Anyone replace the factory HU and keep the speakers? - PeachParts Mercedes-Benz Forum

jbhebert · #1 11-22-2004, 03:10 PM

I have a '95 E300D that I'd like to put an Alpine receiver in so I can control my iPod. Has anyone swapped out their head unit in a similar car and kept the factory speakers? My car has the 6 speaker setup. Does the factory head unit have 6 speaker outputs, or are the front 4 speakers run in series with different impedance? Are the factory speakers a standard impedance? Does this car use a seperate amp, or is it built into the factory head unit?

Any recomendations would be appreciated.

Thanks.

czwbkx · #2 12-09-2004, 10:19 PM

I am doing exactly that right now. Installing the Alpine 9835, but keeping the stock speakers. I am, however, bypassing all factory wiring - I do not want the common earth speaker lines imposed by the center mount fader control. That means, obviously, that I will also bypass the trunk-mounted amps.

The dash speakers and rear deck (parcel shelf) speakers will be powered by the Alpine head unit. The door speakers are mid-subs with dual voice coil and are only 2 ohms impedence. I will run the Alpine M30 subwoofer power amp to power these speakers.

I'll retain the factory CD changer in the trunk (it's Alpine, too, of course).

If the sound can't be tailored to my liking with the Alpine controls then I will start replacing speakers, but for now I am curious to see how the new set-up performs. There are others on this board who strongly dislike the factory speakers, but I am disinclined to cut anything up to mount a subwoofer and am hoping that with adequate power and control the factory mid-subs in the doors will do the job.

jbhebert · #3 12-10-2004, 01:27 PM

I'm thinking of using the 9835, as well. My car is a '95, so it doesn't have the fader switch. I'll probably re-wire, anyways. You mention that the door speakers are 2 ohms units; are the dash speakers and parcel shelf speakers 4 ohms? It would be ideal if the dash speakers were 2 ohms, as well. Then I could run the dash and door speaker in series to achieve 4 ohms and drive them from the 9835, perhaps with a passive crossover. I'd really like to be able to keep all 6 speakers without the need for a seperate amp.

Thanks for the info.

Old300D · #4 12-10-2004, 02:08 PM

Call me crazy, but I don't think you want to run speakers in series.

czwbkx · #5 12-10-2004, 06:32 PM

Right, don't run in series. There are sufficient outputs on the 9835 - I'll check my references, but I think there are six outputs. If your door speakers are mid-subs then they are two-ohms impedence like mine. Check your wiring diagram to be certain. It will look like there are two speakers in the door on the diagram.

To balance impedence loads you could add two ohms of resistance to the door speakers. You'll need ceramic resistors, and they are not small, but you can place them anywhere in the line.

Ashman · #6 12-11-2004, 02:49 AM

I've done it before. you will have to rewire the speakers bypassing the factory amplifier/fader switch.

Thats how I had my system running before I changed the speakers and added amplifiers.

I had the stock speakers hooked up to the radio's power.

Rear on radio rear channel, front doors and dash on front channel of the radio. it was an alpine unit, and it handled it just fine.

You can always add an amplifier later.

ALon

BenzOnline · #7 12-11-2004, 02:14 PM

what company are the speakers that are non-bose?

Ashman · #8 12-11-2004, 02:16 PM

I'm not sure, personally I would replace them, but an aftermarket headunit will make them sound better in my opinion.

Mine sounded much better when I switched to an aftermarket headunit.

Alon

jbhebert · #9 12-13-2004, 03:07 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ashman

I've done it before. you will have to rewire the speakers bypassing the factory amplifier/fader switch.

Thats how I had my system running before I changed the speakers and added amplifiers.

I had the stock speakers hooked up to the radio's power.

Rear on radio rear channel, front doors and dash on front channel of the radio. it was an alpine unit, and it handled it just fine.

You can always add an amplifier later.

ALon

Hmmm... did you run the fronts (dash and door) in series or in parallel? Did you have to add any resistors?

Thanks.