E90 CD Changer

[soorian]

Sifus, do anybody here installed CD changer on thier E90 SE ? i have my SA in AB she said is Rm4000. WTF....:stupid: 4K for Cd changer ....Dam....

 

[danc]

Instead of a CD Changer you may want to consider the iPod interface.

 

[Juan Powerblow]

Yeah, I had that dilemma too and went for the I-Pod interface. It's less than RM2K and I got no complains so far.

 

[Traveler]

JPB, how does the iPod interface look like? From what I've heard/read, it is mounted in the dashboard glove compartment (and not the the little compartment under the armrest with the aux-in socket). Is that right?

 

[Juan Powerblow]

Yes, Traveler. You're right. The interface is an I-Pod socket in the glove compartment. The socket in the armrest is merely a standard or basic AUX socket meant for audio to audio devices not limited to I-Pod. Only the proper I-Pod interface allows song titles / playlists to be displayed on your I-Drive / radio display and track changes to be done via your steering controls. No doubt, the sound quality is much better with the proper I-Pod interface.

 

[peanut]

Yes, Traveler. You're right. The interface is an I-Pod socket in the glove compartment. The socket in the armrest is merely a standard or basic AUX socket meant for audio to audio devices not limited to I-Pod. Only the proper I-Pod interface allows song titles / playlists to be displayed on your I-Drive / radio display and track changes to be done via your steering controls. No doubt, the sound quality is much better with the proper I-Pod interface.

JPB, where can you install the Ipod interface? How much does it actually cost? I am interested to do it as I think I am temporary finished with the exterior work :burnout:

 

[Juan Powerblow]

JPB, where can you install the Ipod interface? How much does it actually cost? I am interested to do it as I think I am temporary finished with the exterior work :burnout:

I did mine with Auto Bavaria Glenmarie (Pat) even before I took delivery of the car. If I recall correctly, I paid RM1,950-00 for it having decided it was a lot cheaper than the CD changer for RM4K! As I said, no regrets considering I have compiled a huge database of 3,000 songs, available at the fingertips. The only gripe I have is songs downloaded FOC from file sharing software such as Limewire can sound "inconsistent". I'm an ardent AV enthusiast myself but the cost factor was too big here, i.e. saved a lot of dosh now that I hardly buy CDs!

 

[E46Fanatic]

I'm using the poor man's iPod interface to the stock BMW stereo.. which is burning MP3's onto CD and slotting it into the dash mount player. It works beautifully and sounds great. I have a Zune player instead of the iPod, so to get the iPod interface working, I'd have to throw away the Zune and buy an iPod and then buy the iPod interface! LOL

 

[danc]

E46,

Try using the aux jack in the centre compartment. It's quite good actually. ONly thing is you cant control the play via the steering.

 

[Cobra Kai]

E46,

Try using the aux jack in the centre compartment. It's quite good actually. ONly thing is you cant control the play via the steering.

Agree danc. I have been using the aux jack for 3-4 months and the quality is pretty decent. My cable is long enough that I pull the mp3 player up to the steering wheel making it easier to change. The cable was about RM10, so while the quality is not perfect, it's a pretty cost-effective solution :top:

JPB - does the iPod interface include a charger? I ended up buying another little device that plugs into the cigarette lighter, and can be used to play mp3's via an FM radio frequency, or recharge the mp3 player (via USB port).

 

[bahang]

I did mine at AB Ktn. the interface works as a charger to your ipod too.

 

[Juan Powerblow]

Agree danc. I have been using the aux jack for 3-4 months and the quality is pretty decent. My cable is long enough that I pull the mp3 player up to the steering wheel making it easier to change. The cable was about RM10, so while the quality is not perfect, it's a pretty cost-effective solution :top:

JPB - does the iPod interface include a charger? I ended up buying another little device that plugs into the cigarette lighter, and can be used to play mp3's via an FM radio frequency, or recharge the mp3 player (via USB port).

Yes, the interface keeps the I-Pod charged. So, I just leave the I-Pod hooked up in the car and only remove when I wanna add new songs from my notebook PC.

 

[David Yong]

I am using the same method like Cobra Kai i.e. the aux jack and the quality is ok. This is the cheapest solution where you can charge it and at the same time listen lotsa songs too

 

[Juan Powerblow]

I have used both the Aux jack and the proper interface and noticed that in the former, you gotta really turn up the volume. The other advantage with the interface which I brought up before is of course the ability to change tracks on your steering controls, which I find very useful with more involved driving and you want the right song to pump up the occassion i.e. during our last Ulu Yam drive, I had to go heavy metal to keep up with you guys, then got lost when Celine Dion started playing, hehehe!

 

[David Yong]

I have used both the Aux jack and the proper interface and noticed that in the former, you gotta really turn up the volume. The other advantage with the interface which I brought up before is of course the ability to change tracks on your steering controls, which I find very useful with more involved driving and you want the right song to pump up the occassion i.e. during our last Ulu Yam drive, I had to go heavy metal to keep up with you guys, then got lost when Celine Dion started playing, hehehe!

Hehehe.... :burnout:

 

[Bimmer910]

E46,

Try using the aux jack in the centre compartment. It's quite good actually. ONly thing is you cant control the play via the steering.

Im doing the same thing, but i find that the wire from the AUX to the POD often gets a little shifty, causing the tunes to be inconsistent.

Has anyone installed a holder for the ipod ?

 

[rookie]

I am also using the AUX input jack to play songs from my iPod. Agree with JPB that you really need to turn up the volume, and I am also quite satisfied with the sound quality.

 

[alinahew]

Hi JPB,

i have a cable that connects to the cigarette lighter and i connect my ipod via a FM radio frequency like what Cobra Kai mentioned. However, it depends very much on the radio frequency and most of the time it's not as good a reception than i have expected.

The Ipod interface that you bought, does it depend on the FM radio frequency?
I would like to get one myself. ..pls advice.

thanks

 

[rookie]

The E90 Ipod interface doesn't depend on FM radio frequency and it's not a third party device which connects to the cigarette lighter. It connects directly to the main head unit (HU), and you can navigate through the Ipod menu from the steering wheel controls.

 

[Juan Powerblow]

Thanks, rookie.

Alina, I can confirm what rookie just explained. It doesn't depend on radio signals, it's a direct signal via cable to your head-unit. It then interfaces with other aspects of in-car entertainment via your steering and I-Drive etc. Essentially, it's like an OEM CD-changer without the CDs. The sound quality is therefore much better than using the FM transmitter.