Mercedes-Benz S550 Rear Door Panel Speaker Size
The Mercedes-Benz S550 rear door panel accommodates a 6.5 inch speaker size and 5.25 inch speakers, with each location supporting the respective units across the model's production span. Compatible speaker types for all years include midbass and full-range audio components within the system. These specifications cover the 2007 to 2017 model years of the S550.
| Year | Type | Size (inch) |
|---|---|---|
| 2017 | Midbass / Full-Range | 6.5 |
| 2016 | Midbass / Full-Range | 6.5 |
| 2015 | Midbass / Full-Range | 6.5 |
| 2014 | Midbass / Full-Range | 6.5 |
| 2013 | Midbass / Full-Range | 6.5 |
| 2012 | Midbass / Full-Range | 6.5 |
| 2011 | Midbass / Full-Range | 6.5 |
| 2010 | Midbass / Full-Range | 6.5 |
| 2009 | Midbass / Full-Range | 6.5 |
| 2008 | Midbass / Full-Range | 6.5 |
| 2007 | Midbass / Full-Range | 5.25 |
Speaker Types
| Type | Description |
|---|---|
| Midbass | A driver tuned for upper bass and lower midrange, roughly from 80 Hz to 500 Hz. It has longer cone travel than a full-range unit, which supports stronger bass in doors and panels. |
| Full-Range | A single driver that reproduces bass through treble without a separate crossover network. It is the simplest replacement option and is common in factory audio systems. |
Additional Notes
- The rear door panel location on the Mercedes-Benz S550 positions speakers within the lower portion of the door, mounting them against an interior panel cavity that acoustically couples with the door's internal volume.
- Door panel installations orient the speaker cone facing inward toward the cabin, typically at an angle relative to the seated listener, which affects the direct sound path and early reflections reaching rear passengers.
- The 6.5 inch diameter accommodates a cone area large enough to move sufficient air for reproduced bass and lower midrange frequencies, generally covering a range from approximately 50 Hz to 5 kHz depending on the driver's construction.
- A 5.25 inch diameter cone moves a smaller volume of air than a 6.5 inch unit, which reduces low-frequency output extension and efficiency at the lower end of the bass register within the same door cavity.
- In a rear door panel location, the physical distance between a 6.5 inch driver and rear seat occupants is relatively short, which influences the perceived directness and imaging of midrange frequencies at that seating position.
- The midbass type is designed to handle the frequency band between subwoofer-range bass and midrange, typically operating from around 80 Hz to 500 Hz, and in a door panel location serves to reinforce the lower body of musical content felt and heard by rear seat passengers.
- A full-range type is constructed to reproduce a broader spectrum across bass, midrange, and treble within a single driver, making the rear door panel on the Mercedes-Benz S550 capable of supporting a wider frequency output from a single installed unit.
- The 5.25 inch size listed for the 2007 model year occupies a smaller mounting cutout diameter, meaning the physical opening in the rear door panel of the 2007 S550 differs from the opening found in the 2008 through 2017 model years.
- Because midbass drivers are designed to operate within a limited frequency band rather than across the full spectrum, they are typically crossed over to a separate tweeter or midrange driver in a multi-component system to cover higher frequencies not reproduced by the door panel unit.
- The rear door panel location places the speaker at roughly seat-height for rear occupants, meaning low-to-mid frequency content from the 6.5 inch driver radiates upward and into the listening space from below the window line.