upgrading sounds on my TD - Page 2 - PeachParts Mercedes-Benz Forum

wagonboy · #16 04-02-2003, 08:06 PM

Nice deck Holson. If I remember correctly Nakamichi decks are kinda expensive. Do youknow how much the unit you posted go for at EBay? Thanks.

#17 04-02-2003, 08:51 PM

I notice many want to keep a stock appearance in their older MBZs. I bought this radio (CD player) 3 years ago and it is perfect in every way.

You can choose between about 5 different shades of orange (about 15 colors total) and it looks totally stock.HERE is the link.

mike

PS - apparently they didnt sell very many, as I have never seen one on Ebay, or in another car. Never in a catalogue either.

#18 04-02-2003, 09:30 PM

Here is the setup I have in my vehicle, which almost perfectly matches the looks of original equipment, and is styled great, and all German made!

Head Unit
First off, Blaupunkt has been making radios since 1910, and is a German manufacturer. They have a great line of CD players. I own a Blaupunkt Santa Fe CD32 the pushes 45 watts per channel, is a black face, and the lighting is red, which matches the lighting on my heat controls. Really blends in well!

Speakers..
MB Quart is a German manufacturer of "high end" acoustics for boats, home use, car audio. Build quality is amazing (titanium dome tweeters have IMO the best highs of any other speaker I've heard, molybdinium magnets are light but powerful, butyl rubber surrounds don't wear out.) The highs are amazing, and they are powerful for the size that I have (4x6 in rear, 4 inch rounds at front)

In conclusion, Blaupunkt for head unit, MB Quart for speakers. A true German audio experience.

MB Quart
Blaupunkt
Nice Conservative Deck, I own this one

rwthomas1 · #19 04-03-2003, 01:41 AM

I am tempted to grab a set of map pockets at the boneyard and build custom speaker enclosures that would hold a set of 5 1/4" separates. Installing 4" in the dash as well, but with a 4ohm resistor inline to just the 4"s and then wiring them in parallel with the separates will add just the right level of "fill" but not be too bright or overpowering. If the map pockets are carefully done you will not be able to tell they are there. RT

Erikir · #20 04-03-2003, 10:07 AM

I installed 4" MB Quarts in the front and 5 1/2" in the rear powered by a 400x4 watt amp, controlled by an Alpine CDA 7894 head unit (plays mp3's, digital time correction and lots of other fun goodies

)

Being that I had a couple of 12" JBL subs from years ago when I had a boom car, I figured I'd install those as well, each powered by a 300 watt amp. It's a hell of alot more sound than I need, but man, does my Blue Man Group CD ever sound great. It's almost like seeing them live in Vegas all over again

Pics of my install in the sig.

erubin · #21 04-14-2003, 08:48 PM

The old Becker tape deck in my '82 300D turbo was bad and who listens to audio tapes anymore? Most of the new CD head units out there look too Japanese for the conservative look of a w123. Similar to Erikir above I used a black Alpine CD head unit that not only looks great in the car but it also has a volume dial which is in my opinion the right (only) way to go. The dial is easier to find than the up/down volume control without taking your eyes off the road. It also keeps with a more traditional look for an early 80s MB. If you need my Alpine model # and/or photo let me know.

Only draw back (a positive in terms of audio quality though) is that you give up the convenience of the MB fader control wheel in the center console. You now use the headunits fader control which is not as convenient as the devoted MB fader wheel in the center console. Anyone have a suggestion on a new application/upgrade for the old fader location?

Changing the front and rear speakers makes a huge difference over the paper cone type MB originally used. Twenty years is a long time for paper speakers in a car. I went with 4" JBL speakers in the dash and 5 ½” on the hat deck (GTO series). The dash speaker's steel housing was a few mm too tall so i had to grind them down a bit on one side before the MB grill cover would fit perfectly. If you end up doing this you must keep the steel cool or you'll melt the rubber speaker surrounds from heat generate from grinding heat. I would recommend getting speakers that don't need grinding (-; The rear speakers fit easily although you have to use the new black grill covers which are stronger and look fine.

If you want to save a chunk of $ ask Crutchfields for open box or "Scratch and Dent" specials. You get the same warranty and mine looked good as new. If you call them once in a while with your model re4quest they'll eventually get them in as open stock. I was also able to get the additional $50 off by buying the headunit and 4 speakers all together.

Erikir · #22 04-14-2003, 10:27 PM

In the stock fader control location I currently have a black plastic clip with an LED for my alarm - the people who installed the alarm put it there for me.

Being that the plastic clip doesn't fit quite perfectly, and I want to avoid cutting my car, I'm going to machine an aluminum plate to press fit into the location. I will include holes to mount the LED, and audio jacks for my portable mp3 player and run wires underneath to the auxilluary input on my cd player (Alpine AI Net). I'll hard anodize it black to match the black plastic of the centre console.

Something similar could probably be done with a piece of black delrin (plastic) or sheet aluminum with home tools.

dieseldiehard · #23 04-14-2003, 11:13 PM

I had a man refinish my console wood, and in doing so he covered the opening where the fader control used to be. I plan to replace the radio someday (when I can get the car away from my wife's nephew!) and then it will have separate amplifiers for each set of speakers (front and rear) and the fader on the head unit will be the only source for balance. Mercedes used a poor radio design in that there is DC current flowing thru the stock fader, that is why they sound scratchy when you use them; they load the radio output too, not where you want the audio to go!
Dieseldiehard

blankenship · #24 02-22-2007, 02:35 PM

i'm gonna be doin' some speakers in my '85 300TD pretty soon, and my idea is to set it up like my old Range Rover, and mount a dual-voice coil 6" woofer in the side of the storage compartment. it would add a bit of bass to the little 4" that are in the ceiling back there, and wouldn't take up any room.
whatdya think of THAT?