Has anyone installed a compact subwoofer to improve the sound quality in their MINI? I don't want earth shattering volume and I don't want to take up any trunk space. I'm just looking to add a little more bass to the stock system. I have found one at Circuit City called the Bazooka, but I'm sure there are others out there.

http://www.circuitcity.com/ccd/produ...&cm_keycode=92

Any comments and suggestions on the Bazooka or other makes would be greatly appreciated.

It would also be good to know where you located the subwoofer.

 

infinity basslink
200watts one 10in
fits in the boot nicely

 

Just get 2 rockford p3's

 

umm i have an elemental design 8" sub have not installed it but i think thats enough

 

I like the Infinity Basslink II

 

just get a 10" kicker comp with a box. Good bass for the price.

 

EEEWWWW. Kickers are so ugly.

 

Thanks for all your inout.

I went to a local car stereo store today and asked them for advise. They suggested I should start by replacing the stock speakers and recommended JL TR650-CSI fro the front and TR690-TXI for the back. Total cost $350.

http://mobile.jlaudio.com/products_c...hp?comp_id=125

http://mobile.jlaudio.com/products_c...hp?comp_id=128

They said that if I just install the sub-woofer then it will overwhelm the stock speakers. I listened to the JLs and the difference compared to the stock speakers is amazing. There is much more base and the reproduction is just crisper and cleaner through the range. They suggested I probably wouldn't need a sub-woofer, but if I did then it can always be added later.

If you have any comments on this approach or experience with JL Audio then it would be good to hear.

Thanks.

 

Hey MisterMINI,

Can be used with the stock MINI head unit without any additional equipment or modification? (i.e. amplifier). If so, and if they sound nice, I may just pick up a set!

Thanks!

 

The guy I spoke to seemed to know what he was talking about. He looked up my MINI model (I have a 2006 MCS) to make sure they are compatible and so I guess no additional equipment is required. I would neverthless locate your nearest JL dealer and double check with them before ordering.

I'll double check with my dealer tomorrow and post again to confirm either way.

 

So here's the situation concerning the JL front and rear speakers that were recommended by my local car stereo guy. He said that they will work just fine with the stock head unit and that an amplifier isn't needed. Again he said that I should just start with the speakers and see how I like them and then only spend the additional money if I feel it's necessary. He then pointed me to a website with a writeup on a JL install in a MCS. The owner wanted to keep the factory look but found the factory stereo inadequate. This is exactly the position I am in. Here is the link to the writeup:

http://www.caraudiomag.com/specialfe...ooper_upgrade/

You will note that the JL speakers used in the writeup are not the same model as the ones recommended by my stereo guy and so I will need to investigate this further.

 

MisterMINI,

I am very interested in what your trying to do as well. I have the stock system and considered getting a sub but I do believe the sub will overwhelm the stock speakers. I did some minor research and foundout that the mini speakers have specific adapters. Im hoping the JL Speakers are essentially plug and play. Please keep us posted.

 

I believe you are correct about the MINI speakers having specific adaptors. Most installers will just cut the wires to remove the existing speakers and then use a butt connector to hook up the new ones. A better option would be to use specific speaker lead adaptors which means you don't have to cut the wires. So far I have only be able to source them in the UK but they are inexpensive and easy to ship. Here is the link:

http://www.newministuff.com/new/shop...uctshow&id=115

 

if you buy speakers from crutchfield they will come with the adapters

 

That's good to know, but unfortunately they don't stock JL equipment.

 

I have gone both routes on 2 different MINIs - stock head unit with aftermarket speakers and sub, and aftermarket head unit with stock speakers and sub.

After these experiences if I were starting fresh with a new MINI, the first thing that I would do is replace the head unit. The head unit is definately the weekest link in my opinion. The stock speakers with more power from a nice aftermarket head unit (like Alpine) sound so much better - more crisp and more kick. I then would add a sub amp and sub if more kick was still desired. (I used a 250 Watt Rockford Fosgate amp and JL Audio W3 10" sub in the past and was satisfied). This gives it much more kick and rounds it out.

Replacing the stock speakers with aftermarket may sound better, but they will underpowered. I currently have a stock head unit with aftermarket speakers, and it doesnt sound as good as my stock speaker with Alpine head unit setup that I previously had. The speakers arent getting enough power. I do have tons more bass due to an insane subwoofer setup, but that is besides the point. Just my 2 cents.

 

Thanks MINITOR. This is useful information. The reason I want to keep the stock head unit is simply because of looks. Aftermarket head units do produce better performance, but unfortunately they look aftermarket.

The amp I am considering is an MTX Thunder TA5406. I believe this will overcome the weakness you refer to in the stock head unit. Here is an excerpt from a write-up on this unit:

"The muscle behind the Mini Cooper's audio system lies with MTX Audio's Thunder TA5604 4-channel amplifier. The amp was selected for its ability to integrate with OEM radios without resorting to an external high/low converter. With 75 watts per channel, the front channels of the amp were connected via Streetwires 14-gauge UltraCables to the JL Audio components in the front doors. The Stealthbox receives 300 watts of bridged power from the remaining two channels of the amp."

I think this should achieve what I'm looking for, but I'm by no means an expert in this area and so if you see any holes in my logic then your feedback would be much appreciated.

 

This reminds me of a heater. My friend works at BestBuy and got me a huge discount on an Rockford Fosgate amp and a sub. It's not too loud and it sounds great.

 

im trying to stay looking stock, so im going with a JL amp and some MB Quart speakers....hey are a little more efficient then the JL speakers along with being a little cheaper if you look around

 

For adding a subwoofer with taking up less space (but some space)-
Search for Infinity BassLink (a powered sub that fits in the boot- see pics)
or JL Steathbox which needs a separate amp but that can fit under the front passenger seat and comes with crossover so it works with your stock stereo.

A word of warning for those that are upgrading-

Set a budget and don't be surprised to watch it climb and climb.

Don't forget sound deadening is very important in the front door panels- do something, many owners do it themselves, lots of alternatives (just search for sound deadening).

I started with a 2003 MCS with stock stereo. Harmon Kardon was not available at the time. 6 month wait to get it ordered in my area. No one had even heard it yet.

Plan A started modestly-
Add MB Quart front component speakers and two way rear 6x9 speakers.
Keep everything else the same. Improvement in sound was OK, modest. I found the power to be lacking for these speakers and the stock headunit wasn't keeping up. I'd suggest very efficient speakers unless you are adding an amp.

Plan B (things are picking up)
Add an Xtant 4.4i 4 channel amp in the boot area to power front and rear speakers roughly 50W x 4 channels and add sound deadening in front doors to three surfaces (metal outer, metal inner panel, plastic door inside panel). Now more clean power but sound is muddled and head unit is still limiting factor by alot.

Plan C (remember what I said about the budget?)
For the stock stereo look with an aftermarket head unit I upgraded to Nakamichi CD400. Entirely black face, no nonsense approach, high quality sound. Much better performance than the stock head. What's missing now?
Deep bass. My front speakers are overworked for bass and often pushed too hard to offer clean sound, rear speakers are really for fill in.

Plan D (what budget? Don't tell my wife)
Add JL steathbox 10" sub that fits on one side of the rear boot. Can easily be removed with one screw. Powered from the Xtant amp. Use headunit to power the rear speakers and front speakers are still powered by Xtant amp. Pretty good overall and works OK. Still not that much power but it's usable. I have controls on the headunit to set subwoofer levels. I've lost some space in the boot but the amp is mounted on the rear seat back and I have about 60% space available in the boot for storage. No battery upgrade needed.

Two years later
Plan E (forget the budget already)
Add Boston G20 amp 275 Watts under the front seat to power the Subwoofer. This amp is very lightweight and uses an active fan to cool it not metal heat sinks. This allows the Xtant amp to be used only for the front speakers 200 Watts x 2 channels. Rear speakers still powered by the headunit. NOW much better sound and enough power for all speakers even with my loud power engine upgrades.

For those that don't do the upgrade work themselves it's easy to spend $3000-4000 on stereo upgrades. Realize that all this stereo equiptment is heavy and not the best thing to be adding if you track or autocross your MINI. At least you'll be having fun.

 

Thanks minihune. This is great information. Just a couple of questions:

1. To add the door sound deadening I guess you have to remove the inner door panels. Is this easy to do without breaking plastic clips etc. which often happens when pulling modern cars apart?

2. You say that the stock head unit wasn't able to keep up with the other upgrades and that the sound was muddled. Do you mean the music was out of sync; distorted?

 

1. You can search for "how to remove the front door panel". You need to take off the small round reflector and loosen some nuts on the door oval pull then pry loose the sides and bottom then lift up the panel slightly. Some people use Dynamat or similar, I used Cascade Audio VB max.
Besides the doors some owners add a layer to the rear panel walls and boot area or floor area. This keeps road noise down and reduces vibration but it's heavy if you add alot of material. The doors will clunk shut with authority once done.

2. The music sounded flat and not clear. Not out of sync. Not distorted until power was turned up too far. By comparison I listened to the same MB Quart front speakers tonight with an older comercial CD I have and the clarity of the recording was bright and clean without distortion. I don't ever recall hearing that CD like that before (must be that last upgrade done recently). I had the car turned off.

Interestingly once I got the Nakamichi head unit I could hear that some recordings were good while others were of lower quality. Sometimes now I look for CD hybrid recordings for better sound.

 

For the holidaze, I received an Infinity Basslink Sub. Does anyone know where I can buy a BMW adaptor that will allow it to plug into the stock HK harness?

 

the stock HU is exceedingly weak, so the speakers need to be highly efficient. I put a pair of Infinity 6 1/2" coaxials, shallow mount, in the front and was going to replace the rears but the sound was so much better I stopped right there. I simply unplugged the stock and plugged in the new and left the stock tweeters connected so the sound is nice and crisp and clear...I did need to make my own spacers though.

 

How does the HK upgraded system compare to the stock system? Because I have the HK system and am absolutely amazed that a factory stereo can sound this good. The base is more than adequate. It covers the lower range of base nicely and is strong. I think that HK option was only a $500 upgrade. I would imagine you get pretty close to that price with simply an aftermarket speaker change and amplifier.