# W211 E63 AMG Build | Mobridge, Helix, Alpine, Scanspeak, Flutes, Acoustic Elegance



## forty5cal1911 (Sep 11, 2006)

Been a long time member here and have learned a LOT over the years. Big thanks to the Diyma community for all the knowledge shared here! 

I'm an old school car audio guy from they "heyday" I guess you would say. I can remember just *WAITING* for the CA&E annual directory to get to my door so I could drool over all the killer gear that I could never afford as a teenager. :laugh:
My first system was a JVC cassette deck with 12 disc changer, Kenwood 5x7" coax speakers and 2 Audio Art 10" subs pushed with an Alphasonic amp....been into it every since.

Anyhow, I'm just kicking off my latest build in my 2008 Benz E63 AMG and chomping at the bit to get all my gear in.

Car




























Gear

*Source Units*

Benz COMAND NTG 2.0
Chuwi Hi8 Windows 10 Tablet

*Processors*

Mobridge DA2 - older unit with optical out -Thanks Don! (6spcoupe)
Helix DSP.2

*Amps*

2 NVX JAD800.4's

*Drivers*

Alpine SPX-Pro Tweeters
Scanspeak 10F/4424G Midranges
Silve Flute W17RC38-04 Woofers
Acoustic Elegance IB104AU Subwoofer

I'll be replacing the existing Harmon Kardon Audio Gateway with the DA2 feeding the Helix DSP.2 via toslink. My plan is to use the Tablet on a gooseneck mount to feed high resolution digital audio via USB 3.0 to the Helix once the HEC usb is released. Tablet will also allow DSP control from the drivers seat using a 5 port powered USB 3.0 hub and active USB 3.0 cable.

Tweeters will be mounted on axis in the sail panels, midranges in pods on the A pillars, woofers in the doors and subwoofer top mounted IB in the rear deck.


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## forty5cal1911 (Sep 11, 2006)

I've started with the subwoofer install. I used a sandwich type construction on the rear deck. You can see the rough rear deck contour below.










The red is Second Skin Damplifier Pro, Gray is CCF, and brown is MDF. I had to build up 4 layers or so of the dampener to get the surface even with the subwoofer recess lip. I then used 4 bolts through the structural ribs on rear deck into t-nuts countersunk into the 3/4 MDF bottom baffle where the yellow arrows are. I also used 5 bolts in a star pattern through the top mounted baffle, through the rear deck and into t-nuts countersunk into the bottom baffle. This construction really created a nice tight sandwich of dampener and 1/2" ccf between the baffle and rear deck. Where the bottom baffle meets the structural ribs there is 1/4" ccf between them.

Here are some shots of the rear deck.

Cover on









Cover off









Test fitting



























Mostly finished shots from trunk


















Up next will be front stage build.


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## Lycancatt (Apr 11, 2010)

very nice car and great gear choices. using the money where it counts..good job!


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## danno14 (Sep 1, 2009)

I am interested to see where you go with this build! our cars are brothers.... although little bro/big bro 
A buddy of mine has an E55 and loves it.Great car!

Wht's your plan for finishing the rear deck? I can't tell if you have the electric sunshade... Why did you choose to have the sub project so high on the rear deck instead of hanging father down into the trunk?

I could probably hold all my ?? pending your future posts 
Thx
D


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## strong*I*bumpin (Oct 3, 2005)

Man that rear deck just doesn't look reinforced enough.Have you tested the sub yet ?


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## dcfis (Sep 9, 2016)

Awesome man! You are a lucky dog to have a AE 10 just fit like that


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## forty5cal1911 (Sep 11, 2006)

Lycancatt said:


> very nice car and great gear choices. using the money where it counts..good job!



Thanks brother! You hit the nail right smack on the head.... my goal was to use the what I thought was the appropriate gear based on my needs. Best in breed where I needed it and bang for your buck with great performance where I felt it would be adequate.

Danno: The 55's are monsters too! Only problems there are when those supercharger bearings go out on you (and they ALL get worn out) you are talking a full replacement supercharger and that ain't cheap at all. When that happens you may as well be looking at a Weistec unit. 

It's a long story about how I came to the mounting method I chose for the IB rear deck. I originally had it bottom mounted firing through the factory holes...honestly deck wasn't damped much and had WAAAYYYY to much flex in that configuration. Was going to fortify it and dampen the crap out of it but as I really started to engineer what I wanted it was a no brainer to just cut the factory grill out of there and do a proper top mount. Not to mention that big magnet when bottom mounted took up a lot of real estate back there.

It's not as high as it looks. That top baffle is two 3/4" MDF rings, so a total thickness of 1.5"s. Driver is actually mounted to the bottom 3/4" ring so it sits at the same height it would using a 3/4" baffle board top mounted. I wanted as much mass up there as I could get in a speaker ring. I did end up modifying the top baffle ring a bit more than those pictures show (i'll post a follow up when I pull it off again).

In the same vein, I opted to remove the rear sunshade for several reasons. Number 1 being that no matter what you CANNOT get that thing to quiten down. Even with CCF under, braced etc. it sounded bad....
Number 2 is I have never actually used it. I mean it works and everything but I have no practical use for it. Windows are tinted and the rear windows have sun shades on them as well (so the kids never have sun in there face... LOL).

strong*I*bumpin: Oh yeah it's live right now. Only got a LOC tapped off the factory amp sub output running to an old Soundstream to push it. Getting about 300 watts and it's rock solid. Don't have any of the flex and resonance issues I previously had.

Thanks guys for all your feedback much appreciated! Follow along with me and help a brother out.


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## forty5cal1911 (Sep 11, 2006)

Front stage driver mount fabrication

Factory sail panels will be wrapped in black Alcantara. Midrange pods will be flocked in black.

Pods measured out at .4 L (measured about 14 fl oz)
WinISD models good response for the Scans in this airspace with a .71 QTC and good looking phase plot. Will likely add a little fiber fill as well.



















Tweeter sails:



















Midrange Pods:



















Corian Ring Baffles for Midbass:


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## Black Rain (Feb 27, 2011)

I am curious to know door speaker setup you originally have in your '08 E63? I bought my wife an '08 R171, even though I am sure they are different but its worth the inquiry. 

Also, how is your Command NTG 2.0 working out for you? It looks like the same style as in the R171. The one we have, all the buttons seem to be getting stuck so we are replacing it with an Alpine DD.


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## forty5cal1911 (Sep 11, 2006)

Black Rain said:


> I am curious to know door speaker setup you originally have in your '08 E63? I bought my wife an '08 R171, even though I am sure they are different but its worth the inquiry.
> 
> Also, how is your Command NTG 2.0 working out for you? It looks like the same style as in the R171. The one we have, all the buttons seem to be getting stuck so we are replacing it with an Alpine DD.


I have factory Harmon Kardon audio in my W211. The SLK and E Class were radically different in regards to the speaker setups. You've got an 8" Woofer reverse mounted firing into the door as well as a 3.5" midrange firing into the vehicle and a tweeter.

Here's a great thread where he does the R171 replacement with Hertz comps

I've not had any issues with the COMAND system in mine. I mostly use the steering controls though and do not do too much button pushing on the head unit itself.


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## forty5cal1911 (Sep 11, 2006)

Well look here what showed up today! Christmas came early this year!




























Super big *THANK YOU!* to Philip Lindsley owner of Titan Motoring in Nashville for getting this so quickly!

May as well post a pic of his cohort while I'm at it...










I really hope to be tuning by New Year's.


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## oabeieo (Feb 22, 2015)

Nice car! Love the gear. Should be sick for sure.


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## dcfis (Sep 9, 2016)

Tell me more about those pods


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## forty5cal1911 (Sep 11, 2006)

Hope everyone is having a Merry Christmas Day!

Busy with the family but wanted to post a small update. Full update to come tomorrow.

Pods were made from 3" PVC domed end caps and 4" PVC flat end caps.




























Starting the process of dampening the doors and doing a test fit.


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## danno14 (Sep 1, 2009)

forty5cal1911 said:


> Danno: The 55's are monsters too! Only problems there are when those supercharger bearings go out on you (and they ALL get worn out) you are talking a full replacement supercharger and that ain't cheap at all. When that happens you may as well be looking at a Weistec unit.
> 
> It's a long story about how I came to the mounting method I chose for the IB rear deck. I originally had it bottom mounted firing through the factory holes...honestly deck wasn't damped much and had WAAAYYYY to much flex in that configuration. Was going to fortify it and dampen the crap out of it but as I really started to engineer what I wanted it was a no brainer to just cut the factory grill out of there and do a proper top mount. Not to mention that big magnet when bottom mounted took up a lot of real estate back there.
> 
> ...


I agree on the supercharger aspect! That why I have an S. That, and my kids are destined to be big uns 
Thanks for the info on the sub install. I've been debating whether to lose the sunshade, and I'm leaning that direction. Your insight helps.


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## j4gates (Jan 1, 2016)

Great plus up with the AE sub in the stock location. 

Miss my W211 E550...driving a hybrid now.  Looking forward to seeing the rest of your install.


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## 1FinalInstall (Oct 13, 2013)

Very cool build!


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## forty5cal1911 (Sep 11, 2006)

Front stage install is complete! Woohoo 

Starting Amp Rack fabrication today and hopefully Mobridge, Helix and Amp installation.

Got a pretty good color match with the flocking on the Midrange pods but it is slightly darker than the alcantara. Shows up differently in different lighting conditions. Overall pretty happy with the flocked pods.























































You can see my installation assistant in the below shot. LOL


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## Victor_inox (Apr 27, 2012)

Nice and clean install.
I`ve had E55 and loved it until maintenance time came.


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## forty5cal1911 (Sep 11, 2006)

Victor_inox said:


> Nice and clean install.
> I`ve had E55 and loved it until maintenance time came.


Thanks Victor. Don't I know.... sheesh the brakes are especially crazy. But of course it takes some serious rotors and pads to slow the 55's and 63's down.


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## danno14 (Sep 1, 2009)

yeah..... I would suggest you have a star tool handy.... that's what I opted to do.


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## Victor_inox (Apr 27, 2012)

forty5cal1911 said:


> Thanks Victor. Don't I know.... sheesh the brakes are especially crazy. But of course it takes some serious rotors and pads to slow the 55's and 63's down.


transmission fluid change for $700. I don`t believe in lifetime fluids. That if you don`t expect "lifetime" be about warranty expired. 
I guess most people buying brand new E63 don`t give a damn about longevity.


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## forty5cal1911 (Sep 11, 2006)

Victor_inox said:


> transmission fluid change for $700. I don`t believe in lifetime fluids. That if you don`t expect "lifetime" be about warranty expired.
> I guess most people buying brand new E63 don`t give a damn about longevity.


Hahaha! Guess they can afford to drop it by the stealership for every oil and cabin filter change as well. 

My indy shop does trans fluid drain and refill, filter and gaskets with rear diff change for $750

I've had mine for about 3 years and absolutely LOVE it. As long as you are aware of the price of admission and maintain it on it's schedule it'll treat you good. I've got extended warranty until 100k and going to have the dealership inspect the head studs as they've got a corrosion issue on the M156 engines at 90 to 100k.

Danno:

Yeah I would love to have a DAS/Star/Xentry system. I've looked into it. Did you get one of the bundled laptops with the software and C4 units? I've read the overseas units are not as reliable as the true MB (of course cost being a BIG factor here). How's it worked for you?


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## forty5cal1911 (Sep 11, 2006)

Alright! I've gotten the vehicle mostly put back together. Amp Rack fabrication and installation took a bit longer than I expected but doesn't everything?

Programmed the Mobridge and DSP last night.

Currently running the following crossover slopes as a starting point all 24db LR:

Tweets: 4800k
Midranges: 400 - 4500k
Midbass: 80-350
Sub: 75

Used the tracerite time alignment tool to calculate my delays. Also, had to knock the Midrange gain down 2 db in the Helix.

Got about 45 minutes of listening time on the way to work this morning. WOW! 

For having no tune on it whatsoever - Spectacular! I'm very pleased out of the gate. I'm going to reserve giving a review at this point as I want to get about 10 hrs of material through it to break everything in.

I listened to the following albums this morning for testing:

The Cars - Heartbreak City (Mofi)
James Taylor - Greatest Hits
Creedence Clearwater Revival - Chronicle
Metallica - And Justice for All

So far *VERY* pleased!

Now to start the arduous process of tuning.....

Front Stage - Mids and Tweets









Amp Rack



















Left enough room for the Zed Draconia's just in case.


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## danno14 (Sep 1, 2009)

forty5cal1911 said:


> Hahaha! Guess they can afford to drop it by the stealership for every oil and cabin filter change as well.
> 
> My indy shop does trans fluid drain and refill, filter and gaskets with rear diff change for $750
> 
> ...


Yup. I think I'm about $750, all in. I have two other buddies with '65's as well, so the opportunity for use is there. We have all been lucky so far - aside from a brake job and rodeo's when changing ABC lines & flushing the pentosin, it hasn't seen any use


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## bassace (Oct 31, 2011)

Nice build, any pics of the AMG V8?


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## danno14 (Sep 1, 2009)

Not his, but a v8+4 
Need to dust off the cover!


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## forty5cal1911 (Sep 11, 2006)

Beautiful Danno! Love those 65's! Is that carbon fiber cover aftermarket.... fabtech?

Here's it's lowly little brother


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## danno14 (Sep 1, 2009)

forty5cal1911 said:


> Beautiful Danno! Love those 65's! Is that carbon fiber cover aftermarket.... fabtech?
> 
> Here's it's lowly little brother


Lowly my A$$!!

That's the stock AMG cover.


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## Victor_inox (Apr 27, 2012)

danno14 said:


> Lowly my A$$!!
> 
> That's the stock AMG cover.


Much more beautiful IMHO.
at least something can be seen and appreciated. Covering such masterpiece is a crime.


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## 6spdcoupe (Jan 12, 2006)

Looking good Phil ! Always happy to help, especially with these cars !


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## 6spdcoupe (Jan 12, 2006)

Oh, I have one of those similar motors too.


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## danno14 (Sep 1, 2009)

Vey nice Don


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## forty5cal1911 (Sep 11, 2006)

Thanks Don!

Man... we've got a 65, 63 and 55 engine porn in this thread! Think we've got the top tier of AMG covered huh?


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## 6spdcoupe (Jan 12, 2006)

danno14 said:


> Vey nice Don


Thank you sir !


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## 6spdcoupe (Jan 12, 2006)

forty5cal1911 said:


> Thanks Don!
> 
> Man... we've got a 65, 63 and 55 engine porn in this thread! Think we've got the top tier of AMG covered huh?


Yup. I may have to move on to bigger (vehicle and motor) soon though.


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## 6spdcoupe (Jan 12, 2006)

:laugh:


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## forty5cal1911 (Sep 11, 2006)

:laugh4: LMAO @ that vanity plate Don!


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## 6spdcoupe (Jan 12, 2006)

forty5cal1911 said:


> :laugh4: LMAO @ that vanity plate Don!


It's especially funny when I fly by a Prius then get in front of them and slow down.  I guess I'm kind of an ass. :laugh:


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## Babs (Jul 6, 2007)

Fun build! Nice work Sir!


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## forty5cal1911 (Sep 11, 2006)

Babs said:


> Fun build! Nice work Sir!


Thanks Babs! More fun to come as well as I'm about to start the hard stuff.... tuning.

Testing Impulse Response measurements for TA in REW tonight with the Umik-1.


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## forty5cal1911 (Sep 11, 2006)

Time for some updates.  

The Helix Extension Card for HD Audio over USB has finally been released! 

HEC USB HD

That meant it was time to get busy getting the necessary cabling and console interface put together. While I was at it I decided to put in a DIY volume control for the DSP.2. One of the things that I haven't been happy with is the lack of volume indication on the factory COMAND unit in this vehicle. Since the best Signal to Noise Ratio is when the Digital volume control is at max I figured this to be the best all around answer.

Again, the source unit will be the Chuwi Hi8Pro tablet running Windows 10. It's primary functions are to run Foobar and the Audiotec DSP software. Tablet has USB 3.0-C high speed connection. I will be running a 1TB Crucial M600 SSD drive in the trunk. Connectivity to the USB Control and USB Audio input on the Helix DSP.2 as well as HDD will be via an Anker 10 port USB 3.0 powered hub. I am using an active USB 3.0 cable to run from the port on the Console to the Hub in the trunk. I will also be using a Bluetooth Media remote for Foobar media playback control.

Chuwi Hi8 Pro Tablet: Chuwi Hi8 Pro

Satechi Bluetooth Media Remote: Satechi Bluetooth Remote

Anker 10 Port Powered USB 3.0 Hub: Anker 10 Port USB

USB 3.0 Active Cable: Monoprice USB 3.0 Active Cable

USB 3.0 Flush Mount kit: USB Flush Mount

Here are some shots of the finished Center Console.



















On a totally separate note, the ebay "Alpine's" were my first set of ring radiator tweeters. I must say that I was soooo impressed I just had to know how much better can a ring radiator get. 

Well the answer was.... as great as those sound for a budget tweeter it can get quite a bit better. Just installed the Scanspeak R3004/6020-00 Ring Radiators. WOW  Super extension above 15 k much more 'air' to the instruments. Mates perfectly with the 10F's at 3.5k.

I'm absolutely in love with this build now and cannot wait to hear some high resolution digital audio in here.



















I will continue to update once I get the HEC in and finish building out the USB connectivity in the trunk.


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## forty5cal1911 (Sep 11, 2006)

Been meaning to update this thread for a while now. All USB connectivity is built out and I'll be posting an update regarding that as I've gone through several iterations of components getting to a 100% reliable setup with the tablet and usb hub etc.

Sealing up the Doors today as it's finally warm enough to do something in the garage.



















Aluminum insert dampened with Vycor butyl tape










Fitting the Aluminum insert










Insert in place with Dampener over motor



















Everything sealed up and in place with the CCF barrier sealed back down

Starting passenger door now...

And passenger door done










Will get a listen and likely quick tune adjustment this evening


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