[Mr.Chrome]

Hay peps!!

Im getting a Mini Cooper (New Shape) in March and I wana start planning my ICE!!

But, I need some help!!!

Im going for sound quality in this one and not balls out bass, cos my ears bleed everytime I hear music now!!

The things I want to get are as follows :

* Flip out TV screen with Radio tuner and whatever is needed for things in list!?

* PS2 (Games, CD player & DVD!!)

* Front Components - Not sure of standard size of the speakers though!! Want to mount tweeters ear height for sound quality! Am I right?

* Replace the STANDARD 6x9's!!

* Fit tweeters ear height in the C-piller covers, again for sound quality!?

* TV screens in the headrests - not sure how u run 3 tv's together form the same thing!!

* Decent sub to get the best out of the DVD's!

What I want to know is how to run all of this in ICE for Dummys terms, What products to match the above to go for for good quality but fairly priced!

I hope u understand!!

Take care, look forward to the replies!!

Andy

[Neil Curtis]

My advice......

Take it to Paul Barnett in Colchester 01206 841814 / 07970 515161. (Vision Tech)

He specialises in that sort of install and was gagging to get his hands on my car when I was in having the windows tinted.

If you call him, tell him I sent you (Neil at Vindis).

It will cost you more, but the quality of his work is superb.

[spanky2k]

Wow! I take it you got 6 lucky numbers or something!!

Get it put in by your local professional, but be prepared to pay top dollar for the install. Oh, and make sure it looks the dogs too, with cool blue neons etc.

BTW, when did you change for a Cooper, I thought that you wanted a Cooper first but decided to go for the One because of cheaper insurance.

[Blackdeath]

Quote:

Originally posted by Mr.Chrome
*

* TV screens in the headrests - not sure how u run 3 tv's together form the same thing!!

Where do you plan to find short legged masochists who would be prepared to sit in the rear long enough to watch "Ben Hur" or whatever on DVD ?????????

[Mini Cruiser]

Ur install sounds abit like mine mr chrome! Im finding it hard to get anyone to do it at a price that aint under about 3k! lol

I rang carisma but they said prices start at 700 quid for just a boot install!!!!!! um..right.......

Neil Curtis i might just have to give that guy a call!

[Dom]

Quote:

Originally posted by Mini Cruiser

I rang carisma but they said prices start at 700 quid for just a boot install!!!!!!

Damn, I'm in the wrong business!!

May be a long shot, but I know someone who's a one-man business, working at weekends. He's had three show cars and shouldn't be that expensive. Don't know if that's what anyone's looking for but might be a solution

Dom

[Mr.Chrome]

Cheers for the posts guys!!

Im getting the cooper now cos the insurance is still fairly chaep and its gota be done at the end of the day!!

I worked out how much money i will have spear when i get the mini, which works out to nearly 6k!!

im prepared to spend about 3k tops on the install, most stuff i can do myslef being a vehcile electrician, but not sure about running the tv's in series and i cant trim the sets into the headrests!!!

Anyone wana recommend any products to match my list above!?

the rest of the moneys going towards, loan payments, 18's, springs, tints, colour coded arches etc.

Take care!!

Andy

[Dom]

* Flip out TV screen with Radio tuner and whatever is needed for things in list!?

It's best to go into your local shop for this one and see what's on offer. They all vary so you can just pick one you like the most!

* PS2 (Games, CD player & DVD!!)
I'd recommend a sony Wouldn't recommend using it for CD's though, you might be able to find a CD tuner with flip out screen for above.

* Front Components - Not sure of standard size of the speakers though!! Want to mount tweeters ear height for sound quality! Am I right?

Standard size is 5 1/4", but 6.5" can be fitted easily.

* Replace the STANDARD 6x9's!!

Good thinking, I've got pioneer e-motions, can't fault them.

* Fit tweeters ear height in the C-piller covers, again for sound quality!?

Hmm... not sure about this, might be a bit too close to the ears

* TV screens in the headrests - not sure how u run 3 tv's together form the same thing!!

You can buy signal splitters and all so that's perfectly feasible

* Decent sub to get the best out of the DVD's!

Try a good quality 10". Alpine do a nice one, as do JL. Maybe a Kicker Solo-baric (square). You should get some nice bass and shouldn't take up too much space.

Hope that helps slightly, although I haven't actually said all that much

Dom

[Ballie]

Just answered this on CAD.

What Dom said.
I would recommend an alpine or Kenwood screen headunit as i do love the way the kenwood is touch screen. both are great quality and you can connect the head rest screens to it and even send them a different pic etc to the one in the front or even 3 different pics ie one playing a DVD one playing PS2 and the one in the dash playing sat nav.

Dom is correct about the tweeters too if they are crossed over at lower than 5KHz then they need to be next to the midrange speaker for best sound well within 6" anyway.
If over 5KHz then to help raise the sound stage them they will work well at the bottom of the a-pillar firing across the dash towards each other.

Decent sub depends on how much you want to spend CAD have an offer on diamond subs at the moment and they are extremely good SQ wise. I have a diamond Hex 10.4 at the moment myself and its SQ is one of the best out there and the lower diamond range is 95% as good.

Im not impressed with the alpine it just does not have the grip and drive or the dynamic tension of the better SQ quality subs.

As for amps theres not a lot of difference in there sound from the cheap to the very expensive and i bet 99% of people in tyhe world even an experianced car audio/home audio freak like me can tell the difference in a A&B test contary to what car and audio mags tell you BUT build quality is the main difference so ones like alpine direct of kenwood are good for the money and before anyone says other wise prove me wrong that theres big difference in sound theres a price of $10,000 if you can. theres a comp in the USA called the RC amp challenge and he will even fly you over if you can prove to him you can hear a difference and in 12 years no one has won!

If you give me a budget for amps and speakers and what sort of sound you want bright or laid back i can work something out for you as im more into sound quality than multimedia.

I recommend you go listen to as many different sets of speakers as posibale and get the ones you like as speakers are the main thing that defines the sound in a car and the sound is a very personnal thing what i like maybe not what you do.

Speakers from Focal,JL audio, Diamond audio, MB Quart, Dynaudio, DLS are all very good speakers.

[MINIMatthew]

I'm speechless.... Do people actually put this kind of stuff in their cars. PS2? DVD player? Three TV screens? I guess I'm old fashioned, but aren't cars for driving, not watching movies or playing video games? I'm not criticizing - I simply had no idea. I'd love to see pictures when it's done!

[Dom]

It'd come in useful in a traffic jam...

Note, it's illegal to have a cathode/tube TV screen on in the front of the car whilst driving (UK). Most screens are LCD so there's the loophole!

Dom

[Mr.Chrome]

Once again, thanks for the replies!!

Ballie, u know ur stuff! I wondered if anyone from CAD would be on Mini2! lol!

My budget for the whole lot is £2500 max for the moment!!

Im looking for a kinda surround sound kinda set-up that makes u feel like ur inside the screen, if u catch my drift!!

I just got a quote from SQPlus, they want £3k plus just to fit the screens, so I think I try and have a go first!

I think I mite do the screens first to get that out of the way, and then look for speakers, but any advice upfront would be great!!

Ballie, on the Kenwood HU, How do u connect the screens together to it and the PS2?! Do they have to be Kenwood sceens in the headrests for this?! What cables etc. do u need to connect the screens up?! Sounds like a really good HU!! Just hope it will clear the speedo!?!

I was told that a Kicker 10" Solo Baleric would be best in a Mini as there small, and nigh-on the same kinda sound ur get from a 12" round sub?!

Take care!!

Andy!

[Ballie]

Mr.Chrome
Hello again
Yes im on CAD and about 7 other Car Audio Forums around the world. I have been into car audio sound quality for over 12 years and have competed in that time. I have built many cars for friends to compete with and am very experianced at this stuff am always talking to the TOP guys from round the world about new ideas and install tricks.

Lets just say if i was going to get anyone in this country to install anything for me it would be Phil from SQ+ as we have the same principals not to cut any corners.

I have not had much experiance with multimedia installs (only done one) as im more a Pure sound quality nut rather than 5.1

£2500 is not a lot for a multimedia install in my opinion

I advice to get some ideas to take a look at the members pages at www.sounddomain.com there are litterly millions of car audio and multimedia installs there in other cars you will get ideas from.

I know you can get headrest kits to install monitors and its not that hard to do as long as you can get the wires out the bottom of the seat somehow remember to keep them as far away from the airbag wires as you can so not to upset them.

As for the kenwood headunit at the moment ive just had a clear out as going to m ove house soon so my stack of leaflets as been sorted and i seam to have thrown my kenwood one away so at the moment im not sue if you nead to get a seperate box for this or not some makes you do some you don't.

You don't have to use the same make headrest tellys as long as it has the same type of signal input.

I advice you to get a copy of the alpine leaflets from them you can order them from www.alpine-europe.com
they will send you the multimedia one.

With the alpine one you would need say the alpine front flipout screen (any model) then the KCE-420V AV-switches control box witch if i remember right you can connect an extra 3 televisions too and each of them can have a different output. so you could connect a PS2 a navigation system a video player and say a DVD player and have each screen playing the output from one of those sources this is what the KCE controls

[Ballie]

Pesonnally i think you are trying to put too much into such a small car and its going to be a real nightmare to get right.

I would advice you to ask yourself if you really nead all that?

Do you need rear screens as what use is the back seat anyway?

I would say a playstation2 and maybe a DVD or CDR or Video player on a alpine screen headunit or who evers in the front would be good enough for 99% of people with a mini. Remember that a screen headunit a good ones going to be about £1000+ probably 1500+ if bought at retail level.

Also rememer if you want a true 5.1 surround sound you will need 6 channels of amplification (front (left right and centre), rear (left right and sub))which means the boots full allready.

PS
looking at what Phil Quoted you he too thinks its going to not be easy. If you think that hes probably going to charge you about £25-30 an hour that means he thinks its going to take over 100hours to do. Do you have that much time and remember that he knows what hes doing so double that estimate of the time for a single person doing it.
I just checked my files and it took me and my mate nearly 50 hours to do my mates car with his multimedia system and its a big alfa so a minis going to be a long job due to lack of room.

[mikeythemini]

Kenwoods current screens have an imput for your ps2 etc and an output for rear screens, it will run 2 at once just put a y piece in the output