Mike5215

It's possible you got a bad unit. Have you tried adding the ground loop isolator from Radio Shack? Also, check the RCA cables for a bad ground (wiggle them and see if the whine breaks up).

I get a very faint high pitched whine that's only apparent between tracks and in very quiet sections.

I've also made a couple of additions: A small USB powered headphone amplifier between the output of the EQ and the car's aux jack for more gain, and a powered Infinity Basslink subwoofer in the trunk. The sub takes over a lot of the heavy lifting at the bottom end so the cabin speakers aren't rattling anymore.

Connections were easy. Another 12v plug with binding posts to pull power from the trunk's 12v receptacle, and then pulling back the left side trunk liner to gain access to the amp and speaker leads Spliced into that to pull signal, buttoned it back up. Huge difference in drive, power and just the right amount of thump without getting boomy or causing rattles.

I think I can do better though. I ordered an enclosure with four 6 1/2" openings, a set of 4 woofers and a small 4 channel Kenwood amp. That should give me tighter mid-bass. If so, I'll replace the Infinity.

Shifter

I know it's not the cables , I've tried different ones cause I thought that also. Since you also get a faint noise maybe it is just the eq, maybe need a higher quality one?
Where did you get the headphone amp?

Your taking this to the next level great job for sharing.

Mike5215

Thanks! Here's the headphone amp (although if you're having noise issues this is probably going to make them worse)

http://www.parts-express.com/pe/show...number=230-102

The system could handle even more boost than that unit provides and I recall seeing somewhat more expensive, higher output options at Parts Express.

The noise I'm getting is very faint, and if I disconnect the power from the Ipod charger it disappears all together. I'd try getting a replacement EQ to rule out a bad unit. Have you tried the ground loop isolator?

For the W221 Guys...

My 4 port box arrived today. Still waiting for the speakers and amp. The box is just small enough to fit tightly between the wheel wells in the trunk.



I also just bought a used S550 front door speaker on Ebay and I should have it next week. It's a funky looking contraption and I plan to dissect it and see if it can be modified to perform better. I'm 99% sure the problem is in the little mid driver. Maybe just disabling it will be the fix. If you put your ear up to the mid you can hear how harsh it is. It almost sounds out of phase

Then there's what looks like a shallow mount 6" (or 6.5") woofer in there, then some kind of strange inverted transducer is mounted over it. If you put your ear to it, the assembly puts out a lot of good mid-bass and plays very low. There's an enormous magnet on the rear side (almost the diameter of the speaker itself) and apparently a second magnet and motor on the front, all indications that the designers were trying to get big power in a small, shallow space. I'll probably be keeping that driver intact and pulling out the mid speaker. The only potential problem I see with deleting the little mid speaker is the crossover gap between the remaining woofer and tweeter.

my_username

Wish I would have know about this sooner... I gutted and changed the complete audio system in my W221 to include an in dash iPad to run the rear screens... (No video out from the command)

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my_username

Don't know if this worked. Having a rough time putting up images.


http://

Mike5215

Wow. What did you do with the amp and speakers?

my_username

All the stock stuff is gone.

What appears to be a wall is the sub box. One 12 inch sub hung in the rear shelf ported directly into cabin.

http://http://

Underneath the floor are the amps

http://

my_username

Excuse the pictures, they are from my cell

Mike5215

Very nice! What's in the doors speaker wise?

my_username

Thanks! Cliff Designs mids and highs. 3 ways up front and a 2 way components in the rear CDT HD's if I remember correctly.

Mike5215

Did you need to fabricate new enclosures for the front doors?

Mike5215

Dissected the stock door speaker module...

The 6" woofer's form factor is proprietary. I has two magnets and two voice coils. One is on the back in the usual configuration. The second is suspended over the front. The speaker itself is about 2" thick in total. If you remove the top mounted voice coil, you'll find that the main speaker frame is epoxied into the enclosure. In short, there's no clear aftermarket path to replace the woofer. Fortunately it performs well enough as-is.

The 4" mid speaker is another story. Luckily it's just a conventional 4" speaker. It tests out at the standard 4 ohm resistance, so there are a lot of replacements and upgrades available.I pulled it out and bench tested it, and (big surprise) it's a nasty little turd. Terrible.

I did an A/B bench test between the OEM Harmon Kardan 4" mid, and an inexpensive 4" MTX coaxial I had laying around. The MTX actually played what could be described as music, while the sound coming from the stock speaker could be described as someone killing a cat. Literally anything you put in place of that speaker, including no speaker at all, would be an improvement. I was tempted to just install the MTX's but I don't really need another set of tweeters down near the floor competing with the OEM tweets

I've ordered a pair of highly rated 3" mid drivers from Parts Express. (The 3" should mount easily in the factory enclosure where another 4" would require trimming off the mounting ears). If they do the trick I'll write up a mod on pulling the door panels and replacing the OEM mids.

my_username

Not at all. The stock MB housing is pretty good actually. Just built off of it to give more airspace on the inside. We used the shallow mount CDT woofer, so it is about the same size as stock, just a WAY better piece of audio equipment.

my_username

i agreee totally. i actually blew both woofers up front in my car. initially, i just wanted them replaced but you know how that goes. i didnt see it coming, but my wife did

Mike5215

Same here. But that's what she gets for letting me spend $50k on a car with a clearly inferior audio system.

I'm amazed there's an aftermarket woofer that fits in that module. Did you end up cutting the back out (the half that's enclosed)? Do you by any chance remember the model number on that driver?

my_username

Exactly! Even if I didn't see it coming, she knows me, and my ways. I like the way you think. I'll make sure to let my wife know this whole thing is her fault! side note though, I was seriously let down by the audio system in this car. I had a M5, and I would drive that car only because the audio system was leaps and bounds better. Once I upgraded the stereo in my 221, I sold the Beemer as I detest bmw (even though I currently still own 3 )

Nope!Pretty sure there was no cutting involved. He Just built up off of the area where speaker sat. Made a ring of wood and mounted it to the housing and closed it all in.

http://www.cdtaudio.com/main_series/es/es632is.htm

This is what I have up front. Don't remember what I paid, but I think the price may have gone up a bit.

Mike5215

Well, you definitely didn't go cheap! I'll bet that system kills in the W221. Have you tried the AudioForge EQ on the IPad? Big bump in power and fidelity over the native Apple music player, and a lot of additional customizable equalization. Worth every bit of the $2.99 price.

I plan on unloading the S550 in 3 years when the CPO expires so I want to stay as stock as possible. Sadly the 6" x 4 speaker box was a bust. Not enough volume in the cabinet. The Infinity Basslink performs well so it stays.

I did tighten up the bass by inserting a small cloth towel over the grille of the factory sub in trunk. It slipped easily between the speaker and the trunk liner, cuts the excess bass overtones and eliminated any occasional rattles.

Should have the replacement mids tomorrow. That's the only area I need to fix to be happy with the system overall. Searched everywhere but can't find a DIY on the door panel removal.

Mike5215

Add A Powered Sub

This mod adds a powered subwoofer (or a small sub with an independent amp) to your 2010+ S550. The benefits are dramatically increased “punch”, especially in the kick drum and snare drum. It also allows you to decrease the level of bass signal in your factory cabin speakers, which can get a little boomy, especially if you’ve done the Clarion outboard EQ mod I’ve outlined previously. Unlike the EQ mod, this will benefit all of your sources, not just the aux-in. The sub combined with the EQ mod can produce teeth rattling bass if that's your thing, or just add some nice fill to the very low end.

Skill level (and the butt-clenching factor) is a little higher than the EQ mod, as you’ll be splicing into the factory amp’s speaker wires for your signal. The entire installation takes place in the trunk. The factory amp is located behind the liner on the left side of the trunk. It’s accessed by prying out the snap-in clips on the trunk sill finish panel (lift the spare tire cover) and the left liner by the rear lamp. There’s also a small cargo tie down on the left side panel at the floor that comes up. Remove the sill with a good tug and set it aside. Lift the spare tire cover, tug the liner toward the interior of the trunk and you’ll expose the amp.

There are two wiring harnesses servicing the amp. We’ll be working exclusively with the white connector on the left side of the amp. Disconnect the connector and peel away the flexible wrap and you’ll be able to isolate the individual speaker leads, which are arranged in twisted pairs, one a solid color and the other striped. You can tap into the leads however you’d like, but if you’re nervous about hacking up the harness, use snap-in “vampire” clips, available at Radio Shack.

Note that you aren't breaking the connections between the factory amp and the factory speakers, just tapping on to them to pull signal for the subwoofer.

You’ll be making four connections, for left side + and -, and right side + and -. Power is pulled using a 12v plug with binding posts. Since the 12v trunk receptacle is switched (off when the ignition is off) there’s no need to worry about using a remote sensing lead, however if your amp requires a “remote” connection, run a short jumper to the amps 12v (+) connection.

I used the Infinity BassLink 10” powered sub, but any powered sub, or a separate sub with an amp that accepts speaker-level (high) inputs will work, although I’d be careful about getting too ambitious with size and power since there are amperage limitations on the 12v receptacle. The BasslInk has a 200 watt amp, a 10” subwoofer and a 10” passive radiator so I can attest that being within those specs is fine.



For placement, I want mainly the percussive elements of the bass reinforced, so I have the active woofer pushed right up against the rear seatback and centered in the trunk. If you like a looser (fuller) bass sound, locate the sub where it has more breathing room. For tuning, start a reference song playing, then make adjustments. For tight bass “hits”, set the crossover low, then adjust the gain and boost until you get just a hint of bass notes on top of the hits. It’ll sound weird in isolation but, with the trunk lid closed, the sound in the cabin will resolve nicely.


Tame Those Tweets!

I’ve written previously about how brassy and harsh the mids and highs are from the front door speaker arrays. While the main culprit is the 4” mid speaker in the door module, the tweeters up in the sail panels could also use some softening, and that’s an easy fix.

1) Roll the window down.
2) Start at the tall side and carefully pry the sail panel away from the door toward the interior of the car(it snaps in and out)
3) Pop the tweeter speaker out of the sail panel. (it also snaps in).
4) Cut out a circle of foam, terrycloth, tissue paper etc and place it between the tweeter and the interior of the sail panel so the tweeter plays through it.
5) Snap everything back together. Your highs will sound sweeter and less harsh, depending on the material you choose.

After a little experimentation I settled on a layer of facial tissue, then a layer of 1/2" high density foam (from the craft or fabric store). I also made 2 4" discs out of the same material, wrapped them in a black fabric and attached them to the speaker grille over the mids in the door and suddenly I got the sound I was looking for. Eventually I'll need to pull the door panels and place the discs inside the mid enclosure.

my_username

I will have to download and try that App. the sound from the ipad currently sucks, so i only use it if my kids are in the back, and asking to watch movies. i usually either go with music from the drive or from the ipod in the glovebox.

i am done with mine as well, i plan on giving it to my mother, as she has asked me if she could have it recently. i am looking foward to that '15 W221 release. that or a Maserati...

i have a rattle, but only at the sunroof, and if i put it back, it will no longer rattle. any suggestions?

the door panel is tricky... it has tabs, but still... quite a few broken ones on my side. orderd a few replacements from MB

Mike5215

My system went from "very good" to "great" with the addition of the ITunes Radio streaming service. Free as an update to OS 7, ITunes Radio differs from Pandora in four key ways. 1) Much higher quality, 256kb ACC vs Pandora One's 192kb. 2) Huge library...28 Million songs on Apple vs 1 Million on Pandora. 3)Your device's internal EQ applies to the streamed music and 4) The radio stations become part of your music library, searchable thru Siri. So you can trigger Siri and say "Play The Eagles Radio" and it will launch the station, or 'Play Eagles" which will shuffle and play all of your local Eagle songs, or "Play Hotel California"...you get the idea.

The downside is that for the highest quality stream, you need WiFi in the car. I've tried the dedicated AutoNet router...terrible coverage...a MiFi mobile hotspot from Sprint... better coverage but still too many annoying skips and drop-outs for Pandora, and even worse for the 256kb stream, and a Virgin Mobile hotspot, which it turns out uses Sprint's towers.

I ultimately chose a Verizon MiFi 4G LTE Jetpack and that thing screams. No coverage issues and not a single skip or drop out. The device was free after a $50 rebate, and 5GB a month is $50. That seems to be enough for around 40 minutes a day. Additional data is automatically charged at $10 per GB per month. A usage meter on board helps to keep track of the usage. I have to remember to pause the music when I'm leaving the car, otherwise it'll run forever.

ITunes premium ad-free radio service is free with an ICloud account. Otherwise you'll hear an ad every dozen tracks or so.

kurtismayfield

Personally, I think the smi­ley eq can sound fatigu­ing and arti­fi­cial and hollow. It's an old 60's AM radio broadcasting technique to trick bandscanners to stop and listen. Similar to the TV commercials that are louder than the TV programs.


How music can sound better by eliminating content has always escaped me.


Ever listen to a CD through a very well setup sound system and then repeat the process with the CD ripped to mp3s at 128, 196 or 256kb/sec? Spoiler Alert!! No contest, mp3s suck.


You say what about 256kb ACC, FLAC, OGG etc. I say why bother if you are going to "tighten up the bass by inserting a small cloth towel over the grille of the factory sub in trunk." or "cut out a circle of foam, terrycloth, tissue paper etc. and place it between the tweeter and the interior of the sail panel so the tweeter plays through it...highs will sound sweeter and less harsh" or "take two 4" discs of 1/2" high density foam wrapped in black fabric and attach them to the speaker grille over the mids in the door, suddenly I got the sound I was looking for..." Sounds like it would be mud to me.


Perhaps hearing tests should be entertained as it seems every sound source needs to be contained somewhat or dampened, softened, subdued, deadened, hushed, lowered, soft-pedaled, moderated, muted, muzzled, muffled or reduced in some way in order to sound better!


Regarding, 28 Million songs on Apple vs 1 Million on Pandora. At forty minutes a day for $50 per month, the first million songs will take you 304 years to listen to and cost $182,400 in 2013 dollars!




Just thinking.

Mike5215

If your system is well balanced you may not benefit from extra equalization. If the typical presets "Rock, "R&B" etc all sound over processed (hollow, fake) you can probably get by with a Flat setting. EQ ideally should be used to mitigate deficiencies in the listening environment, or to attenuate or emphasize specific elements of the sound. In my W220, I used no EQ at all.
to

In the case of the 221, however, nothing sounded like it should. In addition to adding an outboard EQ. which was a huge help. I added a powered sub in the trunk, and attenuating material over the mids and tweeters to mute some of the brassiness. My goal was to get the 221 sounding as good as a stock 220, and while I got there unconventionally. I did get there, without spending a fortune on a total tear-down.

With respect to a topic that's been debated to the point of absurdity (digital encoding). I can hear a clear difference between lower and higher bitrate MP3 encoded files to an extent. Past 256k I can't perceive a difference worth bothering with between say a 256k and a 320k MP3 encoded file.

FLAC is a lossless (bit for bit) encoding format. If you want to store a bunch of raw unencoded CD tracks on a portable device with no loss of quality, that's your answer. Obviously, raw CD WAV files are huge. so a high capacity device like a 160GB ipod Classic might be in order.

I can't discern a drop in quality between a CD track and a 256k AAC rip that would be worth the trade off to me in terms of convenience and portability.

With respect to the economics of a subscription streaming service , your analysis is absurd. When you pay your cable bill every month for subscription TV service, do you first calculate how many millions of hours of TV were available to be watched, then divide that by how many hours a day you watched, and then extrapolate how many years it would take you to watch everything on cable, and how much you'd spend in the process? Of course not.

However. I do really enjoy your films. especially "When Harry Met Sally" and "A Few Good Men".

Jason B

I'm wondering why the w221 system is worse then the w220? That's weird. I hope it's better than my old 96 w140 s class

Mike5215

I hear ya. I've owned two 220's and did very little to get them to sound really great. A small powered sub in the trunk, and a Dennison IPod/Aux-In module. That was it. The 221 is a different animal entirely.

One key difference between the 220 and 221 is that the 221 had a factory option for a $6,000 audio upgrade by B&O, so its possible the "base" system was intentionally mediocre as an inducement to upgrade. In the 220 there was no upgrade. I guess back then they figured if you're paying $90,000 for a car a good audio system should be standard.

Honestly, while the S550 is a nice car, after living with one for three months I'd much rather have a clean S500 or S430 again. Ride is better, seats are more comfortable, audio system is much better, wood trim looks more like real wood, the leather wears better. The S550 has fresher tech going for it, and the exterior styling is less dated.

Jason B

Interesting. So how does the B&O sound?

And did Mercedes do anything to the command or radio for 2010, that 07-09 didn't have? Any blue tooth stuff, and any other upgrades overall to the command system?

Also, I have a friend with a 2007 S550, and he told me when he connects his iphone via bluetooth he can control the power rear shade and other stuff from his iphone. Is this true?