Beat the Dealership

Would Not Pay The Price

My 1997 Mercedes Benz C230 left the factory pre-wired for a CD changer, but neither the original owner nor me cared to spring the additional $1000 for the trunk mounted 6 CD changer. Years went by while I tried cassette plug-ins and "Walkman" type players with very little satisfaction.

Affordable!

Finally the retail prices started to fall to within my budget for the only option not installed in my car. This winter I happened on the USA Spec SDC-A88im at Crutchfield.com.

Having been very satisfied over the years with quality of their products and service, I jumped at a "factory compatible" CD changer for less than one quarter of the "factory" price. The USA Spec SCD-A88im is fully operationally compatible with non-fiber optic W202 C Class Mercedes Benz sound system.

Out of the Box

The unit arrived well within the estimated shipping times, and included everything necessary to properly listen to my favorite CD's through the factory sound system. Included were full installation and operating instructions, a six CD magazine, wiring adapter, and mounting brackets / hardware. It's size is: 10-1/16"W x 2-9/16"H x 7-1/8"D.

Mounting

Mounting the changer could become an issue with some purists because it is not compatible with the factory brackets. Restoration purists will easily notice the non-standard mounting of the unit. Myself, I found this a plus because I could decide exactly where the changer would best work with my lifestyle and requirements. The included plastic brackets allow for mounting anywhere within the trunk, and at any of five desired angles (0°, 30°, 45°, 60°, or 90°). In the case of my Mercedes Benz, the factory wiring harness mated with the included adapter allowed a number of options. I installed mine in the "trunk well" next to the car's battery. This allows me to more easily load luggage without contacting the changer, and it also left a reasonable amount of room to store the CD cases next to the changer. Not being restricted by the factory brackets let me experiment with mounting the unit using outdoor grade Velco, rather than drilling holes for the brackets, so that I could more easily remove the unit should I ever care to do so.

Mounting any CD changer anywhere other than a special compartment will have drawbacks. The factory location is hanging under the rear window deck which can then snag large suitcases or boxes being loaded into the trunk. My "well" location can cause problems for people who carry "small" or "loose" items that can roll into that well. Again, decide exactly where you want it or any other component before you drill holes in the car's body. All the more reason for my Velcro mounting method.

How Much Time?

Total installation time, from opening the box to washing my lightly soiled hands, was less than one hour!

Some applications like this do require returning the car to an authorized dealer service center to program the sound system. This is not the case with 1994 - 1998 Mercedes Benz applications. Once connected with the car's wiring it's operation was exactly as described in the original equipment owners manual.

(May 23, 2004 update) Finding the factory connection can be tough. I had expected it be somewhere around the deck speakers or amps, and it was not there. Checking with the Crutchfield 1-800 technical assistance, I learned that it was in a bundle in front of the trunk hinge (as you face the rear of the car), behind the trunk insulation. The factory wiring and adapter cable will allow many options for a mounting location. (end update)

Not Skipping Around

Six CD's can be loaded into the included magazine. Loading the magazine is the same as with similar units. The magazine can then be easily loaded into the changer. Additional magazines were available for $29.98. I highly recommend picking up at least one additional magazine. Life is a lot easier when my wife and me both have our "own" preselected music programs for the car.

After over five thousand miles of mixed city, interstate highway, subdivision speed bumps, and northern Alabama mountain roads I have experienced on one "skip" on any pre-recorded CD. That skip happened while bouncing over an unseen speed bump while traveling in excess of the posted speed limit.

The best way to describe the performance of the changer is that disappears. Everything works, or performs, exactly as expected with no surprises. It is like it belongs there. Exactly what I had been looking forward to.

Specifications

Specifications are advertised as:
frequency response 20-20,000 Hz (no + or - advertised)
signal-to-noise ratio 75 dB
Using only my excessively worn ears to measure, I would agree that these specification are most likely met.

Decision Time

So if you have held off purchasing a CD changer because of the high factory option price, or even because of the factory engineer's decision as to where it should reside, this could very well be exactly what you have been looking for.

A 3-year warranty is included.