When I upgraded my 300E's system, I was all hot to replace the stock speakers as well.

However, my experience taught me that the stock speakers are actually quite good (on the W124 anyway). What they really needed was proper (clean) power and appropriate crossovers.

When used stock, those small 4" speakers are asked to reproduce the entire sonic spectrum dished out by your head unit, so probably something like 30Hz-20K Hz. They simply cannot reproduce the 'low' lows. Combine that with a lack of power from the head unit alone and there is the main reason for the poor sound.

Add a good amp, set the crossover to something like 80 Hz and you may be surprised just how good the stock speakers sound.

Also important is how securely and tight the stock speakers fit into the dash. This is critical to the speaker's response, particularly for bass. If you do replace them, try and make sure the new ones fit just as well, otherwise, you are probably worse off than before. If the new speakers sound 'brighter' it may be the lack of bass you are hearing instead of an overall improvement in high-end response.

__________________
Chris
2007 E550 4Matic - 61,000 Km - Iridium Silver, black leather, Sport package, Premium 2 package
2007 GL450 4Matic - 62,000 Km - Obsidian Black Metallic, black leather, all options
1998 E430 - sold
1989 300E - 333,000 Km - sold
1977 280E - sold
1971 250 - retired

"And a frign hat. They gave me a hat at the annual benefits meeting. I said. how does this benefit me. I dont have anything from the company.. So they gave me a hat." - TheDon

I have heard that people use Dynamat inside their speaker enclosures to improve the sound. Have you tried this? They make a kit to go inside your doors behind the speakers. I have heard of folks using it in the space under the dash speakers, too.

__________________
" We have nothing to fear but the main stream media itself . . . ."- Adapted from Franklin D Roosevelt for the 21st century

OBK #55

1998 Lincoln Continental - Sold
Max 1984 300TD 285,000 miles - Sold
The Dee8gonator 1987 560SEC 196,000 miles - Sold
Orgasmatron - 2006 CLS500 90,000 miles
2002 C320 Wagon 122,000 miles
2016 AMG GTS 12,000 miles

haha. so i got a surround sound system for my appartment and i took apart my old sony house stereo and thats what i'm rocking with for now. it looks HORRIBLE && all of the sound is in the back but oh well. um... guys... I don't have a fader in my car... seriously. && i'm little upset because from what im hearing everyone else does. there's a factory cap in one of the holes of the center console near the hazzard button where it could have been? idk. haha. there are a lot of switches that I don't have. ie power windows, antenna, sunroof... idk!
do i have an economy model like my cousin in europe (220D 4 speed cloth)

haha

__________________
Matthew McIvor

2016 E350 4Matic Black/Black
2007 GL450 4Matic with Off-Road Pkg Silver/Black
1995 E300 Diesel White/Gray
1994 S600 Euro Black/ Black Velour
1986 560SL Blue/Blue/Gray
1986 190E Blue/Blue 93k

Nice. Been there, seen that (ghetto blaster in the back seat).

__________________
Chris
2007 E550 4Matic - 61,000 Km - Iridium Silver, black leather, Sport package, Premium 2 package
2007 GL450 4Matic - 62,000 Km - Obsidian Black Metallic, black leather, all options
1998 E430 - sold
1989 300E - 333,000 Km - sold
1977 280E - sold
1971 250 - retired

"And a frign hat. They gave me a hat at the annual benefits meeting. I said. how does this benefit me. I dont have anything from the company.. So they gave me a hat." - TheDon

what can is say, a college kid has to do what a college kid has to do... ugh. i hate improvising...
if i drove a rice burner honda or yota sure why not... but ya know... i hate degrading a mercedes. seriously... it bothers me.

__________________
Matthew McIvor

2016 E350 4Matic Black/Black
2007 GL450 4Matic with Off-Road Pkg Silver/Black
1995 E300 Diesel White/Gray
1994 S600 Euro Black/ Black Velour
1986 560SL Blue/Blue/Gray
1986 190E Blue/Blue 93k

Since you don't have the original radio, you might be in luck, and have the car properly wired, instead of going through the fader switch. (original radio only had L & R outs - no front/rear). The original speakers are an insult to music. A lot of people have added a sub in the trunk, to make up for the max. speaker size that you can install, w/o modifying/cutting anything.

__________________
It is a truism that almost any sect, cult, or religion will legislate its creed into law if it acquires the political power to do so. Robert A. Heinlein


09 Jetta TDI
1985 300D

Oh, so you're saying that there's no need to worry about going through the fader switch with an aftermarket head unit, since it will have the fader built in to it. Makes you wonder why Becker didn't just put one on their units.

__________________
" We have nothing to fear but the main stream media itself . . . ."- Adapted from Franklin D Roosevelt for the 21st century

OBK #55

1998 Lincoln Continental - Sold
Max 1984 300TD 285,000 miles - Sold
The Dee8gonator 1987 560SEC 196,000 miles - Sold
Orgasmatron - 2006 CLS500 90,000 miles
2002 C320 Wagon 122,000 miles
2016 AMG GTS 12,000 miles

Prolly because having the fader in the center console gave a more 'cultured' feeling.

I have a wagon but a lot of the concepts are similar, especially in the front. Either remove the wiring from the fader and bring the wires back up to the head or run new wires to the speakers. I chose the former as there will never be a situation where I can see needing a physical fader wheel in there ever again and I can reuse that console position for something else later. For the time being, I've left the disconnected wheel there instead of a hole.

I replaced the head with a Dual XHD-6425
http://www.dualav.com/receivers/xhd6425.html

front speakers: Boss Chaos CH3220 3.5" 2-way
rear speakers: Pyle PLS-40 4" 2-way

Nothing high-end but significantly better than stock. Much brighter and more detail that the 22 yr old paper cones that were replaced. Replacing the 3.5s up front with 4s would go a long way but sinking them below the deck as I did with the 3.5s (to accomodate the dome tweeter) would require either widening the hole a bit or removing the dash to mount them. Making the hole slightly oval would probably do it - just enough to pass the speaker through sideways. The low-profile Pyles I put in back would certainly clear the air duct - taller speakers, probably not... not sunken like that anyway and that's what allowed me to put 2-ways in with raised dome tweeters and not have to modify the factory dash grilles in any way. The speakers all look perfectly stock and only the late model head unit looks like it's been modernized.

If anyone's interested in how I sunk the speakers in that hole, I'd be happy to post pics. I did the same for the rears so that I didn't have to modify the headliner cover.

Now I just have to solve the obviously missing low-end w/o sticking a box in the back.. we use that area too much to break it up with a box - even if it's a quick-disconnect situation I'd be hauling it in and out of there all the time. I'd prefer something permanent and msotly hidden... doesn't have to shake the world, just fill in the low end.

Here's my finished sub and amp locations. I'm almost done with the speaker grills and will post pics later.

__________________
Chad
2006 Nissan Pathfinder LE
1998 Acura 3.0 CL
OBK#44
"Pleasure in the job puts perfection in the work." - Aristotle (384-322 B.C.)

SOLD
1985 300TD - Red Dragon
1986 300SDL - Coda
1991 - 300TE
1995 - E320
1985 300CD - Gladys

Iiiiiinteresting...

How much clearance does that sub cone have to the spare tire? Seems like that cover would be a little too flimsy and unsecured for a sub cone... it'd move so much you'd lose half the efficiency of the cone. Maybe some firm padding at the perimeters to make it actually contact the tire itself and make it a more solid structure? Is there any kind of box behind the cone to confine it to resonating air forward?

I presume that amp is buried under the carpet most of the time... doesn't that make it pretty warm?

I was going to say, "Nice job, Chad," but the I read the questions posed above and was wondering about them myself. What's behind the spare tire cover to support the sub, and how does that sound?

__________________
" We have nothing to fear but the main stream media itself . . . ."- Adapted from Franklin D Roosevelt for the 21st century

OBK #55

1998 Lincoln Continental - Sold
Max 1984 300TD 285,000 miles - Sold
The Dee8gonator 1987 560SEC 196,000 miles - Sold
Orgasmatron - 2006 CLS500 90,000 miles
2002 C320 Wagon 122,000 miles
2016 AMG GTS 12,000 miles

There is a little more than an inch before the magnet would touch the mounting hardware for the spare. An 8" sub would fit better than the 10" I used. I did use high density foam to support the cover against the tire. I didn't put any other box behind it, just the spare cover with a sub mounted into it. The amp is mounted to the door on the other side where the first aid kit goes. It seems to have plenty of space to keep from overheating, at least it hasn't yet. I have the amp adjusted to allow the sub to fill out the sound, not create thumping bass hits. I would use a cabinet for that.

__________________
Chad
2006 Nissan Pathfinder LE
1998 Acura 3.0 CL
OBK#44
"Pleasure in the job puts perfection in the work." - Aristotle (384-322 B.C.)

SOLD
1985 300TD - Red Dragon
1986 300SDL - Coda
1991 - 300TE
1995 - E320
1985 300CD - Gladys

Well, okay then. Nice job, Chad!

__________________
" We have nothing to fear but the main stream media itself . . . ."- Adapted from Franklin D Roosevelt for the 21st century

OBK #55

1998 Lincoln Continental - Sold
Max 1984 300TD 285,000 miles - Sold
The Dee8gonator 1987 560SEC 196,000 miles - Sold
Orgasmatron - 2006 CLS500 90,000 miles
2002 C320 Wagon 122,000 miles
2016 AMG GTS 12,000 miles

I looked at that original pic the wrong way... I was seeing the amp in the well for the 3rd row bench - I see now that it's on the wall of the 1st aid kit hatch. I assume you trimmed off the plastic holders in there?

I was thinking an 8" on the spare tire cover, but drilling a symmetrical hole pattern similar to the headliner cover and keeping the entire thing behind the cover's wall. You'd barely notice it but the sound would be just as good as a surface mount like that. Have you thought of painting the grille to match the carpet so it blens a little more or does it look ok like that?

And most importantly... how does it sound? =)