OK, the HK is broken, and replacement parts are outrageously expensive.

I have a complete HK system, a broken amplifier, and a self-imposed budget of $1,000. What do I keep and what do I replace? Is there any way to keep the steering wheel controls without keeping the HK?

Thanks.

 

I've seen several others who bought new head units that were compatible with the steering wheel controls. Some type of interface device may be required. See this old thread for some examples:
http://www.mini2.com/forum/interior-...blaupunkt.html
There's probably lots more out there by now.

The problem is, you've got a good head unit now..... would be nice to spend your money elsewhere.
I was looking into replacing the HK amp with a standard amp and upgrading speakers(keeping hk head unit)..... was told that It would not work. I have yet to find out why it wouldn't work.

One would think that if you could figure out which output wires from the head unit were for front speaker signals, and which are for rears, you could convert over to 2 sets of RCA type inputs and run 2 seperate amps with any aftermarket speakers you'd like.

Good luck,
I hope to find out that you're successful without breaking the bank!

 

The 'normal' way to do quality car stereo is to have RCA pre-amp outs from the head unit to a separate power amp or amps.

If I understand the posts I've read about upgrading the HK system, it consists of a head unit and a combo DSP/Amp unit. The head unit does not have variable RCA pre-amp outputs. Instead, it sends a full strength signal to the amp, then sends a separate signal to the DSP to tell it how to process that signal. Feed that signal to a conventional amp, and it will play at full volume all the time, and have no idea what to do with the DSP info.

There are also problems with the HK speakers. First, the rear speakers have dual voice coils. I do not yet fully understand the implications of this, but it sounds like an amplifier needs to treat them as essentially separate speakers, meaning I need a four channel amp just for the rear. I have also read some stuff about the need for crossovers, as the HK DSP unit normally provides that function, but I am not sure that applies if I am replacing both the HU and the amp. I think it is pretty clear that I am giving up DSP in any case, but that does not bother me since the various DSP settings are mostly pretty tacky in any case. Does anyone on Earth ever leave their HK set on SPATIAL?

Another problem with the HK speakers is that they are very low impedance. I need to find an amp that will handle a 2ohm load.

I am really hoping to find someone that has replaced their HU and Amp/DSP and kept the HK speakers while still making the steering wheel controls work.

 

If I'm not mistaken, you can still use the HU. With the HK amp disconnected, I heard it reverts back to working like a stock HU with variable speaker level output. However, the HK wiring only has front speaker output (the amp would normally do the fading). For 4 speaker output, you'll have to replace the wiring harness at the HU.

As for the speakers, they are not compable with aftermarket amps. So you'll have to replace them. Below are the links to the amp wiring, which will help you connect an after market amp to replacement speakers using the existing wiring.
Grey plug - http://gbmini.net/downloads/PGEN/hk-plug-grey.htm
Black plug -http://gbmini.net/downloads/PGEN/hk-plug-black.htm

It can be done, but it would probably be cheaper just to replace the HK amp. There are people out there that have replaced the whole HK system, so you might be able to get a used HK amp for less.

 

I've gotta think there are some amps out there that are stable into a 2-ohm load, but this is still looking like a lot more work than I want to undertake. Classic Mini will sell me a new HK amp for about $620 delivered. I will try the NAM for sale section first, then I may just give up the ghost and buy it from Classic.

The HK system seemed a great buy when I ordered this car, but now I wish I had done something different.

 

Classic Mini is advertising a 25% off sale on the Vendors page.

 

Check out www.newministuff.com Mikey has an adapter that works with certain head units for the steering control. HK speakers are 2 ohm, not the standard 4 ohm so you will need GBminis adapter (also sold by Mikey).