Yeah, probably this is the case.
I still need more than a casette player/radio, that's why try to install the CD. It be the best, if I could just install the Clarion, but use with the BOSE amps. 7 amps in it and 11 speakers !

Check out www.perfectmarketaudio.com they have Mercedes CD head units without cutting up your car. I personally will pass on cars with aftermarket audio equipment because you never know the level of skill of the installer.

A little late. I was looking for information on my system. I have a 1999 S320 with the Bose system. Its overall pretty nice once you get it adjusted to your preferences. It has way more bass response than I would ever need. Overall its a good sounding system but does not match the sound quality of my Bang & Oulfsen at home. Its on par with the quality of the Mark Levinson Sound systems I have heard in Late model Lexus's and the Dynaudio system found in late model Volvo C70's.

I own a 99 s420 with an Alpine head unit with i-pod connector and a Alpine mono amp driving a 10in jl sub in a sealed box, trust me it sounds awesome. while everything else is factory.

The 4 speakers in the hatshelf are 2ohm 6in subs. I disconnected the the wire to all the subs and used the leads from the 2 middle subs as 'line level in" to the mono amp. (you need a line level to rca convertor)

I think all i used to install the alpine radio was battery positive (red wire w yellow or white strip), switched positive (blackwire with white or yellow strip), ground (brown wire), blue wire to turn bose amp on/off .

A few hundred dollars turns a pretty nice system into an awesome system punch & an lot more tuning option.

Hope this helps. good luck

I tend to agree with Mongo on this, I had a 99 with an alpine head unit. no amp and that is enough to enhance the system. The head units on the boss system suck, sorry to say but it is true, the system itself is work of art, but I truely think that Mercedes could of done much better with the head unit.

I have another 99 S 500 I just got, I am going to swithc out the head unit as I did with the other one. I am depating a mon amp on this for base, but I think if the trunk is empty you get good base, if you have stuff sitting around it tends to make it sound bad, as the subs do use the trunk for a box.

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1993 400SEL (W140) 281K
1999 S500 (W140) 163K (Sold)
2002 S500 (W220) 72K
1999 S500 (W140) 88K
You cannot simultaneously prevent and prepare for war.
Albert Einstein (1879 - 1955)

I had to replace every part of my Bose Sound system in my 1993 400SEL, but oh my did it sound amazing! Had to replace the Head unit, radio box, and Amp. (It was $$$$) :O

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Current cars:
2000 ML55 AMG, 174k miles
2003 C240 T-Modell, 202k miles
1995 S320, 207k Miles