When it comes down to factory audio systems, there are different opinions. What sounds good to my ears, may not appeal to yours. The H/K system (Which by the way continues to be offered in the '07 MINI Convertible as stand alone option or part of the Premium Package), sounds very good to my ears. It doesn't vibrate or distort the music at the levels I listen it to. I have the MINI iPod adaptor and I hook up my 4GB iPod Nano which is loaded with Jazz, 1980's techno, etc most of it encoded in Apple Lossless audio format.

The thing with the H/K system is that if your audio recording source material is of less than desirable quality, the system's clarity will enhance sound defects from poor quality recordings. I also like the H/K because you can select different sound stage modes. I am not sure if this functionality has carried over the new hifi audio option.

My wife's '02 MC has the stock Alpine stereo that was offered at the time (H/K was not even available in August 2002) and it is a decent radio/CD Boost system nothing earth shattering. What that sucker has is VOLUME.

I prefer quality and clarity of sound over massive volume capacity.

 

reelsmith: Should be any day now. My apologies. We took what appeared to be have the engine apart! Going back together etc. right now. Worst case scenario it will be available at AMVIV to see, hear and purchase. (I know you are not close to LV;-) Again, sorry for the delay!

 

I agree again with C4. I describe the audio I prefer as "concert hall" quality. If you have ever been to a good concert hall and listened to a symphony, then you will understand what I prefer.

My name is Skuzzy, and I am an audio snob.
---
But seriously, I have time to get my 3D drawings done for the replacement idea I have. Once I get those roughed out, I will post the pics and get some feedback.

 

But precisely, I may have heard a defective hi-fi, but it was like listening to some $200 Sony stereo at the store... and according to the MA none of the customers who heard it ordered it... The Boost was not earth shattering but at least it did not vibrate... and I don't listen to music THAT loud. Classical music would probably sound good on the hi-fi though, cause it would not make it vibrate but anything with a bit of rhythm, like dance or pop is a mess...

So I guess nobody want to put an aftermarket in-dash navi or anything like that? Who the hell designed this thing?!?!?!?

 

On the plus side, maybe they all listened to the same one and there is something wrong with it?

I'm trying to stay positive.

dean.

 

They did all listen to the same one as it's in one of the cars that was ordered but yet to be picked up. I hope that is the case... I gotta find another one to test now!

Then again, so many people have experienced the same problem, there's quite a few defective units out there... :impatient

 

minimagyar

Per chance are you the gentleman with whom I tested the audio systems at MoS last week?

I too have a fun audio system at home which spoils me silly

HK AVR525 7.1
Yamaha S2300 SACD/DVD-Audio/DVD
Axiom speakers all around
HSU Subwoofer
And of course my old trusty Technics turntable

The Monsoon audio system in my current Jetta GLX is good but the standard unit in my wife's Acura TL (including DVD-Audio capability) is very good. Since tinkering with anything in a car is not one of my strengths, I'll have to hope that some creative car audio company comes up with a solution.

 

Correct. All cars from the 10th week onward are audiophile certified.

 

Nope... girl driver here

Is it true about the 10th week?

 

I should have added a

 

Just about any car's head unit built these days has excellent high fidelity capability. Where the problems are generated is with amplifiers and speakers. I'm not sure why would one believe that aftermarket would not yield an excellent sounding system.

I've built up and rebuilt up audio systems for my home over the decades. God Knows how many tens of thousands I've put into my attempts at optimum music reproduction. As any hi fi nut here knows though, accoustics plays a major role in quality of sound, as does ambient noise. One thing I've noted with car audio over the years is, the fidelity you hear when your car isn't running gets lost as you progress up through the gears. Unless you buy one of the higher end Audis, Mercedes, or Lexus's, where much emphasis is placed on noise deadening and audio accoustics, excellent music reproduction in a car driving at highway speeds becomes next to impossible (although it would seem that good noise cancelling headphones could yeild some pretty good music to the ears). So, these days when I buy a car, if the audio sounds reasonably good, I just live with it and hold my critical listening for home (sure sorry to see that SACD won't be along much longer - frantically buying music inventory while it's still out there).

 

if you are not to picky with having to replace the stock stereo, you can get some really good sound still using the stock stereo, but you will have to replace the stock speakers with higher end aftermarket speakers my favorites are mb quartz, jbl, diamond audio, but stick to there high end. then but in an aftermarket amp to run all those and a single 10" sub perferebly an amp for the four interior speakers and a seperate one for the sub. if you do your research on the amps you can find some that will take a high frequency input.

 

I'm in agreement with everyone in the string that mentions upgrading speakers. If you're dissatisfied with the upgrade system, better speakers as many recommended would probably be a good course of action, for starters.
Some of you may know this link already, and it DOES relate to the HK system, but it's worth a look. www.in2guitar.com/minihkreview.html
is worth a good read. I'd guess that proper adjustment of the new 07 car system with a full understanding of it's capabilities will be a PLUS. Let us hope so!
I'm hoping for the best with the upgrade system. I'm also confident that from this group of lovable gearhead lunatics the answers will spring, if upgrades and adjustments become necessary.
Yes, I'm STILL WAITING.

 

unfortunately, I kinda am... I don't want to remove door panels and stuff on a new car... to prevent warranty issues/rattles.

the new system is not HK... unfortunately

 

My prediction is that, just like the R53, a DPSM for the R56 will eventually come out and be addable as an aftermarket option, just like it is now.

 

After reading all your posts, I believe I will take a deep breath, wait for a batch of later built cars to arrive at the dealer, take another listen and assess the available options at that time.

 

minimagyar: Oooooooops!

 

I know I wasn't hallucinating when C4 swore off NAM forever. Lasted all of a week? Ah well, his negativity is back.

I'm very happy with my HiFi. The sound is better than anything else you find stock. True, upgrade options are limited, but I'm done with destroying my hearing wtih the thumping base that rattles the windows of the neighbors as I drive by. Fraternity days are long gone. There is clarity and the cabin fills wth great sound. No car can rival what you reproduce at home. But no home has to compete with road noise. So drive with the roof open and live life for all it's worth.

 

Shucks.

Halleluja.

 

dbhouston

It's not about rattling the windows and shaking the roof off the car, it's about quality. The hifi upgrade I heard was plenty loud, it just couldn't handle the bass without going muddy or distorting, even at a flat tonal setting.

Also, IMHO you are way way way off base if you think the R56 audio system is comparable to stock audio systems in similarly priced vehicles. The stock Honda, VW (even my ancient Monsoon system in my Jetta), Acura (just to name a very few) audio systems are far superior to the R56. Hey, but those audio systems aren't attached to a Mini.

 

He makes a very good point!

 

That would be the bomb.. but I'd want a powerful clean amp for those front's. I push 125w/chan RMS to the focal 165's in my truck and they are mind blowing...
I'd probably want a 10" in that false floor too. Remove the toolbox and it'd be a perfect spot.
No need for back speakers with that setup.

too bad I'm leasing and don't want to drop a huge load of cash into upgrades for a car I'll only have two years - or I would.

 

The Mini is the second car I've had with a fully-integrated OEM head unit. The first was a 2005 Subaru Legacy. In that car, I put Polk speakers and amplification, plus a JL Audio Clean Sweep, which was the first generation of a new kind of product for integrating OEM source units with aftermarket rest-of-the-system. It basically auto-EQ's the stock head unit back to flat, since every OEM head unit has built-in equilization to make up for the stock system's weak points. It also serves as a switch to allow the input of a second source unit, which in my case was an Omnifi MP3 hard drive thing.

You can see details of that install over here on the LegacyGT forums

Since then, Rockford Fosgate has released their 3Sixty, which does what the Cleansweep does but adds customizable digital EQ features. Oh, and you run it with your Bluetooth cell phone.

I've become sort of attached to my rolling keg of 50GB of MP3's, and I do have a spare Omnifi (they float around the internets for cheap, cheap!) but I'm not sure what I'm going to do in the Mini. On the one hand, the Boost stereo setup does already have the Aux-in thing, right? But there's still the issue of the OEM equalization, which is probably not going to be right for my needs. So I may end up with a setup much like in the Legacy.

I don't know where I'd put the DIN-sized Omnfi control unit. It's flat, but I don't see anywhere obvious to mount it. Maybe I'll just end up burning MP3 CD's once in a while, and just feed those into the stock head unit.

Am I the only one who thinks the volume **** should be the larger **** on the TOP? I swear, this thing was NOT designed to be easily used while driving.

--Dan
Mach V
FastMINI.net

 

It has not. IMO, the HiFi is on par with the H/K, but I'm not a fan of the H/K either. Both would make good base systems, but they could do so much better.

 

Thats my hope/prediction as well.