aR.

I am thinking about adding the iPod adaptor kit in my 07-550 as I currently have ony a disc changer along with logic 7. Currently I am running the iPod through AUX connector and seeing if I really need this and based upon last few weeks experiance, I really like to flexibility of having a large collection at hand than only 6 cds. I have a few questions;

- would I notice a sound quality difference - as well as Volume difference by doing so ( as compared to running through AUX connector) as I am noticng the volume of tracks a bit lower as compared to cd which I use.
- should I have the dealer "remove the disc changer" completely as I will have no use for it OR just leave it in the glove box as I will have no use for it anyway? Is there a market for such disc changers?
- how much generally should it cost as my local dealer in Baltimore quoted my a price close to $600 to do this for parts and labor- which to me seems a bit on the high side. any comments as how much others have generally paid for this?

Thanks and any feedback and any urgent advice will be highly appreciated.

snkpkp

buy the adapter, its probably $249, then install it yourself , its very very simple, search this forum you will find a DIY, then take to the dealer for coding the Ipod adapter. They should not charge you more than 45 mins of labour. I would be also happy with the single CD slot capable of playing MP3 CD's. So its your wish, the ipod integration in the iDrive is really neat and simple. Some complain about its response time, but i am really happy with mine.

brozboril

See my thoughts below in bold

- would I notice a sound quality difference - as well as Volume difference by doing so ( as compared to running through AUX connector) as I am noticng the volume of tracks a bit lower as compared to cd which I use. Can't provide personal experience on this topic since I do not have the AUX connector, but the general feedback from the posts that I read prior to adding the iPod interface was that sound quality was indeed better with the interface cable.

- should I have the dealer "remove the disc changer" completely as I will have no use for it OR just leave it in the glove box as I will have no use for it anyway? Is there a market for such disc changers? The market for disc changes is very weak since there are so many for sale (everyone who had the iPod connection added is selling thiers. I believe that you could probably fetch around $150 - $200 for a changer (that might be high). It might be worth leaving the changer installed for resale value purposes (could pull the cable and sell it if you decide to sell the car)

- how much generally should it cost as my local dealer in Baltimore quoted my a price close to $600 to do this for parts and labor- which to me seems a bit on the high side. any comments as how much others have generally paid for this? I paid $500 plus tax at my local BMW dealer. As the previous post mentioned, the cable is anywhere between $250 - $300 and the rest of the cost is related to the re-coding that the dealer will have to perform. The actual installation of the cable very simple.

JSpira

No question that you should get this. I would say people have been paying (installed, parts and labor) about $450-550 but you might be able to do it yourself as others have indicated. It's much easier on the E60 than on some other models.

Going rate for the unit alone is probably $250-280.

Richard in NC

I did a DIY install of the adapter in a '06 650i. It took 30 minutes and that's with a 10 minute listen before I fastened it down.
I also bought and installed a cover plate that covers the hole where the changer was. I modded it (drilled a hole) to route the cable for the iPod thru it.

However, when I took the car in for a SW upgrade, they "HAD" to code the car for it and charged me $120+

Most iPod adapters replace the CD changer in the glove box. You have no choice but to give up the changer. It did in the 650i.
The playlists, artist, genre's etc are seen through the CD1-CD6 selections. The single CD still works. It of course plays MP3s as well. I tried that for a bit before getting the adapter but I had a skipping problem.

I can't compare it to AUX, but the sound quality was quite good, better than the integrated adapter in the '08 550i.

snkpkp

its much better than aux. Specially the bass .

bmw_wpq31

If you really are willing to spend some $$$, then why not have both the CDC and your IPod on-board...Go wth Dension GW500. See my thread here: http://forums.e60.net/index.php?showtopic=52253

fyi, i'm very happy with this setup...and on top of retaining you cdc, your IPod is integrated with the i-drive command...and you can also play IPod video if you want...