A client from North Chesterfield recently stopped by our Midlothian store, looking to update the stereo in his 2005 Mercedes SLK350. He’d seen a bunch of our recent Mercedes work, so he knew it was a task we were well-prepared to handle.
Mercedes vehicles that come equipped with the Harmon Kardon system require a few different custom adapters to maintain all their factory functionality — things like a factory amplifier with fiber optic signal and more-complex steering wheel controls than normal, to name a couple. Luckily, we have a great partner in NavTV, which has been making custom solutions for European vehicles for quite some time. Their custom dash kit and fiber optic interface, partnered with a custom steering wheel control interface, almost make Mercedes integrating easy. (OK, so nothing Mercedes is ever quite “easy” — leave this to the pros.)
Once we had all the integration covered, the only piece left was the stereo itself. The client immediately fell in love with the Alpine Halo 9. Its floating 9″ tablet-style display is very similar to modern Mercedes dashboards. The large
screen, along with Apple Carplay, Android Auto, Bluetooth and more, give the SLK350 all the modern technology you’d need.
Since we retained the Harmon Kardon system, the client enjoys all the same sound quality he had before, and the convenience of the audio/phone control buttons on the steering wheel as well.
Interested in upgrading your Mercedes SLK stereo to modern tech? Stop by one of Extreme Audio’s Richmond-area, locations in Mechanicsville or Midlothian, to see what solutions we have for you. You can also request more information here.
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