I am extremely dissatisfied with the sound/performance of my 2000 E430 stereo system. Supposed to be Bose 8-speaker "Premium" but has very little bottom-end and distorted mids and highs. CDs sound a little better than FM, but not as good as units in lesser autos. Can anyone recommend a change-out? Can I change speakers only and get a lot of improvement. Does it need more power? Where is the weak link? I have never been impressed with Bose anything.
THANKS!

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2000 E430 Sport (European Delivery)
Brilliant Silver/Ash Leather
Brabus Leather/Wood Sport Steering Wheel
PowerChip
Euro Front Bumper Strips, Debadged
E55 "Carbon Fiber" Door Pillar Trim
E55 Tail lights
E55 AMG/Bilstein Shocks
Eibach Springs, #1 Pads
H & R Sway Bars
Speed Yellow Calipers
18" x 8" SSR Integral Wheels
245/40ZR 18 Bridgestone Potenza RE960AS Tires

1986 Porsche 944 Turbo
88K miles

Welcome to the club. I think the Bose systems suck. In fact, I think every factory system I have ever heard except for the Lexus Nakamichi stuff all sucked.

My biggest complaint with Bose is thier need to be different. They use non-industry standard impedances for thier speakers. Instead of 4 ohms, thiers are about 2 ohms. If you tried to put a standard speaker in, it would get half the power. If you put in a new radio, you have to replace all the speakers, because the Bose ones will either burn up your headunit, or your head unit will blow up the Bose speakers. It sounds like a load of crap, but you can ask around. There is a way to change the headunit without changing the speakers, but the converter adds noise.

You will really have a hard time going wrong with any head unit that has all the features you desire as long as you are willing to pay for quality. You truely get what you pay for here. I would stick with the most familiar brands: Alpine, Panasonic, Sony, Kenwood, Pioneer (upper line), Blaupunkt, etc.

For any system, you really must get an amplifier. If you don't, you are not ever going to acheive much better that factory systems. This is where you should stay away from places like Circuit City, Best Buy, and any other major retailer. The brands they sell are popular, but not as good as you can get for around the same money. Go to local car stereo shops and ask around as to what has a nice quality to it. They will try to get you to spend a ton of cash, but you should be able to get a nice amp for a middle of the road price. 50W per channel is really nice. It is louder, but more than that, it is clearer and cleaner. I personally wouldn't do less than 35W per channel. That is saying a lot from a guy who has 120W per channel.

As speakers go, only you will know what is good. You have to go listen to them and do comparisons. The more, the better. Everyone likes a different sound. I don't like really bright sounding tweeters, but I like to feel the mid bass disturbing the air in my lungs. Some people get tired from the mid bass and love the really shrill highs. It is personal preference.

If you want some really specific brand recommendations on any of this stuff, email me at jtsdirect@hotmail.com. I don't sell anything, but I know some good places to buy online. I am a moderator on a car audio message forum if that adds any weight to what I have said above.

Good luck and take care.

I agree with what Q said. The Bose stuff just plain sucks. If you really really want to upgrade it, gut out all the factory stereo stuff, pick up a good radio and cd changer.

Pick up some new speakers and definately an amp to power them. If you are going to add a sub, then get a seperate amp for that.

Not all amps are created equal, sometimes a no name brand can be very good, and sometimes a high end brand name can be real crap. So Its best to try to listen to as many aftermarket systems as you can.

Try to find a stereo shop that can show you their work, and that can let you hear their work.

Make sure you get as much information as possible. Take a CD of your favorite music or the stuff you will listen to most and test everything you are going to buy with your music. That way you will know what it will sound like.

Definately E-mail Q for recommendations, he knows whats up, but remember to choose based on what you listen to. What sounds great to one person might sound like crap to another.

I've got a friend who works at a stereo shop, I've heard some of the systems people have done, from understated, to its not loud enough. And overall they sounded good for the music type they were playing. Some systems can be designed for certain types of music, but then other types don't sound as good. Its all a matter of taste.

I remember he told me this story of this person who got in the car, it was Thumping so hard the ground was shaking. The customer turns it up as loud as it can go, walks a block away, and then comes back and says. " Its not loud enough"

So just remember its all about how it sounds to you. I think my car with factory speakers sounds decent, not great, not super loud, but it sounds decent.

When I myself upgrade, new speakers, component speakers to be exact, new high quality amps, and an EQ to adjust the sound to my liking. I wont buy anything until after I have heard it first.

Alon

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'92 300CE - Sold
2004 C240 - 744 - C7 Wheels - Android Radio
2002 C320 - 816 - Sport Wagon

My car, a 97 E420 came with an Alpine headunit badged as Mercedes with the CD changer and those Bose speakers(Premium package). While acceptable I knew from the get go that I would have to replace entire the system. I had the whole factory installed system pulled out and I now have a Pioneer headunit, EQ, CD changer, PPI Amps and MB Quart Components upfront and coaxials in the rear (all speakers fitted stealth in the original factory locations). All this combined with such a fine car now always make me take the long way home.
My .2 cents - if you don't have the fibre optic system in your car and you like your music replace it all.

Tolahouse
97 E420

THANKS! guys for all your responses. This Bose system in my E430 DOES have the fiber optic system. Is that going to cause more problems when I replace everything? The factory stereo in my 95 E420 blew this thing out of the water?

Iistened to an Infiniti 200 watt factory system in a new Mitsubishi Galant and it was 10x better sounding than my Benz. What is up with these German car stereos? You would think that a $57,000 M-B would include a KILLER stereo system.

I do have a great car audio place here in Nashville that I have dealt with for many years. Guess its time to go talk.

__________________
2000 E430 Sport (European Delivery)
Brilliant Silver/Ash Leather
Brabus Leather/Wood Sport Steering Wheel
PowerChip
Euro Front Bumper Strips, Debadged
E55 "Carbon Fiber" Door Pillar Trim
E55 Tail lights
E55 AMG/Bilstein Shocks
Eibach Springs, #1 Pads
H & R Sway Bars
Speed Yellow Calipers
18" x 8" SSR Integral Wheels
245/40ZR 18 Bridgestone Potenza RE960AS Tires

1986 Porsche 944 Turbo
88K miles