[NAPSE320NYC]

i have a stock audio system in my 96 e320
...im looking for a big improvement in sound,
im trying to decide between a bose system or an aftermarket system that would change my head unit....
if i go aftermarket, many people are telling me that my car will need to be rewired for audio and might cause electrical problems,,,any opinions??

 

[figure1a]

Go aftermarket. Buying a Bose system from MB will cost you more than putting in a top-notc...

Go aftermarket. Buying a Bose system from MB will cost you more than putting in a top-notch Alpine or similar system which would sound better than the Bose system. I used to have a 96 and I put in an Alpine head unit, Alpine MP3 changer, JL speakers amps and subs all around and spent less than $2000. The Bose amp alone from MB costs $1600 or something totally ridiculous.

You won't have to rewire. You can use pretty much all the stock wiring. If you've ever installed a system before, it won't be hard to figure out.

 

[NAPSE320NYC]

what do you think of alpines system builder on its website?? im thinking of building a s...

what do you think of alpines system builder on its website?? im thinking of building a system that suites me there and taking it over to an alpine dealer

 

[QuadCam]

use your ears!!!

try to listen to as many sets of speakers as possible.
there is no gain by having the same speakers as headunit as amps.

you may find that you like alpine's headunit, JL audio's amps and MB Quart's speakers. (just an example)

 

[5thMB1stNew]

more stereo info

"if i go aftermarket, many people are telling me that my car will need to be rewired for audio and might cause electrical problems"

I did a partial upgrade on a '94 standard audio. There is something to the above quote, but I don't think it's electrical problems. If I remember correctly, the resistance is different for each speaker location. Some wiring and amplification specs changed within the model run. We replaced the front door speakers with MB Quart and yanked them right back out because (I think) it was a 2-ohm setup, and offered no sound advantage. The back door speakers were an improvement, as (again, I think) they were 4-ohm. Even though not Bose, it is an integrated system, and not easy to bit-and-piece.

If my information is flawed, I apologize. Suffice to say, I do know it is not an intuitively obvious upgrade. And my audio shop was/is high end.

 

[NAPSE320NYC]

ANYONE IN NYC
know a good place that knows what theyre doing to install a complete syst...

ANYONE IN NYC
know a good place that knows what theyre doing to install a complete system like stated above that wont rip me off?...thanks