# '97 Mercedes W210 - Reinstall with Audible physics, Helix C-DSP, etc



## hippopotamus (Sep 5, 2012)

Hi guys..
just wanna share a bit about my car..
It's 1997 Mercedes W210 E230. 
Im trying to re-install my system especially the front speakers and the processor, plus a whole redesigning of the trunk (currently it's ugly as hell)

Current system :
- Pioneer P99RS + Mundorf capacitor 0.68uf
- JBL Ms8 processor
- Audible Physic fullrange AR3K
- ScanSpeak 18W/5535 midbass
- Audible Physics AP2 fullrange for center + surround speaker
- IDMAX chrome series "12
- ABYSS Nobella Performance SE
- Alpine PDX 1000.1
- Speaker cable by Synergistic Research HDAV
- RCA by RAMM audio

I just got a set of the new Audible Physics NzA.. so i decided to change previous AP AR3K with this new set in purpose of getting the top end sparkle that i barely got from the AR3K. 
And i'd like to have more control in tuning the processor, so i replacing the Ms8 with Helix C DSP. It's a bit of gambling since i can't find many reviews about the Helix, but well.. u never know until u try it on..

The Car









Previous install

























New Audible Physics NzA with the smallest ambience transducer

















The Helix C DSP just coming in today


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## hippopotamus (Sep 5, 2012)

Today im trying to make a moulding for my doortrim.. so that i can make a custom baffle for the midbass..

Preparation









going to get that scanspeak out and replacing with Audible Physics









measuring the custom moulding for the trim


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## Notloudenuf (Sep 14, 2008)

I like your equipment choices. The car is pretty sweet too.
In for a subscription.


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## Candisa (Sep 15, 2007)

Those "ambient drivers" look interesting, you have some more info on those?

Isabelle


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## hippopotamus (Sep 5, 2012)

Candisa said:


> Those "ambient drivers" look interesting, you have some more info on those?
> 
> Isabelle


Just go here 

http://www.diymobileaudio.com/forum...udible-physics-nz3-amt-[review-progress].html


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## Candisa (Sep 15, 2007)

Interesting little thing... I like the fact that it doesn't need any kind of crossover and doesn't eat an extra pair of amplifier-channels.
I wonder if such a thing can be found seperately for a nice price, I'd love to experiment with that in combination with my TangBand W4-1337's (I'd probably have to put a coil in series with those to tame their top-end)...
It would be a great alternative to using tweeters on their own amplifier...

Isabelle


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## hippopotamus (Sep 5, 2012)

Candisa said:


> Interesting little thing... I like the fact that it doesn't need any kind of crossover and doesn't eat an extra pair of amplifier-channels.
> I wonder if such a thing can be found seperately for a nice price, I'd love to experiment with that in combination with my TangBand W4-1337's (I'd probably have to put a coil in series with those to tame their top-end)...
> It would be a great alternative to using tweeters on their own amplifier...
> 
> Isabelle


exactly ! that's why i decided to try them coz i dont have to add an extra pair of amplifier and/or a custom passife x-over for the tweets..

i dunno if the ambience transducer can be found separately or not, i think they don't sold separately as Mark says that the driver was design to work with the widebander unit only.
If they can be found separately.. i surely be ready to pair them with the existing AP AR3k i had, but the seller told me that i can't get only the AT hwkwkwkwk..


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## wdemetrius1 (Aug 16, 2007)

Subscribed!!! 

You were right, the AT is only available with the NZ3 Driver.


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## wdemetrius1 (Aug 16, 2007)

Also, Welcome To The AP Family!


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## FLYONWALL9 (Nov 8, 2009)

What can you tell me about this

http://i99.photobucket.com/albums/l284/kudanil_montok/IMG-20120924-00408_zps4ef039a8.jpg


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## Melodic Acoustic (Oct 10, 2005)

Hippo loving the Benz sir. 



FLYONWALL9 said:


> What can you tell me about this
> 
> http://i99.photobucket.com/albums/l284/kudanil_montok/IMG-20120924-00408_zps4ef039a8.jpg


What would you like to know sir?


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## Mrnurse (Sep 8, 2011)

like the car buddy!!!


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## hippopotamus (Sep 5, 2012)

wdemetrius1 said:


> Also, Welcome To The AP Family!





Audible Physics said:


> Hippo loving the Benz sir.





Mrnurse said:


> like the car buddy!!!


Thx guys.. 

i've been a fan and using AP products for quite sometime..
more than 2 years if im not mistaken..

this is the first AP i had from my previous car (a honda), it's AP2









then when i got my benz, the AP2 also comes along..









until i replace the AP2 to AR3K.. and now it's NzA turn hehe..


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## Mrnurse (Sep 8, 2011)

How do you like the ms8? I have a 2006 c230 and don't want to change out the factory radio, just the speakers and amps.


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## hippopotamus (Sep 5, 2012)

Mrnurse said:


> How do you like the ms8? I have a 2006 c230 and don't want to change out the factory radio, just the speakers and amps.


I just can say that Ms8 is good.. probably not the best to my liking but it's good enough for people who doesn't have the capability of tuning their processor (like i did when i decided to get the Ms8..)
but after sometime i still can't get the system to sound like what i wanted it to be.. and i can't do much with ms8 with all the auto-tuning things.

now that i want to learn how to tune my system to my liking.. I decided to get the C DSP, so i can get full tuning n tweaking capability from the processor.
(actually.. P99's internal processor will do just fine but hey.. just wanna try something different hehe..)

========================================

So... today still working on the doortrim..
pardon the bad pictures from blackberry handset (camera sux..)


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## Candisa (Sep 15, 2007)

Hey, I just now see you're living in Indonesia... A friend of mine moved to Indonesia less than a year ago, I think he lives near Yogyakarta now.

Isabelle


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## hippopotamus (Sep 5, 2012)

Candisa said:


> Hey, I just now see you're living in Indonesia... A friend of mine moved to Indonesia less than a year ago, I think he lives near Yogyakarta now.
> 
> Isabelle


yup.. i live in Jakarta.. the capital..

Yogyakarta.. nice place to live in, just went there a couple of weeks ago..


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## hippopotamus (Sep 5, 2012)

Almost finish with the doortrim..
kinda busy lately


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## hippopotamus (Sep 5, 2012)

Some progress with the works..

*Left midbass mounting with stitched vinyl*









*Right midbass mounting also with stitched vinyl*

















*Left pod *
actually i didn't do any work on these pods as they've been usedn with my previous AR3K.. it's the same exact size with the mounting.
They're a bit off axis









*Right Pod*









*I put the small AT in the sail area where OEM tweeter was coz beside i don't wanna ruin the pods, also it's interesting to see when people think how the widebander get the sparkling top end ambience.. *
Mark said that it's better to put the AT not more than 6inches from the widebander.. so they're close enough when the door is closed without being seen..

















Messy wiring.. 









*Amplifiers rack*









*Rough layout of the trunk.. *









*IDMAX's nest.. roughly about 1.3cuft*









I save some space behind the taillamp area just in case i have to replace the bulbs or anything happen with the taillamp, i'll make sure my hand can reach the back cover of the taillamp..
And/or just to throw some tools or anything to keep the trunk clean hehe..


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## hippopotamus (Sep 5, 2012)

still working on the trunk...


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## wdemetrius1 (Aug 16, 2007)

Looking good. It's starting to take shape.


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## hippopotamus (Sep 5, 2012)

I had an idea of giving the trunk something different in color instead of just plain dark grey all around..
and my friend just throw "why don't we give it something in wooden-like textures"

and so.. we got some wooden HPL from local hardware store

and put them at the base of the amplifier rack and spare tyre cover

while the amp rack is not yet finished but here's how the spare tyre cover looks like (not LED illuminated yet.. later it will be)


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## hippopotamus (Sep 5, 2012)

almost done with the trunk...
while it still need cleaning up job to do but this will be the final look of my trunk set up..
i wanted to add more iilumination around the grey Abyss Nobella but there's no more room left.. i even coudn't cover it up with acrylic
But hey.. i think it's good enough for the abyss to breathe some air for cooling..

what do you guys think ? any inputs on how to make it look better would be appreciated..
I'll post more of the finished installation soon..

Now.. to the tuning of the Helix c dsp *sigh*..


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## Jaloosk (Jan 13, 2010)

wow...nice work! Looks awesome.


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## hippopotamus (Sep 5, 2012)

Thank you sir.. 

a bit of my progress

added Standartplas crystal diffuser behind the midbass









Behind the wooden HPL around the abyss amp









Preparing the Helix c-dsp setup

























This will be the final look of my trunk.. still figuring out what to add to make it look better..


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## BLAMM0 (Feb 25, 2008)

awesome benz, and awesome setup, thanks for posting  caught a few ideas


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## bertholomey (Dec 27, 2007)

Extremely nice! I will be interested to hear your impressions of the NZ drivers (although several things have changed since you were running the AR's). I like the trunk... a bit of flash, but still functional.


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## shawnk (Jan 11, 2010)

Very nice!!


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## hippopotamus (Sep 5, 2012)

bertholomey said:


> Extremely nice! I will be interested to hear your impressions of the NZ drivers (although several things have changed since you were running the AR's). I like the trunk... a bit of flash, but still functional.


hahaha yes.. definitely must be still functional coz i still have to bring my 3yo daughter's stroller everywhere.. aaaaaand my wife's groceries/shopping bag..
with that much equipment (3 amps,1procie,1cd changer,1 "12 sub) it's hard not to be a bit flashy hehehe..


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## req (Aug 4, 2007)

Awesome dude. 

The cdsp has some sweet features. Just make sure, if it's like the pdsp, that you turn your amplifiers off when you first hook the pdsp up and you push the new software to it or your speakers could explode. 

Download software on computer, and update. 
Unhook amplifier remote turn on
Turn system on
Hook up cdsp to computer via usb
Connect to cdsp
The update will push from the computer to the cdsp
Restart software
Plug back in the remote turn on of amplifier

And you are good. If you ever download new software version, always do the update like I explained above or you will be unhappy 

Also I noticed on my pdsp, when you change the crossover type from bessel or Butterworth to linkwitz, the crossover slope changes to zero from whatever it was, so make sure the volume isn't very loud, i would suggest putting a passive high pass crossover in line with any speaker that could get damaged by low frequencies. 

Just a few tips 

Real nice job!


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