sondresb

Hi all,

I just bought a 2005 (Norwegian spec.) SLK R171 200K. It has Audio20 and a 6 disc cd-changer installed. (As well as integrated handsfree, which I think means that the fiber optic ring is connected -- or something similar...)

I've read on the forums that there exists two cd-changers out there and that only one of them plays mp3. Unfortunately, it seems my is the one which doesn't as a cd with mp3 files (burnt as a data cd) only yields at "bad cd" or similar message in the display.

I'd really like either to play mp3 cds or, maybe even better, replace the cd-changer with an ipod in the glove department. I want to control the music on the integrated controls (view id3 artists, titles etc. at least one of the screens), so fm-modulators (I have a Griffin iTrip layin' around) does not really do the trick... Since I guess everything is already wired to the cd-changer in the glove compartment, could Dension (which I understand emulates a cd-changer, but can it support id3?) equipment be an option?

There is no chance of upgrading the cd-changer to enable mp3 decoding, I guess? If one found a unit on ebay or similar, would the wiring for the two changers be identical so that it is easily switchable?

Any advice on options? TIA!

Skylaw

I do not know whether your specific head unit can be updated to accept mp3, but I do know some (but not all) COMAND units could be, depending on model year. Your dealer may be able to answer.

You may also want to experiment with your CD burning - I don't know what OS or software you're using, but there seems to be some variance on whether to burn as a "data disc" or as an "mp3 CD" is successful. CDs are cheap, so I'd try several options, and note which you used on each try. I will not be able to answer questions on burning with specific software, especially if it is Windows stuff - but the string at http://www.benzworld.org/forums/audi...rning-how.html may answer your questions. Lots of software-specific info for Mac and Windows.

The Dension Gateway 500 is excellent in its sound quality, limited mainly by the quality of the sound files you store on your iPod (original AIFF from the CD will sound best; other lossless compression will be better than mp3, but not quite as good as AIFF). The MOST implementation is better than the D2B implementation for display - your '05 SLK is equipped with the MOST bus, but I cannot say whether the Audio 20 is text-capable, and therefore able to display song titles, folders, etc. However, there is an option to control selections and sorting with the iPod controls, while maintaining steering wheel control for volume and certain other functions.

sondresb

Thanks for the input. Will look into features and price of the Dension Gateway 500.

I've heard that the part numbers are as follows:
- the non-MP3 capable one is p/n A211 827 55 42 80
- the MP3 one is p/n A211 870 08 89

Is there an easy way I can identify the part number of my installed cdc myself?

sondresb

I have tested some more with different burn setting (disc at once, no multisession, etc.) and I am pretty sure, no matter what p/n it is, that my current CDC will not accept mp3 data cds.

(From the other threads in the forum, it seems that some people confuse mp3 cds with audio cds burnt from mp3 files -- I have no problems playing the latter, but would really like the opportunity to have almost 600 songs in the 6 CD changer... So I am hoping for more advice here.)

Skylaw

I don't know of an easy way; I have a vague recollection of someone posting how to read out part numbers of fiber optic components on COMAND, but I don't have it bookmarked. I don't know if it can be done on the Audio 20. The only way I know to do it is to physically remove the part, and look at the label.

Regarding the mp3 CD format, you are correct that one can burn mp3s to a CD, reconverting to AIFF (but with no better quality than the mp3 file); the car would see that as simply a music CD. Burning an mp3 CD does truly mean having all of the music in mp3 format on the disc. And you need a CD player designed to read the mp3 formats.

Regarding the selections of the type of CD to burn, the software is all over the place in its nomenclature. There are differences in nomenclature between Roxio Toast and iTunes, for example, when describing "data CD" "mp3 CD" and "audio CD." In both of those programs, data CD is NOT what one uses for an mp3 CD; you use "mp3 CD" - (Toast gives choices between mp3 DVD and mp3 CD; iTunes doesn't - the choice pops up later depending on which type of medium is inserted. Both are clear in offering "audio CD" as a choice - those are burned in AIFF format no matter the format of the original music; and Toast also offers "music DVD" and "enhanced audio CD."

So they don't make the choices intuitive and I am certain the differences also exit in Windows software. You have to read carefully sometimes; apparently in the Windows world, some software requires you to select "data disk" to burn as an mp3 (DVD, anyway; not sure of CD) - something that guarantees failure in the Mac world if what you want is a playable mp3 disc.