rondocap

My S55 is wired for phone connectivity, but unfortunately it is the older phone system before the V60 phone that you can get a bluetooth puck for. The only other solution is upgrading the system, which costs a few hundred dollars. (And maybe even more depending where you go)

Well, I encountered another interesting Mercedes authorized product that is similar for cheaper. Recently I got an e-mail from my local Mercedes dealer saying that they had released a new portable bluetooth hands free kit, so I decided to try it out.

It is actually a rebadged Alpine DSC-BT1 unit, but with a Mercedes Logo on it. The price was $105 at the Mercedes dealer. It is a very attractive unit, and I have been testing it and it works great. I paired it with my iPhone 4 without issue, and the speaker quality is good, as well as the other end quality is also good.

It has no wires, you charge it up with the included cigarette lighter adapter or USB port.


Pros:

Attractive, sleek design - easy to mount on your visor
Relatively good sound quality, on both ends
Affordable and easy to use/install
A Mercedes branded/authorized solution for those that like to stay closer to OEM as possible without the built in kit

Cons:
You control everything on the unit, and not on the steering wheel/dash as you would with the built in system
Battery life is good, but you do have to charge it unlike a built in system


Overall I like it! Some more info here as well: http://daveknowscars.com/2011/03/17/...-phone-system/

DRTYLNDY

Hey thanks for the info. I have a 2003 with a phone cradle but the phone is gone. But for 105 it sounds like a pretty descent deal. Do you know if it works with the 3GS IPhone?

Arnee

So it's not really built-in.
I just bought the Dual Sense PSE on eBay for $110 (won it, got lucky), $85 for the cradle eliminator wire, and $290 for the V60 BT puck.

Everything works perfectly and integrates into the existing OEM system. Using my iPhone 3GS, it automatically syncs my contacts, etc.

For the extra $, I think going this way might be better.

The one you show is not any different than the Parrot or Motorola bluetooth kits. In fact, the Parrot kit might be better because it's built in and uses factory speakers as outputs.

rondocap

Edit: Arnee, I hope that will work for my 2001 timeport car as well. I may attempt to do that if it indeed is that easy. On this portable bluetooth adapter, like I said, it is nice and functions well - but I would love the integration with the car's system.

DRTYLNDY, yeah it does work with the iPhone 3gs - and iphone 4 as far as I know.

Arnee

Rondo, if you were closer, I'd help you install the PSE and the cable... but really, replacing the PSE is trivial.

My car is a 2000 and it had the old Timeport also.

rondocap

Thank you Arnee - I searched it up on the forum, and thankfully this topic has been well-covered. I am thinking about possibly trying it, $500 for an integrated system with the parts is not that bad, I was thinking it'd be over 1k so I was looking for other options.