gbrandon

Does anyone know how to obtain a fiber to digital converter so that I can remove the factory amp and install my own? I understand you need a special converter due to mercedes proprietary fiber optics going to the existing amplifier. I want to put a system in my car, but dont want to lose teleaid and the command. Can anyone help?

Brunelleschi

Let me do somt thinking. Give me a bit to get some part numbers and distributors together. My company uses fiber-digital and digital-fiber converters for lots of things. I actually designed a large scale f-d not too long ago....90k is probably more than you want to spen for this project, but I am sure I can find you a reasonably priced media converter. if I don't pm you later today, then I simply forgot...so PM me.

And i think you will need a fiber-digital and then digital to analog because that is what feed most after market amps.

ArMaNi S500

I'd be interested as well!....

Brunelleschi

Omnitron makes several media converters that take a fiber signal in, but the ones we use and the only ones I have been able to find output ethernet type signals. Another problem posed is that the data transmitted by the fiber is probably not just a raw digital signal that can be converted directly to analog for an amplifier. It is most likely encoded, and would therefore need some circuitry to decode it before it converted it. It would probably not be too huge of a job to build a converter that would do the job, but I am not sure yet if the demand is big enough for something like that. Sorry I couldn't help.

Brunelleschi

If this yeilds enough responses that I think it would be worthwile building one....I will.

gbrandon

I know that when I spoke with a audio store in San Diego (sorry cant remember the name) they told me that they frequent this forum quite a bit and they were looking for the same thing. They told me a standard converter would not work becuase mercedes has some sort of proprietary fiber signal. They heard someone in Europe was making them, but could never get their hands on one. Im not worried about fiber to digital to analog, as most high end amps have digital inputs now.


-Geoff

ArMaNi S500

I'm interested in upgrading my amp and speakers as well, therefore I'd be willing to purchase this item too if it were to be made.


Arman

Brunelleschi

I am doing a bit of research to see if there is a big enough market for this product. Do any of you know if any of the other luxury cars use similar technology in their audio systems?

Dema

If you are going to replace amp, then you can take such converter from old one and connect to new one.

gbrandon

Is this is theory or have you tried it? From talking to a stereo shop, they seemed to think that you had to have a aftermarket converter to replace the amp in the car. I had explained to them that all I wanted to do was remove the factory amp & speakers, and put in my own amps & speakers. They knew of no way of doing this without a adapter, which nobody seems to be able to locate.

Brunelleschi

I have no doubt that this method would work to solve the problem, but I don't think it would be quite as simple as stated above. Most likely, the "converter" would be integrated into the factory amp. I could be wrong, but I would be very much suprised if this converter was external.

pfphipps

Although not nearly enough to build something from, this link gives more detail on the D2B bus than any I have ever seen. It even tells what D2B stands for--Domestic Digital Bus!

http://www.mercedestechstore.com/

Then click on "507 systems 1" and click on "507 HO D2B". (For some reason, if I put in the whole address in this post, it will not go there.)

Dema

It could be true, I just can tell about CD changer, because the converter is quite separate part. So, I think it worths to investigate for amp as well.

R4ND0M_AX3

Creos D2B to RCA with AUX/DVD in

This item was mentioned on this board before. It's in Germany. Does what you want it to do and more. Let me know if you get one and how much you payed for it.

D2B is not propriotary to Mercedes. Other manufacturers use it. But the newer MBs will have MOST instead of D2B.

gbrandon

What the heck is MOST? I have a 03 E500. Do I have MOST? If so, the D2b converter wont work, correct? Then what do I do?
This stock stereo is horrible. In fact, words dont describe the pain my ears experience listening to the HK system. It might be fine for some of you, but I just left my old car that had a 12k sound system. Im extremely motivated to upgrade the speakers & amps.

-Geoff

gbrandon

Can someone interpet this into english and tell me if this is what will work in my 03 E500?

DaveBk

MOST stands for Media Orientated Systems Transport, but I doubt that helps much! It's the latest fiber optic multimedia 'network' that MB and other high end car makers are moving to so it's rapidly making D2B obsolete. It's higher bandwidth than D2B so can support video etc and has more robust cables which are less prone to breaking. The problem is that as car audio is becoming more closely integrated with other systems - steering controls, alarms, speed sensitive volume, nav systems, phones etc - it's becoming much more difficult to add third party components. It's still very early days for MOST, but as it's popularity grows I guess more components will start to use it. In the meantime, to an extent you are stuck with either the standard audio systems, or stripping the whole lot out and replacing it, accepting that the degree of seamless integration with other car systems is likely to be lost.

gbrandon

I was on the phone today and was told a Hi-Low converter was available as a solution to our problem. It basically takes the signal from the speaker output of the amp and converts it back to RCA, which can then be put to a amp. Its about $65 if anyones interested.

MBZ4LIFE

Yes, I'm interested.

Can you tell me where you can get it? How much? What's the part number?

thanks

gbrandon

the company name is soundgate. You may want to wait though. I am waiting for a call back from my stereo shop who knows of a 5 channell HI-LOW converter that's available. He was recently in Thailand and persented a installers seminar to some local stereo shops that was sponsored by Arc Audio. He told me of a E55 that had some rainbow component 2 ways and 2 12" freestanding subs mounted below the package tray and told me it was one of the most impressive sound stages he has ever heard. (hes had 4 cars of customers of his in magazines in the last year, so hes had some experience with sound systems). As soon as hes finished the quote ill post the part numbers here as well as the cost. The system we discussed for my E500 is basically the same as the E55 he heard. It places the amps in the spare tire carrier, and mounts the subs as mentioned earlier. Should be a good system at a reasonable price. Im guessing $4k or less. That includes 2 12" subs, 2 arc audio amps, wiring, speakers, crossover, etc.