Luxury Stereo Upgrade for 2022 Mercedes-Benz Sprinter Van from Hanover

A client from Hanover contacted Westminster Speed and Sound to inquire about upgrading the stereo system in their 2022 Mercedes-Benz Sprinter. If you know these vans, you understand that they come with an infotainment system that includes Apple CarPlay and Android Auto smartphone integration. As such, the system is well-rounded in terms of source options. However, Mercedes seemed to take the selection of speakers as far as possible in the opposite direction, leaving the stereo systems in these vans sounding meek and wimpy. This client wanted the system to sound great, so we made it happen. Let’s look at the upgrades we provided.

Mercedes-Benz Sprinter Speaker Upgrade

A car audio system is only as good as the speakers used in the system. The stock stereo has small tweeters in the dash and a 6.5-inch woofer in each door. While there is a speaker in the dash, it only delivers warnings from the Mercedes-Benz SOS system.

The stock 6.5-inch door speakers.

One of the original door speakers attached to the trim panel.

The original SOS speaker installed in the dash.

One of the factory-installed tweeters in the dash.

We started by removing all the speakers and treating the doors with foam-backed sound deadening from SoundShield. The treatment will help keep road and wind noise out of the vehicle while preventing buzzes and rattles.

For front speakers, we installed a set of Helix i7-Series 6.5-inch woofers. The drivers bolted to the factory fastener locations on the door panels. For tweeters, our fabrication team cut a set of mounting adapters for a pair of matching 0.75-inch Helix i7 tweeters in the factory dash location.

The final upgrade was a BLAM R80DB 3-inch midrange for the center channel. This speaker was designed specifically for applications like this as it features dual voice coils. One coil is connected to the SOS system, and the other to the amp we installed to help improve staging and imaging.

The Sprinters passenger door, ready for sound deadening.

Almost six square feet of SoundShield damping material will reduce noise trasnfer into the vehicle.

The Helix i7 woofer mounted in the passenger door.

A custom mounting adapter for the Helix tweeter.

One of the Helix i7 Tweeters mounted in the dash of the Sprinter van.

The BLAM dual-voice-coil center channel in the dash of the Sprinter.

Subwoofer Upgrade Delivers Enhance Bass Response

While good door speakers make a big difference, no high-end audio system would be complete without a proper subwoofer. Our fabrication team stepped up to the plate again and put together a compact enclosure for a Helix IK S10-DVC2 shallow-mount subwoofer, which is rated to handle 300 watts of power.

The enclosure is finished in durable black carpet and features a vinyl-wrapped trim piece on the top. The subwoofer has a mesh grille, giving the system a clean and tidy appearance.

The subwoofer fits perfectly under the front passenger seat and is completely hidden, taking up no interior space.

A custom enclosure for a Helix subwoofer.

The subwoofer enclosure mounted under the passenger seat.

The enclosure allows for safe operation of the seat mechanism and clearance for the electronics.

DSP-Equipped System Amplifier

A Match UP8DSP eight-channel amplifier powers the new audio system in this Mercedes-Benz Sprinter. Our team was able to mount the amp in the dash, and we ran a high-quality eight-AWG power cable directly to the battery to feed the amps. To simplify the speaker integration process, we used an adapter harness specifically designed for Mercedes-Benz vehicles.

One set of amplifier channels powers the tweeters, while a second set powers the woofers in the door. We used the amp’s RealCenter processing, along with a fifth channel, to power the center channel speaker. Finally, the amp’s high-power channels provide up to 320 watts of power to the subwoofer.

A remote level control for the subwoofer was installed in the center console. With a simple twist, the client can adjust the bass to suit his mood or his music.

The eight-channel Match amp installed the Mercedes-Benz Sprinter van.

We installed a remote subwoofer level control in the center console.

Digital Signal Processing Provides Realism

The final step was to set up our audio analysis microphone so we could make acoustic measurements of the audio system. We use this information to adjust the digital equalizers on each amp channel. This happens after we set all the crossover points to protect each speaker and adjusted the signal delays to optimize the system.

The result is a sound system that feels like it should be in an S-Class Mercedes-Benz sedan. It was full and rich with good detail and clarity. It also plays much louder than the paltry factory-installed system. The client was thrilled!

Incredible Van Audio System Transformation

If you have a Mercedes-Benz Sprinter that could use an audio system upgrade, we invite you to bring it to Westminster Speed and Sound. Whether it’s a full overland conversion, your daily driver for the family, or used for deliveries, we can make the audio system sound amazing without taking up any space. If you can’t get to our store during regular business hours, give us a call or send our team an e-mail using the Contact Form.

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