C43Ayemgee

Hello, New C43 amg owner here. So i've noticed the speakers are TERRIBLE (HARDLY any bass, buzzing noise when speakers are loud) in this car, i don't have burmester sound system or whatever, but seriously for a mercedes c43 id expect much better coming from an american car. i've played around with the bass, treble, and mid setting but they still suck. Also the keyless go, sometimes when i press the lock button on the outside door handle it doesn't register it, i have to tap it 3-4 times, its frustrating when you're in a hurry. I'm usually not the one to complain, but this is my first Mercedes and i listen to music 24/7 and i can't take the ****ty speakers anymore.

Is there any speaker upgrade i can do? or is it possible to get burmester speakers, unless those are terrible aswell...

FirstMBAMG

sean1.8t

LOL....1st world problems, amirite!

Do a search and you'll find a bunch of info about this. I remember one thread where a member who was some type of audio "expert" (so obviously extremely critical about his speakers) took apart his whole system and upgraded it. I think he was claiming that the Burmeister speakers were either mostly the same or hardly superior to the standard system. I'm not much of a 'bass' guy so I don't need my car to shake and set off car alarms as I drive down the road, but I have no complaints about my Burmeister system.

And for the Keyless-Go, I'd suggest swiping your fingers/hand across the handle rather than pushing the "button." I find that works much better. I usually use the rear passenger door as it's more convenient cause you can do it as the driver's door is still closing. I just get out and swipe the backside of my fingers across the rear door as my door closes. And if it doesn't register for whatever reason, it's not the worst thing in the world to reach into my pocket and push the button (like a poor person, I know ) on the key FOB.

guhvies

WRT keyless go make sure you don't grab the handle when trying to lock the car. Just use your thumb on the indentation.

Biggreenogg

MASSC450

The Mercedes Benz C43 is an American car? Kidding aside, every standard sound system in German cars usually suck...same in the 3 Series BMW as well.

Your FOB may need a new battery...they go relatively fast...

C43Ayemgee

I have a 2018 and ill have to check my build sheet when i get to my car.

C43Ayemgee

I meant my previous car was american, and yea i didn't test out the speakers till after i bought it, but oh well

C43Ayemgee

<br /><br /><br />Yea actually, i think i found his thread, Its incredibly detailed.... and i will try the swiping.

C43Ayemgee

This is off topic, but i have about 400 miles on the car, and after driving it in sport+ i get some brake squeal, is that normal? I figured it is since these brakes are a bit superior and driving it in sport+ makes them bite harder, just want to make sure.

jake732

I had some issue with the keyless lock and unlock... The best method I've found to lock the car is to slide your index finger across the sensor. It works virtually every time for me. For the keyless unlock, I just grab the handle and pull - and it unlocks

Snarfalus

C43Ayemgee

I'd consider myself somewhat an audiophile aswell, Thats why i was extremely disappointed in the quality of the speakers. I'll definitely try to the burmester speakers. Also ill agree, the harmon kardon in the bmw's are great

thanks!

cowboy019

I had a 335i before the C43. The Harmon Kardon in the BMW was excellent. The Burmester in the MB is a huge disappointment. I can't imagine how bad the stock speakers are. Honestly, the Burmester looks great, but it sounds like absolute crap.

I've had the same issues with Keyless, on and off. Leaves a lot to be desired, and implementation is much worse than BMW equivalent.

Snarfalus

The Burmester is really a mixed bag but ultimately I opted for it again on my 2018. Again, I do think the Burmester is quite good but again the implementation in my 2015 W205 is just plain horrible and you run into the limitations of what the cabin can do acoustically before you reach the potential of the system. The Burmester is capable of playing quite loud very clean and delivering a nice mid range and low end punch, but the cabin cannot withstand it without coloring the sound with all the intricate parts and metal switchgear. The internals in the door, the switchgear, everything that makes the C aesthetically pleasing is a potential source for vibration. At one point I believe MB actually issued a service bulletin about it back in 2015-2016 and there was a fix that involved felt in the door panel and some clips that were causing issues. Hopefully it has improved for 2018. I think a big part of the problem is that the W205 chassis and cabin is rather complicated and not as tight as a drum. Perhaps this has been improved since the 2015 launch. The metal switchgear on the doors looks and feels great, but in my C300 it interacts with the stereo in such a way that midrange frequencies can cause rattles in the door. This tends to vary depending on ambient temperature outside. The audio 20 does not share this issue, but also does not sound as good overall.

Also remember how many different trims are available on a C class. How do you calibrate a stereo system and tune a chassis when you could have a speaker housing in a panel of burl wood, ash, or aluminium, and then you add in the option of ambient lights underneath---there are so many configurations that I don't see how they could get it right the way that slick Burmester metal driver just hangs off the door. The door itself is essentially a giant resonator.

The BMW probably has an inherent advantage acoustically because it is tight as a drum. The metal switchgear on the C class, alone, is an audiophile nightmare. I was actually shocked when I took delivery of my C in 2015 that such an "expensive" car would have a Burmester stereo that actually rattles the interior during normal listening--not from bass, but from midrange frequencies like guitar solos and vocals. My take on it is that the more tried and true interior (read: dated) of the BMW is more nailed down and perfected over time. If you transplanted the Burmester into the BMW, I suspect the results would be good.

But ironically the same factors that made the BMW the better listening room made the car less appealing to drive for me. The ergonomics of the controls are just better on the mercedes. The cabin is nicer and more ergonomic on the mercedes. The ride quality on the B&W xdrive was too soft--it pillowed over bumps but felt disconnected. The stereo on the BMW was great but ultimately is just another way to tune out what the car is doing.

In any event I do think the upgrade to the Burmester is worth it because the Audio 20 is so thin and tinny sounding. If you are going to rock out it does the job well enough. Audio 20 does not in my opinion. But ironically the BMW 340 it seems to me is the better sit back and cruise and listen to music car while the Mercedes is better for more spirited drivers who are more interested in engine noise than what is coming out of the stereo--the exact opposite of what you would expect based on the way the cars interiors look!

This is one of those issues that reminds you that you are essentially in a $40,000 car optioned way up and not an E class built in Germany, but those moments are few and far between.

Cosworth2000

When my car was new the keyless did not work all the time. Not sure if the keyless was doing something but now I can lock the car with my butt. LOL
Also you should have purchased the upgrade sound system. It's very nice though I hate that it turns off the base when you revv high or move fast.

C43_1995

I have whatever comes with the coupe, which is apparently Burmester. It's been pretty underwhelming, Bose has better premium sound systems in my experience.
Keyless-Go is very convenient for me, I didn't even know you were supposed to press the "button", I just brush my hand on the inside/outside and it locks, super quick and accurate 95% of the time. Definitely a must-have for future vehicles.