I was playing around with the configurator and you cannot select the 4D Burmester by itself, even though it lists it individually and separately, at least for the 500. It forces Nappa Leather and the Warmth and Comfort package. I don’t mind the Nappa but why the heck is the Warmth and Comfort package being paired with the 4D Burmester?

It was that way for 24 also. Requires warmth and comfort, and warmth and comfort requires nappa leather (nappa leather is standard in the S580). Upgrading to exclusive nappa in the S580 also requires warmth and comfort. I didnt want Warmth and Comfort because nobody ever uses the power seats in the back but I had to get it since I wanted exclusive nappa.

I will say the heated armrests in the warmth and comfort car are worth it.

I have no use for the warmth and comfort package where I live lol. What a waste and poor choice of option pairing.

It tis' what it 'tis! At least you can sit in the back and move your seats around lol

Folks can say what they want, what I would say, is that I never once regretted getting the 4D. Not once. It's stupidly bundled, it's stupidly overpriced, and the base is better than a good many upgraded stereos in other cars I've owned. But... When I think of the many things I wasted money on in this life, I don't count those dollars among them.

Life is so very short; I wish I had learned to say yes to the 4Ds of this world sooner.

If I were presented with a car with 4D I would absolutely take it, but the base Burmester in this car *when using the built in streaming, thats important* is incredible sounding. For me its that I don't order cars I buy from what is on the ground and the 4D is so hard to find.

I agree.. Even with the 3D Burmester in my W222, the surround sound and overall aesthetics, and sound quality was OUTSTANDING. Not even close to the base Burmester. Never owned a W223 with 4D, but I trust it's even better. The subwoofer in the trunk also makes a huge difference. I tried soooo hard to find a GLS with the upgraded sound system, but I couldn't find a single one even after 3 months of searching. Disappointed, and while the base Burmester is fine, I surely wish I have the upgraded one. Luckily I have surround/3D B&W in my other BMW cars and the difference is obvious. I feel that finding a W223 with 4D Burmester is easier than finding a GLS with 3D Burmester. There is a good reason why these systems costs ~6K thousands over the base system.

The base Burmester in my S560 was not impressive at all, but the base Burmester in the W223 is dramatically better.

As has been said, it's always been like this. There may be some technical reason why the high end audio needs power rear seats (speaker location or wiring) or it may just be a plausi that was put in to keep all the high end audio cars as the most premium. MB certainly thinks the majority of people who would want the high end audio would also like somewhat interesting rear seats, i tend to agree.

I have an AMG GLE63S with the optional $6k 3D. I don't know if or when they even offered 4D in the GLE. I also have a S580 with most options but not the 4D. For some reason I was thinking 3D is standard in S580 USA models but it wasn't in the GLE models. I have gotten old and I can't really tell if the GLE 3D (subwoofer in the floor of the hatch) is better than the S580 3D (never saw a subwoofer if it has one). The S580 is much quieter and smoother. I have the acoustic package on both. I do notice I "feel" the bass on my feet in the S580 when the volume is elevated so maybe speakers are tucked up under the dash somewhere. I regularly drive a F350 King Ranch SuperDuty and the stereo with subwoofer in it was not a $6k option and it really sounds great to me. It thumps when cranked up. More than the MB's I own...

I looked hard for an s580 with red interior, and 4d. I found none. With that I said screw it an ordered a 25 optioned with what I wanted. 4d was a must. My 3d in the gle is damn good. I can't wait to hear the 4d

The base burmester has subwoofers under the dash, there isnt one in the truck. What source to you listen to music from? If its not the built in Online Music from Amazon Music or Apple Music or Tidal then you aren't getting more than 50% of the quality of the system...

I added a subwoofer to my 2020 S560 because it needed one, my S580 doesn't need one at all

Those suns are not really subs. They are medium sized woofers, thus the boomy sound of the bass. I have to download tidal again a start listening to it as opposed to Sirius.

The base Burmester in this car sounds as good as the high-end Burmester that can be optioned in the GLE. It’s great and probably the best system I’ve heard in a car thus far. Which makes me very curious about the 4D and why I want to get it.

Ditto. My GLE 3d system is pretty amazing.

It's not that the 3D system in the S580 is better than the one in the GLE, it's mostly the cabin size. I have the same exact system (and almost same wattage) in two of my BMWs, both with the Bower and Wilkins 3D Surround system. The sound in my Alpina B8 is soooooooo much better than our X5 (not even close). Even though the number of speakers and wattage are very close, the sound in a smaller cabin in a sedan with less window real estate is better than SUVs with large windows and large cabin. Just my own observation. I know the system in both of my cars is the exact same system/hardware and designed around the same time too.

Whatever they are they provide more than enough bass and its clear and punchy and musical.

Sirius is the absolute lowest bitrate, you have to try a streaming service through the car's built in system, not through your phone.

Yes, I plan to download Tidal or the like.

When I first got my W223 with basic 3D, I ripped several of my favorite CDs to USB in lossless audio to give them a listen. They sound good, once I completed the sound profile settings to get things just the way I wanted them to sound. Note: I traded by 2018 E63 with the high-end 3D system with the sub in the trunk for my current 2022 S580. While I miss the deep bass of my E63, the 3D system in the S is pretty dang close. In hindsight, I would have waited and found an S with the 4D, but that's water under the bridge now.

As for sound comparison between ripped CDs and on-board streaming of Apple Music, I've compared the two and am hard pressed to notice any difference between the two. As others have mentioned, be sure to stream from on-board music services and not through Apple CarPlay, and as a last resort, Sirius. I have all the services, and there are times when I switch over to Sirius to listen to Yacht Rock or The Blend, or Road trip Radio, just to get a nice mix of music, but the signal is so compressed it truly does sound awful, but again, I choose for the nice mix of music.

The large trunk subwoofer is harder to replace no matter what. Even a cheap subwoofer would make a difference. The base 3D sound system in the W223 doesn't have that (which is a good move as not many people would want to lose trunk space). Besides the wattage and other items like seat shakers/etc/etc/etc , I think the biggest difference between the 3D and 4D in the new S would be the subwoofer. The sound in my W222 with Burmester 3D was also great (I think) because it was wired carplay; most newer cars are wireless carplay and I think that's a factor. Not sure how it works in the S, but in my BMW even if I connect the phone via a cable, it would still stream Carplay music data wirelessly. A flash-drive with lossless audio is the only way to get the best out of the sound system, but am still satisfied with it even in wireless (nothing beats my 3D Burmester experience in my W222 too, and I look forward to trying 4D in the W223 though).

Nothing to download, you just create a Tidal account and sign into it through the car.

Yeah the difference is substantial between directly through the car's system and CarPlay even with the same source,

I had added a subwoofer to my S560 and I can tell you for sure the S580 does not need a subwoofer with the base Burmester system, it has more than enough bass without one, in fact I had to dial the bass back. My subwoofer from the 560 is just sitting in my basement.

Even with USB the CarPlay is just not lossless...wireless runs over WiFi which is the same data speeds as wired USB.

Working on it.
Thanks

Audiophile here and imo the base in the w223 is a good system but there is definitely a difference. The 4d in the w223 sounds a lot more crisp. Vocals are more prominent, mids dont sound distorted and the bass makes a difference. Imo, of course. I'm currently looking for a GLS63 with the system now and when I upgrade my s560, the 4d will be a must.

I have always felt that the options for the S Class—and for most of the MB line—are relative bargains. The problem is that to get most of the better options, one must place a factory order. I have done nine MB factory orders and the enjoyment one gets from the luscious options far outlasts the memory of the cost, most all of the time. Exclusive Nappa Leather, Warmth & Comfort Pkg. and the 4D Audio are absolute bargains, in my opinion. EABC, not so much. Next time around, do yourself a favor and place an order for EXACTLY the car you want. It can be a very rewarding experience.

After painstakingly searching for used options, with the options I wanted, I decided to do just that. I wanted 4 wheel steer and 4d Bermeister, amongst some others. It's on the boat as I type