abstractls

you could always go by the dealer and see if they have another you could listen to.

Carnifex

I may actually do that.

elvan

I've had quite a bit of experience with a w204 c250 and w205 c300 loaner vehicles that were equipped with the standard audio. Additionally, my c300 is equipped with the Burmester system. For what it's worth, I've noticed that the stock w205 speakers had much cleaner highs and mids than the w204 system. Additionally, the bass on the stock w205 was less "boomy" and much more tight than the w204. It would seem that even the stock w205 speakers utilizes a watered-down version of the frontbass system. The w204 system has a much greater quantity of "boomy" bass that pretty much drowns out a lot of the highs and mids. If you're a basshead you may prefer the sound signature of the stock w204 audio to the more neutral w205.

As for the Burmester system, it is definitely worth the upgrade if you are and audiophile. The highs, mids, and bass are further improved over the base system and the active noise cancelling gives you the perception of better NVH. I want to stress that the bass in the Burmester is not "boomy" but tight and punchy (no amount of EQ'ing will get it to sound like there is a sub in the back).

Roger Bill

I didn't know the W205 had any active noise cancelling systems. I'd be interested in knowing more and would be very grateful if you could share any further details or web site links.

Many thanks, Roger

elvan

See Following Link:http://www.burmester.de/en/Company/B...-Benz-C-Class/

ThompasMB

I recommend Burmester anyway. Basic Audio has poor sound. I had a B-Class (W246) with Basic Audio. It was much better than the Basic Audio in C-class (W205). I heard a big difference when I test drove the C-Class. Therefore, I ordered Burmester.

jBlue2

Well my C220 AMG Line UK spec. Has the standard audio system and in my opinion it sounds fine - and I am quite fussy about sound to. I paid extra in my last car, a BMW 320d to get the mid range BMW audio, the C220 standard system is just as good.

solarflare

If you asked the question, that means you care about sound quality. If so, then get the upgraded audio system.

I have the Burmester audio package. My wife claim it was night and day different than my SUV audio. However, I could not tell. The only thing I notice on the audio is at a stop where the engine turns off. Then the audio sounded just fine. I pay much more attention to traffic and road condition.

Roger Bill

Thanks Elvan, that's great.

bostongreg

I just traded in my '12 C250 for the new 2015 C300 and I LOVE it. The Burmester system is good but it's not GREAT. If you're accustomed to a true premium/audiophile aftermarket system by the likes of Audison/Focal/Hertz you will not be very impressed. I had an expensive aftermarket system in my C250 and the Burmester doesn't come close to the clean/crisp highs and mids. That being said, the interior design of the new C300 is absolutely gorgeous and leaps ahead of other models in the class. The Bermester design looks incredible and sounds great for what it is. Just my .02
Cheers,
Greg

TheTherapist

Thanks for the feedback Greg as this is pretty much what I assumed. I have run Focals in the past in both home and car audio and with careful placement the results can be prodigious. Of course the aesthetics in a closed environment such as a vehicle also come into consideration and the Burmeister fulfills this admirably.

squid23

Well, it doesn't have a mono subwoofer.

But the W205 body has prepared enclosures for the stereo low frequency speakers, which for many uses is the far better approach then just placing some boom-boom device in a random position in the car.

I didn't measure one yet but in general "cheap" car systems ($1000 upgrades in the US) cause more trouble than good from their su(b|ck)woofers as you cannot control the amount of bass coming from them, and resonating all over the place. Unless boom-boom is what the drivers wants of course.

If the manufacturers would at least have a direct level adjustment for the active crossover in front of the sub's amp that would go a long way. But no, no such thing. Funneling it through the EQ and basic bass/treble adjustments is an exercise in futility.

c200amgline

Check my new thread for a tip on how to possibly improve your sound: Tip for Standard Speakers.

komich

Hello all there. I also have the Burmester system in my new MB C. It sounds good, but what would be even better is to have a few preset settings for different kinds of music (e.g. rock, pop, jazz, voice, .... ). I did send the same message to Burmester with the suggestion of programming it in an update or to list some settings on their website.

c4004matic

The Class standard radio is by any measure, fairly bad, it might be OK for an A series, but for a much more upscale vehicle it is fairly terrible. The Burmeister is definitely as good or better than other manufacturers "audiophile" gear from B&O, B&W, Krell, and Mark Levinson. Comparing it to a 4000 dollar market system from Focal or whoever is ridiculous if you spend that much on a system you get a lot more power (which is the secret ingredient for less distortion at any listening level) and more sophisticated drivers. So we will ignore the after market systems.


The Burmeister offers very detailed sound with clear highs, rich mids and the capacity for deep clean bass. One of the best features is the excellent soundfield provided by the surround system. Note that regarding the base I said "capacity". If you play well recorded deep base as in jazz, organ etc., you will be astonished how deep and clean it sounds. On the other hand, less well recorded media on rock, etc. can sound a little muddy and weak, not horribly so but noticeable. To put in perspective, the system is good enough for you to readily differentiate the quality of the source and the recording which is mainly attribute to a very clear midrange good highs and good dynamic range. One of its very good features is a noise cancellation system that has very little coloration an provides a quieter background than is normally achieved by just the quietness of the car itself, this obviously improves the dynamic range. I wonder if the muddiness of less than real deep bass is associated with it since many of the loud bass notes of popular music are in the same range as road rumble. In summary, as far as OEM systems go Burmeister is among the best.
One final point to make, even "audiophile" labeled manufacturer system can be quite mediocre if not outright bad since "audiophile" manufacturers crave the steady stream of money that licensing their name delivers. Case in point, the Jaguar's B&W system, aside from the pretty parts that you can see, it sounds no better than a C class basic radio, if the parts are truly BW quality, it points to very little in-car development. A car is a horrible environment for audio, although enclosed, its has a lot of spurious noise, road, wind, engine, other vehicles, idiots on Harleys, etc. In cars even the best components can suck if not tuned appropriately under driving conditions. No car is Abby Road studio. The Burmeister, on the other hand, shows that Mercedes did its road homework rather well even if the components are not quite the ultimate quality.

komich

Dear c4004matic, thank you very much for your sales pitch, but note that I already have a car WITH the system. Your reply to my message was not exactly what I was talking about. I was informing about preset levels or schemes.
Please read THEN reply.
Best regards.

hyperion667

maybe they figured you'd know how to configure the sound to your own liking

komich

They probably did. And they're probably right.

gfmohn

Overall, I agree with you. However, the auto audio environment does have two advantages. It's dimensions are fixed. The system engineer knows very precisely where the driver's listening position is and can adjust the system delays and phase relationships accordingly. The audio environment also has a known, fixed frequency response, so the equalizer can be set precisely.

By the way, it's Burmester, not Burmeister (a common mistake).

mdm1

I just purchased a 2015 C-300 with the base radio and in my opinion it is fine.

hyperion667

burmester is awesome

Bj71

All I can say is for a few days I had the basic system in a CLA loaner while my c class was being looked at....I hated it.
It sounded terrible and like my head was buried in a bucket of sand! Different model of car I know but the sound was awful.
Previous to my MB I always had Audis and had the B/O system which was amazing but I actually think the burmester beats it.

megaoctane

what settings are you using for Treble, Mid and Bass in the Burmester settings?

c4004matic

Unfortunately, for a lot of people buying a 40- 60 K dollar car "fine" is hardly good enough. At that price level the Burmester is "fine". You should see the speakers on the base model, they would be "fine" in a 1950's Philco radio.

Lego

This. The Civic I had 15 years ago had better standard speakers.