Stereo Door Speakers Really Quiet

sanomechanic

Well-known member
Dear San O, you are talking to an idiot! What is a bridged amp and how?
:) Ty.
Take the 2 wires from center speaker. Connect them directly to a quality bridgeable amp input. Get a good sub woofer or a bazooka tube style sub. Bridge amp by using left - and right + outputs. Set crossover on amp to bass only. If not enough bass swap wires over to get in phase.Then trim the gain level screw for proper sound level to your taste. GOT BASS!
 
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VanGoSki

Well-known member
Take the 2 wires from center speaker. Connect them directly to a quality bridgeable amp input. Get a good sub woofer or a bazooka tube style sub. Bridge amp by using left - and right + outputs. Set crossover on amp to bass only. If not enough bass swap wires over to get in phase.Then trim the gain level screw for proper sound level to your taste. GOT BASS!
I don't think bridging is necessary here. Just run the center speaker wires into a mono amp and connect the subwoofer to that. You'd use a bridging amp to generate a center channel from left and right speaker inputs if that's all you had, but that's not the case here. Think of the center channel as already being bridged.
 
Me. I care. I need that Sirrus Grateful Dead channel to bump

Ha me too! I meant receiver sounds like crap anyway so I wouldn’t worry about unplugging the center channel.

But yeah this is obviously more than a stereo and wouldn’t want to damage anything either and I’m sure someone here will get it figured out [emoji106]
 

sanomechanic

Well-known member
I don't think bridging is necessary here. Just run the center speaker wires into a mono amp and connect the subwoofer to that. You'd use a bridging amp to generate a center channel from left and right speaker inputs if that's all you had, but that's not the case here. Think of the center channel as already being bridged.
True. Although..to utilize all the amps peak PUNCH output power to a sub. It should be bridged
 

drbutton

Member
After paying a premium for the Sprinter, I am not about to pull apart the door panels and dash to make mods to the stereo system. Besides, I don't have any skill in this area. I wish MB would have offered a stereo upgrade, as most other manufacturers do. Perhaps this could be embedded in one of the pricy "Premium" or "Comfort" packages? How about an "X70 Comfort Plus Plus Package"?
I'll wait until I can't stand the sound anymore, and the van has a few more dents in it. Then, when the job of addressing this acoustic oversight breaks a few tabs and leaves some rattling panels in its wake, I won't care as much. I will crank "Pearl Jam Radio" or "The Message" to drownd out the noise. I sure can't do that with the stock system.
 

hein

Van Guru
Maybe the best solution is to disconnect the center dash speaker and use that signal as input for a powered sub-woofer.

Our sub-woofer panels fit the VS30 and are quite popular with DIY and professional up-fitters.
adapter for Alpine PWE-S8 powered sub: https://www.ebay.com/itm/132656785513
adapter for 10" Free Air sub woofer with separate amplifier: https://www.ebay.com/itm/131656241571

We also just released door speaker adapters for the VS30:
https://www.ebay.com/itm/143457073746

All the best,
Hein
DIYvan
541 490 5098
 

Mr Makai

Active member
After paying a premium for the Sprinter, I am not about to pull apart the door panels and dash to make mods to the stereo system. Besides, I don't have any skill in this area. I wish MB would have offered a stereo upgrade, as most other manufacturers do. Perhaps this could be embedded in one of the pricy "Premium" or "Comfort" packages? How about an "X70 Comfort Plus Plus Package"?
I'll wait until I can't stand the sound anymore, and the van has a few more dents in it. Then, when the job of addressing this acoustic oversight breaks a few tabs and leaves some rattling panels in its wake, I won't care as much. I will crank "Pearl Jam Radio" or "The Message" to drownd out the noise. I sure can't do that with the stock system.
The good news is the door panels come apart without any old school drama.



Sent from my Moto Z (2) using Tapatalk
 

Mr Makai

Active member
Maybe the best solution is to disconnect the center dash speaker and use that signal as input for a powered sub-woofer.



Our sub-woofer panels fit the VS30 and are quite popular with DIY and professional up-fitters.

adapter for Alpine PWE-S8 powered sub: https://www.ebay.com/itm/132656785513

adapter for 10" Free Air sub woofer with separate amplifier: https://www.ebay.com/itm/131656241571



We also just released door speaker adapters for the VS30:

https://www.ebay.com/itm/143457073746



All the best,

Hein

DIYvan

541 490 5098
Hein can those subs mount behind the factory paneling?

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drbutton

Member
The face of the woofer must be exposed so it can move air and make its sound
Where does the panel being sold on eBay fit into the dash?:thinking:

There is another thread that discusses the same matter: https://sprinter-source.com/forum/showthread.php?t=80621. In that thread, sanomechanic mentions a mysterious "EL8" option that was not present anywhere on the DOG that my dealer gave me in December of 2018, and that I completed and returned by mid-January of this year. My guess is that the EL8 was added later.

Sanomechanic states that the EL8 option, "is extended with a further four tweeters and four mid-range woofers fitted in the sidewall/sliding door and in the left- and right-hand rear side paneling in the passenger compartment.
Benefits: Excellent sound quality due to 13 speakers Improved listening pleasure in passenger compartment
Offers excellent sound quality, due to separate tweeters and mid-range woofers, and improved listening pleasure for passengers, wherever they happen to be sitting."


Did anyone here get the EL8 package?

is it truly "excellent"?
 
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aviatordoc

Active member
Where does the panel being sold on eBay fit into the dash?:thinking:

There is another thread that discusses the same matter: https://sprinter-source.com/forum/showthread.php?t=80621. In that thread, sanomechanic mentions a mysterious "EL8" option that was not present anywhere on the DOG that my dealer gave me in December of 2018, and that I completed and returned by mid-January of this year. My guess is that the EL8 was added later.

Sanomechanic states that the EL8 option, "is extended with a further four tweeters and four mid-range woofers fitted in the sidewall/sliding door and in the left- and right-hand rear side paneling in the passenger compartment.
Benefits: Excellent sound quality due to 13 speakers Improved listening pleasure in passenger compartment
Offers excellent sound quality, due to separate tweeters and mid-range woofers, and improved listening pleasure for passengers, wherever they happen to be sitting."


Did anyone here get the EL8 package?

is it truly "excellent"?
I have the EL9. Dont know what changes were made, but still have the same issue.
 

elemental

Wherever you go, there you are.
Yes,:frown: I agree with all of you. I have a 2019 4x4 12-passenger van with 10" screen. I was really disappointed with the sound quality of the stereo in this expensive car. I have tried adjusting bass/treble with just a smidge of improvement. My 2015 Ford Transit 3500 15-passenger van has a much better sound system, and that is not saying much. From the sound of the forum, this is just a weak point on the VS30. I am curious if older Sprinters had the same issue?
The Sprinter is not an expensive car. It is a light to medium duty commercial vehicle. NCV3 Sprinters had all kinds of complaints about the speakers and head units from those who want more than the entertainment quality that MB thinks commercial drivers deserve. With the NCV3, the easiest fix given was to replace the front door and dash speakers with better aftermarket versions, and to add some Hushmat/Dynamat and 3M Thinsulate insulation to the doors to improve the acoustics. Disconnecting the center speaker also figured highly on folks "fixit lists". A step up is to add an in-line amplifier like an Alpine KTP-445U Universal Power Pack Amplifier. The ultimate improvement is to replace the head unit with an aftermarket alternative and possibly a separate amplifier as well.
 

Mr Makai

Active member
The Sprinter is not an expensive car. It is a light to medium duty commercial vehicle. NCV3 Sprinters had all kinds of complaints about the speakers and head units from those who want more than the entertainment quality that MB thinks commercial drivers deserve. With the NCV3, the easiest fix given was to replace the front door and dash speakers with better aftermarket versions, and to add some Hushmat/Dynamat and 3M Thinsulate insulation to the doors to improve the acoustics. Disconnecting the center speaker also figured highly on folks "fixit lists". A step up is to add an in-line amplifier like an Alpine KTP-445U Universal Power Pack Amplifier. The ultimate improvement is to replace the head unit with an aftermarket alternative and possibly a separate amplifier as well.
Agree on most counts but the 10 inch screen head unit is a lot of things besides a stereo.

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red_johnny

Active member
Agree on most counts but the 10 inch screen head unit is a lot of things besides a stereo.

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EXACTLY!! What most don't realize is that car manufactures are going towards more info-tainment systems rather than standard radios. The difference being is more interface controls available on the info-tainment. This makes it difficult or impossible to change them out to a standard radio. For instance, my 2016 Camaros info-tainment system controls the exhaust, suspension, steering, engine management, interior LED lights, door lock timers, lights off timers and a few other things. We are not there yet with the sprinters but my bet is that its coming.
 

Mr Makai

Active member
Yes, and I still do not know where you would install the woofer in the dash with the 10" screen and the front storage compartment? I see no way to do this without a hack saw.:idunno:
I don't think it goes in the dash. You abandon the center speaker anduse the lead to run a woofer elsewhere.

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GLJones

Active member
What about putting a switch or volume pot on the center speaker instead of disconnecting? Then you could lower it to balance with the door speakers. Listening to talk radio, I think the center speaker actually helps with clarity.
 
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RoverAG

New member
GLJones has a good question. Is it possible to add something to the center speaker connection which would allow it to be powered down a bit (reduced volume)?
 

elemental

Wherever you go, there you are.
GLJones has a good question. Is it possible to add something to the center speaker connection which would allow it to be powered down a bit (reduced volume)?
There is another thread where GLJones reports on installing a volume control for the center speaker. If you search for all posts by GLJones you will probably find it.
 

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