has anyone replaced the factory amp with a more powerful amp on the stock HK speakers? i heard from someone that itll really bring them to life. is this true? im wanting to get some subs in my mini, but i wanna keep the stock HU...i know what i need to do that (line out converter) im just wondering if anyone has put a bigger amp on the HK speakers and tweets....if not, i may replace them all together...what do people usually pay for the stock HK speakers and amp setup?

VJ

 

You can't exactly do that, since the HK amp does the crossover/filtering/etc - and if you drive the stock HK speakers harder you'll likely burn them out.

Typically you would stay with the HK because it's hard to change, or replace both the amp and speakers - good aftermarket could take you near or past $2K.
Here's a couple of impressive things others have done:
http://www.geekshocker.com/Claire/audio/ampInstall.php
http://www.gbmini.net/wp/2006/02/ano...eplace_the_hk/
http://www.gbmini.net/wp/2005/02/mak..._sound_better/

(none of these are mine, but I like to keep track!)

 

thanks for the info. ive been actually thinking about it, and i may change out everything. what is the completely HK system worth if i were to sell it here or on ebay? (HU, cd changer, aux input, all HK speakers, and amp)

but ya i think ima just upgrade everything.

 

You can probably get $100 for the HU; doesn't need to be sold with the rest.

The HK amp & speakers are really only useful if the wiring harnesses are included, which is not a sensible thing for you to attempt.

The HK amp might sell for $200-$300, to someone with HK that had a failed amp. Not so sure about the speakers - they don't fail much.


BTW:
You might well find that changing ONLY the HU gives you a significant improvement ... most aftermarket give you greater control over the frequencies (but you need an HKenabler to make the HK amp work with non MINI HU).

 

oh, when i meant chaning the HU, ima add an amp for the new speakers as well lol. as far as the harness goes, is that hard to take out? its better to just leave in?

heres just a preview of whats in my explorer....hehe




4 15"s, 2k+ w rms on each.....14 16v batts....daily

 

Out of curiosity, what don't you like about the H/K?

I guess I'm asking because you should think about your end goal before tearing it apart, because once to start taking it a part it's going to be a pain to put back if you don't like what you did. Are you wanting huge amounts of volume while keeping an OEM look? Or are you not satisfied with the quality of sound from it?

Nevermind. I just saw that pictures and my answer there.

 

im deff. satisified with the SQ of it, i love it.

but, when i add a sub, i just dont feel that the mids/highs are loud enough for me. when i upgrade, i still want to get something that will maintain the SQ simlilar to the HK, but get a lot louder. im prally gonna be running 1000-1200w rms to a 12 or 2 12's, so i want the mids and highs to keep up good. i wanted to keep the factory HU, but im not sure yet if i am, or not. ive been reading on multiple threads all day today at work on this, and on different setups people here have done. can you add aftermarket speakers, amps, and subs to the stock HU (use a line out converter?)

reason i made this thread though is becuase someone on another forum said that the stock HK speakers would really come alive if you ditch the HK amp and add a more powerful aftermarket one, which GBMINI already said they'd prally burn up, which is what i thought, i just wanted to check with guys here that have expirence with the HK system.

i guess i just want louder highs (still with good SQ though)

but ya i guess if you look at my explorer (which is all SPL lol) i guess you can tell i like loud. the explorer will have 8 6.5s and 8 tweeters and 4 15s.....

 

From that picture...

are you just looking for sh*t-tons of bass?

EDIT: Why am I always a few seconds too late....

 

I'd say this link that GBMINI posted before is your best bet for keeping the OEM HU. You're still going to have to play around a lot.

But isn't that the reason we do this anyway.

http://www.gbmini.net/wp/2005/02/mak..._sound_better/

 

lol @ u being late.

but in the mini, i want more bass, but more on the SQ end, my truck is just gonna be straight up loud...which is what im going for in my truck.

i still wanna be loud in the mini, but sound good doing it. the HK is decently loud now, but with 1000w of bass, i know ill want more highs.

 

thing is, if i keep the stock HU, i wanna still get more highs, so im gonna most likely end up swapping the HK speakers/amp out for aftermarket. but keeping the stock HU would be nice, cuase i can use it with my ipod, as i do now.

 

Dpsm ...

 

am i reading this correctly....the mini in that link above, he kept the stock HU, the stock HK amp, and replaced the HK speakers with aftermarket, but powered by the HK amp?

 

whats dpsm lol

im leavin work now, so ill check this thread in like 20 min when im home. thanks for the help guys!

VJ

 

No, you read that wrong.

Think of it in terms of a home theater system. The DVD player is the HU. The H/K amp is your stereo system. And then you have your speakers.

The DVD player sends a digital signal to the stereo, which converts it into a 5 separate analog signals which get amplified and sent to the speakers.

The HU sends a digital signal to the H/K amp, which decodes it, and converts it to 8 separate analog signals (high/mid front/back), amplifies it and sends it to the speakers.

What the link above did is intercepted the already converted analog signal coming out of the H/K amp/decoder, ported it into a few additional aftermarket amps, and THEN sent it to the new after market speakers.

The reason the H/K speakers burn easily is because I think they are rated for 2ohms. "Think" being the key word... so don't quote me on that.

 

http://motoringfile.com/2004/10/28/m...ion_from_mini/

 

i think i read that somewhere today too. the impedence on the speaker wont cuase it to burn up though, it would be from sending too much power....if anything, if you wire the speakers wrong to the amp that cant handle a 2 ohm load, itll hurt the amp. does anyone know the power ratings on the HK speakers, im just curious.

 

The H/K speakers are 2ohm. No-ones ever been able to find official figures on the H/K system rating ... I believe it's around 300-350 watts total. The DPSM is about double that. Of course if you fill the back of your MINI with speakers, you'll be able to beat that too!

 

lol ya thats why im thinkin about just getting a nice pair of 6.5s and tweets up front (in stock locations) and a nice set of 6x9's (might do 6.5s with tweets) in back, with a 4 channel amp, and a 3 way crossover, and a HU with an ipod input on it so i can use my ipod, with a sub and an amp.

 

my explorer is nothing close to SQ, but its got 8 eminence 6.5" and 8 eminence supertweeters.

its the **** they use for Pro Audio stuff...its LOUD AS HELL lol

but thats not what im tryin to do in the mini (loud yes, but better SQ in the mini lol)

 

hey, you guys with systems...say you have to access the battery, you have to go through the trouble of removing the whole box, etc to get to it? also, is there a spare tire or no?

 

My amp is attached to the carpet with a false floor above - easy to lift the false floor then lift the amp, and done!

No spare on any "S" MINI.

 

pics?

what about your sub box?

edit: i understand now. so the box just lifts out with the false floor attached, leaving the stock floor with amp connected to it?

 

Loads of pics ... GBMINI and is the place

Correct:




And the "sub box"es are built into where the rear 6x9s normally live!


A very nice "stealth" install ... it doesn't churn your stomach with bass, but that's not what I wanted

 

thats a nice install, but im really into car audio(as you can tell), and that wouldnt satisfy me lol.

how do you like that alpine 9857? i might get one.