How to upgrade the base sound system
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W205 C180
How to upgrade the base sound system
Hi, I am from Peru as i said in other thread, in here the burmester sound system in the c class is almost not and option, u have to pay a lot of extra money and wait for 6 or 8 month to get the car..so is the option is almost a not option.
My question is if somebody knows how to upgrade the base crapy sound system. My car comes with 5 speakers ( at least that is what the dealer told me) 4 in doors and a frontbass. ( not sure because i will get my car in 2 weeks). I have heard that we can replace the front speakers with Focal brand, but what about the subwoofer and the rear doors speakers. Does anybody knows what to do with those?
Tks
My question is if somebody knows how to upgrade the base crapy sound system. My car comes with 5 speakers ( at least that is what the dealer told me) 4 in doors and a frontbass. ( not sure because i will get my car in 2 weeks). I have heard that we can replace the front speakers with Focal brand, but what about the subwoofer and the rear doors speakers. Does anybody knows what to do with those?
Tks
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Given the low power output of the factory amp, I think the Focals would cost a lot and make little difference overall. Since the car lacks tweeters, I'd do two sets of 4" coaxials for the doors, like the inexpensive MTX Thunder 40. I've used them previously. They sound warm and full for a 4" and aren't power hogs. Depth is fine, but you'd need to modify the mount a little. (OEM use a tri lobe 3 point mount, most aftermarket are 4 point square)
To supplement the bass, add a small amp and box.
I'd do 2 8" rather than a 10" box, since the car has no actual mid bass woofers and the dual 8" will give you punch but also can play up higher into the midbass without getting loose and sloppy.
Have a look at the JL Sub in this write up to see what I'm referring to:
Www.w205audio.wordpress.com
To supplement the bass, add a small amp and box.
I'd do 2 8" rather than a 10" box, since the car has no actual mid bass woofers and the dual 8" will give you punch but also can play up higher into the midbass without getting loose and sloppy.
Have a look at the JL Sub in this write up to see what I'm referring to:
Www.w205audio.wordpress.com
Last edited by Mike5215; Jun 4, 2016 at 08:20 AM.
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Can you do the two front doors with coaxials and the trunk sub at the same time? They need each other to balance out. Just the sub will be too muddy. Just the coaxials will be too bright.
What source do you listen to most often?
What source do you listen to most often?
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W205 C180
I have heard that is difficult to improve the rear doors speakers because the lack of space, is it true? Remember that in the base system doesnt come with tweeters speakers in rear doors and now i know even in the front. Are the base sound system connected to some integrated noise reduction system or something like that? Asking because in my previous Honda Accord i made the upgrade and put a better aftermarket equipment but i had to desconnect the noise reduction system for the car. The MB does not have that kind of issues?
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No, those are all puffed up home audio brands who sold their names to auto manufacturers when it was discovered buyers would pay more for branded premium systems. Some sound decent enough, but if you took the money they cost you and divided it by half, you could build an aftermarket system that was still twice as good.
The pure high end aftermarket companies...Audison, Focal, JL etc. and I'm sure I forgot a few, are the way to go. Even the companies that have done mid grade aftermarket audio for years...Kenwood, Alpine, Rockford Fosgate... build better components than you'll find in any branded OEM system.
The pure high end aftermarket companies...Audison, Focal, JL etc. and I'm sure I forgot a few, are the way to go. Even the companies that have done mid grade aftermarket audio for years...Kenwood, Alpine, Rockford Fosgate... build better components than you'll find in any branded OEM system.
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Originally Posted by Puchiyama
I have heard that is difficult to improve the rear doors speakers because the lack of space, is it true? Remember that in the base system doesnt come with tweeters speakers in rear doors and now i know even in the front. Are the base sound system connected to some integrated noise reduction system or something like that? Asking because in my previous Honda Accord i made the upgrade and put a better aftermarket equipment but i had to desconnect the noise reduction system for the car. The MB does not have that kind of issues?
Since all four doors in an Audio 20 contain standard 4", 4 ohm midrange speakers and no tweets, just replace them with coaxials, which have a tweeter mounted atop a 4" woofer in a single piece. They're really inexpensive and sound about as good as a 4" 2 way can.
If you try doing two way components ( separate 4" woofer and tweeter) the options go way down and prices go up exponentially, and unless you're getting into an OEM integration processor and outboard amps to feed them more power, their advantage over the much less costly coaxials is reduced to nothing.
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W205 C180
No, those are all puffed up home audio brands who sold their names to auto manufacturers when it was discovered buyers would pay more for branded premium systems. Some sound decent enough, but if you took the money they cost you and divided it by half, you could build an aftermarket system that was still twice as good.
The pure high end aftermarket companies...Audison, Focal, JL etc. and I'm sure I forgot a few, are the way to go. Even the companies that have done mid grade aftermarket audio for years...Kenwood, Alpine, Rockford Fosgate... build better components than you'll find in any branded OEM system.
The pure high end aftermarket companies...Audison, Focal, JL etc. and I'm sure I forgot a few, are the way to go. Even the companies that have done mid grade aftermarket audio for years...Kenwood, Alpine, Rockford Fosgate... build better components than you'll find in any branded OEM system.
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The 13 speaker thing is misleading. They're counting each individual tweeter, plus three more 4" speakers for surround (center dash, and two in the rear deck). In terms of the main cabin speakers, both the A20 and the Burm get a 4" midrange speaker in each door. The Burm gets tweets in the front door sail panels and a separate mount in the rear doors, plus an extra 8" up front. Going to coaxials solves the tweeter issue in both the front and rear doors on an A20 car.
Two sets of 4" coaxials and a sub + amp for the trunk is all you need. I think those MTX are only around $80 a set.
http://www.crutchfield.com/p_236THND...2793585&awdv=m
Two sets of 4" coaxials and a sub + amp for the trunk is all you need. I think those MTX are only around $80 a set.
http://www.crutchfield.com/p_236THND...2793585&awdv=m
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C300 4Matic Tenorite Grey
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Yeah, you clip or Dremel off the bottom two ears, then make a little tab out of a piece of bracket to catch the bottom and attach it with a screw. This is how we did it on my W221.
Attachment 332571
Attachment 332571
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They matched up on the Focals and should on any square mount 4". You'd pull signal from the powered side of the OEM amp in the trunk. I don't have an A20 wiring diagram so you'd need to hunt down the speaker wire color codes for the 8" Frontbass sub to drive the new box and amp. (There's a schematic for the Burmester on the blog. Probably same color codes but I'm not 100%)
I had a 300 watt JL amp on hand, but any amp that will accept speaker level inputs will work.
I had a 300 watt JL amp on hand, but any amp that will accept speaker level inputs will work.
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The 13 speaker thing is misleading. They're counting each individual tweeter, plus three more 4" speakers for surround (center dash, and two in the rear deck). In terms of the main cabin speakers, both the A20 and the Burm get a 4" midrange speaker in each door. The Burm gets tweets in the front door sail panels and a separate mount in the rear doors, plus an extra 8" up front. Going to coaxials solves the tweeter issue in both the front and rear doors on an A20 car.
Two sets of 4" coaxials and a sub + amp for the trunk is all you need. I think those MTX are only around $80 a set.
http://www.crutchfield.com/p_236THND...2793585&awdv=m
Attachment 332565
Attachment 332564
Two sets of 4" coaxials and a sub + amp for the trunk is all you need. I think those MTX are only around $80 a set.
http://www.crutchfield.com/p_236THND...2793585&awdv=m
Attachment 332565
Attachment 332564
One more thing, if i use the components or coaxial do i have to use an amp or just connect to base audio 20. Thks again!
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You have no room for 3 way components. There is one 4" opening in each door. Up front you could do 2 way components by putting tweeters in the mirror sail panels. Components are much more expensive and on the factory amp you would not be able to tell the difference between a $500 component set and an $80 coaxial in a 4". Spend the money on the amp/sub instead. Much more bang for the buck.
What's your budget?
What's your budget?
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You have no room for 3 way components. There is one 4" opening in each door. Up front you could do 2 way components by putting tweeters in the mirror sail panels. Components are much more expensive and on the factory amp you would not be able to tell the difference between a $500 component set and an $80 coaxial in a 4". Spend the money on the amp/sub instead. Much more bang for the buck.
What's your budget?
What's your budget?
Is it possible to put one amp for the components and one for the sub? Maybe i can put tweeters as you said in the mirror sail, plus 2 mids 4" in the front door, and 2 coaxials in rear doors+ sub 8" (2) or 1 10".
My budget is 1000 more or less.
What u think?
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Are the coaxes even brighter than the factory speakers? I thought their main selling point was richer low frequencies.
I am hesitant to add a trunk sub woofer because I'm just not a fan of hearing bass pumping out of cars and even my listening habits have never leaned towards artificially boosting bass. I have always believed that music as it was recorded and mixed is the way it's best heard, and any adjustments are to compensate for inferior equipment and cabins that prevent that experience.
Even though I certainly don't play a lot of classical music, but I would like to use the example that I can appreciate the clean separation of the kettle drums when they come into a piece but do not want to boost the system to point of the string bass section is thumping away during the session.
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The JL 8x2 is $400, and the JL 300 watt sub amp is another $400, so there's $800. Leaves $200 for speakers, $80 X 2 for the MTX is $160, puts you at $960. No budget for adding amps for the front doors (and I wouldn't do anything to the cabin speaker amps without getting a DSP capable amp. The Prima 8.9 is a grand all by itself.)
My Focal KRS100 also were $750 alone ( in 2013. They're about $350 now.)
The system I recommended, using coaxials in the cabin and spending some money on a good sub box and amp, stays in your budget and will be a huge improvement vs stock. If at a later stage you can afford the Prima and Focals, you're just out the $80 for the coaxials.
My Focal KRS100 also were $750 alone ( in 2013. They're about $350 now.)
The system I recommended, using coaxials in the cabin and spending some money on a good sub box and amp, stays in your budget and will be a huge improvement vs stock. If at a later stage you can afford the Prima and Focals, you're just out the $80 for the coaxials.
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The JL 8x2 is $400, and the JL 300 watt sub amp is another $400, so there's $800. Leaves $200 for speakers, $80 X 2 for the MTX is $160, puts you at $960. No budget for adding amps for the front doors (and I wouldn't do anything to the cabin speaker amps without getting a DSP capable amp. The Prima 8.9 is a grand all by itself.)
My Focal KRS100 also were $750 alone ( in 2013. They're about $350 now.)
The system I recommended, using coaxials in the cabin and spending some money on a good sub box and amp, stays in your budget and will be a huge improvement vs stock. If at a later stage you can afford the Prima and Focals, you're just out the $80 for the coaxials.
My Focal KRS100 also were $750 alone ( in 2013. They're about $350 now.)
The system I recommended, using coaxials in the cabin and spending some money on a good sub box and amp, stays in your budget and will be a huge improvement vs stock. If at a later stage you can afford the Prima and Focals, you're just out the $80 for the coaxials.
Is there any other option better quality sound in coaxial speakers,? Do u know? Are there in focal or JL for 4" to fit in the doors?
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No extra amp needed. Just use the factory speaker leads. I recommended the MTX because they sound good and their depth is okay for the space. Also they're fairly efficient (require less power) which is important since the factory amp is not especially powerful. But any speaker with similar efficiency and size would be fine.
On my 221 I thought a set of $750 Focals would make all the difference. Nope. Actually sounded worse.
On my 221 I thought a set of $750 Focals would make all the difference. Nope. Actually sounded worse.
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W205 C180
No extra amp needed. Just use the factory speaker leads. I recommended the MTX because they sound good and their depth is okay for the space. Also they're fairly efficient (require less power) which is important since the factory amp is not especially powerful. But any speaker with similar efficiency and size would be fine.
On my 221 I thought a set of $750 Focals would make all the difference. Nope. Actually sounded worse.
On my 221 I thought a set of $750 Focals would make all the difference. Nope. Actually sounded worse.
Last edited by Puchiyama; Jun 5, 2016 at 08:47 PM.
