2022 Mercedes Benz CLA Burmester Sound System in-depth review and test

How good is the Burmester sound system in my 2022 Mercedes-Benz CLA45s. Find out in this full in-depth owners review.
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This video features the CLA45s AMG which is one of the AMG performance versions of the Mercedes CLA. My car is the 2022 CLA45s AMG Coupe but you can also get the CLA45s AMG Shooting brake or even the A45s Hatch back.
The CLA45s gives you that great AMG sound from the AMG performance and also the luxury of a Mercedes Benz
This is the w118 Mercedes CLA. The 2022 CLA45s AMG
If you like this car also check out some of the other great Mercedes AMG models:
A35 AMG
CLA45 AMG
C43 AMG
C63 AMG
E63S AMG
Make sure to always spec the AMG performance exhaust!
#Mercedes #CLA45 #AMG #Cars #C43

[@virajsbandara3452]

best review ,always tried to give real feeling to audiance.. appriciate your effort broh

[@tamgaming9861]

Great Reviews!! Thanks!

[@6ixtynine]

Thanks for the review. I have the 13 speaker 590W system. I think it is not amazing but very good indeed. Got a more well rounded and clean sound overall with no distortion. Best thing about it is the speaker grille design which no other car system can match! Worth the Burmester upgrade alone.

[@youngsimbah3740]

Thanks for sharing!! I also have to agree. I’ve experienced the sound system and think it’s great! Wonderful job and great shots of the car!

[@ABAUTOAMG]

Thanks mate! I think it will be interesting to gather up a bunch of Mercedes-Benz all with different systems and put them all against each other next time I do a video like this.

[@Modise__ZA]

Your videos always on point 👌🏿👌🏿👌🏿an I think this sound is just fine not as a bad as people painted it to be

[@harshhell4185]

Your very enthusiastic, and it shows every video. Keep it up mate 👍

[@ABAUTOAMG]

Thanks mate! I love making these videos as much as I love all the cars! :)

[@davenguyen9212]

Hi, thank you for this in-depth review I picked up my CLA45S 2 wks ago and had the sound system set on Pure/sound focus all seats. I thought the sound was decent enough. After watching your review I followed your suggestions of Surround/sound focus front seats. It was a night and day difference. Cheers

[@ABAUTOAMG]

Hey Dave, thanks for the nice comment! So glad you found it helpful. The surround feature really does sound so much better. Big congratulations on your new car! 🎉 I hope you are enjoying it.

[@michelletomlinson4947]

Thank you so much! I have been researching this car and worried about the entire sound system. This was very informative. Great job.

[@ABAUTOAMG]

You are welcome, if you have any questions just post here. Happy to help! :)

[@unicornunicorn466]

Sound system is poor. I’m beyond disappointed, especially when same price cars or cheaper have better systems. I would have paid Mercedes extra if a better upgrade was available.

[@henrymalone4958]

Hey man just want to say thank you, it’s because of you I’ve been able to decided between the C43 & C63 and can very happily say I’m taking a home delivery of a 2019 C43 Coupe Premium Plus in Magno Grey with full leather performance seats and carbon fibre centre console after work tomorrow.

[@ABAUTOAMG]

Hey Henry, that is so amazing to hear thank you for sharing. I’m so excited for you! The C43 is such a great all around car. Premium plus Magno grey too! What a dream spec I bet you can’t wait. Huge congrats 🎉

[@henrymalone4958]

@@ABAUTOAMG thanks and yeah I’ve been waiting for this spec for a while now so can’t wait, not going to sleep and my day at work will drag out no doubt! Would be great to compare the CLA45 to the C43

[@silverfoxsilverfox6932]

@@ABAUTOAMG What security have you got on that car? I think this aspect is really important I am planning on getting an A45S face lift and a pandora security system, that will be peace of mind, I currently have starline 2 but pandora is simply the best on the market no doubts. Your video on matte finish helped my to decide an go for the matte finish colour instead of the usual metallic paint finish I often get.

[@ABAUTOAMG]

@@silverfoxsilverfox6932 Hey Silverfox. My car is protected by Ghost. Going to be doing a video on it soon. Pandora does look like a great setup I have thought about contacting them to see If they would be interested in a collab video, perhaps once I get a second car so I can test and review both. Completely agree though to protect these since they are holding so high on the used market currently.

[@silverfoxsilverfox6932]

@@ABAUTOAMG Yeah ghost is good I also have ghost on top of the starline 2 system. I didn't realise until checking out pandora that ghost can be circumvented as it allows the engine to start then the code goes in to disable it, which is a blocking device. I didnt know that thieves can now use the obd port to unlock devices like the ghost, those items are out there and thieves are using them.

[@christo123]

Have the same system and love it, I'm an sound engineer for a metal band and while it may not be the loudest system on the market it is one of the best as far as clarity and true sound reproduction , without manufactured tone that are introduced to cover poorer quality audio systems

[@t-rev1795]

Hey AB, finally picked up my CLA 45 yesterday afternoon after nine months of waiting. I didn’t order the Burmeister audio as I’d read so many bad reviews of it. But the base audio is as good as or better than any other factory audio I’ve owned so I can’t imagine how much better the Burmeister is. Sometimes wonder what people are expecting when they do these reviews. Anyway, gotta go put another 750 miles on my car so I can really enjoy it. Thanks for the videos.

[@ABAUTOAMG]

Hey! So sorry I missed your comment. I hope you are enjoying the car!

[@the2of3]

I’ve only had my 2020 CLA for a couple of weeks now but I’m very happy that I managed to get one with the Burmester sound system. As you pointed out, I’m sure you can get better but I still find that the sound reproduction is clear, crisp and full of rang. The main thing that many of the negative responses I’ve read seem to harp on is the lack of bass. Though I feel the bass is great, one thing I’d like to point out is that BASS IS NOT EVERYTHING! If I really wanted something to rattle my teeth I’d find a drunk dentist and ask for a root canal. I prefer to hear everything the song has to offer. What I really appreciate about this system is its clarity and sonic balance. Thanks to ABAUTO for a great review.

[@Lordschaft1313]

The short Night View about the car looking awesome. Mybe you can do a Night Drive Video with Show as all light functions. Will be great

[@ABAUTOAMG]

Hi Franky, thanks! Funnily enough I took those clips from a video I'm working on that is a detailed look at the ambient lighting. Got some lovely shots of the interior as It got dark and the sun set.

[@Lordschaft1313]

@@ABAUTOAMG oh yes cant wait

[@melvenn162]

Your videos are dope,the Burmester in my opinion is the second best,the Harman/kardon have something special!

[@ABAUTOAMG]

Thanks! I've had great experiences with the Harman Kardon systems too. I also had a brilliant BOSE system in one of my older Audi's.

[@emmanuelosei-rena9970]

Mad cool 😎 car Mercedes would kill us always giving us quality autombile

[@deezet9518]

I made a test drive in a EQB with the standard sound system, and then in a BMW iX1 with the optional Harman Kardon sound system. Even the standard Mercedes system sounds better than the optional one in the BMW. Today, a year after this review, the EQB comes with the upgraded Burmester system with 710 watts and Dolby Atmos. I’d like to know what system is better in a car of comparable pricing. So I ordered an EQB, in spite of all the negative talk online about the low rate of charging (not true, the given rate is kept up for almost the complete charging time), the sound in the cabin (it is really quiet, believe me) and the bad comfort (I drove it on 20” wheels and didn’t feel a thing). Ordered it with 20” too. It won’t be the fastest EV at the light, but luckily I'm not 16 anymore, nothing to prove here!

[@SeanyMacks]

This is exactly how I feel about the Burmester audio system in the CLA45. It's not bad but it's not mind blowing either. You are also completely right that the audio level is lower on bluetooth versus other audio sources. Would be nice if we could turn up the gain on the bluetooth input.

[@v12-s65]

Man I've tried the Burmester High-End in an E Class and that wasn't mindblowing either. Maybe needed to find the right tuning

[@deezet9518]

Bluetooth is about the worst streaming source you can choose. It’s like eating dinner with cotton wool up your nose. Sure your food gets in, but it tastes like cardboard.

[@Redog75]

Great video! I'm jealous. The Burmester isn't available as an option on the CLA's in Canada so my CLA 35 could only have the "advanced" sound system. It's okay...I do agree with other comments about a bit of rattle in the door from the mids.

[@ABAUTOAMG]

Thanks Redog, I had the mid system in my C43 and it was better than expected. They have cut the Burmester on a lot of UK specs now too due to all the component shortages.

[@samhermiz9093]

Just ordered my CLA 45s can’t wait to see it very excited 😊 but it’s mountain grey metallic, here in Australia we don’t have the matte paint,

[@ABAUTOAMG]

Congrats Sam! 🎉 It’s an incredible car you are going to love it! The metallic mountain grey still looks amazing! :)

[@samhermiz9093]

@@ABAUTOAMG thank mate 🙌 when I watched you videos I finally made my decision, as I was not sure between the CLA45s and the C43, love your work 👌

[@sunrise7236]

I did not choice the upgrade for the speaker . But is this more speakers or only tuned?

[@ElectroPineapple]

Thanks for the long awaited video Adam. My biggest gripe lies not with the Burmester Sound System itself, but rather the creaks/rattle sounds that the speakers produce. Unfortunately after exhaustive testing I have seen that the doors in the CLA W118 are poorly sound-proofed from the factory. Have you noticed the door rattle sounds? If you want a test track, try Mannequins and Egos by ZHU :) EDIT: I saw that you covered this in the Vibration Test part of your video. It's a damn shame really. I wished that Mercedes had properly sound-proofed the doors. However it seems you are talking about foreign objects (key etc.) placed in the doors. I was referring to the doors themselves.

[@nxsdarwin7559]

The keys were moving in the door because of the Bass,that’s literally what the Bass does,it makes the car vibrate😂

[@ElectroPineapple]

@@nxsdarwin7559 read the last sentence my friend. Last sentence.

[@s_rtm1]

Hello, please can you do a video on how the cla 45s drives as a daily driver around town? Ideally about the transmission in comfort and the suspension in comfort.

[@ABAUTOAMG]

Hey S_100, Sure that’s a great idea il add it to my list of vids to make, thanks! :)

[@s_rtm1]

@@ABAUTOAMG No problem, I’ve seen reviews stating that the gear box is jerky when driving in comfort around town in low gears, what has your experience been like so far?

[@adidkjf]

i have the burmester in my recent cla too, it sounds pretty good for the price.. sure you cannot expect a highend System like in the s class, people need to understand this.. i just ordered my next cla and unfortunately the burmester is not available anymore. i hope the advanced aduio System does a good job too..

[@azkymohamed123]

the current and upcoming cla models get the mid-range sound system from Mercedes. Though it won't be near Burmester, I think they were still pretty good. I went and tested it at the dealership and I liked it (I am not the biggest audiophile though so YMMV)...

[@sunrise7236]

Its again in my country ( the netherlands)

[@159abdellah]

If you have Bluetooth issues, all you can do is use an external Bluetooth receiver. I use them all the time in my cars to receive high end audio. For my exemple i use the fioo btr5 with high amplification and pair it with the best quality sound of spotify there is also other brands like the dragonfly and much more .. what they do is bypass the poor Bluetooth amplification in the car by using the aux input and feeding the best sound possible

[@ABAUTOAMG]

Thanks for sharing this Abdellah, I will have a look into it. Could be a great video if they really help and work well.

[@Nice-zg4ts]

Hi! Which sound system is better: the mid range sound system that you have on the C43 or the burmester sound system on this CLA45? Thanks in advance!

[@ABAUTOAMG]

Hi Nice, I'd say the Burmester on the CLA45s is better than the mid range system on the C43. The mid range on the C43 is not bad though considering It's not the full system.

[@TheTechGiantYouTube]

Personally i think the sound system is pretty pants for price of the car, which was quite a disappointment as i have heard good things of Burmester systems in the past. Makes me think the A Class got stitched up with a cheap Burmester system to keep costs down. Either that or people who have rated it highly have never heard a good sound system before. Put it this way, the standard Rockford Fosgate system in our 14 year old Mitsubishi Evolution X sounds miles better to me and the rest of the family who have experienced both. Think Mercedes needed to fit a slightly bigger sub in it as it is really lacking in bass / depth to the sound.

[@francisnwogbo]

@ABAUTOAMG please which burmester speaker has the deepest and loudest bass between the 2023 final edition E63 vs 2023/24 CLA45s?? ✍️ 🤲

[@ABAUTOAMG]

Hey, the E63 one is going to be way better if we were to compare the two.

[@nico7las392]

How did you get the Soundsystem, when its not availaible since 1.5 years?

[@ABAUTOAMG]

My car was one of the last to be made with it since they made the semi conductor cuts. If you look back through my videos you can see around this time last year when I was updating progress on my order and then when I took delivery.

[@nickmclean377]

Do you like the cla better then the c43? I know they’re both very different. Similar to you I had the faceliftef c43. Does it compare?

[@ABAUTOAMG]

I love the C43 but prefer the CLA, it feels much sportier and quicker and can’t beat how good it looks 👍

[@Matt_3535]

Thanks for the video even if we couldn’t hear the details on the camera :) I’ve configured my W212 E250 Avantgarde AMG pack in 2016 with Harman kardon Hifi system. I paid too much extra money for this sound system but it was terrible. Subwoofer was mounted at the top of the rear trunk next to the electric sun-shade. When I was trying to listen the music around 80% volume, it was starting to vibrate and noises were increasing. When I complained about it to the MB Dealer, they started to laugh and asked me “Didn’t you know it before you order your car? You shouldn’t have configured your car with high end sound system and electric sun-shade. It definitely vibrates.” Tbh, I’m really surprised and pissed. That’s why I have always concerns about sound systems in the car to pay extra money. Please test it before you buy a used car or order your brand new car. Based on my experience, Bose, Bang & Olufsen and Bowers & Wilkins are powerful and very crispy hifi sound systems in car-audio systems. I was very satisfied with Burmester in W222 S-Class but noise isolation is very good in that car. It may differs in other models.

[@alexwithanx]

I have the facelift version of the E-class W212 and mine simply sounds amazing. No other stock car of any of my friends were even remotely able to get to it, especially the bass. My friends new 2022 C-Class with the advanced system comes fairly close but the bass on mine is still much stronger (and im always on -1 bass).

[@Matt_3535]

@@alexwithanx Stock standards may differ regarding your country. Which one comes within your car? Is it Comand or any other brand? And do you have electric rear sun-shade or roller-blind on your rear windscreen?

[@alexwithanx]

@@Matt_3535 Im from germany (and so is my car obv). I dont have electric rear sun shades since my back windows are tinted and thats plenty dark for me already. It has the comand system yes.

[@Matt_3535]

@@alexwithanx yeah, that’s why you’re happy with your sound system. Comand is much better than Harman Kardon, especially the bass performance.

[@alexwithanx]

@@Matt_3535 I have no reallife experience of the harman system but im certainly happy with mine yes! I owned an 2021 A-class for a while but the soundsystem was horrible and the interior quality quite lacking... It looks nice but its just for show and not actual quality sadly.

[@omaralmaghrabi]

An infamous saying in Germany and other parts of the world is: Most cost effective way to get a Burmeister system is to buy an AMG (although I think some Mercedes’ cars with AMG packages have them now). And given that Burmeister is a coveted by audiophiles but is cost prohibitive. I believe it’s the best audio system nowadays and I tried the Harman Kardons and Bose in multiple cars (For those who say Harmans are better I suggest they try and listen to it in an electric car like a polestar without background noise or with car in accessory mode you get to experience the bass shortcomings). Just my 2c YMMV. Still enjoying my C43.

[@gheorghepetean836]

Try Bower and Wilkins from BMW , is. Eating this system alive both in clarity and warm :)

[@albiongashi6155]

hi mate was wondering what you’d choose the cla45s or c63s

[@ABAUTOAMG]

Hey Albion, Botb cars are amazing. The C63s V8 sounds so good but the CLA45s is my pick as a daily driver since you can drive it fast safely in any conditions. C63s is brilliant though and an amazing weekend car. Still a great daily don’t get me wrong but not the best car to commute all year round.

[@one-click9684]

Best equaliser setting please bass mid and treble ? How much

[@antdguy]

^^^

[@ABAUTOAMG]

Hey, This all comes down to your taste and what you're listening too. I personally just add a little bit of bass and leave the mid and treble and like the output overall but It's worth having a little play around to find what you like.

[@livioalbanese29]

do you think this is better or the 400 watt range rover meridian?

[@SpeedDemonReacts]

The range mostly uses meridian which sounds light years better then Mercedes burmester sound system.

[@doctorevil5752]

I just got a new 2023 GLA45 and the Burmester is very crisp, but at 50%volume (using a USB source that quite loud on other systems, ie: a 2023 GLC300 I got as a loaner) I can barely hear it. for a decent volume, I need to have it at 100%. There is certainly nowhere near the volume as this video and no way it can shake anything even at 100% volume and bass cranked. Anyone else experience this?

[@ABAUTOAMG]

That’s interesting to hear. People have said it’s quiet and as you could see here mine is quite loud. I’ve done nothing to mine but it’s not a 2023 model. I hear if you access the hidden dealer menu through MBUX you can go into the settings and increase the max volume of the speakers. You have to be carful though of course since it’s a back end tech menu. Google it and you should be able to find instructions if you are willing to give it a go.

[@hplovecraftmacncheese]

How would it stack up to a Bowers and Wilkins?

[@Moon_Shot_]

Its great but in my experience bowers and wilkins is better and more pure and balanced but you can really tweak if you want to

[@gheorghepetean836]

Bower and Wilkins is 10 times better both in clarity and quality

[@ranjitdhiraj9974]

👍👍👍👍

[@avraamconstantinou2808]

Burmester is great but i think Harman/Kardon was better on previous gen Mercedes

[@ABAUTOAMG]

I think you may be right! I'm going to test the higher end systems in the higher S class cars soon too. I'd be disappointed If they don't blow me away!

[@jamesmoore5630]

If you can listen to The Burmester and still want to leave your car,,, your deaf!!! I have a 2024 SLE350 W4 AMG Mercedes-Benz and it has the preuim Burmester stereo and Ambient Lighting with themes.

[@SpeedDemonReacts]

My issue with newer MB sounds systems or Burmester is the placement of the speakers and lack of midrange woofers. Also, there are virtually no low frequencies in the bass registers at all. Just a speaker in the foot well or underneath the center console producing mid level bass. Then it struggles and creaks the interior at higher volume because the speakers aren’t sizable to reproduce sound to compensate for road noise when driving at higher speeds. The sound (especially bass) just feels like it’s coming from the front only and the back sounds like an empty vacuum in space. How do you neglect putting a sub in the trunk or 6-8 inch woofers in the door panels? Poor calibration and worse choice of cheap hardware. Benz is a joke atp

[@bastjack1148]

Juste on question. Can you use cd or sd cards for the media ?

[@ABAUTOAMG]

I think it’s now just a usb C slot on the CLA but il take a look next time I’m in the car. You could get a usb C to SD card reader though.

[@arvinsarathy5904]

I can see why the upgrade is only $800.. got to this video because I have Burmester in my CLA 35 and I feel like its weak compared to other cars with great factory upgraded sound systems... well it is what it is

[@ABAUTOAMG]

Yeah it’s not the best system out their but it’s still nice to have 👍

[@unicornunicorn466]

@@ABAUTOAMG still nice to have? I don’t listen to mine anymore at all because it sounds so weak!

[@panagiwtisleousis8991]

@ABAUTO is the burmester 3d surround system?

[@ABAUTOAMG]

The “surround” mode creates a surround feel which is pretty good but I’m not sure If it’s a full 3D setup. It does sound much better with it enabled though and you can independently assign more sound in different seats with the touchscreen so it does have good capabilities to move the sound around the cabin.

[@panagiwtisleousis8991]

@ABAUTO I think that is the best ICE you can get in the car industry that every merc benz owner should have.I m look forward for a t -shirt of the new C class.greetings

[@unicornunicorn466]

I’m sorry but the system here is not great at all. Try listening to EDM/hip hop. There’s no sub bass at all, only mid bass from the door speakers which makes this type of music sound weak. Compare this to the Bang & Olufsen in the Audi S3/RS3 then you’ll hear how music is supposed to sound (for a stock system). The sub in the Merc is almost non-functioning for music, just vibrates but no real low frequency sound.

[@ClaudeMCAUWE]

Fully agree

[@SpeedDemonReacts]

No low frequencies at all. Just a speaker in the foot well or underneath the center console producing mid level bass. Then it struggles and creaks the interior at higher volume because the speakers aren’t sizable to reproduce sound to compensate for road noise when driving at higher speeds. The sound (especially bass) just feels like it’s coming from the front only and the back sounds like an empty vacuum in space. How do you neglect putting a sub in the trunk or 6-8 woofers in the door panels? Poor calibration and worse choice of cheap hardware. Benz is a joke atp

[@DaygoG]

This system SUCKS!!! I have a 2020 CLA250 with the same system and it's the worst "upgraded" system I've ever owned. Even my 2007 Camry with the JBL system was way more premium, loud, and bass for days. This system has to be turned up 3/4 to barely even be heard. I hate it 😒

[@ABAUTOAMG]

That’s really interesting to hear Daygo, It could be our expectations of a good system differs or perhaps there’s something wrong with yours? Are you streaming music via Bluetooth? I once noticed terrible volume and not great bass from mine, plugged my phone in and it was honestly 50% louder. Not sure why but on occasions Bluetooth fails with MBUX. Mine is seriously loud at 100% did you see my test when I went outside the car with the windows up? If your needing 3/4 volume to be barely heard there’s definitely something wrong. It may be worth having it checked over.

[@DaygoG]

@@ABAUTOAMG That's what I thought too. Had the dealership check out the whole system. The techs said all speakers & components were working but that's just how the CLA system was. I do always use Bluetooth, not even sure if there's an AUX port.

[@unicornunicorn466]

@@ABAUTOAMG Sub bass is still extremely weak even when wired. I’ve tried every combination, every setting and I give up… Too bad Merc didn’t offer a better grade for us even as a higher cost option.

[@ClaudeMCAUWE]

Totally agree, on a GLA H247. Very bad system, « equaliser « is a joke, not worth the money at all.

[@gheorghepetean836]

It’s so bad :) has no qualities of what a system should have .. clarity and naturalness with a touch of warm should be the goal! None of this

[@paddyc20]

Well it's a merc. They're hardly gonna use good sound system if they can't build a car properly. Terrible cars