same here...well right now I have a lil more money than I've been used to in the past year, but I'm trying to be conservative....I pay $200/mo to own the thing!
aftermarket SUBS & AMPS for the C-Class 203s
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From: Boston
2003 C240
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Joined: Apr 2006
Posts: 103
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From: Central Illinois
2002 C240
Another thing is that although I really want to get subs and everything, I also want to get an avic z1. Through searching, it seems to me that the avic offers more features than command, especially now that I recently found out you can keep steering controls. I'm not sure whether I should wait to get the avic first before the subs or to not worry about it and there would be no problem hooking the already installed subs, speakers, amp and everything to the new avic...that might sound confusing lol but if it is just ask me what I mean and I'll try to explain it better haha
Either way, it might be quite some time before I'm financially able to get navigation, but I'm just curious and anxious!
Either way, it might be quite some time before I'm financially able to get navigation, but I'm just curious and anxious!
I sacrificed my steering wheel controls with the addition of my HU. I don't really miss it. I have a remote control and it sits in my glove box. For an additional 80 bucks, I could get a converter (damn, the name escapes me!) to get my steering wheel controls to work and they said I could get it to do anything I wanted. But, I am fine with it for now.
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From: Boston
2003 C240
I see what you mean, ...yes there is an adaptor that allows the steering controls to work, lol I think someone just recently found out, its somewhere on here in a recent post....I actually use the steering controls a lot, however, it could be an easy sacrifice for such a great HU....avics are a lot of money, and I can't wait to get one...who knows when that'll happen, but thanks for the input
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From: Chicago
04 C32
My opinion is to get the AVIC first. Because you can run it with your stock system and need no other modification. Then, you can add on from there. I am not sure if you will need an extra module (the name escapes me now) to get it to work your steering wheel controls or the unit will fit right in. As long as the avic has RCA outs, which I am sure it does, you can always add the amp and sub later. Then, if your stock door speakers cannot keep up, you can add an amp and replacement speakers. Kind of a Phase I, Phase II, Phase III type of thing.
I sacrificed my steering wheel controls with the addition of my HU. I don't really miss it. I have a remote control and it sits in my glove box. For an additional 80 bucks, I could get a converter (damn, the name escapes me!) to get my steering wheel controls to work and they said I could get it to do anything I wanted. But, I am fine with it for now.
I sacrificed my steering wheel controls with the addition of my HU. I don't really miss it. I have a remote control and it sits in my glove box. For an additional 80 bucks, I could get a converter (damn, the name escapes me!) to get my steering wheel controls to work and they said I could get it to do anything I wanted. But, I am fine with it for now.
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From: Boston
2003 C240
Yes I heard that also before, I have the non-bose speakers, but would upgrade to aftermarket speakers at the same time I would get either the avic or subs...
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From: Central Illinois
2002 C240
I see what you mean, ...yes there is an adaptor that allows the steering controls to work, lol I think someone just recently found out, its somewhere on here in a recent post....I actually use the steering controls a lot, however, it could be an easy sacrifice for such a great HU....avics are a lot of money, and I can't wait to get one...who knows when that'll happen, but thanks for the input
I used my controls before but now I have killer tunes to make me forget about it! Honestly, I felt like there could have been more. I mean, change stations or adjust the volume didn't offer much.
Happy to help!
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From: Boston
2003 C240
Thats a good deal...I wish I could get a deal on a z1 like below 1k, but I doubt that would happen...you dont have to research it now if you dont want because there is no rush... the most attractive feature to me is the storage capacity, because I love to download music and would love to have all my songs with me...haha
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From: Chicago
04 C32
Thats a good deal...I wish I could get a deal on a z1 like below 1k, but I doubt that would happen...you dont have to research it now if you dont want because there is no rush... the most attractive feature to me is the storage capacity, because I love to download music and would love to have all my songs with me...haha
The Z1 price is about to drop since the Z2 is coming out soon. The Z2 is just a software upgrade to the Z1. The Z1 is upgradeable to the Z2.
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Joined: Apr 2006
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From: Central Illinois
2002 C240
Thats a good deal...I wish I could get a deal on a z1 like below 1k, but I doubt that would happen...you dont have to research it now if you dont want because there is no rush... the most attractive feature to me is the storage capacity, because I love to download music and would love to have all my songs with me...haha
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From: Chicago
04 C32
That is definitely a good unit. Others speak highly of it. My HU has 2 auxillary outputs on it so I hooked my XM to one and my iPod to the other. It is not as fancy as some other units out there (i.e. displaying song titles and all), but it has 96 bit sampling and Burr-Brown D/A converters in it! That just means it sounds really, really good!
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From: Central Illinois
2002 C240
Those are not my only primary sources. You can tell a slight difference between the aux. and CD but if you are cranking, it is not that big of a deal. When you want to really listen to a high quality CD, that is when the D/A converter really shines. My opinion of order for sound quality:
CD
iPod
XM
tuner (tie with XM, depends on station reception)
CD
iPod
XM
tuner (tie with XM, depends on station reception)
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From: Central Florida
R129, XF Sportbrake, SC400
For those who have added subs...
Did you guys leave in the stock sub in the rear deck or did you remove it? If you left it in, did you leave it connected? I'm getting a fiberglass enclosure made to fit in the crevice located in the driver's side rear of the trunk. I'll probably be running an MB Quart 10" Discus sub so it's nothing too major.
Also, has anyone tapped into the power wire that leads to the rear SAM? If so, how did you go about doing it.
Also, has anyone tapped into the power wire that leads to the rear SAM? If so, how did you go about doing it.
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Joined: Sep 2007
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From: Ohio
2003 C230K SS
I disconnected mine as to not contaminate better sound? But now I just re-did my whole system and I am trying to remove that sub to act as a port but it doesn't fit out of the hole when you take the cover off. I don't have the folding rear seats and can't find anywhere a DIY on how to remove the rear deck.
Didn't really answer any of your questions but....yeah
Didn't really answer any of your questions but....yeah
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Joined: Oct 2006
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From: Berlin
2018 C63s
I had two JL 12s in a custom box in the trunk. I never got around to removing the stock sub, but disconnected it regardless. It rattled a little, as you can probably imagine with two 12s, but like BLCKW203K said, the hole in the rear deck isnt big enough to pull it out. So, if you dont have folding rear seats, you may have to remove the rear seat to get at it. Hope that helps.
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From: Central Florida
R129, XF Sportbrake, SC400
I know how to remove it, i have once before. I'd just rather not do it again because i remember want a pain it was. I was just reading about people removing it so that the hole that it leaves could act as a type of port for the bass.
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From: Long Island, New York
'05 C230SS 6MT, 1966 Triumph TR4a IRS, Shelby Cobra 427 Supercharged
I left mine in... Using the sub itself as a passive radiator... Works pretty good!
I was going to use that same spot and make a fiberglass box there, but getting the volume needed was a pain in the ***. There is a lip there that would need to be ground down so that the box can slide in and out so you can get to the tail light bulbs. Not to mention, the box the would need to be angled at the top (against the carpet) and the bottom (inboard side) so that the box can be lifted out.
I was going to use that same spot and make a fiberglass box there, but getting the volume needed was a pain in the ***. There is a lip there that would need to be ground down so that the box can slide in and out so you can get to the tail light bulbs. Not to mention, the box the would need to be angled at the top (against the carpet) and the bottom (inboard side) so that the box can be lifted out.
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From: Central Florida
R129, XF Sportbrake, SC400
I was thinking about that. As far as i can remember, you have to remove the rear hatshelf to disconnect it anyway don't you? I'm just trying to avoid removing the rear deck again because it was a pain last time.
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From: STL
W203 C230SS
do you have the fold down arm rest in the back seat? if so- i can tell you an easy way to convert that into the "ski pass" that some cars have. requires no permanent mods and you can't see that it's been done from inside the trunk.
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From: STL
W203 C230SS
there are some of those press in clips around the perimeter of the seat back- take those off/out. with a little wiggling the carpet will come off the seat back. once you get that off- you will see the same piece of plastic (in my case- ash colored) that you see from the front when you pull the arm rest down. if memory serves- there's a couple bolts or screws as well as a couple press fit clips that hold this piece of plastic in. take it out- then put the carpet back on the seat back. it looks factory form the trunk and pretty close to factory from the cab when the arm rest is down. i guess you could cut a hole in the carpet- but i never did- i wanted it to look factory as possible and not permanently mod anything. air can pass through the carpet relatively freely.
i might be a tad off in my description since it was several months ago when i did it- but once you get the carpet off the seat back- it's pretty self explanitory.
i might be a tad off in my description since it was several months ago when i did it- but once you get the carpet off the seat back- it's pretty self explanitory.
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Joined: Mar 2007
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From: STL
W203 C230SS
no problem- i learned a lot when i gutted my car and put it all back together- and that was one of the things i learned. let me know if you have any other questions. chances are i can help out.
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From: Central Florida
R129, XF Sportbrake, SC400
I already have the ski sleeve. I did not know that you could just pop the cover off of the sub from the rear deck. I though you had to remove the whole rear deck to access it.
