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harman kardon How to tell if I have it?

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Old Jan 8, 2016 | 09:29 PM
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harman kardon How to tell if I have it?

I just bought a 2007 clk350 coupe, I would rather it didn't have the sound system, because I have plans of upgrading the headunit and the fiber optic harman kardon system would drive up cost.

How can i tell if I have the sound system or not?

so far I do not have any letters on my speakers.

Thanks!! BTW the clk is one hell of a car, Ive been missing out

Last edited by 2002c230coupe; Jan 8, 2016 at 09:45 PM.
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Old Jan 8, 2016 | 10:15 PM
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05 CLK55 AMG (1 of 247) Cubanitsilber designo series
Whether it's Harman Kardon or Bose, it's still fiber optics.
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Old Jan 9, 2016 | 12:47 AM
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thanks for the reply!

Well I read that with the karman system you have to run wires directly to the speakers. But with the standard speakers (Bose?) you get a wiring harness and doesnt need the extra work.

I could be wrong though.
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Old Jan 9, 2016 | 01:09 AM
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thanks for the reply!

Well I read that with the karman system you have to run wires directly to the speakers. But with the standard speakers (Bose?) you get a wiring harness and doesnt need the extra work.

I could be wrong though.
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Old Jan 9, 2016 | 01:46 AM
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2007 BMW 550i
thats correct. The fiber optic cables are responsible for a couple different things including your sound system (amplifier connection). But if you dont have a separate amplifier (harmon Kardon option) then the speakers are connected to the back of the headunit directly. take a look at the rear shelf behind the rear seats, just behind the headrests and under the rear windscreen. There are two "buldges" and one of those should contain the rear sub unit and should have the words harmon kardon on it. If you dont see the lettering your good to go.
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Old Jan 9, 2016 | 07:46 PM
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c230 2002 coupe
Well, I have the harman system, saw the letters behind the passenger seat...

I guess I'll just run cables from each speaker directly to the HU. Im no audiophile, just want all the features + backup camera from the android hu.

Next question is how would I retain steering wheel controls?
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Old Jan 9, 2016 | 10:09 PM
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There are aftermarket systems that tap into the steering wheel controls - SWI-CAN is one, I believe.
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Old Jan 10, 2016 | 10:49 PM
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Amazon.com: Metra 99-8721B Double or Single Din with Pocket Installation Kit for Mercedes-Benz Vehicles (Black): Car Electronics Amazon.com: Metra 99-8721B Double or Single Din with Pocket Installation Kit for Mercedes-Benz Vehicles (Black): Car Electronics


Amazon.com : JOYING 7 Inch 1024*600 HD Capative Multi-touch Screen Automotive Android 4.4.4 Universal Car Audio Stereo Head Unit 2 Din RK3188 Quad Core 16GB ROM Radio GPS Navigation System with Multiple Button : GPS & Navigation Amazon.com : JOYING 7 Inch 1024*600 HD Capative Multi-touch Screen Automotive Android 4.4.4 Universal Car Audio Stereo Head Unit 2 Din RK3188 Quad Core 16GB ROM Radio GPS Navigation System with Multiple Button : GPS & Navigation

Amazon.com: PAC SWI-CP5 Steering Wheel Control with Bus Data: Car Electronics Amazon.com: PAC SWI-CP5 Steering Wheel Control with Bus Data: Car Electronics

The above are the parts Im about to order. Ill also pick out a backup cam and an obd2 bluetooth dongle so that i can read engine codes directly on the head unit.

Do you think these combo of parts on a 2007 clk350 will go together nicely? As mentioned, I will by pass the amp and just use the amp on the unit itself.
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Old Jan 11, 2016 | 12:57 AM
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Did you read the reviews of the double din? Somebody said it needed to be heavily modified to fit a 550. 350 is the same as a 550 in any way that that matters for that part. I don't think the other comment makes any sense - that it fits an '07 but not '08. They are the same.
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Old Jan 11, 2016 | 01:04 AM
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I know its tricky. Its the only double din kit I could find on the net that claims to work.
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Old Jan 11, 2016 | 01:33 AM
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I just placed the order, we will see how it goes.
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Old Jan 16, 2016 | 10:17 PM
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Well, I have HU installed, had my guy do it. It wasn't cheap. Had to buy a 5 channel amp and run the rear speakers to the HU, all my speakers, except center work.

The sound quality is good but not great. Could be due to the HU. I played with the EQ and got it to a B+, A- sound quality which is great for me, considering all the additional features.

So budget about 1.2-1.5k to do something like this (parts+labor).

As for the dash kit, I made a new buddy on the east coast who sells the euro, legit, double din dash kit for w209. The link i posted above is BS, doesnt fit our car.

Here is a link to mrcanbus, he will hook you up with a good double din kit (going off of his word, havent received mine yet, but he knows about the fitment issues and says his kit fits):

give erik a call, he deserves ur business

http://mrcanbus.com/

http://mrcanbus.com/products/2007-20...stallation-kit
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Old Jan 21, 2016 | 05:13 PM
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Well here are my findings:
1. My installer couldnt get the Steering Wheel controls to work, he said i needed another part. Not sure, but doesnt bother me either way.

2. The Metra kit does not fit, BUT my installer grinded it down on one edge and it looks like factory! it is literally a perfect fit, with no signs of wear. So I decided to cancel the order on the legit dash kit since the metra looks good enough for a quarter of the price.

3. The chinese headunit has ****ty sound quality, it sounds like a badly encoded mp3. I couldnt bare it, so I returned it. Everything else is as described. Really nice screen. Other problems with it is that it doesnt lower audio from Bluetooth to work with other apps for example map directions. Its full on android but not optimized very well to work with bluetooth in a car. For me, it's too fidley so I went with a regular double din pioneer, that only does two things: bt audio + backup cam.
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Old Jan 21, 2016 | 05:41 PM
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So you went through all this effort and expense for what added value?
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