2024 Mercedes E 350 Speaker DSP Amp Audio Upgrade

2024 Mercedes E 350 Standard Audio Upgrade

Missing Burmester

We recently had a client reach out inquiring about what options were available to upgrade the audio system in his 2024 Mercedes E 350. He recently acquired the vehicle, having traded in his last Mercedes which had been equipped with the premium Burmester stereo (option 810). Like so many of the clients that we meet, it wasn’t until after he took delivery that he realized his new Mercedes did not have the premium audio option. It was just the standard audio package and it sucked – BIG time.

How does Mercedes get away with this?

Take a look at this picture. That is a super basic paper cone speaker. Mercedes charges around $80 for this piece of hardware. This is an $80,000 car with a paper cone speaker that couldn’t cost them more than a few dollars to manufacture. They didn’t even throw in a tweeter or whizzer cone! The rear passengers are lucky to have any sound apparently. There is a nice empty channel where a tweeter could have gone if the car had been equipped with the premium audio option.

Thankfully our shop has what it takes to bring this audio system up to and beyond the level of quality you would expect in such a luxury vehicle. For this build we used a combination of vehicle specific products from MATCH and Helix.

Mercedes Standard Audio Components

The standard audio system in the 2024 Mercedes E 350 can be been described as horribly thin, tinny and reminiscent of an old transistor radio. Depending on the build date of your Mercedes you may only have 6 speakers – all in the front and nothing in the rear. However, this vehicle had 8 speakers total:

  • 4″ components (midrange and tweeter) in the front doors
  • Passenger side floor mounted “subwoofer”
  • Driver’s side floor mounted subwoofer dummy plate
  • 4″ round piece of foam in the center channel speaker location
  • 4″ rear mid range speakers – we were surprised there were actually speakers back here – you could barely hear them!
2024 Mercedes E 350 with standard audio - center channel speaker location.

Not wanting to do any sort of modifications to the vehicle, our plan was to use a combination of Helix and MATCH products including a super handy vehicle specific T-harness.

MATCH and Helix – the Perfect Match for this 2024 Mercedes E 350

The MATCH UP 8 DSP amplifier is at the heart of this 2024 Mercedes E 350 audio upgrade. This compact, yet truly powerful DSP amp features a hearty 6 channels x 65 watts RMS (4 ohm) +plus another 2 channels x 160 watts (2 ohm). We used the main channels to power the center channel, front components and rear coaxial speakers and the higher powered channels for the new Helix i5 subwoofers. John found a great spot to mount the amp under the passenger side dash, right behind the glove box.

The DSP software by Audiotec Fischer is what makes this audio system shine. Helix and MATCH DSP amplifiers are our go to product when upgrading a factory audio system because we know the results achievable thanks to their incredible software. We use their vast array of audio tools to perfect whatever audio signal we are working with. Each and every time we execute an audio upgrade using their hardware we remark on how incredible their products are. Our team is always deeply impressed and the client is equally floored by the end result.

2024 Mercedes E 350 8 speaker audio upgrade

The other benefit of the MATCH series products are their vehicle specific T-harnesses. We do not want to modify anything in a brand new vehicle if we can help it. We want the upgrade to be heard, but not seen. This is the case whether you’re simply looking at the vehicle interior or if you’re a Mercedes mechanic taking the car apart and servicing another item in the vehicle. We want these components to integrate seamlessly and for the most part they do in an exceptional manner.

Mercedes Speaker Upgrade Components

Not having seen the vehicle in person, it was hard for us to verify exactly what this car was equipped with prior to it arriving for the audio upgrade. Using the MATCH upgrade finder and working with MSC America, we presumed based on earlier models we would need the MATCH UP C42MB-FRT for our front component speakers and the UP S4MB-CTR for our center channel. However, once we disassembled the front doors, we hit a snag.

2024 Mercedes E 350 audio upgrade - MATCH UP 8 DSP

The UP S4MB-CTR matched perfectly for the center channel, but we found the front doors utilized a different type of mounting system. At this point we were already committed to the Match series speakers. We are big fans of their silk dome tweeter.

In order to use the MATCH UP C42MB-FRT John did have to make a modification to the plastic factory speaker housing in the front doors. If we were to do this again, we would recommend using either the Helix Compose i3 series (titanium dome tweeter) or Compose i7 series (silk dome) along with the appropriate CFMK100 MB.5 flex mount adapters.

MATCH C42MB-FRT - not a perfect match for 2024 Mercedes E350

The MATCH series speakers sounded superb. The silk dome tweeter is delicate and detailed, the midrange quite warm and pleasant. Performance wise we were quite happy with this choice despite the modification that we hadn’t planned on. After discovering this car had rear speakers, we proceeded with the Helix Compose Ci3 C100.2FM-S3 (3 ohm) with the Flex Mount adapter for a perfect fit.

Helix Compose i3 Mercedes E350 speaker upgrade

The speakers is this car are really quite small. Even with a robust DSP amplifier, the best 4″ speakers can only play so low in frequency range. To really fill out this audio system with some depth and punch we needed to reproduce bass. But we did not want to see any type of subwoofer enclosure in the trunk or anywhere else in the vehicle. Meet the Helix i5 S200FM-S2.

The Helix Compose i5 Subwoofers Steal the Show

Hands down, the showstopper of this Mercedes audio upgrade are the Helix Compose i5 subwoofers. Holy cow. The amount of bass these free air subwoofers produce is off the charts and totally unexpected. Granted anything was an upgrade over the single passenger side factory subwoofer – if you can really call it that.

This is what the factory 2024 Mercedes E 350 subwoofer looks like:

2024 Mercedes E350 factory subwoofer

And this is what the Helix Compose i5 subwoofer looks like:

Helix Compose i5 Subwoofer

This 8″ (200 mm) mid bass/woofer is available in single 2 ohm voice coil or dual 2 ohm voice coil. These impressive drivers also have some serious weight to them. They can handle up to 200 watts RMS and perform as both a mid range and subwoofer covering a frequency range of 25 to 500 Hz. Using the Flex Mount adapter CFMK200 MB.1S, the i5’s fit perfectly in the factory locations. Accessing these areas to install the new subwoofers does take a little time and skilled maneuvering.

Helix Compose i5 subwoofer Mercedes E350

John removed the dummy plate from the driver’s side footwell to install the new Helix i5 subwoofer. He also had to run wiring for the new sub to the new MATCH UP 8 DSP amplifier. The passenger side subwoofer is buried pretty deeply behind power distribution panel. The necessary effort to access and upgrade both sides is well worth it for the dramatic performance and punch the i5’s deliver.

Mercedes factory subwoofer upgrade featuring Helix Compose i5

It’s not only important to select the right components for an audio upgrade. It’s equally important to have these products installed by a skilled technician that knows how to use the tools of the DSP software.

DSP Tune for the Magic Touch

Installing the actual equipment is just half the battle. Setting up the DSP correctly to optimize and maximize performance is something our technician John is a master at. Once all of the equipment was installed he began the tuning process which he usually spends anywhere from 2-4 hours doing.

2024 Mercedes E350 audio upgrade

This involves setting up digital time alignment so all speakers are timed to hit the driver’s ears at the same time. It also entails setting optimal crossover points and gains for each speaker. Critically, it involves analyzing the frequency response with an RTA using pink noise with a mic stand set up in the driver’s listening position. The technician then makes the adjustments necessary in the MATCH UP 8 DSP to achieve the optimal sound quality RTA curve. Once this is complete, we do some additional fine tuning by ear listening to a variety of audio tracks together. I like to include sample tracks from the client as well.

Upgrading the stereo system in a brand new vehicle doesn’t have to be complicated if you use the right equipment and the right team to execute the task. If you’re interested in upgrading the audio system in your vehicle, contact our shop today. We’d love to help take your audio system from Standard to Holy Cow!

Have you tried the MATCH or Helix products in your vehicle? If so, let me know what you think of it in the comments below.

Porsche 992 Base Stereo Upgrade

2023 Porsche 911 stereo upgrade

For a short period in time, Porsche stopped offering Bose for the 992 due to supply chain issues. Unfortunately for some that ordered the Bose option they ended up with the standard audio system. This is probably just a weird blip in the history of the 992. Unlike the manual transmission option that is no longer available – which is something my millennial brain just cannot process – the $1,600 Bose option appears to be back. This basic stereo is such a unicorn, that we don’t even have wiring diagrams for it in Mitchell ProDemand. Bose and Burmester are the only diagrams available.

Porsche 992 NON Bose Stereo Upgrade

In July a client reached out to me that owned one of these unicorns. He inquired about what was available for a Porsche 992 stereo upgrade. He was the owner of this 2023 Porsche 911 Carrera T (manual transmission, of course). An absolutely gorgeous vehicle with a very mediocre base audio system. He loved the car, but was disappointed in the standard audio.

MATCH UP 10 DSP for Porsche 992 Stereo Upgrade

To tackle this Porsche 992 stereo upgrade, I drew on my experience with other vehicles. His situation was not unique. We have assisted many BMW clients with similar upgrades due to the same supply chain issues. In those vehicles we install a MATCH UP 8 or 10 DSP amplifier using a vehicle specific harness for a very clean, minimally invasive audio upgrade. Using the factory speakers and the powerful audio tools within the DSP we are able to completely transform the listening experience. For many of our clients, this is all they need. They are often surprised and overwhelmed with the result. For others, we also upgrade the speakers as well.

Porsche 911 Base Audio Door Speakers -  4" mid and 8" woofer

I wasn’t exactly sure how many speakers this car was equipped with. It had all the same speaker grilles as the Bose system so I knew it had the potential for 11 speakers:

  • Center channel
  • Front tweeters
  • Front 4″ mids
  • Front 8″ midbass/subs
  • Rear 4″ mids
  • Rear tweeters
Porsche 992 Stereo Upgrade Center Channel Speaker Location

Without a solid diagram or taking the car apart, I couldn’t be certain how many speakers the car was actually equipped with. I also wasn’t sure if any of the tweeters were tied in together with their respective midrange’s and a passive crossover OR if they were all on separate channels.

Porsche 911 Base Audio Rear Speakers

Originally I was planning on using the UP 8 DSP, but I always like to plan for worst case scenario. I erred on the side of more channels and recommended the UP 10 DSP with MEC Analog. This would cover all 11 speakers separately if equipped and if we needed to run everything actively. Even if the car only ended up needing 8 channels, it would future proof the install. This would cover us for any future speaker upgrades if we were to fill all of those speaker slots with higher quality components run actively.

Porsche 992 Base Audio Tweeters

I knew what amp I wanted to use, but I needed to figure out what wiring harness would be needed to create a clean, seamless installation using a T-harness style connection. The problem was there was just no info out there about this vehicle!

Porsche 911 stereo upgrade MATCH UP 10 DSP

Researching Porsche 992 stereo upgrade parts

Using MATCH’s upgrade finder, I did see a T-harness listed, the PP-VAG 2.6. It looked like your typical Porsche, VW/Audi 9003 style connection. This was promising, but I still wanted some real world verification that someone else out there had used these parts with success. The search continued. I scoured industry groups on Facebook with no luck.

Porsche 992 Stereo upgrade MATCH PP-VAG 2.6

However, I landed a few hits on Rennlist that listed these same parts. In one post they used the UP 8 DSP and another poster used the UP 10 DSP with MEC analog in. Both appeared to use the PP-VAG 2.6 wire harness. This was promising. One poster mentioned something about 2 wires in the harness being mixed up, but for a seasoned shop, this didn’t sound like a big deal to me. We could always re-pin the harness if needed.

Executing the Porsche 911 Base Audio Upgrade

With all the parts figured out, it was time to get the car in the shop and execute the plan. I love it when a good plan comes together! It was a bit tricky to find where the T-harness would connect. We assumed it would be behind the glove box or display, but no – it was under the center console far forward. You can see it at about 3:47 in our video documenting our experience below.

Once we found the the harness, John got busy and quickly found out which 2 wires were not pinned. The driver’s side woofer was not lined up in the harness.

2023 Porsche 911 base audio stereo upgrade harness connection

After correcting this, he checked phase and toned out all of the speakers. He also checked resistance on each speaker. What we found was the front door woofers measured about 2.5 ohms. The front 4″ midranges were 4 ohm and the rear 4″ component set was about 2.5 ohms. I had concerns about this because the main channels on the UP 10 DSP are technically only 4 ohm stable. They will tolerate 3, but 2.5 would be pushing it.

Porsche 992 stereo upgrade door speakers

After getting everything wired up John made a nice little notch out for the amp in the passenger floor. A very important aspect of all of our installations is keep appearance stock. We don’t want clients to see any of the aftermarket equipment if we can help it.

2023 Porsche 911 stereo upgrade MATCH UP 10 DSP amp

That is one of the many reasons I like to use the MATCH UP series DSP amplifiers – they are incredibly compact which helps us to deliver a stealth installation that looks factory, but performs robustly with depth, punch, vibrancy, brilliance and accuracy.

MATCH UP 10 DSP – It’s all in the tuning

The MATCH UP 10 DSP has an unfathomably small footprint measuring at 1.81 x 5.71 x 6.42″. It features 8 channels of power at 65 watts RMS at 4 ohm plus an additional 2 channels pushing 90 watts RMS at 4 ohm or 160 watts RMS at 2 ohm. However powerful this amp may be on paper, it’s true super hero powers lie in the DSP tuning software that Audiotec Fischer has become known for.

2023 Porsche 911 base stereo upgrade tuning using MATCH UP 10 DSP

To learn more about this incredible software, check out the knowledge base at Audiotec Fischer’s website here. Here are just a few of the audio control features we have at our disposal:

  • 30 bands of equalization per channel
  • Input analysis & input equalization controls
  • Extensive crossover network options for frequency, slope and type (Butterworth, Linkwitz, Bessel, Tschebyschev + Q factor)
  • Various phase adjustments
  • Various sound effects like augmented bass processing, center channel processing + front processing
  • Digital time alignment
  • Built in RTA & more

These extensive tools allow us to re-engineer the audio coming out of the factory stereo and extract maximum performance out of the original speakers. It is shocking how big of an impact this can make on a base audio system.

This Porsche 992 stereo upgrade sounded amazing. It was exactly what our client was looking for. It brought out the dormant performance potential that was just waiting to come out of the standard Porsche audio speakers. After hearing it for the first time, our client told us the sound is beautiful! But we did encounter a snag.

Nothing ever goes according to plan

I’m still not positive if this was a wire harness issue or Porsche over the air update issue, but I’m leaning towards a harness issue. While the car was here at the shop (end of July/early August 2024), several times the car tried to do an over the air update and each time John declined. When the client got his car back, he accepted the over the air update, but recalled seeing a message that one of the updates failed. After that, he found the stereo would intermittently say “Goodbye” and shut down. A few hours later, it would be fine. I know now, there was a definite issue with that later July/early August update as others experienced the same issue with failed over the air updates.

At the time, we weren’t sure what was causing the issue. We got the car back to the shop and brought it to an old friend at our local Porsche dealership. He performed the update manually. A few days later, the same thing happened again. We assumed there must be something else either not pinned right in the PP-VAG 2.6 or maybe it was missing some CAN info or just seeing extra resistance that it didn’t like. John ended up taking apart the T-harness and only utilizing the speaker wire portion of it, and reconnecting the original stereo harness for everything else. After that, no more Porsche PCM quirks and everything remains beautiful.

Porsche 911 992 PP-PAM 92b MATCH harness

Since we completed this install, Audiotec Fischer came out with a new harness for the door woofer variation, the PP-PAM 92b. Moving forward, that is the harness we recommend to complete a Porsche 992 stereo upgrade with the base 8 speaker audio system. Despite the hiccups encountered, the end the client was very happy with the end result. Since there was so little information out there on this audio package, I wanted to share our experience. Hopefully this will make it easier for anyone else in the same situation.

2023 Porsche 911 base stereo upgrade - MATCH UP DSP amp

If you are interested in upgrading the stereo in your Porsche 992, check out our shop Sounds Incredible Mobile. You can call or text us at 203-778-3300 or come see us in Brookfield, CT. Have you upgraded the stereo in your vehicle using a MATCH UP DSP amp? If so, let me know what you think in the comments below.