W124 - Sourcing Audio Setup

In the process of planning the restoration of the W124, a component that I wanted to also work on is the audio. I have always wanted an SQ set up and build a setup within a decent budget (healthy but not too much).

At first, I wanted to just use the original speaker placement for the audio, which is 4 inches in size for the front and 5 or so inches for the rear (I am not sure of the exact size). And speaking of SQ setup, the emphasis of the speaker is the front ones and not the rear. So with that in mind, I was looking around for options and was saw some from brands like Audison, Alpine, and many more. 4 inches of coaxial is plenty, but I was looking for something above the average range for the setup.

One Sunday, while browsing through a Facebook group that discusses mid to high-end car audio, I came across a post for a used Alpine CDA 9887 head unit for sale. This used to be high-end maybe 10 years ago and is still regarded as an amazing head unit by many for the sound quality it produces and its tweak-ability.

I got in touch with the seller, a quick conversation became a chat of 90 mins over the phone. The audio guy was kind enough to assist me in my setup and suggested options to meet my budget. My experience with him has been nothing short of fantastic.

The quality that I appreciated most from him is he is happy to advise and is very realistic to what is achievable and what should be focused on. He was also direct to tell me that the idea of having speakers in the original placement will be disappointing and suggested changes to the positioning, such as having the tweeters on the A-pillars and mids in the door cards. This placement will promote a better and improved sound stage.

As I was on a budget and am open to good quality, well-kept used options. I also did tell the audio guy that in being practical, I am not expecting to play music on quality pressed CD but my option of audio source would be Bluetooth streaming. The seller looked at his inventory and came back to me shortly later to have my initial setup planning done. His suggestion to me was to have a good component set, a good amplifier, a good 12-inch subwoofer that will be a good start to have a decent SQ setup.

Beware, the in-car entertainment (ICE) poison can run deep and is a costly affair, having set up that cost upwards of RM 10,000 is not uncommon, in fact, many runs more than that. So I needed to be realistic in what I want, what I would like to achieve, and what I am willing to spend in this endeavor of having the audio completed.

A deal was made and what was agreed upon was as below:

  1. Head unit: used Alpine CDA 9887
  2. Amplifier: new set of Lightning Audio L 4600 (now sold)
  3. Subwoofer: used Illusion Audio Luccent L12
We met the following day for a quick coffee meet and I picked up all of the stuff that was purchased. It now sits in a box until it makes its way into the car. 

An advice that I was given was also to set a budget of up to 15% of the overall allocation for the cabling. This factor is commonly overlooked and impacts the final outcome. He also suggested going to an installer who will do a good job in installation and good installation are not cheap, let alone a free of cost installation. A good installation also makes a vast difference on the completed setup where not all the quality comes from the equipment, depending on the school of thought, some say the overall sound quality is made of 70% equipment and 30% workmanship and installation.

What is currently missing from the above setup is a good component set. At this moment, I am torn if I want to go with a 2-way component or 3-way component. And since I am not in a rush, I will take my time to scout.

I am also torn if I want to run the amplifier as a 2 way for the front and bridged for the sub, or have the amplifier running 4 ways, add a coaxial for the rear and another monoblock for the sub. I am unsure when I will have this done but am certainly looking forward to having this setup completed.

Update #2:
There has been some enhancement on this plan and it was attributed to being able to hear different setups and narrowing which I liked better. 

I have had the opportunity to experience the Excelsus (personally, they were the worse of the lot), Hertz, Ground Zero, and Helix. And from that, I have done some research to determine which setup would be something I would like to have in Rhino.

In all that I have heard, I was amazed at how the Helix P62C sounded. A friend has got it installed in his car, powered by the Lightning Audio amplifier that I sold him and it was amazing. Loved every bit of it. And i wanted a set ever since.

The work in progress shortlisted new set of audio setup is:
  1. Head unit: still researching
  2. Speakers: Helix P62C
  3. DSP: Helix DSP.3
  4. Amplifier: Helix M Four
  5. Subwoofer: Illusion Audio Luccent L12
  6. Monoblock amplifier: Most Likely Helix M One
Pictures:
 

Audio in a box


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