Notices
S-Class (W222) 2014-2020

W222 - Audiophile Questions - Burmester 3D High End

Thread Tools
 
Search this Thread
 
Rate Thread
 
Old Feb 8, 2024 | 11:33 AM
  #26  
superpop's Avatar
MBWorld Fanatic!
10 Year Member
Photogenic
Photoriffic
Liked
 
Joined: Nov 2015
Posts: 1,685
Likes: 820
From: Newcastle, WA
2019 S63 4Matic+, 2018 E400 Cabrio, wardens car.
Originally Posted by NbyNW
What key speakers would you replace? They're all over the cabin. And I'd be worried with removing panels and creating rattles or squeaks. Think I'd rather have basic speakers than create new problems. Do these panels go back together with no issues?
Depends on what version of Burmester you have. For the HE version I would start with the front mids and tweeter in the doors to start with. The nice thing about a good DSP is that you can tune all channels to the specific speakers you have. Replacing speakers is pretty easy once you remove the door cards. They come off fairly easily. Removing them once will not effect the fasteners much, you just do not what to remove the cards multiple times and if you do, you can replace the clips and screws.
Reply
Old Feb 12, 2024 | 04:15 PM
  #27  
carlosinseattle's Avatar
MBWorld Fanatic!
15 Year Member
Liked
Loved
Top Answer: 1
 
Joined: Aug 2007
Posts: 1,823
Likes: 792
From: Pacific Northwest
2001 S600 V12 Sold, 2011 Jaguar XFR Sold, 2017 S550 4-Matic, 2018 S63 AMG Sedan
I wonder if there's a way to disable the feedback system of the HE audio so that it doesn't constantly adjust things. Has anyone ever asked Benzninja, or any other coder, if that can be done? I ran into a similar problem with my Genesis G90, it basically attenuated/cut most of the additional sound I got from my aftermarket sub.
Reply
Old Dec 26, 2024 | 12:05 PM
  #28  
seele2's Avatar
Junior Member
Liked
 
Joined: Oct 2024
Posts: 16
Likes: 1
From: Kansas
Mercedes Benz S560 Renntek tune
TLDR - I have a 18 S560 with the standard Burmester... and it sounds horrible to my ears. see below for what i had in previous vehicle and wanting to put in this. seems to be common theme in these cars. MoBridge vs NavTV? anyone have experience with both?

I had a 750 18 with the Bowers and Wilkins system, and it sounded fantastic TBH. upgraded every single speaker to focal K2, had the aforementioned Mobridge MOST adapter. (by passed the factory amp all together). from the optical went to a Helix V12 for the 14 speakers in car Plus the two subs(mid bass) under the seat. then for the subs i had two JL audio 12w7 ported tuned to 31HZ. BEST sounding system i've ever had in a car. had it for all of two years as was mentioned above. it takes a lot of money. in this case i had the subs/ sub amp (sub amp is JL audio 1200/1v3). the helix by it self is 2k usd. the focal sets were 800 ish a pair. in all including having the shop tune it with full active x over. it was about 10K...... I was hit and totaled this car SMH to no fault of my own. I was able to yank out everything except for the B&W amp... which looking back i wish i would have. the only thing i couldn't as the dang shop glued them in were 2 sets (4) tweets of the K2 power. which you can buy. I have everything still... i really want it put in... every shop is talking crazy amounts of money to put it in and tune it (i can tune it myself) like 2k... just to put it in. I was looking at getting the knock-off spinning tweeter covers, can i put in my focal K2 power tweets in their? the K2 mids and tweeters should fit. i just don't know if the rear deck, and rear doors have coaxal or if they are component. could i mount the tweeters if the were coaxal? disappointed is an understatement when i found out the Mobridge would NOT work for the benz. according to the MoBridge website, I need https://mobridge.us/product/da-g2-en...t150-mercedes/. the one i have currently is https://mobridge.us/product/da-g2-standard-most25/. how does NAV-TV compare? have not even heard of them. the standard Burmester system is horrible. there are only three adjustments bass (which when i bought the car was jacked up to 10 so i new something was blown), mid, treble. the tweets up front crack every so often and the bass is just non existent. I see some people talk about "modes" like my BMW had is that only with the HE burmester?? anyway thanks for helping cheers
Reply
Old Dec 26, 2024 | 02:02 PM
  #29  
MB V-8's Avatar
Junior Member
Liked
Loved
Community Favorite
 
Joined: Jun 2024
Posts: 63
Likes: 35
2013 S63 AMG, 2015 S550
I have the Burmester 3D and its by far the best sounding sound system I've ever experienced in any car. It's "that" good. Previous was the Bang and Olufsen in an M5. It was definitely an upgrade from stock, but not as good as the Burmester. Very clear and very tight. This is a must-have option for me for any future cars of the this caliber.
Reply
Old Dec 26, 2024 | 02:17 PM
  #30  
carlosinseattle's Avatar
MBWorld Fanatic!
15 Year Member
Liked
Loved
Top Answer: 1
 
Joined: Aug 2007
Posts: 1,823
Likes: 792
From: Pacific Northwest
2001 S600 V12 Sold, 2011 Jaguar XFR Sold, 2017 S550 4-Matic, 2018 S63 AMG Sedan
The easiest and most cost effective modification would be the speakers themselves. I had a chance to take out the rear deck speakers and they are not "real car audio" high end, not by any stretch of the4 imagination. I have the 3D Burmester High End system in my 18 W222. The car has the feature that listens to what the driver is saying and then amplifies it through the speakers for rear seat passengers. I can disable that feature, but I don't know how to disable the built in attenuation. I thought about swapping speakers but I'm afraid that the system will just cut out any gains through processing. To me, that's the biggest question. How do you get improved sound without the system cutting back?
Reply
Old Dec 26, 2024 | 08:11 PM
  #31  
seele2's Avatar
Junior Member
Liked
 
Joined: Oct 2024
Posts: 16
Likes: 1
From: Kansas
Mercedes Benz S560 Renntek tune
it’s hard to find good info on replacing these cars speakers let alone a whole system overall. They are done just not very often. If I was you, and you have the tech know how. I’d try to replace the door spreaders up front and go from there. I’m going to bite the bullet and try to see the mobridge digital pre. The Mercedes one is 700 or 800 without the DSP.

Originally Posted by carlosinseattle
The easiest v and most cost effective modification would be the speakers themselves. I had a chance to take out the rear deck speakers and they are not "real car audio" high end, not by any stretch of the4 imagination. I have the 3D Burmester High End system in my 18 W222. The car has the feature that listens to what the driver is saying and then amplifies it through the speakers for rear seat passengers. I can disable that feature, but I don't know how to disable the built in attenuation. I thought about swapping speakers but I'm afraid that the system will just cut out any gains through processing. To me, that's the biggest question. How do you get improved sound without the system cutting back?
Reply
Old Dec 27, 2024 | 09:11 AM
  #32  
superpop's Avatar
MBWorld Fanatic!
10 Year Member
Photogenic
Photoriffic
Liked
 
Joined: Nov 2015
Posts: 1,685
Likes: 820
From: Newcastle, WA
2019 S63 4Matic+, 2018 E400 Cabrio, wardens car.
Originally Posted by seele2
TLDR - I have a 18 S560 with the standard Burmester... and it sounds horrible to my ears. see below for what i had in previous vehicle and wanting to put in this. seems to be common theme in these cars. MoBridge vs NavTV? anyone have experience with both?

I had a 750 18 with the Bowers and Wilkins system, and it sounded fantastic TBH. upgraded every single speaker to focal K2, had the aforementioned Mobridge MOST adapter. (by passed the factory amp all together). from the optical went to a Helix V12 for the 14 speakers in car Plus the two subs(mid bass) under the seat. then for the subs i had two JL audio 12w7 ported tuned to 31HZ. BEST sounding system i've ever had in a car. had it for all of two years as was mentioned above. it takes a lot of money. in this case i had the subs/ sub amp (sub amp is JL audio 1200/1v3). the helix by it self is 2k usd. the focal sets were 800 ish a pair. in all including having the shop tune it with full active x over. it was about 10K...... I was hit and totaled this car SMH to no fault of my own. I was able to yank out everything except for the B&W amp... which looking back i wish i would have. the only thing i couldn't as the dang shop glued them in were 2 sets (4) tweets of the K2 power. which you can buy. I have everything still... i really want it put in... every shop is talking crazy amounts of money to put it in and tune it (i can tune it myself) like 2k... just to put it in. I was looking at getting the knock-off spinning tweeter covers, can i put in my focal K2 power tweets in their? the K2 mids and tweeters should fit. i just don't know if the rear deck, and rear doors have coaxal or if they are component. could i mount the tweeters if the were coaxal? disappointed is an understatement when i found out the Mobridge would NOT work for the benz. according to the MoBridge website, I need https://mobridge.us/product/da-g2-en...t150-mercedes/. the one i have currently is https://mobridge.us/product/da-g2-standard-most25/. how does NAV-TV compare? have not even heard of them. the standard Burmester system is horrible. there are only three adjustments bass (which when i bought the car was jacked up to 10 so i new something was blown), mid, treble. the tweets up front crack every so often and the bass is just non existent. I see some people talk about "modes" like my BMW had is that only with the HE burmester?? anyway thanks for helping cheers
I had a fairly built out system in my last S550 with the standard Burmester similar to what you describe. All JL components with the NAVTV unit to grab a flat signal. From an upgrade perspective you are actually in a better spot with the standard Burmester as you can do audio upgrades much more simply. Either the Mobridge or NAVTV unit will accomplish the same thing, They will both give you a clean flat signal from the factory entertainment system while maintaining the factory bings and bongs along with telephony integration etc. I was running a single JL WA7 10" sub in a sealed enclosure behind the rear seats running it with a JL VXi 1000/1 sub amp. Mids and highs where run off of a VXi 800/8 8 channel amp and I used the front footwell subs as mid base drivers. I had the JL C7 components in my front doors for the front soundstage and it sounded incredible but the only thing that made me nervous was the amp draw on the factory alternator. Newer high current amps draw a lot of juice and I think I was pulling close to 80 amps between the two amps and didn't want to hassle with extra batteries and all that nonsense. I would occasionally get the low battery warning on my dash although I did not have any light flickering or other low voltage symptoms. There is no way that I know of to upgrade the alternator on these cars but I think they come from the factory with a 180 amp alternator so the factory one is pretty good. All of this stuff is pretty easy to install once you get past the queasiness of ripping apart a very expensive car and the tuning is probably the easiest part. I was an installer back in the 80s though and competed a bit back in the day as well so I was pretty comfortable with doing the work myself. Once you get the factory interface done it is pretty much mobile audio 101 install type stuff with knowing how to run and terminate wires and getting creative with the mounting. It can also be a challenge to build a proper box that does not take up a ton of trunk space. On my newer S63 it came with the HE setup and there are far to many nannies in the system to try and do a meaningful upgrade to what is already a decent set up. I did swap the factory trunk sub speaker for a Morel unit and did sound deadening on the plastic blow molded sub box that did help a bit.



Reply
Old Mar 27, 2026 | 03:18 PM
  #33  
RANTHONY's Avatar
Newbie
5 Year Member
 
Joined: Nov 2019
Posts: 5
Likes: 0
C350 W204 (older) NTG4.0
Originally Posted by TripleDown
All that said above, more than one friend of mine has thanked me for ruining their car stereo for them ;-). Fed a nice clean bit of music over BT, it's still pretty amazing. We can only dream of what could have been with SACD, DVD-AUDIO or newer BT lossless codecs.
Is that to say the BT has better Fidelity?
Have you seen / is there any Technical data on these specs?
Reply
MB World Stories

The Best of Mercedes & AMG

story-0

6 Mercedes Models That Did NOT Age Well (But Are Somehow Still Cool)

 Verdad Gallardo
story-1

Manual Mercedes? 6 Times Sindelfingen Let Drivers Have All The Fun

 Verdad Gallardo
story-2

Mercedes SLR McLaren 722 S Is Extremely Rare Example Modified by McLaren

 Verdad Gallardo
story-3

8 Classic Boxy Mercedes Designs That Have Aged Like Fine Wine

 Verdad Gallardo
story-4

Flawlessly Restored Mercedes 190E Evo II Heads to Auction

 Verdad Gallardo
story-5

Electric Mercedes C-Class Unveiled: 11 Things You Need to Know

 Verdad Gallardo
story-6

Mercedes EQS Gets A Major Update: Everything You Need to Know

 Verdad Gallardo
story-7

5 Underrated Mercedes-Benz Models That Don't Get the Love They Deserve

 Verdad Gallardo
story-8

Mercedes 300D Has Pushed Well Past 1 Million Miles and It Ain't Stopping

 Verdad Gallardo
story-9

10 Most Reliable Mercedes-Benz Models You Can Buy Used

 Verdad Gallardo
Old Mar 27, 2026 | 04:12 PM
  #34  
tbilisi79's Avatar
Senior Member
20 Year Member
Liked
Loved
 
Joined: Aug 2005
Posts: 405
Likes: 103
I stream from my phone using Tidal, which is supposed to be lossless quality. Maybe it is, maybe not, who knows. It does sound better than XM. This is another reason I wanted the cd player to work, to be abele to hear my favorite albums in best format available. Sadly my cd changer died 2 days into ownership and you can see those details in my thread.
Reply
Old Mar 27, 2026 | 09:19 PM
  #35  
carlosinseattle's Avatar
MBWorld Fanatic!
15 Year Member
Liked
Loved
Top Answer: 1
 
Joined: Aug 2007
Posts: 1,823
Likes: 792
From: Pacific Northwest
2001 S600 V12 Sold, 2011 Jaguar XFR Sold, 2017 S550 4-Matic, 2018 S63 AMG Sedan
Originally Posted by tbilisi79
I stream from my phone using Tidal, which is supposed to be lossless quality. Maybe it is, maybe not, who knows. It does sound better than XM. This is another reason I wanted the cd player to work, to be abele to hear my favorite albums in best format available. Sadly my cd changer died 2 days into ownership and you can see those details in my thread.
I didn't hear any appreciable differences all the possible configurations.
I have the 3D burmester in my 18 W222 with the rear entertainment system, which plays CDs and DVDs. I've listened on DVD, CD, Tidal losless Spotify Premium using IOS and Android wired through Carplay and Android Auto and Bluetooth, basically all the possible configurations. I don't consider myself an audiophile, but I do have a Dolby Atmos HT system. Everybody's hearing is unique so I can't say that will be anybody else's experience.
Reply
Old Mar 30, 2026 | 12:04 PM
  #36  
subterFUSE's Avatar
Member
10 Year Member
Liked
 
Joined: Jan 2016
Posts: 108
Likes: 32
From: Mt Pleasant, SC
2018 S560
I own a car audio speaker brand and will be installing a major audio upgrade in my W222 very soon. Will post a build log. The W222 is one of the very best platforms for aftermarket car audio that has ever been built by any car company. The factory speaker locations in front are among the best I have seen, especially the midbass located in the firewall. I'm very excited about the potential once my installer is finished.
Reply
Old Mar 30, 2026 | 12:23 PM
  #37  
carlosinseattle's Avatar
MBWorld Fanatic!
15 Year Member
Liked
Loved
Top Answer: 1
 
Joined: Aug 2007
Posts: 1,823
Likes: 792
From: Pacific Northwest
2001 S600 V12 Sold, 2011 Jaguar XFR Sold, 2017 S550 4-Matic, 2018 S63 AMG Sedan
Originally Posted by subterFUSE
I own a car audio speaker brand and will be installing a major audio upgrade in my W222 very soon. Will post a build log. The W222 is one of the very best platforms for aftermarket car audio that has ever been built by any car company. The factory speaker locations in front are among the best I have seen, especially the midbass located in the firewall. I'm very excited about the potential once my installer is finished.
I'm sure you've heard about the part of the system that attenuates frequencies/noise, but not every car has it. Does your car have that option installed, and if so are you deleting it? And do you know which models have that? Both my 18 & 17 W222 had that: 97B ENGINE NOISE REDUCTION VIA SPEAKER (EOC)

Reply
Old Mar 30, 2026 | 12:36 PM
  #38  
subterFUSE's Avatar
Member
10 Year Member
Liked
 
Joined: Jan 2016
Posts: 108
Likes: 32
From: Mt Pleasant, SC
2018 S560
German cars have had active noise cancellation for many years, and it's largely a non-issue when using a MOST preamp like mObridge or NAV-TV. My 2013 Audi S6 had ANC, and I ran an aftermarket system in there for years without any issues.
Reply
Old Mar 30, 2026 | 03:25 PM
  #39  
carlosinseattle's Avatar
MBWorld Fanatic!
15 Year Member
Liked
Loved
Top Answer: 1
 
Joined: Aug 2007
Posts: 1,823
Likes: 792
From: Pacific Northwest
2001 S600 V12 Sold, 2011 Jaguar XFR Sold, 2017 S550 4-Matic, 2018 S63 AMG Sedan
Interesting. I ran a system with an LC2I and it added back in some of the lost frequencies but not all. I don;t have the best hearing but I could easily hear things were missing. One fo the other members had a ice system installed in his 15 W222 and he thougt it was good, but he also felt like the system was lacking, I can't remember what processor he used. Curious about your build. Does your car have "97B ENGINE NOISE REDUCTION VIA SPEAKER (EOC)"?
Reply
Old Mar 30, 2026 | 03:43 PM
  #40  
subterFUSE's Avatar
Member
10 Year Member
Liked
 
Joined: Jan 2016
Posts: 108
Likes: 32
From: Mt Pleasant, SC
2018 S560
The problem with the LC2i is that it's a line level converter, not a MOST preamp. A line level device intercepts the audio signal after it has been amplified by the OEM amp. That means any processing that is done inside that OEM amp will be included in the signal. That includes crossovers, EQ and active noise cancellation.

A MOST preamp like the mObridge or NAV-TV intercepts the signal from the MOST ring before it reaches the OEM amp. Therefore any of the DSP manipulation in the OEM amp is bypassed by default.

The consequence of using a MOST preamp is that none of the factory speakers will work since they will not receive any signal. So you will need to upgrade the entire audio system when using a solution like this. Speakers, wiring, DSP and amp(s).
But the quality of this solution is the best way to go. Also, this method is completely reversible to stock condition very easily since none of the factory wiring needs to be cut.
Reply
Old Apr 21, 2026 | 09:28 AM
  #41  
swissmerc's Avatar
Newbie
 
Joined: Apr 2026
Posts: 1
Likes: 0
S550 convertible
Burmester HE needs lossless HD files and wired connection

I own a MY 2017 S550 convertible with the Burmester High End system.

During my first days of ownership I was utterly disappointed with the supposed audio quality. Well, I had the stupid theory that pumping the music of the local FM station into the Burmester would miraculosuly create an audiophile experience. It did not happen. The sound was "shoe box".

Then, I started to think logically and remembered the GIGO principle (Garbage In, Garbage Out). FM garbage in, Burmester garbage out. That made sense.

So, all that was needed was perfect input. This is what I did: I bought a bunch of lossless (FLAC) HD audio files from HDTracks, renamed the FLAC's to *.mp3 and loaded them on a high-capacity USB stick. The comand had no problem reading the USB stick, and voila - the Burmester created an incredibly clear sound I had never heard before in a motorcar. Just short of insane quality. Wow. Happ ever after.

I don't understand why Mercedes is not recommending lossless HD files and wired connections for the perfect audiophile experience to those buyers opting for the high end Burmester. .

DAVID
b
Reply

Currently Active Users Viewing This Thread: 1 (0 members and 1 guests)
 


You have already rated this thread Rating: Thread Rating: 0 votes,  average.


All times are GMT -4. The time now is 03:05 PM.

story-0
6 Mercedes Models That Did NOT Age Well (But Are Somehow Still Cool)

Slideshow: Not every Mercedes design becomes timeless, some feel stuck in the era they came from.

By Verdad Gallardo | 2026-05-12 18:09:07


VIEW MORE
story-1
Manual Mercedes? 6 Times Sindelfingen Let Drivers Have All The Fun

Slideshow: Yes, Mercedes built manual cars, and some of them are far more interesting than you'd expect.

By Verdad Gallardo | 2026-05-02 12:36:58


VIEW MORE
story-2
Mercedes SLR McLaren 722 S Is Extremely Rare Example Modified by McLaren

Slideshow: A one-of-one U.S.-spec Mercedes-Benz SLR McLaren Roadster became even rarer after a factory-backed transformation at McLaren's headquarters.

By Verdad Gallardo | 2026-04-29 11:19:28


VIEW MORE
story-3
8 Classic Boxy Mercedes Designs That Have Aged Like Fine Wine

Slideshow: Before curves took over, Mercedes mastered the art of the straight line, and some of those shapes still look right today.

By Verdad Gallardo | 2026-04-25 12:05:49


VIEW MORE
story-4
Flawlessly Restored Mercedes 190E Evo II Heads to Auction

Slideshow: The 190E Evolution II shows how a homologation necessity became a six-figure collector icon.

By Verdad Gallardo | 2026-04-22 17:53:47


VIEW MORE
story-5
Electric Mercedes C-Class Unveiled: 11 Things You Need to Know

Slideshow: Mercedes is turning one of its core nameplates electric, and the details show just how serious this shift is.

By Verdad Gallardo | 2026-04-21 13:58:06


VIEW MORE
story-6
Mercedes EQS Gets A Major Update: Everything You Need to Know

Slideshow: Faster charging, longer range, and a controversial steer-by-wire system define the latest evolution of Mercedes-Benz EQS.

By Verdad Gallardo | 2026-04-15 10:35:34


VIEW MORE
story-7
5 Underrated Mercedes-Benz Models That Don't Get the Love They Deserve

Slideshow: These overlooked Mercedes-Benz models never got the spotlight, but they quietly delivered more than most remember.

By Verdad Gallardo | 2026-04-13 19:35:45


VIEW MORE
story-8
Mercedes 300D Has Pushed Well Past 1 Million Miles and It Ain't Stopping

Slideshow: A well-used 1991 Mercedes-Benz 300D with more than one million miles is now looking for a new owner, and it still appears ready for more.

By Verdad Gallardo | 2026-04-10 10:05:15


VIEW MORE
story-9
10 Most Reliable Mercedes-Benz Models You Can Buy Used

Slideshow: From bulletproof sedans to surprisingly tough SUVs, these Mercedes models proved that the three-pointed star can go the distance.

By Verdad Gallardo | 2026-04-08 09:55:49


VIEW MORE