[W126 Coupe] Becker Radio, iPod, and Cassette Adaptor

[Steve Nervig]

I notice that the link didn't come through.
<http://web.mac.com/dakota/iWeb/Becker/96520529-1761-4093- 
AAF2-30F3532EA3AF.html>

Steve


On Sep 15, 2006, at 8:12 AM, Steve Nervig wrote:

> I suspect that your Becker does not have an Aux Input, but I'm not  
> an expert. But I think that BeckerNorthAmerica can modify your  
> radio to accept input directly from the iPod. I have had mine  
> modified this way. Cost was ~US$100. It is set up so that if the  
> iPod is plugged into the radio the iPod works when the radio is set  
> to Tape Mode. Unplug the iPod and the Tape Mode works normally.  
> Becker provides an adapter and cable and plug which you can place  
> where ever you want, eg, glove box, console, etc.
>
> I've done this installation and have a few photos here.
>
> Regards,
> Steve
> 1992 300CE Sportline
>
>
> On Sep 15, 2006, at 7:28 AM, Dawid Loubser wrote:
>
>> Based on the fact that there is no button on the head unit to  
>> "select aux input"
>> or anything along these lines in the user guide, I deduced that  
>> there is no aux
>> input, otherwise I would definitely use it. I've never pulled the  
>> unit out to
>> look at the back.
>>
>> Does any Becker expert know if the model 839 (Mexico Diversity)  
>> has an aux input?
>> And how do you select it?
>>
>> Dawid
>>
>>
>> On 15 Sep 2006, at 4:20 nm., Shayegan, Richard wrote:
>>
>>> Doesn't the 10 speaker system have some aux-in's on the back of  
>>> the head
>>> unit? You could always go with something like this
>>> http://www.logjamelectronics.com/blitzuii.html if it has aux- 
>>> inputs. It
>>> pulls from the bottom of the ipod, instead of the headphones, so the
>>> ipod volume and equalizer have no intereference in the sound,  
>>> plus it
>>> gives a better sound to pull from that bottom port rather than the
>>> headphone plug. I was going to do an install in my car, but  
>>> decided CDs
>>> are fine with me and I turned away from wanted to cut up my coin  
>>> tray to
>>> make a slot for the ipod hookup. I still have the blitzsafe sitting
>>> under my coin tray in fact....
>>> Richard
>>>
>>> -----Original Message-----
>>> From: mbcoupes-bounces at mbcoupes.com
>>> [mailto:mbcoupes-bounces at mbcoupes.com] On Behalf Of Dawid Loubser
>>> Sent: Friday, September 15, 2006 10:12 AM
>>> To: Mercedes Coupes Mailing Lists
>>> Subject: [W126 Coupe] Becker Radio, iPod, and Cassette Adaptor
>>>
>>> My car has the original Becker 10-speaker sound system, and also  
>>> had a
>>> Sony CD Changer in the boot (with FM modulator which goes through  
>>> the
>>> antenna) fitted very early in its lifetime.
>>> I have always been playing CDs, but never *quite* happy with the  
>>> sound
>>> quality - which I always attributed to the age of the system in  
>>> general.
>>> My previous car (MINI Cooper S) had a somewhat better-sounding stock
>>> system.
>>>
>>> I have a large music collection, of which a large portion is  
>>> mirrored to
>>> my iPod (4th gen, iPod Photo 40Gb) which I actually don't use  
>>> that much
>>> these days, since I'm a bit of an audiophile and though I prefer the
>>> sound of Vinyl, for digital music, FLAC (lossless compression) is  
>>> the
>>> way to go. Nevertheless, I have a huge MP3-based collection (also  
>>> a lot
>>> purchased in that format at places like www.emusic.com).  
>>> Furthermore,
>>> nobody can hear the difference in the car anyway, so I decided I  
>>> wanted
>>> to integrate my iPod with the car, but without gutting anything. The
>>> iPod radio transmitters are a no-go, they sound terrible, and  
>>> they just
>>> can't seem to get through the thick shell of the SEC, no matter  
>>> where
>>> you put it, especially in the city with all the frequencies  
>>> pretty much
>>> taken.
>>>
>>> I decided to give the Cassette Adaptor a go (I had never used my
>>> Becker's cassette before) and I must say, I am *SO* pleasantly  
>>> surprised
>>> at the sound quality. It's a 10x improvement over the CD changer
>>> (provided you play with the Becker equaliser settings, I had to  
>>> move the
>>> bass to full neutral, and treble
>>> +2 notches up).
>>>
>>> Granted, I have heard better in my life, but I do think I know a  
>>> thing
>>> or two about music, and the SEC (mine is a 1990) has a truly  
>>> fantastic
>>> sound system, provided everything works, and is adjusted  
>>> correctly. The
>>> thin black cable running out of the tape deck can easily be  
>>> routed into
>>> the (unused) ashtray, and then into e.g. the glove compartment or  
>>> change
>>> tray, quite unobtrusively. I plan to route it into the glove  
>>> compartment
>>> soon.
>>>
>>> Usually have terrible bass and treble (they sound muddy) but I  
>>> tested
>>> with artists like
>>>
>>> (Electronic)
>>> * Felix Laband
>>> * Juno Reactor
>>> * Logic Bomb
>>>
>>> (Jazz)
>>> * Miles Davis
>>>
>>> (Rock)
>>> * Maroon Five (Live Recordings)
>>>
>>> and they all sound great My advice is, if your sound system sounds
>>> weird, don't replace it! Rather play with the settings, or if  
>>> something
>>> is broken, fix just that component.
>>> Most sound systems sound best with everything in the normal position
>>> (and most decent sound equipment have no bass/ treble adjustment to
>>> begin with) but you have to play with the Becker. What I really like
>>> about it, is that it automatically maintains two different  
>>> settings for
>>> radio vs. cassette, surprising for something this age.
>>>
>>> This may be a useless post, I just wanted to share that I think the
>>> stock sound system has some amazing capabilities. This is the  
>>> best tape
>>> deck I've heard :-)
>>>
>>> Dawid
>>>
>>> P.S> I know that I can run a line output from the iPod directly  
>>> to, for
>>> example, the fader control in the centre console. But I do not  
>>> want to
>>> pull things apart, and to get this working smoothly may require some
>>> additional electronics fidgeting, not to mention that you  
>>> effectively
>>> bypass the pre-amp and rely on the iPod's volume control - not  
>>> ideal for
>>> me.
>>>
>
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