28 replies to this topic

[Riz_Mini]

Just curious, does anybody know what size the standard mini cooper s speakers are in the doors? its one of the last 500 made, do all mini`s just come with basic 2 speaker setup? or are there speakers in the rears too?

Thanks.

Riz

Edited by Riz_Mini, 25 October 2006 - 03:22 PM.

[Retro_10s]

aren't they 5"? hmmmm.

And they only ever had two max.... unless they had two in fornt and one in rear but idon't think that happened everrrrrrrrrrrrr

[Riz_Mini]

So they are 5"`s.... do you think I can get away with doing the whole bass ICE route and just install two top quality 5" full range speakers with a decent head unit?

Riz

[Matt]

if you installed 2 decent speakers (say components) then you might be able to get yourself a half decent sound stage. However.... have you thought about the underseat speaker board. Goes underneith the passenger seats (in the hole thats there) and houses 2 6x9 speakers.
That would give you two decent front speakers, and some decent back speakes with sufficent bass and treble.

as for the head unit.. i recommend.. either a pioneer, alpine or kenwood as these seem to give out the best quality and can be had for relatively cheap prices.

[Retro_10s]

Better still you could drill the speaker board to take some circular 6.5 comps rather than 6x9s,... then you get music as well as volume

For a good all round sound the most important frequency range you want is MID, treble can be harsh and often your ears will dislike the 'spikeyness' of it, Bass can not only hurt but can simply annoy you with rattling and banging, again, not that great for your ears either.

Mid however is slap bang in the middle of this, and is what a lot of music concentrates on, melodic lines and warm 'full' sounds are all down to MID, It is MID that creates the 'wall' of sound you feel that can be so pleasing.

5" speakers on front will be good but are slightly wasted in door cards because the sound on your side is pumped into your arse and seat, and the passenger side is the same, it goes into the seat. If you could but some shims on the underside and still mount them securely you would have more sound going to your ears, which is what you want. you'd be amazed how empty it can sound when speakers are 5-10 degrees pointing away from you.

but for the time being doorpockets are fine I guess and wont be terrible. Really though you're gonna want something in the back too.


My opinions may well differ from what others have experienced.

Edited by Retro_10s, 26 October 2006 - 10:11 AM.

[mayoturbo]

you could have two 6.5 inch SUBS under the rear seat to give you abit of bass.

[Riz_Mini]

Ok how does this sound for a full setup....

... let me know if anything wont fit, i.e. 5" speakers in the doors etc..... just want to minimal alterations to the car as possible.

Head Unit = Alpine CDE-9850Ri iPod Full Speed Info Here

Front Door Speakers = Crystal SSX 510 5.25" Kevlar 2-way speaker system
Info Here

Rear Speakers (Under Seats using MDF board from MiniSpeed) = Crystal SSX 615 6.5" Kevlar 2-way speaker system
Info Here

Will obviously need to buy bits like better quality speaker cable, ISO adaptop for Rover Mini headunit and MDF board from MiniSpeed......

Will need a alarm too, any suggestions?

Since I dont need a amp, is there still a need to upgrade the car battery?

Anything else Ive missed?

Many thanks for your replies folks!

Riz

Edited by Riz_Mini, 26 October 2006 - 11:59 AM.

[Matt]

i personally wouldnt go with those speakers purely because ive never heard of them, and i would only use tried and tested.... but if it helps at all i had some of the JBL P552's and they were wicked!!

id suggest these though.. http://www.caraudiod...roducts_id=5452

[Riz_Mini]

i personally wouldnt go with those speakers purely because ive never heard of them, and i would only use tried and tested.... but if it helps at all i had some of the JBL P552's and they were wicked!!

id suggest these though.. http://www.caraudiod...roducts_id=5452

So components are the better option? Will the fit in the doors and where would be the best postion for the tweeters?

Im trying to keep away from having a amp etc just power the speakers off the alpine head unit which kicks out 50w x4

Riz

[Matt]

components are generally better quality and give out better clearer sound.
i assume they would fit in the doors if you have door speaker pods?

Highly efficient and remarkably responsive, the all-new Type-E speakers are specifically designed to deliver optimum performance with only head unit power.

[keithio450r]

If your going to get components, which I totally back-up getting, because there is nothing else that compare - to get the most from your sound you will need an amp to power them. I bought my pioneer components and ran them off of the headunit for a couple of weeks, they sounded ok but were a bit quiet. Once the amp was connected however, it totally transformed the sound - very crisp and clear sound, yet also going very loud without distortion. Decent components have a higher RMS rating than your budget coaxial speakers and therefore need something that will give them the power they deserve, not your 27 RMS off of your headunit! (ignore the 50w x 4 bit thats useless!).
Also you want the tweeters about 4" away from the mids, and move them around to where you think they sound best.

Hope this helps, Si

[Matt]

I would suggest getting some velcro and mounting the tweeters in different positions in the car to see where the best sound is and then also try them out of phase.

[Retro_10s]

you could have two 6.5 inch SUBS under the rear seat to give you abit of bass.

Been there done that, I fuond them to be moe than enough to cmoopete against a single 8" sub, and infact they produced much more fluid and meaty melodic sounds, really filled the gap in the middle that is often found where you have treble and bass but no mid.

can't recommend them enough. JBL 6.5" subs were £80 a pop last time i looked, and well worth it.

[Riz_Mini]

:'( ooooops got my Mini and realised they dont have speakers on the doors... so just the standard rover goodmans ones in the rear parcel shelf...... so what can I replace them with, without cutting the holes bigger? Car already came with a half decent Apline CD player, might sell this and get a iPod model.....

The car is fab and the sound isnt too bad, is there any improvements to be had by getting better speakers?

Riz

[Retro_10s]

:'( ooooops got my Mini and realised they dont have speakers on the doors... so just the standard rover goodmans ones in the rear parcel shelf...... so what can I replace them with, without cutting the holes bigger? Car already came with a half decent Apline CD player, might sell this and get a iPod model.....

The car is fab and the sound isnt too bad, is there any improvements to be had by getting better speakers?

Riz

Yep, the more you spend on speakers the better the sound will be providing you go for reputable brands, find out what size they are and then go shopping, look at JBL, Kenwood speakers aren't too bad and Sony are just loud. just get some replacements, anything will be better than Rovers original ones.

Edited by Retro_10s, 02 November 2006 - 10:35 AM.