How many people actually think the stock radio sounds good or at the least exceptable for a 6 speaker stock system. I don't think I am going to get the Hi Fi upgrade. Can always change out later. But lets see who likes the sound. Audio geeks are also welcome but have an open mind.

 

will let you know tommorow

 

It's acceptable but don't expect much bass...cranked to the max it still leaves you wanting a bit more...

John

 

And you really can't swap out much with the exception of the speakers - it sounds like if you've got the NAV spec'd that you also gain the EQ functionality with the HIFI. I would go with the HIFI.

 

Standard radio sounds fine to me. I'm not into heart palpating booming bass. I don't want my ears to bleed. I play a lot of 80s mp3 at medium/high volume and it works for me. No snap, crackle, pop. No complaints.

 

IMO, the HI FI is the way to go. Mine sounds great. Give it a chance to mature itself.

 

I'm no audiophile, so my standard radio is okay for me. But it's certainly not spectacular by any stretch, and even with the volume up, the sound doesn't have much bass or depth.

It's really just whether it's worth it to you to pay for the Hi-Fi. I was going to get it, but then chose to spring for Leather seats instead. So no hi-fi, but my bum doesn't stick to the leatherette seats in the summer either...

 

I'm no audiophile at all. That being said, I'm really delighted with the sound of the standard radio on my 2007 MC. It's much, much better than the sound of the standard radio from my old Saturn SC and my old Prizm (I know, that's not saying much).

I'm plenty picky about food quality but not at all about audio equipment, so I'm well aware that my comment may be the audio equivalent of saying how much I like the food at Applebees (which I don't).

 

Would this make a difference to the people that don't like the stock radio. I have to cars ordered. One with and one without. Heres the rub. The one without will be ready to pick up in early July which is only 3 weeks away. The one with the HI Fi is ready to be ordered but not until late next week. I won't have the car if lucky until September. I am leaning towards getting the car now and living with the sound for now.

 

Just to add two additional cents to my first post, the stock/standard radio does seem to have a nice clarity at high volume which compensates somewhat for it's lack of bass response...I'm happy w/ mine...

John

 

It sounds OK if you play with the fader, bass and treble.

 

I think the stock radio is adequate; from your last line, it sounds almost like you're anticipating being able to swap it out later (or maybe you were just thinking speakers), but it doesn't seem like it's going to be easily swapped.

 

What makes you think you can swap it out later? The radio is pretty tightly integrated into the OBC. Most of the opinions I've heard on the subject is that you can't swap out the radio.

I've gotten the impression that the best way to go is to get the HIFI and swap out the speakers if you want better sound. IIUC, the HIFI puts an additional amp in the back. It might be possible to swap out that amp, but changing the head unit doesn't seem to be an option.

Also, there is an issue with wiring harnesses for the MINI. My MA told me that they custom make the wiring harness for the options ordered with the MINI. So, adding some features later is not possible -- no wires for them. Not sure this is true for the HIFI upgrade or not. Check with your dealer.

 

Seems it was true of the R53 at least. Check out this thread.

https://www.northamericanmotoring.co...highlight=DPSM

 

I guess I didn't make it clear, I would just change the speakers and maybe add an amp. My radio on my SUV is the same way and tried options to change the head unit but pretty much impossible because it controls the whole car it seemed. I am going to go with the stock radio, add sirius through the dealer when available and enjoy the heck out of it. No regrets.

 

I'm happy with my stock radio. I hook up my iPod to the Aux port and it does OK. I'm not looking for concert sound in my MINI. Sometimes I even listen to talk radio....

 

The stock radio is just ok for me. Im in the midst of replacing all the stock speakers and adding an 8" sub and amp. Im not going for deafening sound but the stock set doesnt do it for me.

 

We got the stock radio with the intention of upgrading later. It sounds OK. Its just missing in the bass department. The $550 for the hifi didn't seem worth it when I listened.

 

the hifi didnt sound like it was worth 500+.

 

I think the only option for real audio upgrades is to leave the stock radio in place, but disconnect it from the speakers, antenna, etc. Place an aftermarket deck in the "secret compartment" and go from there with aftermarket amp, speakers, etc.

I remember that the HiFi is traditionally just a speaker system leaving the head units the same. So in that respect the head unit might have potential if you want to piggyback an amp and speakers into it.

Or just plug some headphones into your MP3 player and you've got better sound than any of the above options (but I always thought it was slightly illegal?).

 

Definitely illegal in California.

 

There are a couple of options out there letting you keep your stock head-unit, but completely give your audio system a total make-over.

Rockford Fosgate and JBL audio both make what I'll call a "behind the scenes" head unit. It wires directly into your stock head unit and takes over all of its functions, making it so ultimately the only thing still active in the stock unit are the radio/CD tray/buttons/*****/display. All of the outputs are retrofitted into the separate unit.

Both units can use the amp in the head unit itself, but at their price point you're better off using separate amps for your speakers, assuming you'll upgrade those as well, along with an independent output for a subwoofer pre-out.

Crutchfield carries the Rockford Fosgate unit at over $900. JBL's, I couldn't find an online retailer, only their manufacturer web site, looked to be about $550. Both units would likely take some serious work to get behind the dashboard without damaging the factory wiring/electrical in the MINI, but would probably give you a lot more flexibility than MINI's H/K option.

 

I'll probably just go with the stock stereo when i order mine too. $500+ doesn't seem worth it to go with the hifi.

 

If you spend some time on classifieds of car audio forums, you can find some people who just can't stop spending money on new equipment, so they sell stuff for cheap. My G35 also insisted on keeping the stock unit, so I purchased an Alpine signal processor as well as amps from someone for pennies on the dollar. I thought it was too good to be true, but it turns out the guy just wanted Eclipse stuff instead (yeah, he had some nice job, I forget what it was..)! I looked at those units that take over after the factory head, and I wasn't impressed at all. They do a LOT less than a dedicated signal processor and cost much more than I paid. Sure, I had to use a line level converter, but that takes just another minute to install (literally).

If you are going with unused hardware, definitely go with the head unit in the secret glovebox. Dedicated processors are getting rare these days, usually they are just built into head units. Use a line level converter to get a signal to the new head, and do all of your equalization through there. The nice head unit will remain hidden, you will only need to access it to change fader/eq settings. A good head unit can be had for a LOT less than those "behind the scenes" units.

Please keep in mind, I am assuming a standard unit can fit in that glovebox, since that's where BMW/MINI put a changer. It's the same on my G35 w/o factory navi.

 

There is one way to get super good sound as stated before..Amp to the speakers + a MP3 player cable....