Ok so I placed an order for an 07 Cooper S last friday to replace my late 05 Cooper S and I had the Hk which sounded pretty darn good but the only option for the 07 was the 10 spkr hi fi. Is this just a cheap 10 spkr system that they are putting in the new mini or is the quality about that of the Hk or better?? I haven't talked to anyone who has heard it and there isn't any info that I can find anywhere so if anyone has info or has heard it please post your thoughts on it here. I'm sure it will sound great but more speakers doesn't always mean better sound if it's a cheap no name brand system.

 

It sounds great - as good or better than H/K depending on what you listen to.

 

Awesome! Hopefully My Mini Dealer will have one with the Hi Fi this weekend when we have our launch party so I will actually be able to hear it. Thanks Gabe!

 

Interesting
Personally I find that the new Boost system sounds very bad & the hifi although better than boost is still poor.
Then again I think it does depend what you listen to as its bass it can't handle at all & its dance music I listen to

 

Mikey... I'm curious - what are your opinions then of the Boost, H/K and DPSM in the 1st Gen MINIs?

 

Boost was excelllent for a standard system
HK Good sound but the bass overpowered the system so it wasnt balanced, it needed tweeters in the back
DPSM - never seen/heard one

 

I agree about the tweeters in the rear. I listen to mostly Dance / Trance, and techno music as well and the Hk sounded very nice but I had a $2000 stereo in my previous car so coming from a 1500 watt stereo with 10 speakers and 2 subs it isn't quite the same comparison. I will say that the quality of the HK was almost as good as my system thought. I will hopefully get to finally hear it Friday when I go to look at my first R56. Thanks for the info guys!!

 

hi fi has rear tweets - right gabe?

 

hi fi does have rear tweets yes

 

Sweet. Now if I could just hear it. lol

 

I'd have to agree. It's on a par with the Alpine/HK HiFi system in the 1st gen, just lacking a couple of features. (one-button "driver" balance adjust, the sound processing that I hate, and I'm sure there's a few more)

I listened to Leo Kottke's "6 and 12 String Guitar" on the drive home today and was impressed. I do think the JBL system that was in my 4Runner was better, but comparing to the 1st gen HiFi, I'd say it's equivalent, if not a tad better. Never had a chance to hear the Digital Sound Modul thingie though.

 

I have listened to all three.. the base system in the R53 was good. The H/K system in the R53 was decent. The HiFi in the R56 is ok but not as great as the difference between H/K and the base system in the R53. Making sense so far?

The DSM system I've listened to had a very cold digital sound to it.. the bass response was inadequate and the tweeter and midrange overpowered everything. Simply awful. My ears were practically bleeding.

YMMV

 

Glad to hear it ...now I just wish I could really hear it.

dean.

 

I have not listened to the stereo in the previous MINIs, however I have the Hi Fi upgrade in my 07 MCS and I am not impressed. The Radio sounds like cramp. The CD is a little better, but not great.

 

Does anyone know the specs. for the new upgraded stereo? All I have found is the 10 speakers but nothing about the watts or size of the speakers.

 

Crap as in muddy sounding, not enough bass, not enough power??? Descriptions Please. lol I've heard from most that it sounds better and louder with less rattles than the HK it replaces so since I've never heard the new system i'm very curious if it's worth $550 extra. I know I had a hard time adjusting to the HK in my 05 mini after coming from a car with 12 speakers and a 15 Polk momo sub cranking out 3000 watts of power so are you saying it sucks compaired to something on this level or what are you compairing it to?

 

Mini USA says that there are 4 Bass speakers@ 40watts ea, 2 Mids @ 25 watts ea, 4 Trebs @ 25 watts ea. No idea of their physical sizes though.

 

I wonder if this means the rear has tweeters as well. I always thought it was wierd to not have any mid or highs in the rear of my last Mini. I totally understand and love the soundstage effect but when you have 2 seats with 2 bodies in front of you it's kind of hard to hear the highs in the rear. I've been reading alot of mixed reviews on the HiFi. Allthough, about 90% of the people I talk to or have heard the system say it's as good or better than the HK in the R50 & R53. I got alot of use out of My HK in my 05 Mini but I did go through 2 new speakers in the 2 short years due to rattling and eventually blowing. From what I've read and what My MA has said, the HiFi is completely Alpine this time around. I own both Alpine and Harmen Karden speakers and I like them both. My 1st car came with an Alpine stereo system and for Stock it sounded pretty good. I will be taking a trip to my mini dealer tomorrow evening and hopefully they will have a mini with the HiFi and I can actually Hear it. lol We'll see. If so i'll post my thoughts on it once I return.

 

Given the number of speakers (10) and the limited spaces for mounting I would assume that at least one or two of these are coaxial type(duplex). ! Anyone got anymore info on this??

 

RealOEM shows it to be a bass speaker and separate tweeter, not coax.

http://www.realoem.com/bmw/partgrp.d...31&hg=65&fg=20

Base system is (per side):

One front midrange speaker (65133428196)
One front midrange/woofer speaker (65133422634)
One rear bass speaker (65133422633)

HiFi system is (per side):

One front tweeter (65133422640)
One front midrange (65136930902 or 65139143153)
One front midrange/woofer (65133422637)
One rear tweeter (65133422639)
One rear bass speaker (65133422636)

Note that different part numbers don't necessarily mean the speakers are any different. Using the same physical part with different numbers is a common thing in the world, so they can manage inventory better. It very well could be that the only difference is the added tweeters, but I'd have to have barenaked speakers of each part number to tell.

Replacing the rear bass speakers with a coax would probably be a simple upgrade, and one I'm probably going to look into down the road. I'd just have to figure out how to get that grille off.

 

Thanks for that info, Interesting to note that there is no physical location shown for the tweeters. !!! Only two grills on the door.!!

 

also interesting is the fact that that Midrange part # changes 3/70, maybe this will cure the probs that the UK brothers and sisters were having with the front speakers .

 

The rear tweeters are glued to a ring on the grille - the ring is present on non hifi models
The system is made by Harman & IMHO sounds awful

 

OK, BUT WE ARE TALKING ABOUT THE 10 SPEAKER HI- FI UPGRADE.!! WHICH ARE ALPINE.

 

So does the hifi upgrade comes with an amplifier?