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Hello, One of my first projects to make my E500 more live-able as daily driver is to upgrade the stereo system. Forgive me if my questions have been answered. I've done my best to dive into the various ICE threads, wikis, and looking at EPC but still have some questions. In the wiki I see reference to the 1492 having an internal amplifier but then in another thread Gerry talked about pulling the amplifier out of E420 at a pick-n-pull place because those are expensive items. So its seems the 1994 E500 also has a trunk amplifier. Seems like for a simple plug & play upgrade I need to go to a modern Becker replacement like the Traffic Pro but I really want to go to a modern aftermarket system like an Alpine CDE-HD149BT that I have in one of my other cars. Yes, I know it is not period correct but the built in DSP, equalizer, Bluetooth, and iPod integration are features that I have put to good use my other car.

Using an iPad or iPhone you can now have a useable RTA (real time analyzer) to inject pink noise into the system and adjust the EQ and look at frequency response in real time. I do NOT want to cut into my car's wiring harness. If I install an Alpine and I hook into the existing harness will it work properly? Is the rear amp in the 1994 E500 a speaker level input amplifier? Or if I go with Alpine I need to route new speaker wires to the dash and doors? I just installed a plug and play head unit, that I am thrilled with, in my 95' E320.

With: AM /FM /AUX /USB/ Bluetooth Phone/A2DP Audio Streaming 4x40 watts Bought it from Becker for $350. It is the Continental/VDO and will fit nicely in your 94'. Took all of 5 minutes to install. That's a great option.Making me start to rethink my decision to spend a lot more on a 4602 from Becker, as Becker didn't have this when I ordered and I have yet to install my 4602. Do you know if the Conti has preamp puts for adding an external amp or would any external amp have to be done via speaker level inputs? Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk.

Using an iPad or iPhone you can now have a useable RTA (real time analyzer) to inject pink noise into the system and adjust the EQ and look at frequency response in real time.What iPhone App is this, and what does Alpine call this feature? DISREGARD THIS, I FOUND IT.

Astone Rd 230 Manual Lymphatic Drainage. Free Program To Erase Cd-r. I went after market for these same reasons. By the way, they had Alpine car stereos in 1992, and they basically look the same, which got me over the 'period correct' thing. And thanks to miniaturization in the chip space, the sound of new head units alone is better than all the extra audio components combined were back in '92. There's a reason even the most ardent audio aficionados no longer use Macintosh tube amps -- they're just not worth the trouble or extra money any more. Textbook obsolescence. It's also about that same time (and likely for the same reason) that the after market audio manufacturers started taking over OEM production contracts (Blaupunkt and Alpine chief among them).

But I digress. I'd love to be able to view frequency response in real time with my Alpine. Also you should consider the 45x4 power pack that they make for their newer head units -- fits perfectly in these cars, so only my sub needs an external amp. But I really want to go to a modern aftermarket system like an Alpine CDE-HD149BT that I have in one of my other cars. Yes, I know it is not period correct but the built in DSP, equalizer, Bluetooth, and iPod integration are features that I have put to good use my other car.

Using an iPad or iPhone you can now have a useable RTA (real time analyzer) to inject pink noise into the system and adjust the EQ and look at frequency response in real time.The Becker upgrades allow iPod/aux input, but not Bluetooth or DSP (there may be a really high-end Euro model with these features, but likely >$1k). RTA is cool and all but even with DSP from the head unit you'll still be limited by the rest of the stock system.

This is a slippery slope, with a head unit that capable, you really need a full aftermarket system to complement it (Jehnerts, external power amps, subs, $$$$$$$). The ROI gets questionable. Thanks Dave for answering my questions. Getting a bit more knowledgable now. I am comfortable with giving the stock wiring harness and stock factory amps a shot. I don't think I want to tear into the existing system or rewire the radio completely. I am looking at the Alpine CDE-HD149BT or the Pioneer Pioneer DEH-80PRS.

The 'DSP' in both of these units is a time delay you can introduce such that each speakers output arrives at your head at the same time. Instead of playing with the balance setting you measure the distance form each speaker to the driver's head and input that into the head unit. On my Alpine CDE-HD149BT in my Carrera2 that a made a real difference. I am sold on that feature. Crutchfield will provide this wiring harness adapter for free: Metra 70-1784 Receiver Wiring Harness (image attached).

So no need to cutup my E500 harness. Google search turned up the Becker 1492 pin out (attached) which wil be helpful in that I think the antenna control is something I will need to figure out. The RTA I was referring to is not an Alpine App. It is a generic iOS app for iPhone or iPad: When I installed my Alpine this RTA app was super helpful in adjusting the built in EQ on the head unit. The Pioneer unit I am considering has 16 band EQ and you would go nuts trying to adjust this by ear. It was fun to geek out with this and adjust the EQ on the headunit and watch the frequency response change in real time.

You inject pink noise (all frequencies at equal energy) into the head unit via your the same iPad/iPhone that is running the RTA app. My final settings ended up sounding great and then I dialed in my sub output volume to my liking. I will start with just the head unit and then look into replacing the factory speakers. My only concern with the stock speaker setup will probably be the lack of subwoofer. Is there room for a small powered sub under the seats? Also you should consider the 45x4 power pack that they make for their newer head units -- fits perfectly in these cars, so only my sub needs an external amp.maw1124, do you have a 1994 E500?

I don't see how adding an external amp to the back of Alpine will work if I stick with the existing harness. Won't I have three amplifiers that way Headunit amp + Alpine external amp + Mercedes Amp in trunk? I am familiar with this amp booster pack from Alpine, but does it actually fit behind the head unit? Where did you put it? I will start with just the head unit and then look into replacing the factory speakers.Sounds like you have a good handle on the head unit swap. I would be VERY careful with replacing the factory speakers.

They are all weird sizes and impedances, designed to match the factory amps. You can end up with the system sounding worse. If you want aftermarket speakers, they work best with aftermarket amplifiers, which kind of defeats your goal of remaining mostly stock.

The stock system really is quite good once you have a modern head unit feeding it. I would absolutely not touch the rear deck speakers or door midbass, but you could try Rainbows in the dash if you want a brighter front soundstage. Maw1124, do you have a 1994 E500?

I don't see how adding an external amp to the back of Alpine will work if I stick with the existing harness. Won't I have three amplifiers that way Headunit amp + Alpine external amp + Mercedes Amp in trunk? I am familiar with this amp booster pack from Alpine, but does it actually fit behind the head unit?

Where did you put it?No, I have a '92. I did the complete tear out and rewire. I agree with Dave that once you go aftermarket head unit, you should probably go aftermarket everything, except maybe rear speakers (and my jury is still out on those). Yes, the booster pack fits right behind the head unit -- it snaps on like a detachable face.

I had some old obsolete radar equipment in that space, which I removed when I did the install. I bought from Crutchfield too, but don't recall whether I used a harness from them -- probably so. My Alpine unit does not have TuneIt, so I'm glad to hear it's an Apple app. I've fiddled around with the sound to get it where I want it more or less (5 band parametric EQ + 7 band graphic EQ + time correction in that thing).

I'll see if I can improve upon it with the app. Here's a hint, when you do the time correction on your head unit, compensating for the driver in the front door actually meant having my fronts set to zero correction to get the sound stage forward enough (the doors + the dash put the front sound field pretty much right in front of your face anyway). As for a sub, I went with one in the trunk, but have lately been considering the JLAudio slim-fit 10' () in place of the first aid container on the rear deck. But that's where the ROI got questionable for me. You'd have to custom fabricate the enclosure, then hope it was large enough to move enough air, etc.

From my calculations, it's right on the cusp. And for that kind of science project (plus its a fairly heavy mod), the trunk setup is fine. I've tried to keep it as stock as possible in look and feel -- but not function. See this thread, Crutchfield also marketed a Sound Ordnance that looked like it would fit in the cabin. And even if it had, the sound would have been paltry. My advice is disregard it. I would be VERY careful with replacing the factory speakers.

They are all weird sizes and impedances, designed to match the factory amps. Thank you for clearing this up for me. I see how the factory amp and ohm ratings on the speakers are connected now. A powered subwoofer in trunk seems to have easy access to the battery.

Is there a simple path to run the RCA cable from behind the head unit and then into the trunk? How much of the interior has to be ripped out to do this? I think its best for me to proceed slowly and just stop when its good enough for me. I am worried I am spoiled by the setup in my other car which has a small JL audio amp under the passenger seat, running Focal component speakers in the doors, and the rear channel drives one big rear sub in the tiny driver's side back seat foot area of a 911. Is there a simple path to run the RCA cable from behind the head unit and then into the trunk?

How much of the interior has to be ripped out to do this?Lift the thick insulated front passenger floor carpet/mat out of the car. Underneath it is the wide flat cover to a plastic wiring raceway that runs from front to back underneath the front passenger seat. Carefully pry it open as much as required. Also remove the rear passenger seat cushion to see the opposite end of the raceway. Pull your RCAs thru this raceway.

Loosen/partially remove the rear seat back to expose the passenger side wiring harness thru-hole located above the rear inner fender well into the trunk. Feed your RCAs thru this hole. This is the route I took when rewiring my audio system.

It provides maximum protection & takes advantage of an existing pathway meant for wires. Have pictures posted somewhere here in the ICE forum. Oh man, talk about can of worms, by the time I am running RCA cables back to rear sub, (which now seems straight forward), might as well throw in an amp and run speaker cables back to the passenger cabin, and then upgrading the cabin speakers. Slippery slope indeed!And you're not going to come up with anything close to that 'other' system you described without moving the sub into the cabin where the first aid kit now sits. The bass player in a separate room just doesn't work for most bands.

Ok, deep breaths, one step at a time. I don't even know where the dipstick on this car is right now. Next step is to get is smogged, call up insurance, and head down to the DMV.

When I drove it home on Saturday on an empty highway and floored it at 65mph and feeling that glorious V8 just pull and pull and pull all the way to 90mph made me happy about the purchase. Never felt anything quite like that. Oh here is the other car. And the engine from the other, other car. As you can see, now is not the time for me to add yet another project, but a '94 E500, 45 minutes away, with a big pile of maintenance documents, and very clean cosmetically, with a price that was dropping every week. Was too hard to resist! The main power cable runs along the passenger side.

In a perfect world, the audio signal cables (RCA's) would run along the opposite (driver) side, as far away as possible from the power cable. Probably won't be an issue, but if you can route things on the other side, it would be nice.True. Always use hi-quality shielded cable and/or separate the audio run to opposite side as mentioned. I had no choice but to rewire my entire MY93 audio system (consider not doing same to your MY94 unless you really feel you must) so I've got various stuff running thru both raceways trying to keep incompatibles separated. As you can see, now is not the time for me to add yet another project, but a '94 E500, 45 minutes away, with a big pile of maintenance documents, and very clean cosmetically, with a price that was dropping every week. Was too hard to resist!It wasn't to be resisted.

It was to be seized upon, so you did well. Just like that head unit is to be upgraded (I say with the power pack while you're in there), and you'll do well to do that. Then stop, listen, and proceed only if you want to go further.

Anecdotal experience here, but bear with me: My prior owner almost never had the car windows down. He just didn't drive it like that, this being Florida and all. When I bought the car, the CD changer didn't work, and I don't do FM or AM radio, as a general matter.

No radio would have been fine for him, and a simple head unit swap would have been heaven. Me, I'll drive with the car wide open at highway speeds.

And for that, what I have is just adequate. So there's another hint: your driving preference will go a long way to determining how far down this slippery slope you go. For this car, since most of the time I have passengers, windows up and in-cabin conversation, I could stop with the stereo project.

In the M3 convertible (which is closer in sound dynamics to your Porsche), with the top up the stereo sounds like a live concert. But that stereo was built for top down cruising at highway speed and still being able to feel it. It's a different animal. The windows on the 500E are very thick. So if you intend to keep them up, not much change in the stereo will be necessary.

If you MUST have a sub to carry heavy lifting, I'd seriously consider the JLAudio in the rear deck. When I built my system, that didn't exist or I probably would have done it.

But it's just not worth it to change it at this point, given other projects. I have zero doubt that the sub in the cabin would be WAY too much with the windows up in the 500E -- no one would be able to think, much less talk to each other. So it may be as simple as whether you'll drive with windows up or down.