tcmalibu

I realize that the Aux in is the way to go for sound quality, but honestly, the basic system in this car is so bad, I wonder if I will actually hear the difference?
I keep hearing that dealers installing this accessory are lost as well, and really have no knowledge of how this integrates, even in its basic way, with I-Drive.

Also, I have heard that this car has subwoofers under the seats???? If so, I wonder if they are actually hooked up to something?! They certainly have me fooled! I mean there is no bass in this car - NONE. It's an embarrassment for a $50K plus car!
Sadly enough, the basic BOSE system in my 5 year old E320 blows this system away - and you know what they say about BOSE - 'no highs, no lows, must be BOSE'.

Fortunately, this car drives rings around the equiv. MB...theres no question about that!

TC

UUronL

I think the subs (2) are under the seats with the Premium Sound (Logic 7) system in the US. Mine can put out quite a bit of bass.

stream

The Logic7 system has a sub under each front seat, and they put out plenty of bass. I don't believe the base system has them.

Doctor Diesel

In UK, the base system has no subs, but you can upgrade to HI-FI speakers including two subs...I have this and it sounds great....You can upgrade further to logic 7 but I felt it sounded very artificial.

DD

lfreed

I just put an iPod in my new 545 last night, using the Monster Cables iCarPlay wireless adapter (Monster iCarPlay).





The mount is from Bracketron and costs about $30 at Best Buy. The whole thing took less than 30 minutes to install - the hardest part was tucking the wire into the gap where the center console meets the transmission tunnel!

The nice thing about this setup is that there is only 1 wire, and the Monster cable keeps the battery charged. It takes a few seconds to put it in or take it out.

The sound is OK -- not great, but good enough for MP3 files. My wireless adapter only has 8 presets, so you're hosed if you can't find a clear frequency in your area. I'm OK in town, but have to switch to a different preset if I wander up near Tampa or Orlando. Monster has a newer model of the iCarPlay that lets you tune in any station you want so you have a better chance of finding a clear frequency.

--Les

Merzbow

You've got the basic system? No, you won't notice the difference. You want to see a decent audio system in an E60, check out the links at the bottom of my signature.

bceverly

I've been using my iPod for about a year now and AUX in is most definitely the way to go from my perspective. If you live near a major city (I'm in Indianapolis, IN USA) the FM band gets pretty crowded and if I go from the East side of the city to the West side, the "empty" radio station I use gets closer to another one and the sound from my speakers starts to get "static"-y and you hear pops.

Additionally, when you go under a strong set of power lines, you'll get a hum, etc. The AUX in has no interference and sounds really good. I do agree that the stock sound system is pretty lacking. However, you can tell a major difference in the sound and it is really inconvenient to have to keep searching for a new station as you drive around.

Any other FM transmitter users out there that have a different experience? Maybe it is just the one that I use. I still have mine even after getting the AUX in, however, because it is nice to use with a rental car if I'm travelling or in the wife's vehicle.

BullMkt

I use an iTrip on my iPod and it seems to work perfectly. I live in San Diego so I know about crowded FM bands but I've never had to keep switching like you describe. I use one frequency the whole time. The trick is to take the time to find a really good frequency and adjust your iPod volume to about 2/3 to 3/4 loudness. Then, any volume adjustments thereafter should be done through the car stereo, not the iPod. Hope this helps.

cobradav

Aux input on BMW is same as Aux input on any audio device. Just another input that takes a wide range of input devices, no more no less. No claims that it is some great ipod integration device. That is at least by the traditional individual that knows something about audio. Most BMW centers don't know enough to claim otherwise. Compatible with all E60/E61/E63/E64 audio/nav configurations. Most installs work fine first time out of the box. Errors include improper wiring, not programed or user using incorrect cable (mono or wrong jack type), cable not plugged in, or not turning volume up on input device if using headphone output.

No big fuss just another option. Someday we may get some elaborate Ipod interface, but until then its a decent way to go