Sorry if it's off topic, but why would you recut a CD? Are you talking about making your own CD from vinyl? Or by recut do you mean you play a CD and then rerecord it at a higher sampling rate. If the latter, what's the point?

 

Ok, I finally got to listen to a Hi-Fi system today because...

!!!!I got my MINI!!!!

anyways, yea, I don't care for it too much.. The old HK was better for bass.
I like this one for highs and mids.

I may have to add a 10" sub and amp in the back even though I'm leasing.

 

Most production CD's, especially any re-masters, are absolutely horrible. The audio is clipped and much of the dynamic range is lost of the original. Not all are like that, but if you analyzed the audio, you would be surprised by how many are just lousy transfers.

So I take the audio tracks, re-sample them to 192Khz, then apply some dynamic compressors to them, restore the clipped audio, normalize them, then sample down to 48Khz.

The re-sampling to a higher rate allows a more complete and accurate resoration of the clipped audio and preserves as much of the nuances of the original when applying compressors to the audio to get the levels back to non-clipped levels (I shoot for -6dB, but settle for -3dB).

 

First of all congrats on your new baby. Second, if you do put in a sub and amp, pleeeeeease post your feelings about it! Thanks.

 

Thanks for all this info. I'll start my research with the Crutchfield link and go from there.

 

I have to agree with others here, the basic sound system in the 2007 is really very lacking. Why in the world would BMW/Mini incorporate the head unit in the cluster of the speedo? If it is indeed made by Alpine, then this is a very low scale setup. I love music in cars, especially if done right, this unfortunately is done wrong.

 

on the hi-fi.

on the car.

dean.

 

Two words:

Cost cutting

 

I'd like to preface this by stating that I do not have an R56 on order, I am planning on wearing out my '05 MCS a little more before I 'upgrade'.

I am a, however, a bit of an audio freak, I also have hearing problems, because my hearing is damaged, I tend to gravitate towards slightly bright systems with extremely 'tight' bass.

The HK system in my current Mini is, in my opinion, great at less than 40mph, but as speeds (and road / wind noise) gets higher, then system loses much of its appeal.

I recent rode in a HK equipped Mini that had been dynamatted - what an amazing difference it makes, the HK system utterly shines.

When the R56 was launched I got to drive a Hi-Fi eqipped example. To my (damaged) ears, it was a little brighter than the HK system, but it was missing the 'big' low-end. Listening to Kate Bush's 'Hounds of Love', which is an extremely dynamic CD I felt that there was a lack of detail lost in the bass, but the mids and highs felt more faithfull, the system handled it 'OK' at best, some of the subtlety was certainly lost. On the road that changed fairly quickly, the bass almost disappeared at times. Turning the volume up brought it back, but then the system took on a somewhat 'screatchy' sound.

Dropping in Joss Stone's 'Soul Session' a much more modern recording showed the system off fairly nicely, but it was as though the system could not really 'keep up' and the sound was a somewhat disappointing.

On the way back to the dealer, we dropped in U2's Joshua Tree. Honestly it sounded fantastic, the faster paced music seemed to be what the system was designed for. If you like U2, you will love the system, I really wonder if this was a test CD for MINI, it sounded so good !

On my way home from the dealer, I re-listened to all three CD's on my HK system, U2 sounded pretty good, but nowhere near as good as in the R56, Kate Bush sounded stunning, but Joss Stone ? The vocals lost their 'sting' compared to the Hi-Fi in the R56, but the musical side is much better oh the HK.

I think that the music system and the quality of the original has a bigger effect on the Hi-Fi system than it did on the somewhat flattering HK system, I would not be unhappy with it and it will probably be on my options llist when I finally order an R56.

Meanwhile, I have ordered a dynamat kit for my MCS..

 

Disagree. Most folks agree the interior has been upgraded in material quality, the car has a brand new engine that performs as well (if not better) than the old one while getting better gas mileage and the go-kart handling is still there. I don't think there was any cost cutting ...I think there may have been a re-appropriating of funds.

Also, when switching vendors on an audio system the sound is going to change. In this case, some say for the worse, but there are still those that seem satisfied with their hi-fi. I'm tenuously looking forward to passing my own judgment.

dean.

 

Take a look at the vast majority of cars in a parking lot and you will see that 90% never change their system and that most manufactures are switching to an integrated look for their audio systems. This does cause problems for those like yourself that do not like it. You can believe MINI did this for the majority percentage that don't ever change systems, appreciate the integrated look and are satisfied with the sound. It would be vastly cheaper to make a DIN opening and get a subsidised unit with a manufactures name prominently displayed than to have a functionally equivalent unit custom made to MINIs own design. So while fair to criticize them on sound or flexibility to change there is no basis to call it cost cutting as some have done. It's simply a choice made in the hope of pleasing the most customers.

 

It is cost cutting. BMW from the onset sought to reduce manufacturing costs associated with the R56. Cost cutting often has a negative connotation. Sometimes is good and at others it isn't. There littl ebitty details in the R56 where you can see it at work. The radio, the headliner material, the fit of the carpet. And you can't tell me it is cheaper to replace an integrated OEM stereo post-warranty than a single standalone headunit.

 

Correct I'm not telling you that. I'm telling you the integrated unit is more expensive now and later. Therefore it's not cost cutting. For it to be cost cutting it needs to cost MINI less. Can't be any simpler than that. Making it more expensive to fix is another issue.

 

Exactly.

dean.

 

Thanks for a very intriguing review.

dean.

 

It costs LESS for MINI to manufacture (or rather source) an integrated radio component. But for the consumer, it will be more expensive to replace after the warranty is gone. That's the point I wanted to clarify.

 

I'd imagine the signal from the headunit is great since people who have updraded in the UK kept the HU and reported excellent results. It's downstream in the amps and especially the speakers that it gets degraded.

I haven't had time to research anything yet but I see an aftermarket amp/sub becoming a part of my MINI. I'd like to replace the speakers themselves but I don't want to take panels off and introduce rattles.
If I were buying the car instead of a lease I'd take the chance.

I still have about 50' of FATMAT (kinda like dynamat) left over from my truck install. This stuff may find it's way under my carpets eventually.

 

Can you pop the grilles off of the woofers and see what they are made of? Are they paper? Treated paper? Polypropylene?

Is there any Chance they could be replaced without taking the door panels off? In pictures it looks like they might be accessible from the front.

Thanks.

dean.

 

Being someone who absolutely must have a strong bass, it seems I'll be on the lookout for an aftermarket sub as well. Not the best news as I had hoped to hop in my Mini and crank up the volume (with a pre-selected "driving home from the dealer" mix).

 

I am glad I got the 2006MCS. I am an audio freak. While I am also a fan of the 2007 R56 I do not care for the integrated audio. I have a JVC KD-AVX2 in the dash of my R53 driving the indash monitor with 5.7" LCD monitors in the headrests. I love the system. I have read that some of you are considering a sub for the rear to help make up for the shortcomings of the new HI FI system. I currently have a 100 watt 10" Audiobahn sub with remote bass control mounted up front. It is simply a small black **** that lets me adjust the sub level. I upgraded to this from a 50Watt Bazooka Tube. The bazooka was as good as the audiobahn is for my taste( I dont listen to it too loud) but I liked the remote bass control that the audiobahn had. It works well and is easily removed from the Boot by un-pluging it. I take mine in and out all the time.

 

I'd be shocked if they were anything other than paper.

 

What's even more shocking is what I read on Mini2 ...they are 2-ohm drivers!

What's up with that?

dean.

 

If that's true then that's why the crappy sound. You need a big amp to drive 2ohm speakers. I can't believe it.

 

Exactly.

If they indeed are 2-ohm paper drivers I might experiment with some 4-ohm polypropylenes.

dean.

 

They must have done parallel wiring. When you do this impedence drops so it has the effect that the speakers are 2 ohms. 4 8ohm speakers = 2ohms. I'm not sure I can explain this well enough, but if they ran the speakers this way you need an amp that can handle it.

I doubt we do. One reason to run them like that is to get more speakers on the system, but more speakers lowers impedance.

It can get very confusing so I'll stop. I'm confusing myself. Google parallel wiring, it is to hard for me to explain.

Although I could be totally wrong, but there is no way I can believe there are 2 ohm speakers in the MINI's