Replace Speakers in 2003 SL500 (R230) -- Help
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Junior Member
Joined: May 2003
Posts: 48
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From: PA
2003 SL500 Sport Package
Replace Speakers in 2003 SL500 (R230) -- Help
Hello -- was wondering if anyone could offer suggustions regarding replacing speakers with better quality ones then those that come with the R230 ? Do I need something special. I would rather leave the Command unit in place and just change the speakers.
Questions I had: (Note I am pretty clueless thus I am asking)
a) Will the fibre optic wiring for the Command cause any problems ?
b) Can I just replace the speakers themselves or do I need to match a certain impedence ? If so can you recommend anything or the impedence I need?
c) do I need to add additional AMPs for the new speakers and can those new amps if needed be integrated back into the Command Head Unit ?
Overall I want to use the same speaker locations in the car already and just upgrade the ones in place. I don't really want to add more speakers to the ones already in place. I am looking for better mids and highs. I am not a basshead. Also the music I will play is for me to listen to and really not to blast so others can hear it also.
Thanks for any suggustions, recommendations or details.
Much appreciated.
BTW -- Any reccomendations on an installer in the Philly, PA or Princeton, NJ area that you have worked with in the past with good quality work would be appreciated. Currently I am considering World Wide Stereo in Montgomeryville, PA (outside of Philly, PA)
Regards,
- rajs
Questions I had: (Note I am pretty clueless thus I am asking)
a) Will the fibre optic wiring for the Command cause any problems ?
b) Can I just replace the speakers themselves or do I need to match a certain impedence ? If so can you recommend anything or the impedence I need?
c) do I need to add additional AMPs for the new speakers and can those new amps if needed be integrated back into the Command Head Unit ?
Overall I want to use the same speaker locations in the car already and just upgrade the ones in place. I don't really want to add more speakers to the ones already in place. I am looking for better mids and highs. I am not a basshead. Also the music I will play is for me to listen to and really not to blast so others can hear it also.
Thanks for any suggustions, recommendations or details.
Much appreciated.
BTW -- Any reccomendations on an installer in the Philly, PA or Princeton, NJ area that you have worked with in the past with good quality work would be appreciated. Currently I am considering World Wide Stereo in Montgomeryville, PA (outside of Philly, PA)
Regards,
- rajs
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Joined: Aug 2002
Posts: 372
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From: Honolulu, HI
06' E500 Estate, '08 S65, '05 S430
Difficult Question
RajS,
In order to answer your questions there are a few things that have to be discussed first. There are really at least 3 types of signals involved 1) the fiber optic bus (likely digital signals with some type of communications protocol), 2) in the amp (line level analog), and 3) at the speaker (speaker level analog).
Thus, your questions are somewhat difficult to answer since they mix the 3 types of signals.
To answer the questions directly:
a) Yes. The big problem is the fiber-optic bus since there is no known converter from to line level which is what an aftermarket amp would use. Thus, one is sort of stuck with the stock amp since it has some sort of interface that sits on the fiber-optic bus, figures out which signals are meant for it, and via a D/A converter converts the signals to something that can be amplified and passed on to the speakers.
b) My understanding from talking to a variety of installers is that the Bose system uses speakers of very strange impedance (like 1 or 2 ohms). What that means is that if you put a more traditional aftermarket high-quality speaker in (usually 4 ohms for car use), the amp will be driven less hard and you will not get the same amount of current or loudness out of the aftermarket speakers.
c) I've done what you want to do on many prior cars but will likely not do it on my '05 SL. Usually replacing the speakers with higher-quality aftermarket speakers will give you a significant improvement in sound quality. Assuming that there is at least a decent quaility stock amp, replacing the speakers is a good way TYPICALLY to improve quailty without the hassle and reliability issues and heat issues of adding amps. That having been said, if you use speakers of more traditional impedance, you will need to replace the amps but you can't because of the fiber-optic bus conversion thus the Catch-22. I kind of think Bose does this on purpose which is even more frustrating.
The one avenue I am interested in pursuing is that AMG Manufacture has a digital linear 1000W amp that it sells as part of it's stereo enhancement package. If one could get this separately, it would solve the problem partially since it would take care of the fiber-optic conversion and presumably impedance issues. I doubt it will work for me though since it is likely a DB2 bus not a MOST bus which the '05's have.
I'm sure others on this forum such as Scorchie can add a lot more technical info but these are the broad brush strokes. Hope it helps.
Jeff
In order to answer your questions there are a few things that have to be discussed first. There are really at least 3 types of signals involved 1) the fiber optic bus (likely digital signals with some type of communications protocol), 2) in the amp (line level analog), and 3) at the speaker (speaker level analog).
Thus, your questions are somewhat difficult to answer since they mix the 3 types of signals.
To answer the questions directly:
a) Yes. The big problem is the fiber-optic bus since there is no known converter from to line level which is what an aftermarket amp would use. Thus, one is sort of stuck with the stock amp since it has some sort of interface that sits on the fiber-optic bus, figures out which signals are meant for it, and via a D/A converter converts the signals to something that can be amplified and passed on to the speakers.
b) My understanding from talking to a variety of installers is that the Bose system uses speakers of very strange impedance (like 1 or 2 ohms). What that means is that if you put a more traditional aftermarket high-quality speaker in (usually 4 ohms for car use), the amp will be driven less hard and you will not get the same amount of current or loudness out of the aftermarket speakers.
c) I've done what you want to do on many prior cars but will likely not do it on my '05 SL. Usually replacing the speakers with higher-quality aftermarket speakers will give you a significant improvement in sound quality. Assuming that there is at least a decent quaility stock amp, replacing the speakers is a good way TYPICALLY to improve quailty without the hassle and reliability issues and heat issues of adding amps. That having been said, if you use speakers of more traditional impedance, you will need to replace the amps but you can't because of the fiber-optic bus conversion thus the Catch-22. I kind of think Bose does this on purpose which is even more frustrating.
The one avenue I am interested in pursuing is that AMG Manufacture has a digital linear 1000W amp that it sells as part of it's stereo enhancement package. If one could get this separately, it would solve the problem partially since it would take care of the fiber-optic conversion and presumably impedance issues. I doubt it will work for me though since it is likely a DB2 bus not a MOST bus which the '05's have.
I'm sure others on this forum such as Scorchie can add a lot more technical info but these are the broad brush strokes. Hope it helps.
Jeff
Last edited by jeffreyy; Aug 24, 2004 at 02:13 AM.
Thread Starter
Junior Member
Joined: May 2003
Posts: 48
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From: PA
2003 SL500 Sport Package
BKWatts -- I will contact you if I do end up doing something. Though ... based on what Jeffreyy stated it seems unlikely I will be able to upgrade my speakers to something else without also abandoning the COMMAND system (which I don't want to do ... even though it sucks).
