aftermarket SUBS & AMPS for the C-Class 203s
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From: Central Florida
R129, XF Sportbrake, SC400
Bump... I installed my sub and there is a lot more bass entering the cabin if a seat is folded down. Has anyone noticed a significant increase in the amount of bass entering the cabin if you've removed the stock sub? I took off the rear deck once and it was a huge PITA.
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From: Boston
2004 C32 ///AMG
MBWorld Fanatic!
Joined: Jul 2006
Posts: 2,147
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From: Central Florida
R129, XF Sportbrake, SC400
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From: NYC
2012 C300 4Matic
I have to agree about those things being HUUUGE overkill.
I never understood the need for huge subs that take up the entire trunk.
They make the car look like a clown car or some sort of joke.
No offense, that's just my opinion, do whatever makes you happy.
I never understood the need for huge subs that take up the entire trunk.
They make the car look like a clown car or some sort of joke.
No offense, that's just my opinion, do whatever makes you happy.
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Joined: Mar 2008
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c240
For those who have added subs...
Myself and a friend of mine did some strange stuff to my c240. Some would call it overkill, I call mine Crystal Clear! Because that's what it is. I was very hesitant at first about modifying a Benz, but, I'm happy that I did. I have somewhere around 3700 watts of clear audio that sounds perfect from the highest highs to the lowest lows. I have 3 amps and 2 12" JL's with custom fiberglass enclosures. With all my, "Junk in da trunk", I agree that I have no trunk space. That's what the Expedition is for. The Benz is for going to work, running errands, and just plain looking good. Any other task, .....Expo-Time!
Oh, if you are cot using the MB stock 10" sub, and you have subs in the trunk, you should remove the stock sub. It's cheap, made of paper (the cone anyway) and will only interfere with your sound system. I threw mine away (in pieces) as it was not very cooperative in it's eviction from my rear deck.
Oh, if you are cot using the MB stock 10" sub, and you have subs in the trunk, you should remove the stock sub. It's cheap, made of paper (the cone anyway) and will only interfere with your sound system. I threw mine away (in pieces) as it was not very cooperative in it's eviction from my rear deck.
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From: TAMPA
2007 C230
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From: Boston
2003 C240
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c240
My trunk...
Sorry, I had the pics at 12 mega pixels and had to resize them.
One pic is of the trunk. For those in the know, the top amp that is closest to the front of the car is a single channel Class D at 1700 watts. The amp in the middle is a 2 channel amplifier that feeds 920 watts to the front door speakers which are separates or components with the crossover inside the door panel. The amp closest to the entrance of the trunk is also a 920 watt 2 channel amp feeding the rear door coaxial speakers. The amplifiers are mounted on a metal track mounted on top to the metal chassis, and run down to the floor of the trunk. I have two cable distribution blocks under the amps, one positive and the other negative which run directly to the Yellow Top Optima battery under the hood, with a 200 Amp circuit breaker at the battery. I also have another Yellow Top mounted under the Class D amplifier running in parallel with a battery isolator in between. There is no Dynamat or similar product installed. Being that the Benz is a solidly built vehicle, there is no need for it. There is absolutely no rattle, inside or out.
The other pic is of the Kenwood head unit. I threw it in because I knew someone would know the type of substandard audio I would get if I used the stock head unit and a line out converter.
As for overkill, I used to say the same thing. Comment's like, "Where do you put the grocery's?" or something similar to, "What if you have to pick someone at the airport?" My answer is always, "That's what the Expedition is for."
Oh, I almost forgot, what if I get a flat tire?........That's what AAA is for!
One pic is of the trunk. For those in the know, the top amp that is closest to the front of the car is a single channel Class D at 1700 watts. The amp in the middle is a 2 channel amplifier that feeds 920 watts to the front door speakers which are separates or components with the crossover inside the door panel. The amp closest to the entrance of the trunk is also a 920 watt 2 channel amp feeding the rear door coaxial speakers. The amplifiers are mounted on a metal track mounted on top to the metal chassis, and run down to the floor of the trunk. I have two cable distribution blocks under the amps, one positive and the other negative which run directly to the Yellow Top Optima battery under the hood, with a 200 Amp circuit breaker at the battery. I also have another Yellow Top mounted under the Class D amplifier running in parallel with a battery isolator in between. There is no Dynamat or similar product installed. Being that the Benz is a solidly built vehicle, there is no need for it. There is absolutely no rattle, inside or out.
The other pic is of the Kenwood head unit. I threw it in because I knew someone would know the type of substandard audio I would get if I used the stock head unit and a line out converter.
As for overkill, I used to say the same thing. Comment's like, "Where do you put the grocery's?" or something similar to, "What if you have to pick someone at the airport?" My answer is always, "That's what the Expedition is for."
Oh, I almost forgot, what if I get a flat tire?........That's what AAA is for!
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Joined: Mar 2008
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c240
Sorry dude, I forgot to put it in the original post...
The subs are JL Audio 12", I think they're W-1's. I can't remember, but I think W-1 is correct. I recall the manufacturer's instructions referring to a certain amount of airspace that's required to get the most out of these subs. I know we took that into consideration before we made the fiberglass enclosures. The finished product resulted in airspace a little over the recommended cubic footage. I really need to take some more pics with better lighting to give you a better idea of what I did.
The amps are all made by Kenwood. The two toward the rear of the vehicle are the Kenwood 2 channel KAC-7202, they each have a cooling fan.
The Amp toward the front of the car is a Kenwood KAC- (I can't see the damn thing) 9102D, it does not have a cooling fan.
Here are some close-up pics of the amps that you should be able to click on to enlarge.
Later,
The amps are all made by Kenwood. The two toward the rear of the vehicle are the Kenwood 2 channel KAC-7202, they each have a cooling fan.
The Amp toward the front of the car is a Kenwood KAC- (I can't see the damn thing) 9102D, it does not have a cooling fan.
Here are some close-up pics of the amps that you should be able to click on to enlarge.
Later,
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c240
I forgot to add my rear screens...
Considering that we are on the electronic mods..... I need to add the other thing I did with my headrest's. Here they are. Not the real expensive ones. They are the El Cheapo's, but it keeps my two monsters quiet.
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Joined: Mar 2007
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From: STL
W203 C230SS
i thought that's what those amps where. where in the world did you get your specs? those amps don't make anywhere near that much power. even if they did- i don't believe there's a passive crossover on earth or a set of coax that would take that much power. as far as the subs go- they aren't going to take that kind of power either. a w7 might, but that would be pushing it.
not trying to be a turd- but you might re-check your numbers.
not trying to be a turd- but you might re-check your numbers.
Member
Joined: Feb 2007
Posts: 180
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From: Long Beach, CA
'02 C230K Coupe
i thought that's what those amps where. where in the world did you get your specs? those amps don't make anywhere near that much power. even if they did- i don't believe there's a passive crossover on earth or a set of coax that would take that much power. as far as the subs go- they aren't going to take that kind of power either. a w7 might, but that would be pushing it.
not trying to be a turd- but you might re-check your numbers.
not trying to be a turd- but you might re-check your numbers.
On another note, having nice head room on amplifiers is a good thing, especially in small sealed enclosures. More speakers blow because they are underpowered instead of over powered. If you use a quality speaker and also use the gain on the amplifier in a non-stupid way, it's pretty hard to blow it. Just because you have a 1kW RMS amp, doesn't mean you're pushing 1kW to the speaker at all times.
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From: Long Island, New York
'05 C230SS 6MT, 1966 Triumph TR4a IRS, Shelby Cobra 427 Supercharged
Sub Amp: 850W RMS x1@2ohm (1700 Peak @2ohm)
Speaker Amps: 150 watts RMS x 2 at 4 ohms
Your subs are either 2 ohms wired in series (4 ohms total = 250W RMS/500W Peak x2) or 4 ohms wired in parallel (2 ohms total = 425W RMS/ 850W Peak x2).
Your speakers are most likely 4 ohm so they are 150W RMS/300W Peak x 2 x 2 amps. But if your speakers are 2 ohm then it would be 230W RMS/460W Peak x 2 x 2 amps.
So if his speakers are 2 ohms, and his subs are 4 ohms wired in parallel (max power possible) his system would have a total of 3540W Peak, but you should never go by peak... its really deceiving! (Like posting drag strip times but not specifying it was actually the 1/8th mile not 1/4!) You should go by RMS because that is what you actually get. It would be an extremely rare occasion that you would get the full peal power. And if you did, you breaker would trip! P/V = I... 3540W/14V = 253A
But even still... very impressive!
Speaker Amps: 150 watts RMS x 2 at 4 ohms
(230 watts x 2 at 2 ohms)
(920 x1 Peak @2ohm... but no 2ohm stable)
Not sure if his speakers are 2 ohm or 4, and how he has the subs wired. But that is how he got his numbers... You used the peak power output in the specs.(920 x1 Peak @2ohm... but no 2ohm stable)
Your subs are either 2 ohms wired in series (4 ohms total = 250W RMS/500W Peak x2) or 4 ohms wired in parallel (2 ohms total = 425W RMS/ 850W Peak x2).
Your speakers are most likely 4 ohm so they are 150W RMS/300W Peak x 2 x 2 amps. But if your speakers are 2 ohm then it would be 230W RMS/460W Peak x 2 x 2 amps.
So if his speakers are 2 ohms, and his subs are 4 ohms wired in parallel (max power possible) his system would have a total of 3540W Peak, but you should never go by peak... its really deceiving! (Like posting drag strip times but not specifying it was actually the 1/8th mile not 1/4!) You should go by RMS because that is what you actually get. It would be an extremely rare occasion that you would get the full peal power. And if you did, you breaker would trip! P/V = I... 3540W/14V = 253A
But even still... very impressive!
MBWorld Fanatic!
Joined: Mar 2007
Posts: 1,518
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From: STL
W203 C230SS
peak specs mean absolutely nothing.
you are correct- headroom is good.
as a side note- you will never blow a speaker by underpowering it. a speaker would blow because of a clipped signal.
you are correct- headroom is good.
as a side note- you will never blow a speaker by underpowering it. a speaker would blow because of a clipped signal.
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c240
Peak, Are you nuts??
No dude, the amps are in NO WAY turned up to near maximum capability! Just because I look stupid, and you can't see me, doesn't mean I am...hehe. I'm also sure that there are few electronics manufacturers that actually rate their equipment in true form. Yeah, all of it is rated at peak performance, done in a lab, at the perfect operating temperature as a simulated computer model. All manufacturers want to beef their products, but as the old Ebay saying goes, "It powers up, and the light comes on, but we have no way of testing the item" (One idiot had that sentence on an Ebay listing for a 19" color TV, what a real genius, huh?). The power rating that manufacturer's use for their specs, is nowhere near what you or I would actually get as an average consumer. Computer component manufacturer's use these tactics all the time. To include the size rating of the hard drive in your computer right now. Do you actually get the 500GB listed on HDD box? Certainly not, no one does. Everyone gets less. No one gets more, ...ever. It's the same with this topic. And I agree with the other comment in the thread, in reference to putting 920 watts into any set of coaxial speakers.....that would be the ultimate death sentence, or "Smoke testing", as I call it. I have never officially measured my wattage with any kind of meter, and now that I think about it, no one I know has. Hell, I haven't even measured the amperage draw when it's pumped up. Maybe one day I'll have a power issue and I will feel the urge to see, for now, not! BTW, One of my other ham radio buddies had a formula to calculate actual wattage by using the voltage and an average of the amperage draw, but for the life of me, I can't remember it.
Member
Joined: Feb 2007
Posts: 180
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From: Long Beach, CA
'02 C230K Coupe
If the signal is clipping, the amplifier doesn't have the ability to create the full wave form, thus under powering, clipping, and disorting the acoustic output
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Joined: Feb 2003
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From: stix of florida
Honda Grom
No dude, the amps are in NO WAY turned up to near maximum capability! Just because I look stupid, and you can't see me, doesn't mean I am...hehe. I'm also sure that there are few electronics manufacturers that actually rate their equipment in true form. Yeah, all of it is rated at peak performance, done in a lab, at the perfect operating temperature as a simulated computer model. All manufacturers want to beef their products, but as the old Ebay saying goes, "It powers up, and the light comes on, but we have no way of testing the item" (One idiot had that sentence on an Ebay listing for a 19" color TV, what a real genius, huh?). The power rating that manufacturer's use for their specs, is nowhere near what you or I would actually get as an average consumer. Computer component manufacturer's use these tactics all the time. To include the size rating of the hard drive in your computer right now. Do you actually get the 500GB listed on HDD box? Certainly not, no one does. Everyone gets less. No one gets more, ...ever. It's the same with this topic. And I agree with the other comment in the thread, in reference to putting 920 watts into any set of coaxial speakers.....that would be the ultimate death sentence, or "Smoke testing", as I call it. I have never officially measured my wattage with any kind of meter, and now that I think about it, no one I know has. Hell, I haven't even measured the amperage draw when it's pumped up. Maybe one day I'll have a power issue and I will feel the urge to see, for now, not! BTW, One of my other ham radio buddies had a formula to calculate actual wattage by using the voltage and an average of the amperage draw, but for the life of me, I can't remember it.
MBWorld Fanatic!
Joined: Feb 2003
Posts: 2,618
Likes: 1
From: stix of florida
Honda Grom
Bump... I installed my sub and there is a lot more bass entering the cabin if a seat is folded down. Has anyone noticed a significant increase in the amount of bass entering the cabin if you've removed the stock sub? I took off the rear deck once and it was a huge PITA.
