CL600CK60

After installing Dension Lite in my 2003 CL 600, I wanted to add AnyStream to stream music over A2DP from an iPhone (3G or 4 with either iOS 4 or iOS 5 - I have tested with both).

Direct connection with iPod cable works flawlessly of course but AnyStream won't stream the music - it will pair and connect, but there will be no sound.

I have heard from Cartronics today that AnyStream is not compatible with Dension, even though it pairs, connects and blinks happily.

Which means I am back to square one to get A2DP to work.

- What other solutions are available? I have seen A2DP adapters (receiver/transmitter) on ebay but have no idea if they work or not. Has anyone had any luck them?

- Which cars on the market have the leading A2DP integration with a touchscreen and very few buttons around it (possibly none)?

Other than the stereo (which should be labeled PITS instead of COMAND), CL600 CK 60 is a wild ride. "It moves like Jagger"

Thank you

baekim22

I have been wanting to upgrade the comand unit in my 2003 CL500 but since it is the d2b comand i hear i can't upgrade to a newer MOST unit without some extensive work. I have the crazy aux jack in my car that works well for now but i want to add iPod integration. so i have some questions.

Was the gateway light easy to install?

How is the display on the screen (text displays and folders of songs), if there is even one?

Do you lose capability of using the cd changer?

Cartronics

The StereoStream works well, wherever the Anystream is not compatible.

saintz

The older and more complex Dension system for D2B let you retain the CD changer. The new one I believe replaces it, as it's more simple.

You get no control over folders, no song names, etc. If you use this for an iPod, the best bet is to just buy another iPod and shove it in the glove box permanently. Trying to stream wirelessly or navigate, you are better probably replacing the whole head unit.

Cartronics

Instead of just putting on a $79 (or less) StereoStream??

saintz

On top of the several hundred dollars Dension and cable? And then having to fiddle with the iPod itself? I've never tried it, but my impression has been if you want simple, stick with the stock system and add on. If you want complex (like a decent Nav system) it's easier to just replace it. Although every new model year gets harder to replace stuff.

CL600CK60

Long story short: stay away from Dension products. Playback from USB drive stopped working 3 days after the installation. iPod dock works but the cable is restricted to the glove box. Since Dension does not use Apple pin mapping on the dock connector, you won't be able to use any of the extension cables and accessories, including bluetooth adapters.

I cannot say that I had a good experience with Dension. I sent them several questions about the pin layout for the cable so that I can make my own extension cable but no word so far. If Dension was a US-based company, somebody would have sued them already for deceptive marketing (making an apple-incompatible product which does not work with any accessories). Since they are "Made in Hungary", they are safe. I can still use the iPod dock to connect second iPod and have a larger selection of music (my iPhone + dedicated iPod) in the car. Would I purchase another Dension product in the future? Absolutely not.

I went back to playing music through the AUX. To remove noise/hiss, I installed a line filter between bluetooth dongle adapter and the AUX and it sounds great. There is a bit of a hiss but barely noticeable. This solution costed me about $50 total (line noise filter and bluetooth OEM adapter with A2DP capability) and it works great. On my iPhone 4, I have Garmin GPS application and all my music so that I can use my GPS while playing music and not miss anything (fade out-fade in works nicely).

At some point I was also considering Argos bluetooth adapter but I could not confirm whether it supports A2DP. It probably does not because specs do not mention it.

The CD changer capability is "replaced" by the USB stick interface. In theory, you can create numbered folders on the USB stick and put as many songs in each folder as you wish. In reality, this does not work reliably. It actually sucks or does not work at all. ****ty linux kernel in the Dension hangs itself randomly or starts corrupting files, both .BIN index files and MP3 files. Ironically, I had the same experience with another, unrelated device running a particular linux kernel. It is a POS.

I ended up using the USB connection to power the bluetooth A2DP adapter. There is no feeling like using a $400-power source to power a $20 gadget.

Cartronics

We concur on several levels and respectfully disagree on others. As we have discussed offline, the Dension (as your research and ours has shown) is the only product available for the D2B Mercedes. If you want an integrated iPod solution, you have exactly one choice. We have sold hundreds and they have been very reliable in the D2B product, not at all reliable on the M.O.S.T. products (so we quit carrying them a long time ago).
The iPod interface works as advertised, but is not a certified Apple product. However, as an Apple product developer, I can also say that less than 1 in 50 products are actually Apple certified.
If the USB has failed for some reason, return the unit to us and they will honor the warranty, no problem. However, the Apple DIN plug and USB are connected - so try a Sandisk brand USB stick of 4GB or less and see what happens. Many USB drives use a bit of trickery to get speed and capacity that are not compatible to the slow nature of the D2B bus.

The Argos can do A2DP, but ironically the Mercedes can not accept it (so kind of a moot point). The Mercedes MUST see a call begin and end signal to transfer to the telephone interface (which music does not do of course), and is mono to boot.

CL600CK60

As I already explained, I found the solution that suits my needs and "integrates" Dension (as a power source for BTA2DP-connected-to-AUX playback and iPod dock for a dedicated iPod in the glove box).

I also wanted to add that StereoStream solution has an advantage over OEM Bluetooth A2DP adapters - the OEM adapters do not autoconnect and need to be explicitly powered on before pairing (open glove box, power on, close glove box). StereoStream autoconnects (just like AnyStream) and won't require "open/power-BT-on/close glove box" step. Line filter is a must to remove any noise and hiss while playing through the AUX.

Returning the Dension is unfortunately not an option for me because it is cost-prohibitive: installation+removal+additional installation fee will exceed the cost of the Dension unit.

Thank you for explaining the Argos A2DP and quirks of the MB BT interface.

Also, it would be helpful to have a compatibility chart on your site (for AnyStream in particular) given that Apple-compatibility is not a given.

Cartronics

I wish it would be practical to have a compatibility list, but of course there are literally hundreds of thousands of 'iPod' devices past and present on the market.

A very interesting story about this too. Two friends that apparently both had 2011 C300 Mercedes, same equipment, same color even.... but purchased about 4 months apart. One of them the Anystream worked perfect, the other it would not work. It highlights our research that at last count, Mercedes had 162 different combinations of iPod interface hardware, iPod interface software, and iPod cable possible in late model Mercedes. The Anystream works on almost all of them, but some combinations - it simply won't work due to low compatibility with the Apple specifications. That does not mean an actual iPod won't play, but many of the extended functions, or similar devices (iPad for example) may not or will not work in that particular combination. We also know that the older the car is, the more the interface conforms to the Apple spec. It is the very newest cars that seem to have a problem. So of course to publish a list saying the 2011 C Class was incompatible would not be correct at all, as it will work in many, but not all of them. That is the reason we offer a 100% purchase price refund guarantee. We have had it on the market for about 6 months now, and about 95% of customers report that it works just great. So it is a fairly small number of circumstances that it does not work. Many, many clients purchased one to work in a specific car, only to come back and buy 3-5 more to work in other cars, homes, offices and boats!

However, you are correct (and I have sent a note already to the web programmer) that the only device we carry that is not Anystream compatible is the Dension - so we should note that on the appropriate spot on the Dension page.

zneB-sedecreM

Is there a solution I'm looking for? I have the AUX jack in the glove box. I plug an AUX cable into the glove jack and the other end into my iPod. Awesome, plays my ipod music perfectly.
Thats cool and all, but the cable hangs out the glove box. I'd love if I could still have everything work through the AUX feature, but can hold my iPod wirelessly and close my glove box properly and not have the cable hanging out. Which item should I buy? I see Anystream, Stereo Stream, Denison, but I don't know what to go with...