viren.89

2004 E55 AMG
Pioneer AVIC-Z140BH

So I got this so called "Opti-1" cable from user name "jbondox" who claimed it allow me to integrate my aftermarket double din player to MOST factory AMP.

Expensive module I must tell you, 459 CAD just for a small box.

How does it work ?

Well it did everything jbondox claims it does, damn!

After experience of the aftermarket system ?

DAMN!! for the first time I felt like I have an actual subwoofer in my car. I can feel the base and the system is loud and I mean loud. Ofcourse, these are the effects of the aftermarket over the COMAND system but this much difference I could've never thought.

The Bad ?

Well this module isn't capable of understanding the Fade levels, so if you want to listen to music only from rear/front , too bad won't happen.
I for one never needed to use fade and all, so it worked out fine with me.

Overall how much I ended spending ?

I have no clue , future shop sucks !!! paid 600$ alone for installation .

Is it worth it?

You have to decide. $500 for this module, plus aftermarket system, plus installation, plus mounting kits, plus some antenna wiring. So you decide.

Saves you the cost of new speakers, new amplifiers insulation and everything if you plan to change just the amp.

I will give where credit is due. jbondox good work

jbondox

I am glad you like it, I can't believe future shops hitting you over the head like that, that is pretty ridiculous price. I wish I knew more people up your way to have the install completed for a more realistic price.

unfortunately, the aftermarket radios don't have a data wire output, so we can do things like fade, and display info in the cluster. Some marine units do, though I have really yet to see an aftermarket multimedia NAV marine unit.

bigillz

On a W211 E63, with an aftermarket amp to run front and rear doors and sub, and running center speaker directly from head unit, is it worth it / do I need this / should I care about keeping the stock amp connected to run the other few speakers? I haven't looked at the wiring - aren't there speakers in the rear pillars of the back seats and the sub box has some speaker on either side of the sub in the rear deck? Numbers 9 and 5 on this diagram--

jbondox

the factory amp is multiple outputs to run the extra speakers. if you are using aftermarket amps pick what you are going to amplify or hook them up to your radio, the factory amp compensates for the difference in placement of the rears so you do not have canceling out, they are there for fill and effect of L7

ch1derco

I'm playing with 2 options;
- using OPTI-1, where can i order this equipment?
- using an alpine 5 channel amplifier to replace the bose amplifier

for both options the comand will be replaced with a new head unit.

What are the pro's/cons for both options?

bigillz

The OPTI-1 is specifically for keeping the stock amplifier while using an aftermarket head unit. Unfortunately, the amplifier (for COMAND in a 2008 E63 at least) is the (very!) weak point of the system for audio performance. The speakers are phenomenal for a stock system. Drive the front door components, the rear door components, and the subwoofer off an Alpine PDX-V9 5-channel and you will be blown away. If you switch head units (I went with Kenwood DNX-9990HD), you can put some caps (passive crossover) on the front center speaker and the rear fill mids (on either side of the sub in the rear deck) and then drive the front center by bridging your front outputs from the head unit and the rears with the rear outputs. They'll be a bit under-driven by the head unit relative to the PDX-V9, but with some gain tweaking you can create a very impressive setup.

Once you do all that, you'll find the stock sub very impressive in most circumstances, but lacking in others (depending on what type of music you listen to, of course) - and you'll face the only logical next choice - removing the stock sub to create an air path from trunk to cabin and having a powerful 15" stuffed in a custom box in the trunk with another amp to drive it, and dynamat your trunk. At that point you'll also need a much better battery to keep the finicky MB electrical system happy - so replace your stock battery with a Stinger SPP 1700 (you can find them for around $320 shipped) http://stingerelectronics.com/produc...4&CategoryID=4

The downside is that if/when you end up doing the larger sub in the trunk, you need to remove the stock sub (if you don't your new sub is firing into the baffle space of your stock sub and vice versa - could blow a voice coil, or just not get much sound out of it since the cabin/trunk are so well insulated and the stock sub is blocking the path between them) And if you remove the stock sub, your 5th sub channel on the PDX-V9 goes to waste and drives nothing.

jbondox

and the cost is... you missed the point, the OPTI-1 integrates to the factory amp providing the amp with a better signal, it makes it sound like you replaced the amp, the factory amp has potential that is not being used, the OPTI-1 exploits that potential and you don't have to add an aftermarket amp, amplifier wiring kit, labor, wires to interface the speakers, subwoofer, baffles, removal of the factory components, speakers, and also loading down your factory radio by bridging the front speaker outputs of it.

Unfortunately the OP had future shops that were pretty clueless to over charge the install. in honest, moving very very moderate paced, you could get it done in 2 hours.

When you replace the amplifier and take the MOST ring down, your chance of ever having the telaid or mbrace contact the call center when you crash the vehicle is non existent. with the OPTI-1, you at least have a chance that it will work, you wont hear them but they will hear you. I am working on integrating that into the install also

bigillz

Yes, the cost was higher than OPTI-1. jbondox is extremely knowledgeable and was very helpful with information for my install, even though I didn't purchase from him. My initial understanding was that the factory amp was a weak point on my version of COMAND (I read the 2.5 version is substantially better) - and I knew I wanted to get rid of the stock head unit as well, so I went the full system route rather than the OPTI-1. If I had it to do over again, I'd try the new head unit and OPTI-1 first with stock amp, then go aftermarket if I wasn't satisfied. If jb says that is a winning combination on COMAND 2 (2008), I believe it.

jbondox

Why thank you!

eljefe7070

Definitely considering this! THanks for the write up!

jbondox

I found if you need any other questions answered, just hit derek@navtv.com up, he is great with this, and actually found a few cool tricks to do with it.

ummagawd

Hi guys - i've got a pioneer sph-da210 that i want to install into my 05 e55 w/HK/L7

It sounds like this opti1 unit is the way to go... anyone have any recommendations on the cheapest place to buy it?

With this unit, will I still have to run a seperate antenna cable to the back? Or will this unit pick that antenna signal within the FO line too like the factory headunit?

Also, I bought the canbus steering wheel adapter... would I still have any use for that if i use this opti-1?

Thanks for the help...

oh... and is it a matter of plug n play?

jbondox

The antenna isn't on fiber, LoL your radio is in the trunk with the antenna so yes you will need to run to the trunk.

Steering wheel control is separate than optic 1, so if you want them you will need it. Optic 1 is 3 wires that you need to hook up, not plug and play

tgee

I read in the install intructions for the Opti 1. that I need the dealer to decode the voice recognition.

Do I have to do it? Can I do it without taking it to the dealer? What exactly is decoding the voice recogntion?

Thank you!

jbondox

what vehicle

tgee

2006 sl500

Thanks!

jbondox

you will be fine... skip that step, i havent seen a vr on a sl500

vtvette

If you car has Voice Command (Voice Recognition) you will have a stalk on the opposite side of the steering column of the Cruise Control stalk. It has a little head on it with "off" next to it with an arrow away from the driver and another little head with sound coming out of the mouth with an arrow pointing towards the driver.

Quite a rare option I've only ever seen pictures of SL's with this option never seen it installed in a car in person.

See pic below. The stalk on the right side of the switch is for Voice Command
http://i1017.photobucket.com/albums/...K/IMG_0299.jpg

tgee

Thanks a lot everyone. I don't have it on the steering wheel. So I don't need to worry about it.
What is the difference between the 2 opti 1 kits? There is a 501 & a 421.
Thank you!

jbondox

501 is s class and cl....

you need the 421

tgee

I finished the Opti-1 install yesterday. And I wanted to add some info for anyone doing it on a 2006 SL500:

1) I had to figure out how to plug the optical coupler into the optical port. It wouldn't go in because the port is capped with a white cap. It didn't look like a cap to me...just pull it straight out.

2 The Audio Gate way has 2 antenna wires plugged into the top. I unplugged the one closest to the driver's seat and plugged it into the adapter wire. And from the there, I plugged in the 96" antenna wire for routing to the dash. The command radio stop getting radio channels, as expected. But after putting in the new radio, I couldn't get any AM stations, only white noise. FM was working fine. I tried using the other antenna wire, but only got AM stations faintly. I put it back on the other antenna wire and I got AM, strong and clear. It seems that you need to unplug the 2nd antenna wire from the AGW, for it to work. I just left it unplugged, hanging. I don't know why it needs this, but it works perfectly now.

3 There are 2 Opti 1 kits available, 421 & 501. All the literature and forums say that the 501 kit is for S and CL class. However, Nav-tv tech support insisted that I need 501. The unit I had was a 421. They updated my 421 to 501 thru the internet. I plugged the Opti to my USB port and they took control of my desktop computer and did the update for me. Great customer service! The SL class was probably added to the 501 vehicle list more recently.

Seems to work and sound pretty good right now. My only other concern is how much current the Opti uses, since it's connected to constant 12 V.

tgee

I meant when the car is off and not running. How much current is it drawing? Thanks for all the help I got!

jbondox

1.) which is why i always recommend a professional
2.) same as 1
3.) you didn't need it, it is for the AC controls, you were over thinking it, and they obliged. All updates are done through the USB and the updater is readily available on their tech site for download, BUT there is nothing to update on the Opti-1 for your vehicle, which I have done dozens.

Your factory radio and all components are hooked up to constant power, the central gateway turns on the audio gateway and the optical signal turns on the components including your OPTI-1. It turns off when the car goes to sleep. you won't see it because your radio turns on with ignition unlike the factory which uses the optical turn on

So how did it sound? Everyone always commented it sounded like the speakers were replaced or they ask if I added a subwoofer

vtvette

sSounds like you got it sorted but did you tune the comand to an AM station before removing it from your car? The literature included with my OPTI-1 stated to tune the comand to an AM station before removing the head unit.

tgee

Yes. I did it exactly per the instructions. Not muted too. Thanks.!