Burmester vs Basic Audio
 

I will most likely be getting my C200 in less than a week and I would like to know whether it is worth waiting 5 months to get place an order to get the Burmester audio sound system. It is $3080 extra in my country just for the Burmester.

Could someone please give me feedback regarding the basic audio?

do you listen to music like 100% of the time? if so then get it, it is a huge difference in terms of quality of sound.

Yes I do. How bad is it though? So bad? I'm already paying way too much for the car compared to the US, $58k for C200 AMG line with all the options. Is it really worth paying $3k more and waiting 5 months?

I have not listened to a standard system in the W205. All the cars I have driven & everything on the floor at my dealer has Burmester fitted. It sounds pretty damn good & I'm a high end audio nut. Cars are a hostile environment for good, accurate sound.

Drove a A class hire car a few days back. it had basic speakers.
The same songs i listen to in my C, the speakers in the A couldn't handle. the bass reaches its limits very fast, and the sound is not as crisp and clear than in my C.
If you listen to a lot of music, get the Burmester sound system.

The new standard system is a huge downgrade compared to the outgoing standard system int he W204; new system only has 5 speakers - 4 mids and 1 sub, while the outgoing car had 8 speakers - 4 midwoofers and 4 tweeters and that was a pretty bad system. I wouldn't count on the new standard system being any better than the outgoing standard system.

That's pretty sad...no tweeters. The standard system should've been the HK. It looks like 90% of the cars at dealers should have premium packages, which includes the burmester, thank god. If it was a standalone option it would be rare at the dealers.

Also the standard system just looks ugly IMO with the big ,black circular speaker grills. The metalic finish of the Burmester looks gorgeous.

After listening to the standard audio in one of our cars inthe showroom I requested a change to my order and got the Burmester soundsystem added,
the standard sound in the W205 is much worse than the standard W204 sound system.

While Burmester definitely sounds better, the basic audio did not sound bad in my opinion. Coming from a BMW 118D (F20).

My dealer demonstrated the Basic audio and even told me that this specific audio set (Beckers?) was rebranded as Bose in for example an Audi.... Haven't read anything on this though, so I am not sure whethe rthis is true.... Basic audio also has some possibilities to adjust bass for instance.

I had Bose in my 210, Harman in the 211, and then the standard system in the W212. Drove down to Steve@MbenzNl and got the Harman system retrofitted. I listen to a lot of music, and the standard system is not clean enough..

I have the HK Logic 7 in my CLK that was highly considered by some. I think it's OK.

But the Burmester is a big step up from the Logic 7.

In my opinion, the standard system in the ML and GL is superior to the HK system in the W204 C-Class; the W204's door woofers are much smaller than those in the ML and GL. While the HK system does add a subwoofer, the system lacks the the range below the mids and above the bass line of the sub, leaving a somewhat lacking sonic range.

However, the HK system in the ML and GL is probably the best sounding HK systems they offer, besting the HK in the W221 S-Class, but I honestly have no idea why - perhaps the added open volume in the trunk?

Spec wise, I believe the Burmester system in the W205 is the same system as the standard Burmester system in the W222.

MBUSA touts the Burmester with "13 high quality speakers"...they show the obvious 2 on each door. Does anyone know where the other 11 are placed? I would think a center channel...on the front dash (top)....but can't find anything that shows actual placement of these speakers...thanks!!:y

I am guessing something similar to what was done by HK in the previous model. I even heard mention of the chassis being used to carry bass, but don't quote me on that :)


https://cimg0.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.mbw...297e2f3d0a.jpg

one in each front doors, two in each rear doors, two rear parcel shelf, one centre top dash cannot see others but believe some are in the bulkhead

Take a look in the EPC.

http://s28.postimg.org/40cpyk659/screen234.png
upload gambar

i have a c220 amg-line with burmester. recently it had to go to the shop to get an electrical problem fixed. i had a c200 amg-line as a replacement with standard speakers and i thought it sounded worse than my civic 06. if you are an audio-nut, you'll be glad that you went for burmester. very crisp sound for all types of music and even talk radio. and as someone mentioned above - it looks gorgeous - completes the look of the car!

I believe there are 2 frontbass speakers in the footwells, 2 tweeters in the A-pillar, 2 mids in the front doors, 2 tweeters and 2 mids in the rear doors, 1 centre speaker, and 2 surrounds in the rear parcel shelf.

I *don't* consider myself a audiophile, but I have decent ears. The standard radio in the W204 is pretty poor; my 2003 Honda Accord had much better sound (far clearer). The W204 sounds VERY muddled to me.

and it's also really hollow sounding

Hard for me to say b/c I listen to undemanding stuff and b/c the number of speakers, I think, makes it sound better than it really is (which is kind of sad thought, given that doesn't sound that good already).... But I wouldn't surprised if you were right. ;)

even the hk system struggles with orchestral music - the mids can't go low enough for the timpanis and the sub can't go high enough...lol don't even want to voice my opinion on the stock system on classical/orchestral.

the hk system is decent for pop though

basically, whenever I have a loaner, I turn both the treble and bass setting to +10 on C and B classes with the stock system. With the hk, i usually leave it as it and on my ML (stock system) I set it to +10 for treble and -5 for the bass. +10 really improves the clarity of the system.

I'll just go with the current car because I'm not willing to wait 5+ months for the car to arrive versus getting it in less than a week and paying the inflated price of $3k in Dubai for the speakers. If the speakers are too bad then I will install better speakers for definitely less than $3k. I thank you all for your honest opinions regarding the stock audio.