so im looking for some more... volume, in my mini, without losing sound quality. I have an 06 MC ... no special sound package, just stock.

One place said that i may need an amplifier, then i told him that it was a mini that the install was for, and he said that i probably had an amp, and only needed some new better quality speakers.

I really want some great sound, but i don't want to touch my warranty, (with any electrical crap going wrong.... ) Any suggestions on where to go, what to do, what to buy would be great.

Thanks everybody!

 

Your best bet would be to replace the head unit and the speakers. Just adding speakers won't give you too much more volume.

As far as an amp goes: I've only added an amp to my MCS with H/K... in which the battery and the H/K amp are conveniently in the boot. I can just imagine that adding one to an MC would be a little more difficult. Probably would need to splice some wires for the audio and poke some holes to get to the battery.

 

The factory speakers aren't industry-standard 4-ohm speakers - I think they're 2-ohm (at least on the H/K-equipped cars). Since most of the aftermarket speakers are 4-ohm, putting a set in your car would actually *reduce* the overall volume, unless you went with some ultra-efficient horn waveguide speakers.

There are some companies (like Eclipse) that make 2-ohm replacement speakers (usually used for upgrading factory Bose systems), but I don't know if they're significantly more efficient than the factory speakers.

You could add a powered subwoofer in the back, and install "bass blockers" on the interior speakers so that they wouldn't have to reproduce the low notes that the new subwoofer would be handling. That way, all of the factory amplification could go to the midrange and treble, and the amplifier on the subwoofer would handle the low notes. That would probably be the best "bang for the buck", since you wouldn't have to replace the interior speakers, factory amp, or head unit.

 

Thanks a lot everybody!
looks like i've got some thinking to do...
i love my mini more than the music though. (how could i not?)

 

Assuming here you have the standard, non Harmon Kardon.

The shops that don't know Minis but still try to give advice give me a huge pia. If you have the Harmon Kardon, you have an amplifier. If you do not, you don't have an amplifier. "Probably..." doesn't cut it. Whoever this guy is, don't let him near your car.

I heard a system where the owner kept the oem head unit. He added a 40 watt Alpine F-250 amp in the cubbyhole under the drivers seat. He installed Polk db6500 components in front and comparable 6x9s in the rear. It sounded pretty good. Alpine, Boston, and Infinity all make good replacement front sets for around $100. The Alpine amp goes for around $150.

All I did was replace my stock radio with a 50 watt Alpine head unit and it improved volume and clarity on my stock speakers considerably. Private message me if you ever get up my way, you're welcome to give it a listen.

 

Sorry to thread jack here but how did you ada an amp to the HK system? Isn't there an issue as to compatibility? Does the HK head unit and amp have some kind of DSP interaction going on?

Thanks,
K

 

I figured others would have the same questions that I did when I did it, so I did a complete write up on my install.

let me know if you have any questions about it.

http://www.geekshocker.com/Claire/audio/ampInstall.php

The H/K HU sends a digital signal to the DSP/amp in the back. So you have to snag your feed from the back on the outs of the amp.

 

I too have an '06 Cooper and want to upgrade the stereo while keeping the head unit. I've read that the stock head unit doesn't have preouts, so I'm going to have to install something to convert speaker level to line level outputs to connect an amp. Is this been everyone else's experience as well? I was thinking of going with a 4-channel Alpine amp and a few pairs of JL Audio or Alpine speakers.

Thanks,
Tony

 

Yup, unless you replace the HU you'll have to go with a line output converter to the amp.

Something like this http://www.circuitcity.com/ssm/Metra...oductDetail.do

Also, Welcome to NAM!

 

Shankrabbit - thanks for the info. I think I've decided to go with the Digital Sound Modul upgrade after the summer.