I am getting ready to order my 06 MCS. Just to preface, I am not interested in going aftermarket at this time. That being said, is the HK system worth $500 over the base cd stereo. The car I test drove had the base stereo and it seamed clear, with well balance tones. I've read a lot of threads about the HK recently that people don't like it, yet on Edmunds.com, they call the HK one of the best factory systems they have heard.

Thoughts anyone......

 

The HK is not perfect, but for most it is worth the upgrade, not that the base system is bad at all, it's actually quite good. If you plan to go aftermarket eventually, you might want to stick to the base. Take a few of your favorite CDs to the dealer and spend some time with both systems then decide for yourself.

 

I test drove a car with the H/K system. For my tastes it was way to boomy. To my aging ears the standard stereo sounded very good. The $500 saved paid for the LSD in my 06 MCS. Just my .02 here & worth every penny.

Chuck

 

I have both. My '02 MC CVT has the standard stereo (H/K was still unavailable at time of purchase) and my other MINI, a '05 MCS has the H/K from the factory. There is no comparison in my book. The Harmon Kardon is a vastly superior system over the stock Boost CD stereo. I have read the Edmunds.com review and everything they say there is absolutely true. the Harmon Kardon has a nice and clean, punchy bass, clear highs. The different "ambient" digital music processing setups bring the best out of your favorite recordings. To me personally, the H/K is very unforgiving when it comes to actual record quality, whether it comes from a CD, MP3 files or your iPod. If the recording is of good quality, the H/K will let you know about it. If it isn't, you'll here that too.

For $550 you are getting a very good sounding, factory setup with full 4 year warranty. On the other hand, if you are looking for earth/glass shattering sound and the ability for cars to hear what you are playing on a 20 mile radius around you, then you need to look into an aftermarket solution.

I personally dislike aftermarket stereos. No disrespect intended. I simply don't like to have some grease monkey mess up with the electrics in a brand new car. Besides, the H/K has been fine tuned to the acoustics of the MINI's cockpit. If you want BIG BUCK sound quality, you'll be much better spending the money on a home stereo system. To me $550 is a very reasonable compromise between excellent sound quality and a full factory backed setup. Worth every penny.

The H/K's sound quality is best appreciated, then again, with a good quality CD recording or an iPod hooked up to it. My '05 MCS has the OEM MINI iPod adaptor installed in conjuction to my new 4GB black iPod Nano. People DROP THEIR JAWS to the floor when they hear the crystal clear sound quality coming out of my H/K's speakers when i Play my iPod music The majority of my music files in my iPod Nano are encoded in "Apple Lossless" format to ensure the best possible quality of sound. Hearing is believing.

The stereo is a very personal decision. For my wife, the stock CD Boost stereo sounds good to her. It is a decent stereo but it lacks clarity and bass to my ears. Since I am more "Picky" the H/K satisfies my ear buds so much better. When I go back into the '02 MC, the stereo sounds OK but very lacking.

My first MCS (a 2004) also came with the H/K stereo, so my '05 MCS is the second one to come so equipped from factory

Bring some CD's to your dealer's showroom and plan to spend 1 hour (at least) listening to both systems. Let your ears and wallet be the judge.

Good luck.

 

had a base system, an aftermarket and the H/K in MINIs.. I vote for the H/K it sounds great for the LOW price :smile:

 

If it sounds "boomy" to you, all you have to adjust are the EQ Bass and treble settings. Many people fail to do it (Along with selecting the proper digital processing setting) and pass blank judgement on it.

Again, the stereo is a personal choice. Many people like you are perfectly happy with the stock system. I much prefer the H/K though.

 

I have the stock headunit with the OEM ipod connection.
The sound is fine.
I don't listen to the radio other than NPR so I can't really give you info on the quality of radio music.
The HU defines the channels well when I use the ipod and cds.
I haven't even tuned it.
It's nothing like a home system but, good enough for singing in traffic and overpowering the road noise on the highway.

When I placed my order I couldn't justify the $550 for the HK.
The HU looks exactly the same, the speakers have an HK logo on them, and 2 additional speakers.

It's a car radio.

I just had a loaner with the HK system. I didn't even notice.
It wasn't until I returned the car that I even saw the HK badge on the speakers.

If you are not an audiofile, I would just go stock.

 

For the best performance, the H/K system requires some time to get it tuned to the type of music that is being played. I don't much like the built in EQ settings as they seem too "hollywood" to my ears, so it took me about two hours to experiment and adjust things to my liking.

One of the nuances of the H/K system is the use of the F/R fader to help tune the sound. If you have the unit set up so that the rear speakers get most of the low frequency range, and the fronts get the mid and highs, the fader can help increase/decrease those signal levels. The F/R fader combined with the bass and treble EQ settings allow a wide range of adjustment possibilities.

I listen to XM Jazz and Blues, with a little Blend thrown in. I also listen to my iPod through the AUX port. I am very impressed with the H/K sound quality.

However, I have also heard funk and hip-hop play using my saved settings. Further tuning would be necessary for my H/K unit to reproduce that genre.

So, I guess one of the H/K best features is its adjustability. This will work out fine if the genres you listen to have similar sound characteristics, but if your genres range widely, you will need to make adjustments for each dissimilar type. It would be great to have some user-defined EQ presets to remedy this situation.

FWIW,

Theo

 

If you really want to understand the HK, read this http://www.mini2.com/index.php?page=...item&newsid=10
part of it I quote:

"If you are looking for an earth-shaking, modern, extremely high-powered system designed for hip-hop, and you plan to run it at 110db or above, maybe this isn’t the system for you. ... As in most things audio, the final result is very subjective. Some will love this system, some will hate it."

In general, his review was very favourble.

 

The MA adjusted the H/K for me so it wasn't too boomy. Too me it was & IMHO wasn't worth the $500 cost. I did play with the settings, but couldn't find a setting that was worth $500 to me. Your milage may vary. I'm glad you enjoy your H/K system.

Chuck

 

When I first heard the H/K I also thought it had too much boom... However, I started playing with the controls and managed to get it setup just how I like it. Now, it is one of the best sounding systems that I have owned. I think that it was worth the 500 paid...

 

I understand you stated you DID NOT WANT aftermarket systems. I take that you do not want any aftermarket components in your car, at all.

Thats too bad, because I can tell you the huge difference of just an amp on the stock system would make. I recently got a dealer demo CVT and compared the stock system in that vs my system with Infiniti Kappa speakers at the front, stock tweeters, stock rear speakers, stock headunit, plus a 85 watt RMS X 2 channel amp.

The sound in my car is way cleaner, clearer, and more dynamic. I even tried JUST using the rear speakers in both cars, the difference is INCREDIBLE. Same stock speakers, with adequate ampflication, they actually sound quite decent. Not to mention the bass is quite punchy, instead of boomy. My conclusion is that the stock unit puts out fairly clean signal, but there is a serious lack of power to drive the speakers to make them sound good.

Personally I think you can't go wrong wiring up a decent amp to the stock unit, its $150 max, and the sound is just so much better. You will still be lacking some low down bass below 80hz, but otherwise the H/K system I also compared with, doesn't sound any better to be honest.

ps. I also have an 8 inch self amplified tube subwoofer to fill that low bass gap, the sound is fantastic. Total cost of my setup, $100 for amp, $100 for speakers, $150 for subwoofer. Clean, dynamic, punchy bass, personally i'm very pleased.

 

My problem is that I will be using most of the baggage space on a regular basis and cannot afford to go with a tube sub or bolt an amp in. Thx for the info though.

I guess I'll just have to spend some time at the dealer listening to both.

For those with the HK, besides the DSP curves, can you adjust individual bass and treble?

 

Yes. Same way as the regular BOOST system - hit the musical note, and the choices start popping up on the display, including bass & treble.

 

Here is another option for the Boost. I ran into this recently then posted a thread asking if anyone has done this and have no response. But it seems interesting to me. DPSoundModul

 

Yes, I heard about the DPSM before I ordered my MINI... asked around, especially at the dealer... nobody had heard of it, and no sign of being available in the USA.

So... I ordered my car with the H/K, since I knew I could get it now. NOW, a year later, MINI USA finally gets off their butts and offers DPSM. The catch? It isn't available as an upgrade for H/K systems.

Oh well - I imagine it's possible to somehow disconnect the H/K stuff and use the same headunit with DPSM, but I think it would be very, very expensive (although DPSM is already expensive enough).

 

At the price of the module it would make more sense to get the H/K, $1,650 versus $550.



Art

 

That depends on how they sound in comparison. If the DPSM sounds THAT much better (and louder), some people would consider the $1,100 extra to be worth it. I would.

 

DPSM is not only $1,650 but also 5 hours of installation! That's over $2000 for only an amp and replacement speakers ("An additional subwoofer is not required and is, in fact, not available" according to the sales sheet). Even if the amp and speakers are good, it still uses the same mediocre headunit as the base system. MotoringFile has the installation instructions: http://motoringfile.com/files/DPSM_install.pdf.

 

I had an '02 MCS and now have an '06 MCS with the Boost radio and find it more than OK. The radio reception is not as good as the radio in my wife's '01 Audi A4 with the factory stock radio, but that is only a minor concern as I mostly listen to CDs. I don't know if the HK would be any better in the reception department.

I still find the best sound comes from the device marked J.T. Eaton.

 

If you like music and like to hear it above quiet levels,,,buy it. If you listen to talk and AM radio, save your money. If you plan on going aftermarket someday, youre better without it.

I am a factory radio/stereo nut. I have been known to go to junkyards to replace radio's for the same money as buying a new one with current technology. I like how factory stereos fit, look and sometimes last a long time.

I have found the HK in my 06 MC to be one of the best setups I have ever heard in a vehicle, and owned. (But with all the Fords, GM"S and Toyotas I have had my standards arent that high I guess) True, HK isn't very loud but that's ok, I shouldn't turn up the sound so much in the first place.

As you may know there are sound field choices within the HK system. One setting is the driver optimization mode. It makes all the sounds balanced to the driver, so to speak. It reminds me of the old days when we had a 5" full range dash speaker and had the sound close to our ears instead of two speakers down in the floor (the HK rear speakers act as subwoofers).

Im not sure what post it was, but one fellow NAM'er gave a pointer on how they adjusted thier settings. It was similiar to this... chose Electronic, DriverOpt, off and turned down bass and treble to one notch below halfway. I adjusted the fader towards the front. Perfect for Pop and classic rock.

 

I too like factory systems for their low theft resale value, and you wouldn't catch me with a $550 aftermarket HU because I don't like replacing windows and the resulting damaged leather seats.

I've actually hacked up factory decks to make disguises for aftermarket ones. One had half a cassette sticking out of it as a handle (the OEM face snapped in place over the aftermarket one), and another had the OEM face flip down when the motorized Kenwood hideaway face rotated into place. And those were in low crime areas.

When I bought my MCS I was living in one of the highest car prowl areas in the nation so the H/K system was a no-brainer.

 

--I have an HK and I love it. It is not a boomer stereo but it is refined enough for you to appreciate just about any kind of music. Some people may want a subwoofer or two if they like neighborhood rattling bass. But if you think the base system is pretty good and you like music a lot then you'll love the HK. Just mho.

--pyratio

 

When I was deciding what to get on my upcoming MCS, I put the most consideration into the sound system. Me and my audiophile friend went to a very trusty auto sound shop to discuss all the options. I have come to the following conclusions:

The H/K system definitely provides the most bang for the buck. However to me, the bass sounded very tinny. I don't need big and boomy bass, but I've found that being able to feel the punch of the bass makes a HUGE difference. So for me the solution with the most value would be to get the H/K system and add a JL Stealthbox subwoofer (a 10" W3v2 in a very unobtrusive enclusure made specifically for the MINI).

Although this is a great solution, music is a huge part of driving to me. Sometimes it's the only thing that gets me to drive to school in the morning. So I have decided that if I'm going to be spending 30k on a great car, I can spend another 2k for a great aftermarket sound system.

 

Our thoughts are pretty much the same. Not a huge audiophile guy, I just like stuff to sound good. Plus, I wasn't really into tearing apart the new car to put audio stuff in. Bought it in my wife's 05, will get it again on my 06.