superangrypenguin

In my view I'm reading your posts by inferring that your feathers were ruffled so thus the need to chime in. I quite frankly don't have skin with either system. I'm probably the most impartial person here as I don't even own either system yet.

In a world where subwoofers don't need to exist based on your logic, the upgraded 3D Burmester system would not have one either, but it does.

rbrylaw

LOL......my feathers aren't ruffled and evidently yours aren't either. Good for us! Curious. When you listen to your system, do you have all passengers (I can't remember if that's what they call it) or just front passengers checked? I have found that if you choose just Front Passengers in the sound settings, bass is greatly enhanced.

nycebo

Please clarify what you mean by a lack of true lows? Do you mean quality lows? If so, then I agree. The bass is amorphous and bulbous at the same time without well conveying an appreciable sense of percussion.

However, I found that this amorphous bass in the base Burmeister was actually over-amped, especially when listening to today's overly produced "bassed and percussive" music to compensate for crappy iPhone earbuds. One of the first things I did was to lower the bass setting in the EQ to a more personally acceptable level.

Meanwhile, as for the 3D high end Burmeiser, I used to be a huge fan of in car audio. However, wisdom reminded me that the listening environment is simply too far removed from ideal. I have the acoustic comfort package and that helps, but that kind of money to upgrade to 3D audio is better spent in the controlled home environment. FWIW...

ua549

I totally agree. Even home environments are less than ideal unless one has set up a listening room.

BTW is that syperangrypenguin sitting on nycebo's knee?

jhpmbusa

you guys are all missing the point. the 3d burmester is 3d because the tweeters circulate when coming out and changes colors. (obviously i am joking here).... or who knows it maybe true..


the amg gt has a colored seat belt option for 500. i think porsche charges 1000. this is just to have a different color than the standard black. you are paying 500 for a different color cotton thread haha.

the cost of the 5400 might not be worth it, but to some it is, just like the seat belt lol

jhpmbusa

also, you cant just go by the brand, my sl550 had harmon kardon package. that 2 seater had the best sound i've had in any of my benzes... small 2 seater space with like 12 or 14 speakers... cant remember.

also, the interior layout matters a lot. the burmester in a c300 sedan and coupe sounds way different.. at least from what i recall, just didn't hit as hard.

rbrylaw

Well dayum, if I'd a known they rotate and glow, I just might have popped for those tweeters!! LOL

superangrypenguin

It is frankly quite embarrassing how much time I have spent dicking around with both systems.so yeah, played with that too.

My feelings about the bass quality was summed up well by the other poster a few posts above this.

jhpmbusa

keep it up front. haha 99% of the time i am alone, if not 1 passenger

rbrylaw

Same here. Unless the partner is with me, I'm usually the only person in my car.

nycebo

Quick question in regards to sound focus and sound quality:

Does all focus improve sound for everyone? Does front focus simply diminish sound to the rear? Or does it actually improve sound for the front passengers?

When I tried the front focus instead of all focus, it seemed to lose a bit of that enveloping sound, like it just muted the rear speakers.

What the heck do these things even do? The manual is insufficient in a description.

MikeO3

No it optimizes for the focus seat you select.

Yes it will appear to diminish the sound in the non-focus areas. So in your case rear will be faded and rebalanced left (for the drivers seat). Obviously you notice the difference when you select a specific area.

Yes, pretty much what it does.

My manual says...Which is exactly what it does... Think of it as a preset rear to front fader and left balance configuration. You can do exactly the same thing manually by adjusting the fader & balance controls.

Frankly I see the option as pointless as I like the spaciality of the 3D sound but to each his/her own.

kingscorpian27

nycebo

@MikeO3, That is a great response. Thanks. You put into words exactly what I was trying to express, particularly your detail about the balance and the fader. And that, is what I was worried about. Consequently, it sounds like front focus isn't so much front enhancement as rear reduction. I guess I was hoping for some sort of 3D magic. My plan is to listen to a bunch of different favorite songs and compositions to determine which focus sounds best. Cheers.

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SteveE400

I have only experienced the Burmester system in loaners, but I am quite used to the HK in the W212, as well as the Mark Levinson in the Lexus LS models. I find the bass on the Burmester (non-3D) system to be "tubby." It sounds like it enhances mid-bass, but never really gets to low bass. My HK system similarly misses the low bass, but doesn't sound "emphasized" in the mid-bass, hence it feels cleaner to me.

Now, the ML in the Lexus, with an aftermarket sub instead of the standard unit. . . that system is way ahead of either of the MB systems.

I couldn't find a W212 with the B&O system to even listen to, but from the bit I've read about the B&O, while it is a good system, it is not great - and not worth the upcharge to most buyers. That's why the dealer had none to show me - they won't order them for stock because their clientele will not pay for the system.

It sounds like Mike5215 has the answers, but what he did is way beyond my skill set, and I don't think I know any shops I would trust to cut into my car for me.

superangrypenguin

Comparing the LS500's upgraded ML system vs the W222 Burmester 3D system, my opinion is:

The ML system sounds better when the car is idle/not moving. The 3D system sounds better when the respective car is moving (e.g. with more ambient noise).

I don't know why I feel that way, but when I listened to the ML system in the LS500 when the car was off, I literally had my breath taken away.

jhpmbusa

also, other than the reggae comment - i dont think anyone is posting what kind of music (classic, rock ,rap, edm) they are comparing the systems to? Also, was it CD, USB, Bluetooth, etc etc, quality changes depending on all these factors. And then of course listener's preference would be the most important factor haha

superangrypenguin

Anyone worth their salt would only be listening to audio sources that are appropriate when testing music systems. FM/AM/Satellite radio are out.

I choose to test using real life sources which I feel are appropriate for testing high end audio systems, which are also grounded in reality, so for me, Spotify quality on maximum, and streamed over Bluetooth.