Here's a Becker BE4602, it will fit in your W126 for sure. It's marketed as a radio for "retro fit" MBs, it has the CD player you want.
http://www.perfectmarketaudio.com/be4602.html

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'81 MB 300SD, '82 MB 300D Turbo (sold/RIP), '04 Lincoln Town Car Ultimate

Sooner or later every car falls apart, ours does it later!
-German Narrator in a MB Promotion Film about the then brand new W123.

It fits, but it is not plug and play in a pre 94 mb. Refer to my original post for details. It needs to be wired in just like any other aftermarket radio.

George

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George Androulakis

Former Mb's:

1990 500sl R129 - 76k Original Miles - New project - Follow the saga http://90r129.blogspot.com/
1990 190E 2.6 148k mi (sold)
1989 420 SEL 246k mi (sold)
1995 C220 175k mi (sold)
1992 190e 2.6 74k original miles (sold)
2000 c230 Kompressor 122k miles (RIP)
1996 C220 149k mi (sold)
2000 C230 Kompressor Sport 127k (sold)

Current Cars:

2009 Mercedes c300 4matic
2006 Mercedes s430
2005 Jaguar XJR
2003 Cadillac Escalade

Ok,
So if I was to put in a different head unit, I could bypass the fader control and stock amp, and end up with a better sound??

Or is a better amp necessary?

Can you tell how little I know about radios yet??

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46 WDX Power Wagon

84 300TDT daily driver

Its all up to how far you want to take it. Each step will be an improvement.

You need the better headunit, as a base for any subsequent upgrades.

Once you have the headunit, with the bypassed fader and amp, then its time to consider if you are happy or wish to upgrade further. A lot of people end there.

The next step would be amp and speakers.

You need to replace the speakers if you go with an external amp, those two go hand in hand in providing the subsequent upgrade.

I would venture to say if you are happy with the volume levels attainable with the head unit, at about 60% of maximum (to insure minimal distortion), but are not happy with the quality of the sound, change the speakers first.

Amps provide more clean power, therefore louder volume levels are possible without distortion, and more powerful (in terms of bass etc) music.

Speakers reproduce the sound. The better the speakers, the better a job they do at reproducing the sound accurately and clearly. Better speakers are also designed to tolerate higher power levels.

George

__________________
George Androulakis

Former Mb's:

1990 500sl R129 - 76k Original Miles - New project - Follow the saga http://90r129.blogspot.com/
1990 190E 2.6 148k mi (sold)
1989 420 SEL 246k mi (sold)
1995 C220 175k mi (sold)
1992 190e 2.6 74k original miles (sold)
2000 c230 Kompressor 122k miles (RIP)
1996 C220 149k mi (sold)
2000 C230 Kompressor Sport 127k (sold)

Current Cars:

2009 Mercedes c300 4matic
2006 Mercedes s430
2005 Jaguar XJR
2003 Cadillac Escalade

Thank you George,

That all make's sense now. I am willing to bet that I would be happy with a different head unit, and may be new speakers. Don't usually crank the radio too loud. of course it could be a slippery slope, and one thing leads to the next.
Jason

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46 WDX Power Wagon

84 300TDT daily driver

I have a 1991 350SDL 126 body car. Can anyone here tell me how to remove the radio from the console (what's holding it in)?

Thank you.

Open the ashtray. Pull the metal piece out that holds ashes, under there lies two screws... remove those.

Remove entire ash tray unit, then misc holder under it.

You should see two lil clips just above that, brass/copper colored ones, hold those down and remove the radio.

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I'm not a doctor, but I'll have a look.

'85 300SD 245k
'87 300SDL 251k
'90 300SEL 326k

Six others from BMW, GM, and Ford.

Liberty will not descend to a people; a people must raise themselves to liberty.[/IMG]

I was thinking of putting an Audio 10 HU in my W126 and the perfectmarket site says there is a special adaptor which you can buy so the audio 10 will fiit my 420. Now, it seems like all plug and play with no bypassing anything as in the fader and such? Am I correct or not? Well the site at least doesnt state anytihng more. Thanks

Lots of mis-information in this thread!!!

Retro-fitting a new radio into an older MB can be easy - it depends on the year of the car. Those cars of 1991-1993 used Becker's BE1432, the two piece radio. These are difficult because the wiring is so complex. Re-wiring is necessary.

The rest, going back to the 1982 Becker 612, is easy with a simple wiring adaptor part #1163.739-276. I see that perfectmarketaudio sells those.

I have an 87 420sel with the stock becker grand prix. So i guess i can use the part that perfectmarket sells so i can use a more modern radio

I'm looking to replace my stock Becker grandprix in a 1989 420 SEL. The head unit is probably the problem, the volume goes up and down as I go over bumps and some of the segments in the display no longer work. I do not want to change the speakers or the amp.

I guess the recommendation is to go with a Audio 10 HU? I guess there is a special adapter harness that is also required? I just want a radio, with a cassette tape or CD player.

I'd like to the fader switch operational, and not cut or splice any wires.

Any other success stories out there?

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1989 420 SEL

Can't say I've heard a car w/ the stock amps being driven by a new head unit that sounded pleasent..just OK at best. When I do my installs, I keep all the factory ends that I cut in case someone feels the need to go back to original one day. You can also install all your wiring etc so that it makes a negligable impact on all the stock componentry..granted, it takes longer that way.

As for average head units, I've been pleased w/ clarion and alpine..not much of a fan of Pioneer or the sony Xplod crap...

You can also have your head unit repaired @ becker in NJ, typically it's not terribly expensive to have them serived. I beleive they can also modify the head units so they will have an Aux RCA in so you could set up a changed in the trunk etc (none of that FM modulated ....)

Hope that was at least a little helpful :-P

Jonathan

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Blue Ridge Mercedes
Jonathan Hodgman
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