Head unit that looks like it belongs in a Benz - PeachParts Mercedes-Benz Forum

jhal · #1 10-03-2007, 04:31 PM

A good friend of mine has a 560sl that I have done a lot of work on to get it back to the way it should be. Well yesterday the OEM Becker's cassette quit working (he made the fatal mistake of trying to use it for the first time since he bought it). I could see dry-rotted pieces of plastic laying in the bottom of the unit looking through the cassette door. He wants to upgrade to a CD player with an aux input for a MP3 player which is no big deal until you start looking for a unit that doesn't look like a Winamp skin or video game. So my question is: can anyone recommend a head unit that fits the style of a Merceds-Benz? One that has a simple layout and actual knobs like the units of the late 80's and early 90's before everything become menu controlled. I am considering trying to find him a vintage unit, but then we will be back to the problems associated with old transports and electronics. I remember there were similar threads like this in the past, but haven't seen any on a search, plus new models come out all of the time to replace previously recommended units. He will also upgrade the speakers and maybe add some rear ones as well, so it has to have at least one set of preamp outputs. Thank you in advance, John.

iwrock · #2 10-03-2007, 10:11 PM

Blaupunkt.

You can change the color of the backlight.

hd wood · #3 10-03-2007, 10:42 PM

Why don't you go back to Becker Radio. They will go over your unit for $129. To update a bit they'll had a input for a MP3 player you can put in the glove box for another $100. That's what I did with my 300Dt. Plays thru the radio speakers and sounds great. Plus, you can shut off the antenna so that's not going up and down all the time. Google Becker Radio in North Jersey.

dave

jhal · #4 10-04-2007, 01:05 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by hd wood

Why don't you go back to Becker Radio. They will go over your unit for $129. To update a bit they'll had a input for a MP3 player you can put in the glove box for another $100. That's what I did with my 300Dt. Plays thru the radio speakers and sounds great. Plus, you can shut off the antenna so that's not going up and down all the time. Google Becker Radio in North Jersey.

dave

Thanks for the suggestion, that's what he originally was going to do, but his daughter uses the car now and she "needs" a cd player

(I wish I had a 560sl to drive when I was in high school). I suggested, as a low-cost alternative, using an FM transmitter hooked to her IPOD. Not the best sound quality, but better then Tampa FM radio. I will send him to the Crutchfield website as they carry that model Blaupunkt.

Hit Man X · #5 10-04-2007, 01:24 AM

Blaus are the only thing that looks halfway decent in there.

KarTek · #6 10-05-2007, 10:06 AM

If the daughter "needs" a CD player, she's living in the 20th century... CD sales are at an all time low and declining. Any more, the way to go is the aux input and some sort of external player or just buy an in dash .mp3 player with a USB jack or a CD ROM to load it. The quality is .mp3's is not quite up to the specs of a CD but it's adequate for a "noisy" environment like a car.

I doubt I'll ever buy another CD.

EliotW · #7 10-05-2007, 10:28 AM

Nakamichi

Zerohour3k · #8 10-05-2007, 10:31 AM

I have a Blaupunkt Bahamas MP46 in my 83 300D. It's about the closest thing you're going to get to that "official MB" look. The backlighting is changeable to whatever color your car's interior lighting is, it dims / brightens with the car's headlights (if your car supports it), raises and lowers the antenna, and doesn't have any ugly ricer-like VU meters bouncing up and down while you drive.

In all, it's a very nice CD / MP3 player that I highly reccomend.

KAdams4458 · #9 10-05-2007, 08:01 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Zerohour3k

I have a Blaupunkt Bahamas MP46 in my 83 300D. It's about the closest thing you're going to get to that "official MB" look. The backlighting is changeable to whatever color your car's interior lighting is, it dims / brightens with the car's headlights (if your car supports it), raises and lowers the antenna, and doesn't have any ugly ricer-like VU meters bouncing up and down while you drive.

In all, it's a very nice CD / MP3 player that I highly reccomend.

I would be very interested to see a photo or two of it in the car. I've been eyeing the MP46 styles for a few months thinking that it would blend in to the dash of my 300D better than anything else modern. I'd love to have proof of concept before deciding to finally take the plunge and order one. I bet a few others would, too.

cgryphon · #10 10-06-2007, 11:47 AM

Pic's in post 8 of this thread.

w123 new blaupunkt

I think total black looks the best. Trying to find one without some sliver/chrome trim is not easy. This model has a rear aux input. I snaked a connection behind the ashtray/shifter console, to the tray under the armrest, for my Ipod.

Good luck!

Hit Man X · #11 10-07-2007, 08:12 AM

Oh, I forgot about the Eclipse (Fujitsu-Ten) units too. They look pretty mild in the cars, that's what I have laying here to toss in my 750iL

Zerohour3k · #12 10-10-2007, 12:10 PM

If you want an idea of what it looks like in my car, I snapped a few quick photos the other day. Sorry for lack of close-ups, I was trying to take pictures of my newly detailed interior!

Hope this helps!

KAdams4458 · #13 10-10-2007, 01:38 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Zerohour3k

If you want an idea of what it looks like in my car, I snapped a few quick photos the other day. Sorry for lack of close-ups, I was trying to take pictures of my newly detailed interior!

Hope this helps!

Actually, those pictures are perfect. It looks just like I imagined it would. Thank you for taking the time to take and post them. I do believe that will be my new radio.

Sweet steering wheel, by the way. Seems a little smaller in diameter than the stock version. I may need to find myself one of those some day, so the wheel stops rubbing my legs.

Zerohour3k · #14 10-10-2007, 01:41 PM

The steering wheel is a Nardi Torino wheel. The diameter is definitely smaller than the original MB wheel, too.

Only bad thing about the smaller diameter, is the fact that it cuts off the top portion of my instrument cluster. You get used to it, but it's still a little annoying.

Jordan G · #15 10-10-2007, 03:10 PM

Thanks for sharing ZeroHour (and others)......you just convinced me too. I've been mulling over head units for a couple months and I'm now sold on the Blau too.

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