R52 MINI speakers / crossover question
Discussion
Hi all,
Just bought an R52 MINI convertible - front and rear speakers on the RH side of the car don’t work, but the tweeter does, so I am assuming the speakers are blown rather than channels on the amp / wiring etc.
I have bought a s/h rear speaker, but umming and aahing about the front: It has 4 ohm speakers (5 ohm speakers also seem to have been fitted to some but can’t find out which years/models had which. I am wondering whether just to get a replacement, or fit better speakers in the front. If I do the latter, do I:
- Buy a pair of component speakers and replace the mains and the tweeters but still use the crossover in the door
- Buy a pair of co-axial speakers and either bypass the crossover/tweeters, or use the crossover so that the original tweeters still work (they are mounted higher in the doors).
Looking at spending no more than £50 all in, there are some Alpine speakers that seem to fit the bill that I’ve used before and they were OK. Have to add in spacers and wiring adaptors. This is versus £15-20 for a second hand speaker...
Thoughts?
Just bought an R52 MINI convertible - front and rear speakers on the RH side of the car don’t work, but the tweeter does, so I am assuming the speakers are blown rather than channels on the amp / wiring etc.
I have bought a s/h rear speaker, but umming and aahing about the front: It has 4 ohm speakers (5 ohm speakers also seem to have been fitted to some but can’t find out which years/models had which. I am wondering whether just to get a replacement, or fit better speakers in the front. If I do the latter, do I:
- Buy a pair of component speakers and replace the mains and the tweeters but still use the crossover in the door
- Buy a pair of co-axial speakers and either bypass the crossover/tweeters, or use the crossover so that the original tweeters still work (they are mounted higher in the doors).
Looking at spending no more than £50 all in, there are some Alpine speakers that seem to fit the bill that I’ve used before and they were OK. Have to add in spacers and wiring adaptors. This is versus £15-20 for a second hand speaker...
Thoughts?
Could be, but the likelihood (I would say) is knackered speakers - there was water on the bottom of the cone!
Pretty set on replacing the speakers TBH whatever the problem is. Is it worth going component to keep the OEM higher tweeter setup, or would coaxial work well enough (speakers are low and forward in the doors).
Also, any recommendations for £40-50 a pair? There are some Alpines around at that price which have always done alright by me in the past, but have seen patchy reviews...
Pretty set on replacing the speakers TBH whatever the problem is. Is it worth going component to keep the OEM higher tweeter setup, or would coaxial work well enough (speakers are low and forward in the doors).
Also, any recommendations for £40-50 a pair? There are some Alpines around at that price which have always done alright by me in the past, but have seen patchy reviews...
You haven't said if i's Harmon Kardon.If it is, there's a decent chance the amp is fried - they do that. First thing to check though is whether or not the cone is seized. This is a common issue on Gen 1 Minis, due to water ingress, as you have discovered. Just tap the cone & it'll either sound like a speaker cone being tapped or it won't.
If not, the cars are old enough now that Ebay is flooded with spares from people breaking them & speakers are cheap to buy.
If not, the cars are old enough now that Ebay is flooded with spares from people breaking them & speakers are cheap to buy.
OK, progress (or not). Checked the rear speaker and it is fine. Check the front again, turns out I am getting sound from both mid and tweeter, but only high frequencies. So now suspicion falls on the stereo. I have an old ISO lead for an e36 BMW in the garage which I think is the same so I will swap in another stereo and see what’s what. Could always be the front speaker is knackered from water ingress, but it’s not the only problem...
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