C450/C43 AMG
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Active Sound???

Old Dec 4, 2018 | 08:54 PM
  #1  
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2017 Mercedes AMG C43 Coupe
Active Sound???

Lets just say I've had several sources tell me the performance exhaust for the c43 is really nothing more than different ecu coding to produce more burbles and backfire and also speakers on the inside and outside of the car to make the exhaust appear to be louder?? Can anyone confirm this because this claim just seems like a reach to me.
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Old Dec 4, 2018 | 09:29 PM
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Originally Posted by Polar.C43
Lets just say I've had several sources tell me the performance exhaust for the c43 is really nothing more than different ecu coding to produce more burbles and backfire and also speakers on the inside and outside of the car to make the exhaust appear to be louder?? Can anyone confirm this because this claim just seems like a reach to me.
100% accurate. A member recently sourced a complete PE system from a salvaged car and outlined all of the components, including the sound module. I don't believe it's as pronounced as other cars with synthetic sound, but it's definitively a part of the system.
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Old Dec 4, 2018 | 10:18 PM
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Originally Posted by RichardCranium3


100% accurate. A member recently sourced a complete PE system from a salvaged car and outlined all of the components, including the sound module. I don't believe it's as pronounced as other cars with synthetic sound, but it's definitively a part of the system.
Are you sure? There has been no evidence that the the AMG PE exhaust option pipes in sound through the speakers in the cabin. I also do not believe there are speakers outside of the car either. The PE option is a different exhaust system that is controlled by separate control unit for the valves. I can't speak on behalf of the ECU coding for burbles/cracks/pops, but some of the flash tuners being advertised here do state that as one of their features.

Here is the original retrofit thread:
https://mbworld.org/forums/c450-c43-...-complete.html

Last edited by Abyssul; Dec 4, 2018 at 10:30 PM.
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Old Dec 4, 2018 | 11:00 PM
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2018 Mercedes C43 AMG Coupe
I really don't think sound is piped through "speakers". It may be possible that certain components, say in the door, may amplify noises at a certain frequency. But I would leave it at that, at least for the C43.

What is true though is that the exhaust button turns on a switch that tells the ecu to start retarding ignition timing to create the pops and bangs. It also opens the valves to let the exhaust gases escape more freely (and louder).
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Old Dec 4, 2018 | 11:30 PM
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There are definitely no speakers outside the car playing exhaust sounds...
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Old Dec 5, 2018 | 12:07 AM
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Originally Posted by Polar.C43
Lets just say I've had several sources tell me the performance exhaust for the c43 is really nothing more than different ecu coding to produce more burbles and backfire and also speakers on the inside and outside of the car to make the exhaust appear to be louder?? Can anyone confirm this because this claim just seems like a reach to me.

The ECU being related to the burbles and backfire is 500% correct and widely known. Since it is directly related to the fuel trim which is controlled by the ECU. Everybody should have known this without even investigating.
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Old Dec 5, 2018 | 02:43 AM
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It has to do with fuel trim.

When I installed my vivid tuning box I had to plug into fuel sensor. I lost all pops and bangs and I have the PE.


The speaker **** is garbage the car is all real sounds

When I took off the vivid the car sounds the same again
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Old Dec 5, 2018 | 08:31 AM
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C450, GLS 63 and a few other things
There is some strong evidence that there are some artificial sounds in the cabin. It's probably not a lot, as clearly you can hear the exhaust outside of the vehicle and those sounds are real.

However, as noted by a few posters who have done some work on the audio system, the AMG's have "Engine Sound Control Unit" wiring to the amp, that is not present in the non AMG cars. The AMG cars' amps are branded AMG (why else would the amp be different for AMG and non AMG cars) User @gunnysack posted when he redid the audio system and had an error, he could hear noises coming from the speakers, with the volume all the way down, only in sport mode or on heavy throttle in comfort mode. He rectified this with some firmware updates on his new equipment, but it is clear that there are some signals going through the audio system relating to throttle and mode.

I don't have definitive proof, and I can't distinguish noises from the speakers while I'm driving, but the AMG specific amp and "Engine Sound Control Unit" is at least circumstantial evidence of some artificial noise.
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Old Dec 5, 2018 | 08:39 AM
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Originally Posted by z28lt1
There is some strong evidence that there are some artificial sounds in the cabin. It's probably not a lot, as clearly you can hear the exhaust outside of the vehicle and those sounds are real.

However, as noted by a few posters who have done some work on the audio system, the AMG's have "Engine Sound Control Unit" wiring to the amp, that is not present in the non AMG cars. The AMG cars' amps are branded AMG (why else would the amp be different for AMG and non AMG cars) User @gunnysack posted when he redid the audio system and had an error, he could hear noises coming from the speakers, with the volume all the way down, only in sport mode or on heavy throttle in comfort mode. He rectified this with some firmware updates on his new equipment, but it is clear that there are some signals going through the audio system relating to throttle and mode.

I don't have definitive proof, and I can't distinguish noises from the speakers while I'm driving, but the AMG specific amp and "Engine Sound Control Unit" is at least circumstantial evidence of some artificial noise.
This. I didn't realize I needed to specify earlier when I said synthetic sound, I meant being piped inside the vehicle, not outside.
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Old Dec 5, 2018 | 12:08 PM
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Let’s end this debate. The all of the 43 cars/SUVs and more of the 2019 63 models have active sound modules developed by Harmon/Kardon. They match tones with your rpm, making it difficult to notice. The sound module does not pump in synthetic engine sounds, just low and mid frequency tones that make the engine sound more pronounced. Most at of this sound comes from the built in subwoofer and mid range speakers.
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