rfctabs

Hi All,

I'm a newbie to E60 Forum, so hello everybody.

I have a 525d M Sport Auto Saloon in Le Mans blue (Dec 2006). The car has a fibre optic connection for the Professional stereo and navigation. The dashboard CD player will play mp3s on a CD. but the six-CD changer in the glove compartment won't.

I'm interested in the Dension Gateway 500, but I don't really know exactly what it does. Can anyone enlighten me?

I have a Creative Zen Vision M 60Gb mp3 player that I use with the Napster to Go service. The Zen has some unencrypted mp3 files that I've ripped from my CD collection plus lots of encrypted files that I've downloaded from Napster.

I also have an external 250 Gb USB Hard Disk that I could put unencrypted mp3s on to.

Can I connect the Zen to the Dension and play the songs through the head unit? Or do I have to just connect through the 3.5mm audis jack like I do now? If through the USB, will the display show the track names?

Ditto the USB HDD - will that show track names? I'm confused.

Thanks all,

Peter

kekkos

Hi rfctabs and welcome to the forum.

Gateway 500 is a very nice device. It allows you to connect and control your ipod via your i-drive. Also provides you with a USB interface for connecting USB storage devices. In your case Gateway installation would be pug and play. I don't have Zen player but if you can use it as a storage device (ipod has this functionality) then you will be able to browse and play those files. The same applies to 2.5" USB HDD. In the latter case if USB power is not enough you may need external power.

bruce_miranda

The Gateway gives you 3 (or 5) possibilities

1. Aux Input
2. iPOD input
3. USB input
4. iPOD video output (5th gen only) - optional
5. Bluetooth interface - optional

rfctabs

Sorry - couldn't get to the web for a couple of days.

Thanks kekkos and bruce_miranda for the information.

Does anyone know if the Dension is USB 1.0 or 2.0? And has anyone used a specific HDD with a Dension that they know works? I ask because my laptop is relatively old at four years and struggles to drive my Western Digital 250Gb USB HDD. I have to use two USB sockets to get enough power. It doesn't have an external power option.

Cheers,

Peter

bruce_miranda

I've used a Freecom 120GB and 160GB and it works fine. The Freecom uses an Hitachi SATA inside.

AlexFW

Got a new pendrive 2 days ago and it works very very well
No ipod, I got the Dension to have the USB port.