Minis are famously customisable with seemingly endless options, with one such option being an upgraded sound system by Harman Kardon. When I was doing the research to find my ideal Mini, I was really curious to know about this sound system; primarily, was it worth narrowing my search to cars with the Harman Kardon system only? Strangely, though, there is very little amount of information about the upgrade available online, save for some forum chat. In the end, I bagged a clean 2011 example with the system anyway.
Considering there are so few reviews out there, I thought I would bring together my thoughts on here as someone who appreciates good quality sound (even if I'm not quite an audio engineer). If you're in the market for a second-generation Mini and are wondering if Harman Kardon is worth it, hopefully this review may help.
Speaker arrangement
With a premium sound system, you might expect to have a dedicated subwoofer. However, this is not the case with the Harman Kardon system, and my assumption is that's probably because space is such a premium in the Mini. Adding a subwoofer would take away any tiny bits of practicality the little car clings on to. |
| Image: lllparts.co.uk |
Instead, the Harman Kardon system adds two extra speakers on top of the standard system. Along the A-pillars, you get two small tweeters that deliver high-frequency sound. The idea of having separate speakers for this job allows there to be better audio separation, where each speaker can focus more clearly on its dedicated sound range.
Each door has two speakers. The higher speaker along the armrest specialises in the midrange, whereas the lower speaker delivers bass. Behind the front seats, there are two large speakers on either side that also deliver a more bass-heavy sound. In total, there are eight speakers in the Mini's Harman Kardon sound system, over the standard six.
Sound quality
Overall for such a small car, the sound quality is excellent - as it should be for a premium optional extra setup. The speakers make music a pleasure to listen to with excellent separation between the lows, mids and highs, and don't distort even at unreasonably loud volumes.I noticed in my previous car (a Vauxhall with a standard system), when I turned the bass up, it became boomy where it needn't be. For example, when listening to the radio, the music will be acceptably bassy, but then when the DJ came on after a song, his or her voice would be way, way too bass-heavy. In the Mini's Harman Kardon setup, though, the bass rumbles when it needs to, but behaves itself when it doesn't. There is seemingly little compromise that needs to be made if you enjoy more of a thump to your tunes.
I wouldn't get too hyperbolic about the system, though. You often see in reviews of luxury cars about their sound system giving a 'concert hall' feeling with the sound giving the journalists what can only be described as an out-of-body experience. The Harman Kardon system here isn't quite that. Its sound pleases you - you may even utter a "nice" under your breath - but it doesn't blow your mind or make your jaw drop. It is, however, leaps and bounds ahead of the average sound system you typically find in superminis.
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| Image: minimania.com |
Any downsides?
We've established that the system is great, which should come as no surprise as something that's a premium option over standard speakers. So, are there any downsides that need to be considered before narrowing your search to just Minis with Harman Kardon?Firstly, consider that the second-generation Mini still isn't amazing with the build quality. It's without a doubt better than the original BMW Mini, but squeaks and rattles do still remain. Add in the Harman Kardon system with its exceptionally bassy punch, and you find that the speakers can annoyingly rattle the trim when you have the volume up. There's basically nothing you can do about it, either - it's just how they're built. You can turn the bass down to stop things vibrating, but then that does somewhat defeat the point of having premium audio.
I find that the midrange doesn't sparkle quite as much as it could, either. The bass is what impresses you over standard setups, but the mids just sort of exist. They're not bad by any stretch of the imagination, but nor are they obviously better than a half-decent speaker setup in a standard setup. You occasionally see the cliche of sound systems making it feel like you're right there with the band playing, but I wouldn't quite say that's applicable to the Harman Kardon system here.
Final thoughts
Overall, though, the system is awesome. It makes music enjoyable and helps to drown out the admittedly loud road noise from the second-gen Minis. So long as you don't go expecting miracles from an eight-speaker setup in a small car, then the Harman Kardon system will no doubt impress. Second-generation Minis are getting so cheap these days that there's barely any cost premium over cars kitted out versus basic ones. With that in mind, you'd almost be silly not to try and seek out a Mini with the Harman Kardon setup.
Bear in mind that this was a wholly unscientific review, and that people's sound preferences can differ. But if you were wondering if it is quite simply an upgrade over a standard system, rest assured it definitely is.