acribb

I just had the aux input installed. The sound compared to the CD and FM sources sounds about half the volume and has no bass. I'm using the line out from the bottom of the Ipod (Pocket Dock connector), not the headphone jack of the Ipod. The sound quality is excellent in my other car's aux input using the same Pocket Dock connector.

Is there something wrong, or is this just how crappy the aux input sounds?

Seems like the aux input would either work or not.

Suggestions or anyone out there that had this problem and then had it fixed?

Thanks.

cobradav

9 of 10 problems such as yours have been dealer mis -adventure in install. Do a search on the on the Mods forum to find similar stories, nearly all solved by trip back to dealer. Once in a rare occasion it was bad user cable or using a mono plug versus a stereo plug.

my530i

Wrong connect. Dealer needs to reconnect it. You'd have no bass all across AM, FM, CD, and AUX. Turn on any hip hop radio station to listen if you have any bass. If you don't, bring it to dealer and have them listen to that station.

acribb

The Ipod sounds clear through the new Aux input, it is just at about half the volume of the CD and FM, and with hardly any bass. After switching from CD to the AUX, I have to turn the volume much higher to hear the Ipod at the same volume as the CD or FM volume was. I also have to crank the bass all the way up and the treble down (because otherwise the treble is ear piercing) to equal the same bass and treble you hear on the CD and FM.

As I said earlier, I don't see how this could be a bad install - you basically connect 3 wires to a plug, a left audio, right audio and a ground, then connect the plug to the back of the stereo. If it was done wrong, it seems that you wouldn't hear any sound at all, or maybe just from one channel.

Is this just how weak the aux input is with the Ipod?

Turning up the bass booster on the EQ on the Ipod helps, but I don't have to do that with the Aux input on our other car....

jmdhuse

Are you using the earphone output from the Ipod to drive the aux input? If so, this might be your problem. The Ipod provides an actual line-level output from the bottom through some kind of dock, and that is the correct way to drive the aux input... try it and see what happens.

Cheers, Jon.

acribb

No, i'm not using the earphone output from the Ipod, i'm using the line-level output from the bottom of the Ipod!

hoopsrob

Is it a mini-style plug that goes into your I-Pod? If so, look to see if there is one ring or two rings around the connector. If it's one ring, you have a mono plug and that will be the problem. If there are two rings, then that's not your issue.

rfg17

I've noticed the same thing. Volume of the iPod is lower than the other sources. I use the Monster power/audio adapter so it's line out. One thing that helps the base is to use one of the EQ settings on the iPod. I have mine set to Acoustic, which boosts the bass and the treble some. This gives a more natural sound to the iPod through the audio system. I just have to turn the volume up for iPod and down for other sources.

stream

The volume level when I switch from CD to aux w/ iPod is very slightly decreased, and the bass is unaffected so it sounds like there's an issue somewhere.

Several folks had a problem with the aux install, where the dealer didn't change the pin locations on the connector (see bottom of page 6 of attached aux install instructions).
5_series_aux_input.pdf

Or could just be a defective aux input.

Since your iPod works well in your other car, it's probably not the following items, but I throw them out anyway:

Could also be your cable is mono instead of stereo--see pic below how tip has 3 metal sections separated by 2 plastic rings:


Another possibility is your iPod equalizer settings--is the equalizer enabled?

my530i

Ah! I know why, your male-to-male cable is mono which has only one black ring instead of two. Check it out. Someone here had the same the problem.