too low to use? Do you have a photo of your speedometer? What happened to the buttons and everything from the factory system?

 

To me it's not too low, I also have the screen tilted up slightly. That's a feature of this headunit. This dash kit does move the ac and switches lower, but it doesn't bother me. I kept the buttons but they don't do anything, and the screen is off. I have also switched the colors on the HU to match the factory orange illumination. Here are some more pics:

 

Very cool. May I ask what model that head unit is?

I knew the old buttons would not function, but another video I saw online seemed to imply that they would just be removed with openings in my dash. Im glad to see thats not necessarily true.

I also was thinking there wasnt room for a double din, but I didnt realize that it moved the A/C controls. Very smart on the aftermarket company's thinking.

Thanks again for the pics, it looks great. Now I just have to get wife approval.

 

Pioneer AVH-X4600BT. I chose it for the 9 band EQ, 3 sets of 4volt pre-outs, Bluetooth, and the ability to sync with Pandora on my Android.

http://www.pioneerelectronics.com/PU...rs/AVH-X4600BT

 

Do you loose the speed on the wheel area small circular dash when taking out the factory unit?

 

Hey does anyone have the wiring diagram or color code for a base model 2011 Mini Cooper ? I have been searching these forums for days and can’t seem to find 1 working link