Speakers in E63
Thread Starter
Senior Member
Joined: Sep 2006
Posts: 402
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From: West Tennessee
E63,,,not any more,,,BMW X5 50i
Speakers in E63
I am going to ask guys who know speakers (here), and not from buddies at work who think they know stuff!!
First, my vehicle is supposed to have 12 speakers, and I can only find 9, where are the other 3?? I have 4 in the back doors (2 each), 2 in the front doors, 2 in the pillars, and a bass woofer on the rear shelf! Again, where are the other three??
Since this is a harmon/kardon system, do they use their speakers on another brand?
Finally, do aftermarket speakers REALLY make a difference that I can hear and not just a so-so difference!
Thanks for taking time to read and reply so that I could understand!!
First, my vehicle is supposed to have 12 speakers, and I can only find 9, where are the other 3?? I have 4 in the back doors (2 each), 2 in the front doors, 2 in the pillars, and a bass woofer on the rear shelf! Again, where are the other three??
Since this is a harmon/kardon system, do they use their speakers on another brand?
Finally, do aftermarket speakers REALLY make a difference that I can hear and not just a so-so difference!
Thanks for taking time to read and reply so that I could understand!!
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Joined: Dec 2006
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From: Europe
223.168 & 213.012 & 906.633 & 214.005
I am going to ask guys who know speakers (here), and not from buddies at work who think they know stuff!!
First, my vehicle is supposed to have 12 speakers, and I can only find 9, where are the other 3?? I have 4 in the back doors (2 each), 2 in the front doors, 2 in the pillars, and a bass woofer on the rear shelf! Again, where are the other three??
Since this is a harmon/kardon system, do they use their speakers on another brand?
Finally, do aftermarket speakers REALLY make a difference that I can hear and not just a so-so difference!
Thanks for taking time to read and reply so that I could understand!!
First, my vehicle is supposed to have 12 speakers, and I can only find 9, where are the other 3?? I have 4 in the back doors (2 each), 2 in the front doors, 2 in the pillars, and a bass woofer on the rear shelf! Again, where are the other three??
Since this is a harmon/kardon system, do they use their speakers on another brand?
Finally, do aftermarket speakers REALLY make a difference that I can hear and not just a so-so difference!
Thanks for taking time to read and reply so that I could understand!!
Thread Starter
Senior Member
Joined: Sep 2006
Posts: 402
Likes: 0
From: West Tennessee
E63,,,not any more,,,BMW X5 50i
Hey Diesel: Thanks for the response...looked at the footwells and yep...there are speakers...the drivers side is almost blocked by the emergency brake pedel...what a goofy placement...the rear is only one unit..opened the trunk and looked at it any saw only one speaker...looked at the dash..but didn't see the speaker behind the grill....but I'll take your word for it....question...do aftermarket speakers make a difference...especially at this level.....maybe on a Kia it might, but on a Benz.??
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From: Hell
EFF YOU JACKIE
Hey Diesel: Thanks for the response...looked at the footwells and yep...there are speakers...the drivers side is almost blocked by the emergency brake pedel...what a goofy placement...the rear is only one unit..opened the trunk and looked at it any saw only one speaker...looked at the dash..but didn't see the speaker behind the grill....but I'll take your word for it....question...do aftermarket speakers make a difference...especially at this level.....maybe on a Kia it might, but on a Benz.??
The Harmon Kardon system in your Benz is the same in my rover, C R A P. Rubberized paper cones, yes any updgrade will make a huge improvement.
Thread Starter
Senior Member
Joined: Sep 2006
Posts: 402
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From: West Tennessee
E63,,,not any more,,,BMW X5 50i
I thought that considering how much we spend on these things, that MB would put a decent set in...obviously not the case....Thanks for giving a novice a lesson....since I live in west Tennessee....what type of speakers would you recommend (brand)!!
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From: Hell
EFF YOU JACKIE
They put their money in the car, not the audio system. Sound is personal. Depends on what you like, how much you want to spend, and how far you are willing to go. 9 x out of 10, the impedence is incorrect on the factory amps for after market speakers. Hence the reason for the cleansweeps of the world. They tend to flatten out the signal so that you get more of what the music is supposed to sound like and can integrate with aftermarket products. What do you have in the car now? Nav, telaid, etc, etc.. That will also determine cost, depending on what you want to keep, i.e., steering wheel controls etc...
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From: Usa
magLipVE
you kidding right? what car are you comparing too? what kind of music do you listen too? classical?
my 27k acura tsx sounds 10x better than the cls. the problem with the factory sound system is that the sound, flattens out when listening loud. all you hear is garbage.
Thread Starter
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Joined: Sep 2006
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From: West Tennessee
E63,,,not any more,,,BMW X5 50i
Thanks for the help guys...........!!
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S560
There must be a significant difference from a CLS's audio system and an E class...
Member
Joined: Nov 2006
Posts: 180
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From: Stockholm, Sweden
W211 E55 AMG
im about to start working on this on my e55, and my research has yielded the following.
The single most effective thing you can do is add an amp and a subwoofer. Some add several woofers, others replace the stock 10" in the rear deck (this is what i am going to attempt).
The next step is replacing the front and rear speaker sets. They are going to need their own amplification (and new cables, you might as well go all out and put in good ones). These components will replace the 6.5" midbass and 1" tweeters in the doors. A JL Audio cleansweep will clear the HK equalization settings, though you will have to use their volume knob, and not the stock headunits, because the HK system changes the EQ as the volume changes...
Disconnect the center speaker, and the speakers on the rear deck, because they really suck. Putting in 6.5" midbass drivers on the rear deck is apparently possible, but you'll have to drill holes and modify the shelf. Its apparently not worth the effort. If you were to do it though, run them off of your rear 6.5" component set.
For the best sound you'll have to replace the head unit (which im not willing to do). In that case a cleansweep isn't necessary.
I posted a similar question here and got some really great advice from some really knowledgeable guys...
The single most effective thing you can do is add an amp and a subwoofer. Some add several woofers, others replace the stock 10" in the rear deck (this is what i am going to attempt).
The next step is replacing the front and rear speaker sets. They are going to need their own amplification (and new cables, you might as well go all out and put in good ones). These components will replace the 6.5" midbass and 1" tweeters in the doors. A JL Audio cleansweep will clear the HK equalization settings, though you will have to use their volume knob, and not the stock headunits, because the HK system changes the EQ as the volume changes...
Disconnect the center speaker, and the speakers on the rear deck, because they really suck. Putting in 6.5" midbass drivers on the rear deck is apparently possible, but you'll have to drill holes and modify the shelf. Its apparently not worth the effort. If you were to do it though, run them off of your rear 6.5" component set.
For the best sound you'll have to replace the head unit (which im not willing to do). In that case a cleansweep isn't necessary.
I posted a similar question here and got some really great advice from some really knowledgeable guys...
Thread Starter
Senior Member
Joined: Sep 2006
Posts: 402
Likes: 0
From: West Tennessee
E63,,,not any more,,,BMW X5 50i
im about to start working on this on my e55, and my research has yielded the following.
The single most effective thing you can do is add an amp and a subwoofer. Some add several woofers, others replace the stock 10" in the rear deck (this is what i am going to attempt).
The next step is replacing the front and rear speaker sets. They are going to need their own amplification (and new cables, you might as well go all out and put in good ones). These components will replace the 6.5" midbass and 1" tweeters in the doors. A JL Audio cleansweep will clear the HK equalization settings, though you will have to use their volume knob, and not the stock headunits, because the HK system changes the EQ as the volume changes...
Disconnect the center speaker, and the speakers on the rear deck, because they really suck. Putting in 6.5" midbass drivers on the rear deck is apparently possible, but you'll have to drill holes and modify the shelf. Its apparently not worth the effort. If you were to do it though, run them off of your rear 6.5" component set.
For the best sound you'll have to replace the head unit (which im not willing to do). In that case a cleansweep isn't necessary.
I posted a similar question here and got some really great advice from some really knowledgeable guys...
The single most effective thing you can do is add an amp and a subwoofer. Some add several woofers, others replace the stock 10" in the rear deck (this is what i am going to attempt).
The next step is replacing the front and rear speaker sets. They are going to need their own amplification (and new cables, you might as well go all out and put in good ones). These components will replace the 6.5" midbass and 1" tweeters in the doors. A JL Audio cleansweep will clear the HK equalization settings, though you will have to use their volume knob, and not the stock headunits, because the HK system changes the EQ as the volume changes...
Disconnect the center speaker, and the speakers on the rear deck, because they really suck. Putting in 6.5" midbass drivers on the rear deck is apparently possible, but you'll have to drill holes and modify the shelf. Its apparently not worth the effort. If you were to do it though, run them off of your rear 6.5" component set.
For the best sound you'll have to replace the head unit (which im not willing to do). In that case a cleansweep isn't necessary.
I posted a similar question here and got some really great advice from some really knowledgeable guys...
Member
Joined: Nov 2006
Posts: 180
Likes: 0
From: Stockholm, Sweden
W211 E55 AMG
Thanks for the advise.......being a real novice, to me its amazing how to some people this is second hand nature...I mean I know what I like to hear out of a car, but don't know really how to get that sound...I hate to mess with the amp and head unit...thats why I was hoping for a simple speaker change wouod do the trick. To me amplicification is amplification, but speakers are different because of their composition and the way they make them, paper, plastic, fiberglass, etc.!!
There is a difference between amplification and amplification. You'll need a new amp to run the new speakers off. I haven't done this yet in my e55, but they say the cleansweep is necessary as well to deal with the head units equalization...
the thing is, the hk system employs a bunch of eq trickery, for example raising the bass at low volumes, and then lowering it as the volume raises to compensate for flaws in the stock speakers and amplifier. this is what the cleansweep fixes...
Only replacing speakers with leave you with a system that compensated for flaws that no longer are there, and that would give you unpredictable (and probably really bad) sound...
Last edited by narf; Jul 27, 2007 at 09:58 AM.
Thread Starter
Senior Member
Joined: Sep 2006
Posts: 402
Likes: 0
From: West Tennessee
E63,,,not any more,,,BMW X5 50i
no problem, im just repeating the wisdom that i've gathered on these forums from others helping me.
There is a difference between amplification and amplification. You'll need a new amp to run the new speakers off. I haven't done this yet in my e55, but they say the cleansweep is necessary as well to deal with the head units equalization...
the thing is, the hk system employs a bunch of eq trickery, for example raising the bass at low volumes, and then lowering it as the volume raises to compensate for flaws in the stock speakers and amplifier. this is what the cleansweep fixes...
Only replacing speakers with leave you with a system that compensated for flaws that no longer are there, and that would give you unpredictable (and probably really bad) sound...
There is a difference between amplification and amplification. You'll need a new amp to run the new speakers off. I haven't done this yet in my e55, but they say the cleansweep is necessary as well to deal with the head units equalization...
the thing is, the hk system employs a bunch of eq trickery, for example raising the bass at low volumes, and then lowering it as the volume raises to compensate for flaws in the stock speakers and amplifier. this is what the cleansweep fixes...
Only replacing speakers with leave you with a system that compensated for flaws that no longer are there, and that would give you unpredictable (and probably really bad) sound...
Once again...thanks for the help.....!!! I kind of understand it a little better now.!
