S-Class (W221) Stock System Suprisingly Good

[aquareef123]

I just bought a second hand w221 2007.   Since I used to play with car hi-fi in my old days, I was thinking to try to upgrade the car stereo on this S-class.

 

After i pop in one of my audiopile golden CD from "Chai Ching" and listen to the stock system, I was totally surprised and having doubt now.

 

The sound coming from the stock speaker appears to be clean, tone-balanced, and not lack of clarity at all.  I do admit that the base is weak and is the area that need improvement.  However, I'm totally surprise that the stock system is so good.

 

Have any of you changed your S-class stock car system?  What do you change it too?  I'm starting to think that if i replace it with a system that is $2-3k, i may not get get much out of my money and may not even be able to tell the difference.

 

Advise is needed urgently please.  Thank you.

[nightfly]

I'm not an ICE guy but more of a home system person. IMHO sometimes it is better to assess whether a system is acceptable when you play a normal retail disc rather than an audiophile one unless of course you only listen to audiophile discs. YMMV. 

 

My apologies if this detracts from your question.

[kepiting1sg]

I just bought a second hand w221 2007.   Since I used to play with car hi-fi in my old days, I was thinking to try to upgrade the car stereo on this S-class.

 

After i pop in one of my audiopile golden CD from "Chai Ching" and listen to the stock system, I was totally surprised and having doubt now.

 

The sound coming from the stock speaker appears to be clean, tone-balanced, and not lack of clarity at all.  I do admit that the base is weak and is the area that need improvement.  However, I'm totally surprise that the stock system is so good.

 

Have any of you changed your S-class stock car system?  What do you change it too?  I'm starting to think that if i replace it with a system that is $2-3k, i may not get get much out of my money and may not even be able to tell the difference.

 

Advise is needed urgently please.  Thank you.

 

IMHO, If you are not a discerning listener or going for ICE competitiion that U want staging( width & height), tonal accuracy, imaging, system noise, etc leave the system alone!

BTW  蔡琴 also one of my fav female singer - has CDs when she had her sweet 20s voice to her current. Even has her vinyl for 金片子

Dun add a subwoofer - active ones always boomy - passive one - your mid bass likely cannot catchup and "overpowering your whole system"

MB has already designed and installed quite a balance system in your ride for easy listening except without bass note that you can count chit liap chit liap.

Still "itchy" - go add a processor, amps, change speakers, add a sub or 2, then get the installer to tune your ICE!

[nightfly]

BTW  蔡琴 also one of my fav female singer - has CDs when she had her sweet 20s voice to her current. Even has her vinyl for 金片子

 

Steady brudder (can't call you unker cos I'm not that young!) - are you still spinning LPs like me? I have a bunch of her LPs too - including some from from her specky plain jane days.

[kepiting1sg]

Steady brudder (can't call you unker cos I'm not that young!) - are you still spinning LPs like me? I have a bunch of her LPs too - including some from from her specky plain jane days.

 

hahahah.... from young Ah Lian to Aunty

temp not able to run my home audio cos 1 of my Martin Logan water melon... hehehe I mean sequel II bass driver up lorry and can't get a replacement.

Wanna gip away the speakers, people said tin teh! Pobably put them up on echoloft!

Meanwhile saving up some pennies to buy replacement speakers.

 

Ya Spin vinyls on a cheapo turn table and play cds on a separate transport/dac - still has brand new unplayed Cassestte player & DAT player 

Has another cheapo turn table that helps me to rip vinyl to mp3 to feed my 160Gb iPod Classic

 

Teochew how lian used to have 4 separate sound systems while I was in Batam and over the years moved 3 systems back.

System 1: Home Audio

System 2: Home Theatre

System 3: BMB Karaoke System

System 4: Disco Sound System - Crown Amp with Disco Speakers (Kept in my Batam house store room)

[alphard96]

Agree with Aquareef.

The stock sound system (non harmon cardon) is good enough.

I feel that it is as good as the lexus premium sound system (not the mark levinson) in the old ES300.

Suggest no need to upgrade the speakers, leave it alone.

 

 

Maybe install VIM (video in motion), to enable front seat passenger (and rear seat passengers too) to watch DVD while moving.

Or even add digital TV (CNA, 5, 8)

?and GPS.

[nightfly]

hahahah.... from young Ah Lian to Aunty

temp not able to run my home audio cos 1 of my Martin Logan water melon... hehehe I mean sequel II bass driver up lorry and can't get a replacement.

Wanna gip away the speakers, people said tin teh! Pobably put them up on echoloft!

Meanwhile saving up some pennies to buy replacement speakers.

 

Ya Spin vinyls on a cheapo turn table and play cds on a separate transport/dac - still has brand new unplayed Cassestte player & DAT player 

Has another cheapo turn table that helps me to rip vinyl to mp3 to feed my 160Gb iPod Classic

 

Teochew how lian used to have 4 separate sound systems while I was in Batam and over the years moved 3 systems back.

System 1: Home Audio

System 2: Home Theatre

System 3: BMB Karaoke System

System 4: Disco Sound System - Crown Amp with Disco Speakers (Kept in my Batam house store room)

 

Wah Martin Logan up lorry - so sayang!

 

I have a few tables but currently using an old Garrard 401 and blasting away on my quarter century Klipschorns. 

[kepiting1sg]

Wah Martin Logan up lorry - so sayang!

 

I have a few tables but currently using an old Garrard 401 and blasting away on my quarter century Klipschorns. 

U bring your lorry to my house and the ML are yours ai mai?

hahaaha! I started with a lesser model floor standing Klipsch before upgrading to the ML.

Lup horns - not horny horns but horn speakers. Once I had horn speakers in my car audio too.

The Klipshorns are huge and tua lp to carry them - the throw of the horn is far and wide!

My HT - L/R/C/S(Bi-polar) are all Klipsch run by 5 Marantz MA500 monoblocks before they were accorded the THX logo by Lucasfilm

[kepiting1sg]

Agree with Aquareef.

The stock sound system (non harmon cardon) is good enough.

I feel that it is as good as the lexus premium sound system (not the mark levinson) in the old ES300.

Suggest no need to upgrade the speakers, leave it alone.

 

 

Maybe install VIM (video in motion), to enable front seat passenger (and rear seat passengers too) to watch DVD while moving.

Or even add digital TV (CNA, 5, 8)

?and GPS.

IMHO,

The W221 PreFL should probably came with COMAND & Navigation and maybe with Harman Kardon option.

If it comes with Harman Kardon option, there will be a 8" sub woofer in the boot but imho it's "boomy"

 

Fixing of VIM is easy but it's a known fact that enabling VIM will have problems in COMAND Navigation

 

To add DTV, IIRC the COMAND has no AV input. If there's Video input, it will be taken up by the RC.

Therefore to add DTV, you will need a Multi Media Interface and this will sit between the LCD display and HU.

At times, the screen resolution may face interference from the MMI cable and cause detrioration in the screen display quality.

[bblionrex]

Hi I'm new here. Can anyone advice the cost of installing VIM & Digital TV in my W221?

[kepiting1sg]

Hi I'm new here. Can anyone advice the cost of installing VIM & Digital TV in my W221?

 

VIM contact site sponsor camber53 aka Gregory - hp: 96680053

He will be able give you more info on DTv

[alphard96]

Hi I'm new here. Can anyone advice the cost of installing VIM & Digital TV in my W221?

 

For Japanese car like toyota/lexus, only $40 to allow passenger to watch tv while driving (bypass the safety feature)

and around $400 can add GPS to headunit

 

For Merc it is relatively expensive....It is around 1K i think for the VIM alone and another 1K plus to add aftermarket GPS eg Galactio (may need to use remote control instead of touch screen) to stock system.

[kepiting1sg]

For Japanese car like toyota/lexus, only $40 to allow passenger to watch tv while driving (bypass the safety feature)

and around $400 can add GPS to headunit

 

For Merc it is relatively expensive....It is around 1K i think for the VIM alone and another 1K plus to add aftermarket GPS eg Galactio (may need to use remote control instead of touch screen) to stock system.

 

 

1. VIM or Video In Motion - U can get one from Kufatec for EUR170.00 before shipping & installation

http://www.kufatec.de/shop/en/Video-In-Motion/Mercedes

2. Lexus HU probably has enough video in or rgb in for after mkt gps.

For MB, you need an after market Multi Media Interface to hook up your after mkt gps & or other hardware (DVD, RC,DTv) to the MMI.

The MMI will sit between the HU and the LCD Display.

[pattanct]

Hi Kepiting,

 

if i get VIM from Kufatec, where can i get it install? 

 

do you reckon that adding amp & processor would improve further? As i have existing system dismantle from my E class, but like aquareef mentioned, the sound system is good enough, except not perfect yet.

 

One more question, any way i can stream my music from android phone to car stereo? 

 

Thanks

[kepiting1sg]

Hi Kepiting,

 

if i get VIM from Kufatec, where can i get it install? 

 

do you reckon that adding amp & processor would improve further? As i have existing system dismantle from my E class, but like aquareef mentioned, the sound system is good enough, except not perfect yet.

 

One more question, any way i can stream my music from android phone to car stereo? 

 

Thanks

 

If you have COMAND in your ride, you should be able to use BT to stream your music to yoru car audio system.

I can stream music from my Note 2 and iPhone 4s to my car audio through BT. 

I've dekitted my ride and I've COMAND NTG 4.5 + VIM from Kufatec for sale.

Let me know if you are interested.

 

Like I've said in the earlier threads if you are not a discerning listener, the stock system is good enough.

If you want to go to "competition" level then it will depend what's your budget.

If you want just to do something a little better than stock, see Ah Boon from AutoSpritze.

[pattanct]

got my VIM installed by Gregory & also installed the bluetooth device, now can stream music from my android phone...shiok!

[Mohd Ameer Hussain]

Hi.. how much did that cost you? my stock w221 has the same problem.. its Japan spec, so no asia map. phone setup is still from the Nokia set. thanks

[Auscollector]

Digging up an old thread, but recently got my 2011 S350. 

At first listen via the radio I thought this is going to need upgrading, it sounds surprisingly crap... 

But then I installed my Audioengine B1 Bluetooth receiver, and played through Spotify on my phone, and after a minute of tweaking the sound settings through Command, I was very impressed at the difference. 

Playing some heavy bass tunes I was surprised by the flat frequency response, and how the bass was quite uniform despite seating position in the car. 

Conclusion for me is absolutely no need to upgrade, as surely I can't beat bang for buck for what's already there, plus I cringe at the idea of anyone pulling panels off to replace components in fear of a rattle being introduced

Pic of stuff I had lying around to get the Audioengine B1 running(all contained in glovebox), generally regarded as a very impressive high quality BT receiver