Audio Tunning
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Senior Member
Joined: Oct 2009
Posts: 333
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From: NYC
2007 C280 4Matic
Audio Tunning
Do our stock headunits do much tampering with the audio signal? I ask because I am disappointed with my lack of midbass to the front speakers. I'm wondering if its the aftermarket speakers or the headunit that's killing my sound quality.
Has anyone run a JL cleansweep (or equivalent)? Did it have any effect?
PS I have the audio 20 unit.
Has anyone run a JL cleansweep (or equivalent)? Did it have any effect?
PS I have the audio 20 unit.
Senior Member
Joined: Jan 2010
Posts: 283
Likes: 2
From: Mississauga, Ont.
2007 C280 4matic Avantgarde
Do our stock headunits do much tampering with the audio signal? I ask because I am disappointed with my lack of midbass to the front speakers. I'm wondering if its the aftermarket speakers or the headunit that's killing my sound quality.
Has anyone run a JL cleansweep (or equivalent)? Did it have any effect?
PS I have the audio 20 unit.
Has anyone run a JL cleansweep (or equivalent)? Did it have any effect?
PS I have the audio 20 unit.
MBWorld Fanatic!
Joined: Jan 2005
Posts: 2,848
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From: Orange County
2005 C Wagon (No snickering please!)
The lack of midbass you report could be due to sympathetic vibration of the rear door exterior skin repeating the bass notes with a slight phase delay. In other words the damn door is rattling. I swept my wagon using pink noise and the equipment I use to tune theaters. This is when I discovered that the audio system is near flat, a roll off at 22Khz of 3db. Some plus and minus near 400 and again at 9Khz. Nothing worth tuning. Some sound deadening in the rear doors solved the problem, and Tchaikovsky never sounded better.
Thread Starter
Senior Member
Joined: Oct 2009
Posts: 333
Likes: 2
From: NYC
2007 C280 4Matic
The lack of midbass you report could be due to sympathetic vibration of the rear door exterior skin repeating the bass notes with a slight phase delay. In other words the damn door is rattling. I swept my wagon using pink noise and the equipment I use to tune theaters. This is when I discovered that the audio system is near flat, a roll off at 22Khz of 3db. Some plus and minus near 400 and again at 9Khz. Nothing worth tuning. Some sound deadening in the rear doors solved the problem, and Tchaikovsky never sounded better.
Super Member
Joined: Jul 2009
Posts: 938
Likes: 53
From: Montreal, Canada
2005 C240 2011 R350
The factory speakers and tweets on the Audio 10 are not bad, very musical if not able to play loud. I agree that while the HU does have a built in DSP processor there is little or no equalization used. Pretty flat across the band. We do perceive some extra midbass as musical and I wouldnt be surprised if the factory chose speakers to accentuate midbass. My setup has plenty of midbass but somehow lacks musicality: a relaxing layed back ambiance sound. I am working on it!
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Joined: Oct 2009
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From: bay area, california
Aston Martin V8 Vantage
Yes, a huge factor could be that you removed the surround. The air seal was the only way it was replicating bass correctly. To get rid of the back waves, there's a kit by cedarslink called "cedarmat" that you can get off of amazon for relatively cheap that works well.
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Joined: Jan 2006
Posts: 3,212
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From: Pasadena, CA
2002 C230K, 2013 BMW 328, 2015 BMW X5
The lack of midbass you report could be due to sympathetic vibration of the rear door exterior skin repeating the bass notes with a slight phase delay. In other words the damn door is rattling. I swept my wagon using pink noise and the equipment I use to tune theaters. This is when I discovered that the audio system is near flat, a roll off at 22Khz of 3db. Some plus and minus near 400 and again at 9Khz. Nothing worth tuning. Some sound deadening in the rear doors solved the problem, and Tchaikovsky never sounded better.
Any case, I think speakers breath and play better without restrictions on the rear/magnet side. Could be your install is leaky. As in, the rear wave is getting to the front of the speaker canceling out your sound.
Did you use MDF as your new mounts? Here is how I did mine:
I also put sound deadner on the door and an acoustic pad behind the woofer.
I have audio enthusiasts comment how good my midbass is without my sub.
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Super Member
Joined: Jul 2009
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From: Montreal, Canada
2005 C240 2011 R350
You did not mention what speakers you put in! Speakers vary widely in their performance. We perceive more midbass as being warm and musical. It cold be that MB decided to pick speakers with more midbass for this purpose. It is not necessarily accurate frequency response. I enjoyed the musicality of the stock system in my 2005 C240. I now have very high end DLS components and am constantly trying to tune it. Midbass is there, but things are not as I would like them. Dont underestimate the work that has to be done to tune. My 2002 Odyssey has Infinity Kappa Perfect coaxials, not even components, in the doors and the sound is very listenable.
MB C240 Stealth install
OEM Audio20 HU with custom RCA outs
DLS Nobelium 6.2 active front
DLS Nobelium 10i sub
RF Punch 600.5
RF Punch 200.4
2 x Pioneer CD635 Active Xover
Polk MMC525 rear door
MB C240 Stealth install
OEM Audio20 HU with custom RCA outs
DLS Nobelium 6.2 active front
DLS Nobelium 10i sub
RF Punch 600.5
RF Punch 200.4
2 x Pioneer CD635 Active Xover
Polk MMC525 rear door
Last edited by efzauner; Sep 27, 2011 at 08:22 AM. Reason: added signature
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Joined: Jun 2008
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From: Llandudno, Cape Town, South Africa
late 2009 CLK 350 Coupe Elegance, '65 Jaguar S Type wires
The Audio 10 is a better sounding unit than the 20. Decent midbass is dependent on proper & tight damping to prevent resonance at a specific frequency. The minute you produce bass boom at a single monotone resonant frequency it masks & destroys midbass definition.
Member
Joined: Jul 2005
Posts: 75
Likes: 11
2019 C43
I'm currently using an audison bit one feeding off the Audio 20 unit. The results are phenomenal. The only issues i'm having now is finding a place to mount my midranges in the kicks and figuring out what 7" midbass can handle gobs of power.
Though, out of the box, with some minor tweaking of the T/A and EQ, I'd have to say it's pretty darn close to sounding perfect already.
Though, out of the box, with some minor tweaking of the T/A and EQ, I'd have to say it's pretty darn close to sounding perfect already.
