tama_mog

I posted this in the audio section but no one responded.....let's see if someone here has done some work on their own cars...

https://mbworld.org/forums/audio-electronics/140790-w211-e55-component-replacement.html

Thanks for the help in advance.

C32 MIA

lol i have never looked in that section so i post here:

i kept the stock nav/head unit- ripped out all the piece of **** harmon kardon crap (it is really garbage, my stock bose system in my C32 is superior in sound against the E55 setup, how sad!). you can use a variety of components that will fit without a problem (try mbquart or diamond's top of the line stuff, focal is nice but not worth the extra expense over mbquarts, they essentially are usuing a tweeter that sounds the same and manuf. from the same materials) 1in tweets, 6.5in drivers. You will need an aftermarket amp (JL audio my fav) to push them that matches their output. While you are at it, have them put another amp in for a subwoofer (JL or Extant my fav subs). Just be sure to find a competent shop to do all the work (make sure they have insurance!), cause mistakes do happen and you don't want that on your brand new car.

I am running 2 JL amps, JL cleansweep, 2 Extant 12" subs, DiamondPro Components- my car sounds amazing. My friend did exact same setup also in E55 with MB Quart components, sounds great as well. As far as tweeters, you should go see what you like the sound of most- aluminum dome tweeter (Boston Accoustic Pro), Titanium tweet (mbquart,focal), or soft dome tweet (diamond pro)- everyone thinks whatever they have is the best, BUT it's personal taste. I have had mbquarts and boston pro's, they are great but the bostons sound harsh at higher volumes and the quarts sound what i cann "tinnie" and sometimes flat compared to the others. the soft dome/silk done tweets are a little gentler on your ears even when played at full volume and are still just as loud, the pitch is what differs.

just my 2 cents...

good luck

2K6E55

Do you have pics of the audio mod in your car? How much did the mod set you back?

C32 MIA

i dont have pics as everything is concealed witht he exception of the amps mounted behind the rear seats in the trunk area and the presence of the subwoofer box.

as to cost, i am a cultured ebay user, i spent around $2200 on the goods. They would have cost at least $500 more if you went through a local shop, plus then you would have to pay sales tax. $900 on the installation and wiring for everything amps/speakers/capacitor/etc which includes the installation for the JL cleansweep whihc is not a must, just allows you to tune the system a little more. The clean sweep is $300+ itself and makes the installation more expensive. JUST make sure if you shop on ebay to go with new equipment only from a high-rated seller.

total invest in audio upgrade = about $3,100 and it's damnnnnnn worth it!

tama_mog

Thanks for the response. I'm not looking to do a full blown stereo system like my previous cars....in fact what I'm planning to do is replace the stock front components with the DLS speakers and tweeters I have....I like my sounds nice and smooth and not sharp. Thanks for the information.

2K6E55

Thanks for the response... Finding good installers is NOT an easy task in my area. I have been searching but I have heard many horor stories so I am a bit hesitance in moving forward with this mod...

tama_mog

Best way is to do it yourself. By any chance does anyone have the power ratings for the stock components in the front? I want to see what options I have in terms of a straight swap that'll make things sound better. No problems with the sizing but I need to know if I need an external amp to drive the speakers. That's when things get hairy. Thanks!

Skeeter

Wow! For ~$3k I'd do this upgrade in a heartbeat. But it sounds like a degree of sophistication is required. I've done plenty of stereo upgrades to previous cars, but all pretty low-tech stuff. You know, running big wiring to the trunk, setting up amps and subs, etc. This is a HUGE step over my head.

Also, consider how hard it is to find a trustworthy shop that isn't going to do a crude install, or gouge you on components. So much goes unseen (how wires are run, how power is tapped, quality of grounds, etc) that you gotta know who's doing the install and you gotta trust 'em. I lack the knowledge of who's trustworthy and quality in the SF Bay area. Add to this that some decent shops will gouge the HELL out of you on price. I've had some laughable quotes on past jobs that I've ended up doing myself. Just crazy what some people try and charge you up here.

Miami is the epicenter of boody-bass, so I'm guessing there are some great audio shops out there If only S.F. were on par...

Truthfully, I'd settle for some tight, bone-jarring bass. Maybe a tweeter upgrade as well. I'm sort of O.K. with the rest of the system. Or at least with enough bass I could live with it. Not sure what'd be involved in such an upgrade, esp. if everything needs to look bone stock.

Has anyone had a primo upgrade done in Norcal?

And furthermore, what other slick options are there for iPod integration. I don't need it to interface with the steering wheel controls. I'd settle fine for a stealth mount to hook the iPod up to my Aux In (currently in the glove box).

There must be a slick way to run that aux in cable to somewhere along with a VERY stealth/hidden/pop-out mounting bracket that you could just drop the ipod into. Control from the ipod itself would be fine if it were well positioned. Say a pop-out from the ash-tray?

Any thoughts?

AGI

Renault78law

I have a C32 with COMAND, what did you use to convert the fiberoptic signal into RCA's?

skeeter, I've had good luck with Custom Car Audio in SF.

C32 MIA

they have to tap into the speaker wiriring and hook it to a high-low converter which yields you an RCA output to hook to your amps. on my C32 i simply did that to add a subwoofer and amp.this is quite sufficient and sounds good. you could go the full route and get a JL cleansweep with does the same thing but purifies the sound quality to what it would be off of an aftermarket head unit. the need for this arises mostly for the components and not so much the sub. i rec the cleansweep for those that want to change the whole system like i did. the cleansweep is a high-low converter that also uses software to adjust for the variations in bass and treble that the OEM units we have change- you turn the volume up high and it cuts the bass- the cleansweep stops that, and it also provides for an extra audio input thru the actual cleansweep module (ipod, satradio, whatever). it provides a knob that you can locate anywhere in the front cabin thats convenient to select that alternate input and further adjust the overall system volume, in addition to using the OEM volume controls on the head unit and steering wheel.

i think that should help u

C32 MIA

the stock amp power is so minimal. a decent aftermarket component system requires leaps and bounds more power. You need at least a good 200watt MINIMUM amp from a good brand- fosgate, JL, soundstream. 50 wats x4 is fair for aftermarket (i'm at 100watts per speaker x 4 in the cabin) You will get the wattage you pay for from them. There are different clases/grades of amps, cheaper brands that are lower class/grade are generally garbage but they will advertise "800 watt" amp for $105.00! Don't fall for their marketing tactics.
if y ou do it yourself and mess up your door panels or any interior parts, and there is a good chance you will, your installer would correct any of their mistakes and you can hold them to it and they have deep pockets and insurance to replace a $2500 nav system. you short it out and your MB dealer will laugh at you when they see your amps or new speakers you put in. if they are a good store (a reason why i would rec stores like tweeter or sound advice if they do good work locally in your area. sadvice does carry most of the good high-qual brands but of course are not the only ones)

this is unless you are an expert installer yourself! i would never ever try to install amps in my car to do the wiring is a *****

C32 MIA

it's only complicated for someone who doesnt install steroes for a living, like me. i couldn't install a damn thing myself. it's soooo worth the cost. car is complete with rims and a stereo, nav, etc- you've got to have it! trust me u sit in my car and you will insist on getting the same setup!

california should have no shortage of good installers

Torquey55

The first thing I did after I got my E55 was replace the horrible H/K system.
I have had MB Quart speakers before (extremely pleased) & decided to go with Focal mids/hi's this time around. I am very happy with their performance so far. I kept things real simple with this system, no neon, plexiglass, custom amp rack, etc. All I have is JL Audio amps & subs with the Focal speakers and a good custom ported box. No Clean-Sweep, no Caps, no BS. The sound quality is excellent, bass is massive and impresses everyone who gets in the car. Simple, loud, and clean was my goal with this car. Everything is hidden behind the box so all you can see is the subs in the trunk. This is a lousy pic taken right after the install before I could clean everything.

tama_mog

I am not a fan of huge hitting bass @ all....I'm all for SQ when it comes to car stereo.....perhaps that is why the stock components bother me so much. The setup I have in my evo are the DLS Iridium components, DLS Ultimate A5 amp, Alpine 7897 headunit, and JL W7 10" sub.....super clean system in terms of SQ. Doesn't exactly shatter my windows and vibrate the hell out of the car when I'm listening but instead hits just right for me to enjoy what I'm listening accurately....to me that's what's important. While I would LOVE to just port the setup over to the benz.....quite honestly I want to do as little tearing to the benz as possible since panels and parts don't exactly come off with ease compared to Japanese cars. That is why I'm trying to opt for some good stock front component replacement instead of doing a full system....just no one around me I can trust to do it other than myself and a friend AND the idea of tearing up a new e55 doesn't settle well with my stomach.

Torquey55

I wanted to take pics so badly during the install of my system. The shop manager who is a friend of mine, strongly suggested that I stay away while they were doing the job. It can really be disturbing to see a brand new $90k car with less than 100 miles on it all dismantled.