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Replacement Stereo + Door Speakers

Started by sutekh, 06 June 2022, 02:25 AM

raueda1

This leads me think that there's a correlation between home audio tastes and what's acceptable in a car.  I'm a vintage Krell/Mark Levinson/Sonic Frontiers/Magneplanar guy.
-Dave
Now:  1976 6.9 Euro, 2015 GL550
Before that:  1966 230S, 1964 220SE coupe, 1977 Carrera 3.0

orientrot

Quote from: raueda1 on 09 June 2022, 02:40 PMThis leads me think that there's a correlation between home audio tastes and what's acceptable in a car.  I'm a vintage Krell/Mark Levinson/Sonic Frontiers/Magneplanar guy.

I'm a vintage Yamaha/Carver/Klipschorn guy. I could find some Carver car audio stuff if I wanted to burn my car down and I'm afraid I can't replicate Klipschorns inside a family sedan.
75 450SEL
80 300SD- cancelled project
83 300D- 5-speed OM617
84 300D- AMG 5.4L N/A M113 6 speed
92 300D- 722.6 OM603 3.5
93 190E 2.6 Sportline LE x2- 6-speed M111 turbo, 3.0 M103
02 C320 Wagon
03 Sprinter 2500
06 E500 4Matic Wagon- AMG 5.4L NA M113

Neil4speed

Quote from: raueda1 on 09 June 2022, 02:40 PMThis leads me think that there's a correlation between home audio tastes and what's acceptable in a car.  I'm a vintage Krell/Mark Levinson/Sonic Frontiers/Magneplanar guy.

Funny, I was going to make a joke about wiring in some planars into the doors of the W116 but thought it would be too obscure. I have had maggies for a while, currently MG-10QR

sutekh

#18
Quote from: raueda1 on 09 June 2022, 02:40 PMThis leads me think that there's a correlation between home audio tastes and what's acceptable in a car.  I'm a vintage Krell/Mark Levinson/Sonic Frontiers/Magneplanar guy.

I think you're on to something here, and it seems obvious now that you mention it!

  • Vintage hi-fi: Heavy, powerful, and exceptionally well built during an era when quality still mattered.
  • W116: " " "

Aside from the afore mentioned Mac system, my vintage proclivities are almost exclusively Marantz & JBL (love that West Coast sound!), although I had a pair of Magnepan MG-IIs for several years and my wife has a set of Mini Maggies in her office :)

Quote from: orientrot on 09 June 2022, 07:30 PMI'm a vintage Yamaha/Carver/Klipschorn guy. I could find some Carver car audio stuff if I wanted to burn my car down and I'm afraid I can't replicate Klipschorns inside a family sedan.

Since you're a Carver fan, I found something you might be interested in for the w116: https://www.ebay.com/itm/154981743193
A Flame Linear car amp! What could possibly go wrong? Hahaha!


nathan

I read the post Sutekh, but just presumed you cut holes behind them.  No worries, the interior looked in good shape and Im sure the sound is much better than the old paper cone 4 inches.
1979 116 6.9 #6436
2018 213 e63
2011 212 e63
2011 463 g55
2007 211 e500 wagen
1995 124 e320 cabriolet
1983 460 300gd
1981 123 280te

rumb

'68 250S
'77 6.9 Euro
'91 300SE,
'98 SL500
'14 CLS550,
'16 AMG GTS
'21 E450 Cabrio

orientrot

Quote from: sutekh on 10 June 2022, 01:18 PM[
Since you're a Carver fan, I found something you might be interested in for the w116: https://www.ebay.com/itm/154981743193
A Flame Linear car amp! What could possibly go wrong? Hahaha!


Vintage car amps are cool, but 30 years of circuits bouncing around and heat cycling on top of the already lackluster durability/reliability of Bob Carver products, I'd probably be safer to consecrate my car a Catholic church and fill it with lit votive candles.

I like my Carver/Sunfire stuff. I'm a couple years out of college so almost everything I own is by-chance estate auction or craigslist finds I could afford; I didn't seek most of it out. I will say that every Bob Carver product I have is in need of some level of repair. My favorite is probably my tube CD player, it's currently down and I think it needs a laser.
75 450SEL
80 300SD- cancelled project
83 300D- 5-speed OM617
84 300D- AMG 5.4L N/A M113 6 speed
92 300D- 722.6 OM603 3.5
93 190E 2.6 Sportline LE x2- 6-speed M111 turbo, 3.0 M103
02 C320 Wagon
03 Sprinter 2500
06 E500 4Matic Wagon- AMG 5.4L NA M113

JeffCullen

Thiel/Magnepan/Pass Labs/Sonic Frontiers/Stax nut checking in.

Things are not so exotic in the car... I slipped a $15 Bluetooth 5.0 module inside the functional Becker Mexico.
1979 300SD #6680 - Astralsilber - 153,750km
1998 E300 Turbodiesel - Rauchsilber - 172,000km

rumb

That Mac car stereo is the bomb!
'68 250S
'77 6.9 Euro
'91 300SE,
'98 SL500
'14 CLS550,
'16 AMG GTS
'21 E450 Cabrio

Taha

Quote from: JeffCullen on 20 June 2022, 12:30 AMThiel/Magnepan/Pass Labs/Sonic Frontiers/Stax nut checking in.

Things are not so exotic in the car... I slipped a $15 Bluetooth 5.0 module inside the functional Becker Mexico.

If you don't mind could you please explain how you did that? I like to do the same thing on mine. Thanks in advance.
1978 280S

Neil4speed

Quote from: Taha on 22 June 2022, 10:53 PM
Quote from: JeffCullen on 20 June 2022, 12:30 AMThiel/Magnepan/Pass Labs/Sonic Frontiers/Stax nut checking in.

Things are not so exotic in the car... I slipped a $15 Bluetooth 5.0 module inside the functional Becker Mexico.

If you don't mind could you please explain how you did that? I like to do the same thing on mine. Thanks in advance.
I second that! Super interested

SteveDuNord

I have a CD head unit that I'm keen to get rid of.

The previous owner had a shop wire in new speakers, there are two on the parcel shelf and some up front, somewhere, I haven't looked.

Anyway, having recoiled at the price of period Beckers, I noticed that UK cars came optioned with Blaupunkt Frankfurt radios. And today they are half the price of the Beckers. Here's a cool looking one that I saw:



And you can get bluetooth modules for them with hands free if required.

Wonder how crappy it sounds?  ;D
'77 280se

ptashek

UK cars also came with other Blaupunkt radios - dealer installed on delivery as it was cheaper than the factory option. The Coburg model was popular.

Do they sound crappy? Absolutely.
1993 "Pearl Blue" W124 280TE
1988 "Arctic White" W124 200T
1979 "Icon Gold" W116 450SE

SteveDuNord

#28
Quote from: ptashek on 03 July 2022, 04:52 AMUK cars also came with other Blaupunkt radios - dealer installed on delivery as it was cheaper than the factory option. The Coburg model was popular.

Do they sound crappy? Absolutely.

Haha.

The more I look at the continental/VDO unit the more I like it. I think with my car being a 77 MY, it wouldn't look to out of place.

OP did you need to buy a harness adaptor? I'm hoping my bluetooth CD player has already modified the original harness enough to fit the Continental.
'77 280se

sutekh

#29
Quote from: SteveDuNord on 03 July 2022, 09:33 AMThe more I look at the continental/VDO unit the more I like it. I think with my car being a 77 MY, it wouldn't look to out of place.

OP did you need to buy a harness adaptor? I'm hoping my bluetooth CD player has already modified the original harness enough to fit the Continental.

I did need to purchase a harness, yes. The VDO head units don't come with one (lots of salty reviews online over that)! You'll need p/n AC1111/330. Stupid omission IMO. They don't have line outputs either, so the only way to install one is with that sold separately harness.

Before you take the plunge, a few other things to be aware of I'm not thrilled about after nearly a month of use:

  • The LED backlight color isn't adjustable. Thankfully, it's fairly close to the warm incandescent tone of the factory dash lighting.
  • The unit defaults to power off, not its last state. This annoys me more than it should, and I still SMH every time I have to hit the power button.
  • If you want Bluetooth, make sure you get a version with a "B" in the p/n. The docs and many seller listings aren't super clear on this point.
  • Speaking of Bluetooth, it kind of feels like an afterthought. The Bluetooth input isn't selectable until you pair a device, and it doesn't auto reconnect. This annoys me exactly as much as it should.
  • The manual is hot garbage. It's only a few pages with many omitted menus and undefined acronyms throughout.
  • I emailed support a month ago asking a question I've since solved. Still haven't heard back.

This is a form over function piece. It'll do until I can find a more reasonably priced Mac MX406.