MB4Fun

Just got my 2004 Eclass home from having Sat Radio installed. Sound quality is superb. I have the HK system.

Seems as though bass is very much improved. During the install is any hardware installed that improves overall sound quality? Is there any amplification to system added?

Cant believe how much better this sounds than before I had the install done. Anyone else have this improvement?

PS...was dealer installed and the antenna is a very small Terk that goes on the roof behind the GPS locator...cant even tell it is there!

Thanks in advance

Jeff

SAguirre

I had the car for about 3 weeks before I had the sat radio installed. I had no sound difference. I think that there must have been some setting that you were not using. Have you always been on "logic 7"? I am very happy with the sound quality of the system (I never thought I would say this about a system that comes from the manufacturer) however, some of the SAT radio channels are of low quality.

The main music channels are the best, but the talk and the news channels are definitely lower bandwidth. I find it annoying to listen to these channels on Logic 7 and switch it to "voice" or whatever that sound setting is. I bet Scorchie will comment with specifics, but I would be willing to bet that even the better SAT radio channels are at about 128 mp3 quality (at best).

I am very happy with the SAT radio though. I find it great to be able to keep one station on during a long trip where you would have definitely had to search for a repeater station. I find the variety unbeatable.

Steve

josterholt

Hi,

My 2004 E320 didnt come with sat radio, and I have considered having the dealer install it, but I really don't want one if they have to install a second antenna. Do they use the current antenna, or have to put a new one on the trunk lid?

Thanks,

Jack

MB4Fun

Jack...the earlier dealer installs had the antenna put on the trunk. Was big, ugly and I wouldn't do it. They now use a very small terk that goes on the roof just in front of the Nav antenna. You dont even see it. I have waited for a year to do this and it is very, very nice.

Jeff

Barry45RPM

The sound improvement you hear is due to the fact that the Satellite signal is digital, not analogue, and is to be compared to CD quality. Very Clean with great highs & lows. The occaisional dropouts take some getting used to though. Since FM replaced AM years ago drop outs had been eliminated. Now with satellite, they are ocaisionally back. Enjoy!

MB4Fun

Barry45RPM...thanks for the input.

Here is why I think something is different...when listening to CD's before sat install, I had the bass set as far to the right as it would go...even set there, not that earthshaking of bass sound.

Now with sat install...I cant set the bass more than about two thirds without the car seriously bumping/shaking the car...something is DEFINATELY different with overall sound.

Any ideas???

Thanks

MB4Fun

Here is a pic of the dealer installed antenna.

ajm0824

I'm inclined to beleive you. I have logic 7, dont have sat but, around the time I started fooling with the 3-5-7 menu trick on my command (mentioned elsewhere on the board) and changed my logo to amg/model to EURO, for a brief instant my stereo sound was MUCH LOUDER AND HAD MUCH MORE BASS. BRIEFLY. After I shut the car off and went back to it later.. it was back to its old tricks low... not enough bass.. some songs would crack the speakers etc... I was never able to get it back again.


Maybe this might have to do with an inherent setting? Or with the auto volume/noise leveling mechanism. Can someone provide more insight?

Thanks.

jago1244

my small terk antenna was installed , by dealer, on the rear deck, inside the car, at the bottom of rear window. occasional cutouts, dont know if it happens to me more than others, but generally ok.

Barry45RPM

So are these 2 different antenna installs "Dealer created" or are they "MBUSA created"?

Which antenna is now the OEM install? My trunk mount, inside or rooftop?

On the rooftop install, was the car prewired for the antenna there or did they have to make a hole thru the rear glass adhesive to get the wire through? What is the routing of the antenna wire to the trunk? It IS a nice antenna.

RE: The Base sound... Radio stations are free to set their equilizers & compression settings to whatever each station's (NOT each Channel) chief engineer feels is the best sound. Haven't you ever heard the same song played almost simultanieously on 2 seperate radio stations on your dial, yet it sounds so much better/louder/boomier on one than the other? That's due to the Chief Engineer's settings/ear. Sirius's engineer has a bigger range to work with due to the method of transmission & frequency, not to mention the higher highs & lows Satellite's permit. No other equipment was added to your car other than a receiver and an antenna. No amps, no revised settings. You are receiving a DIGITAL, ENHANCED, signal above the quality FM can provide.

People were wowed when pop music moved from AM to FM and there were still some music stations left on AM. The FM signal was the same "Different" you discribe now. That's why music formats abandoned AM. As more & more cars come equipped with factory satellite radios, Satellite will do to FM, what FM did to AM... its just what's next. I remember people rushing to hang FM converters under their dashes to send the FM station to an unused AM frequency, then car manufacturers making FM Mono radios an option. Then including FM mono as standard equipment & making FM stereo an option (2 speakers- 1 mid dash one left rear package shelf). Now even TAXI cabs have at least AM/FM Stereo included.

vitaman

On my home Sirius the Artist and Title appear when you change stations. In the car the Artist and Title only appear if you do not change stations.(Or if you press the info button which gets old) Anyone figured out how to remedy this?

HollaBack

Can you get the antenna mounted on the roof if you have panarama roof?

SAguirre

I have already posted these, but here they go again.

https://mbworld.org/forums/e-class-w211/90330-rear-window-shelf-sat-antenna-mount-pics.html

Also, my bass has always gotten the whole car to shake. The rear view mirror rattles and the rear seat back punches you in the back! I only have had the volume this high for very short periods of time, it is really strong.

About this mounting, the only time that I have cut outs is when I recently started the car and I drive under big bridges. I suspect that it is because the buffer has not totally loaded. Otherwise, when I pass by the same bridges again after having driven for a while, it never cuts out. I have had not negative effects from this antenna mounting.

There was one little problem however. When I used my electric cooler and had it running in the trunk, it sometimes made the sat. reception cut out. The second I unplugged the cooler, the receptions was totally solid again.

Steve

Sorry, I posted the wrong picture true error here

Brian_I.

How much is the upgrade if I were to add it on?

Thanks.

scorchie

Your choice of words makes your question somewhat ambiguous, i.e. I am not sure what you want to remedy. Since my COMAND continues to display Artist/Title information after I change stations using the SEEK +/- or preset buttons, I assume you are talking about fixing your home system so that it displays the information all the time? You may want to consult the manufacturer of your home system to try and fix that.

-s-

DWP

I think he's saying that his home system always displays current Artist/Title information even after changing channels, but that in his car, the Artist/Title information from the previous channel stays on the display when he changes channels, unless he presses the "Info" button. In other words, his home system and your car system display Artist/Title information as you might expect, but his car system does not.

It's all Greek to me. I have XM at home and no satellite radio of any kind in my car.

Barry45RPM

He wants the Title & Artist to display by default, all the time. No can do. Once you get to a station & press info it will continue to show title /artist. If you shut down the car, when you restart it reverts to the std Sat display without artist/title.

scorchie

Well, that's my point. When I change stations, the artist/title information does change on my COMAND. So that's why I don't think that's the question he is asking.

-s-

HollaBack

Can you get the roof mounted antenna if you have Panaramic roof?

MB4Fun

Holla back...you CAN get the small Terk antenna with the panorama roof. There was one in at my dealer when I picked up my car.

jago1244

pre-sale, guy at rallye showed me example of new delivery with trunk mount , drilled. i said no-go. i was about to pick up car w/out the sirius, then they said they got in the new small terk and were going to place it outside , behind gps nub. i said ok, and i guess they'd have had to work it thru the glass seal somehow..however theymanaged to place it inside car.
seems the dealer installers have some leeway in how they put these in.
j.
however

BlueMonk

If you key in a station number directly the artist / title info disappears in my car. Using presets or channel up/down the info stays up. I wish there was some way to always show title / artist by default when the car is restarted too.

ntlwhsle

I have a E500 and want to do the terk behind the gps. what dealer is doing this?

do you know what the model of Terk antenna this is?

MB4Fun

Mine was done with the Terk at Caliber Motors in Anaheim, California.

NickIndy

I just got a MB satellite radio kit for Christmas, just have to take it back to the dealer to install. The kit still has the big antenna in it. Is the small Terk antenna just something extra that the dealer has laying around? Or should I be concerned that my kit doesn't have one? There is no way I'm letting them drill a hole in my trunk lid.