danev6972

Hi all,
I am in need of y'alls opinion.
Finally found an reasonable installer to install my new Amp/Subs/Tweeters.
Any recommendations on where to place the tweeters?
Installer wants it on the side panel near the door handle so a hole is necessary for a flush mount. I do not want any holes though but I want it flush mounted somewhere.

I may have to fabricate a mount. I'm thinking on the windshield "sill"(don't know what to call it) but it's made with fabric- like material.
Would that be a feasible location?
How about just replacing the stock tweeters?

Where are your aftermarket tweeters located?

Thanks.

2003 C240

Glyn M Ruck

Replace the stock tweeters - don't carve up the car - installers always want to make holes all over the place and Oh! man they can damage a car badly

Your call - good luck - maybe you can provoke a reply out of Kal Rubinson - most competent high end audio guy on this forum - He and I enjoy the same hobby and believe it's difficult to achieve really good sound in a car - it's a hostile environment & noise levels are high even in a Benz.

Maybe good sound is unfair - I rather mean accurate sound - You can certainly achieve pleasant sound and who cares if the 3rd oboe is a little brash - only the golden ear brigade - just enjoy the music

Don't do anything that can't be reversed

C24owner

Keep the tweeters in the stock location. Thats where I have mine.

SeaCoupe

This is something that I'm actually about to do.

I just got an Alpine 9886 receiver to replace an older 9847. While I have MB Quart seperates in the stock location, I'm going to run the tweets loose and stick them in different locations with non hardening modeling clay. then I can fab up something to make them integrate with the car.

I am also against chopping up the car.

E

kickR

I placed two tweeters in the corners of my front windshield. I connected the tweeters with the audio wires that run into the door speakers. I'll take some pictures tomorrow for you

jedcred

Well, you will need to carve up the little plastic holders that hold the original tweeters in place, but they only cost tens of dollars if you mess up. I just cut out the mesh where the original mounted and friction mounted (i.e. - stuffed the mount that came with the tweeter) into the hole, and it looks flush and great, and hasn't moved since the install. Check lower left of the pic below to see how my tweeters look in the door. I'll get you a better pic if you need one later.

bumpnzx3

like E said- sample places before you just pick a spot. some tweets sound good on axis and others sound better off axis. if the installer thinks he knows where he wants to mount the tweets before first auditioning his location- he's nuts. depending on the size of the tweet- it might fit under the stock sail panel with no mods. my GTi's did, but my Rainbow's did not.

TemjinX2

i say keep it in the stock location. its a mercedes not a civic, so you dont want to rice out the interior too much.

bumpnzx3

how is a tasteful install "ricing" a car out? i would be willing to venture a guess that he's not just going to glue/surface mount the tweet somewhere goofy and surround it with little l.e.d. lights. if the installer he is using is any good, the final product will look factory. i've sent plenty of people 'glass a pod into the a-pillar and it looks like it belongs there.

SeaCoupe

Hey, didn't I get yelled at by you for using the word rice?

E

jagsy

And you just used it again.......

danev6972

Trying to make it look stock as possible.

Installer says he knows a guy who works on leather & would make it look like stock after the hole is drilled...this wouldn't make me change my mind.

Right now I am repainting my fiberglass box then I'll proceed with the install.

Thanks all.

A few more pics would be nice.

Also, Should I be worried about the SAM module during install? How sensitive is it on a 2003?

Peace.

TemjinX2

I dont really see the point putting holes in your interior when you don't really need to. I'm sure when mercedes designed the interior of the car they already set the tweeters at a pretty optimal position stock.

If the other position is better, i really doubt it would be a huge improvement to the point of justifiying the cost.

It seems more like a upsell on the installer rather then a performance enhancment.

I believe the stock interior already looks luxurious and refined. The w204 builds on that, but uses a little too much chrome for my taste. Why change something that already works well and looks good?

Hence my option he should stay stock.

TemjinX2

if it was recently...then it would be a no. I usually try not to flame people.

I just dont like it when people refer to japanese cars as ricers just because there japanese.

Its like saying all domestic lovers are hicks and have mullets.


If they have huge spoilers on a fwd car and ebay parts then i would consider them a ricer or if they try street racing in traffic or just being a idiot in general.

bumpnzx3

You may or may not be correct- maybe Mercedes did take some thought in where they put the tweets- I don't know. But, if they did- that was for the factory tweets. After market speakers are a different animal. Some sound better on axis, others sound better slightly off axis- hence the reason he or his installer should take the time to see where they sound best.

TemjinX2

That what i was saying. Would a average person be able to tell the difference between the sound quality from the two different locations? The stock system was so horrible any aftermarket system is a huge improvement.

After that, is the sound quality improvement between the different locations as big of gain as replacing the stock system with aftermarket speakers?

I doubt it, unless you are a huge audiophile. The cost involved in adding another location, without direct proof of the amount of improvement in sound, plus the lost of resell value by modifying the interior like that, doesn't seem like a worth while use of his money from a performance to investment stand point.

For him it might if sound is the absolute priority it might be worth it. I would rather keep it stock looking.

Glyn M Ruck

If you are a huge audiophile you won't be trying to achieve perfection in a car. You will be putting in some ear buds - will always sound more accurate.

bumpnzx3

how did i know you would chime in with something like that

i'm also suprised that you suggested earbuds. sonic perfection won't come from those either- a home theater/listening room is the only place for that to happen

Glyn M Ruck

+1 Oh! - agreed. Buds just block out the noise & some of the better ones from Sennheiser and the likes are not too bad when listening to an i Pod.

Nothing beats a dedicated, well designed listening room with a high resolution source, which I'm lucky enough to have in my little house

TemjinX2

Me personally, i'm not really one. I just want a good sound with a decent amount of mid bass. I dont mind spending $200-300 on some much improved sound. I just dont think it worth it spending all this money on custom closures or locations for tweeters, unless your doing to make it a show car.

I would prefer to keep the interior as stock locking as possible.

THen again i still don't understand why a $60k car new does not come with a cd player standard. You would think if a $12k kia can come with a cd player, mercedes can through it in for us.

Glyn M Ruck

+1 Mike - the 6 CD stacker was an expensive option with my Audio 10. OK the Audio 10 will play single discs but WTF. Must say the Audio 10 was a big step forward from previous Becker offerings that sounded crap

On our market the W204 now throws all of this in as standard. No more options

I do notice that specing in the US has been different to ours for a long time. I hear you guys talking about cloth seats and combo leather/cloth seats etc. We have been leather standard across the board for years with MB Tex as option because our farmers like it. Then above the standard leather came the Designo range of options. Not very popular

TemjinX2

i think mercedes offers cloth, so they can use a lower advertising price in there ads. I never heard of anyone with a mercedes with cloth seats. It would probably kill the resale value as well with cloth seats.

They like to advertise $29999.95 to get you in the door then you wonder why your leaving the lot at $40k +

I know the new navi on the w204 is light years better then the ones on the w203.

Glyn M Ruck

Ah! that figures - I can't imagine a Merc without leather although if you take a cab in Europe they generally have cloth but I think it's a lower cost option for cabbies - cloth, no mag wheels etc. ie a stripped down Classic.