3-series and Ipod

skiba

skiba

skiba

Soldato
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Just picked up my 330d this weekend, 2000 and liking it very much so far. It's got the cassete BMW business radio with multi-changer but the Harman-Kardon speakers but i'd like to use my ipod instead. I've seen one online that plugs into the multichanger input and lets you control it from the radio etc. Has anyone had any experience with these or have any good ideas?
Cheers
 
How much have you seen it for?

I recently sold a Dension iPod Gateway (Icelink v2.03) for just a bit less than £50 so check on eBay for similar if this price is less than the one you saw. orks pretty well and supports the vast majority of iPods.

To install you do need to take out the glovebox and some trim but it's a few hours work at most and easy to do if you're quite slim because you will be crouched around the glovebox area for a bit :p
 
If you want to spend a bit extra, I can 100% recommend the Parrot MKi series for connecting your ipod to your car... Bluetooth hands free and 3 connections (USB/3.5mm Jack/iPod). The SQ is better than the tape/fm cable gubbins you can buy... although a fitted MKi 9100 will set you back a couple of hundred I think it's well worth it. You can also have the ipod in the glovebox, and skip tracks using the parrot control.
 
Both sound good, I like the idea of the display but I think the Dension displays on the radio so I don't need an extra screen right? Also I don't want to fit anything myself so need to be able to get it done at my local audio fitter.
 
Dension displays via the head unit so yeah would be fine.

The only big bummer being sound quality is completely ass through the stock head unit!
 
It's still going through the head unit so yes it would sound the same (ie: crap)

Well crap is a matter of opinion, some people don't mind but once you've been listening to good quality amplifier music for a while the stock HU just won't cut it. Shame because the stock speakers are very very good and loud.

It's the reason I changed the HU altogether for a Pioneer one.
 
I don't mind the sound quality from the cd changer too much, although I agree it's not amazing.

I have a new spare Blaupunkt Casablanca MP56 HU I could put in the car but like the idea of keeping the dash unchanged.
 
Depends on the Head Unit you have I suppose, if it's all black with key/display colours that match the 3 then it looks pretty good.

I'd like a Becker HU but they're too pricey for what they are! I'm just going to go 16:9 down the line and go for a Pioneer unit with a DIY Double DIN surround. I have the interface and don't need NAV as I have that already on the standalone. The Pioneer units seem to be getting cheaper too so will keep an eye out :)
 
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mrk said:
It's still going through the head unit so yes it would sound the same (ie: crap)

Well crap is a matter of opinion, some people don't mind but once you've been listening to good quality amplifier music for a while the stock HU just won't cut it. Shame because the stock speakers are very very good and loud.

It's the reason I changed the HU altogether for a Pioneer one.
Click to expand...


how does your dash look with the pioneer? got pics?
 
Yep here you go, both day and night:

interior_headunit_3.jpg


interior_night.jpg
 
my word. that looks terrible! what other options are there for single din replacement fascias?
 
None, It looks much better in person really, I suppose you'd have to get feedback from people who either have a HU setup similar or from people from the Southampton meet to confirm. Sure it doesn't look as flowing as the stock HU but still looks fine and sounds 100x better so the pros far outweigh the cons!
 
I thought it looked pretty terrible.

I've gone from an aftermarket HU in my 530 back to an OEM setup and it looks SO much better, and with a sound on top amp the sound quality isn't actually that bad.
 
Morba said:
my word. that looks terrible! what other options are there for single din replacement fascias?
Click to expand...

You can get a better facia from BMW, which mounts the unit a lot more centrally:

IMG_1816.jpg


However it still looks awful in my opinion, in my old car I went for the option of an inline ISO amp on the standard head unit which improves the sound a lot. Then finally I retrofitted sat nav which of course is the best looking and most functional option.
 
I listened to Sound On Top and I agree it sounded better than not having it but it still didn't sound anywhere near the quality of an aftermarket HU which was why I wanted to hear it first before choosing to not sell the Dension and stock HU (though i did the latter anyway after reading around the American E46 forum).

Like I said, I agree it's not as slick looking as stock HU or stock 16:9 but as a cheap upgrade for massive sound quality gains until I double DIN it and relocate aircon unit to the cubbyhole with something like this:

http://www.caraudiodirect.co.uk/jvc-kwnx7000-p-7036.html?cadid=0a1af2p3iu18d9ocfdgffl7n01

It's a worth it change for the meantime :)
 
It's quite a big job to fit a double din unit on an e46, you have to customize all the air vent pipe/linkages and you still end up with something that doesn't really look like it fits properly.
 
Wicksta said:
You can get a better facia from BMW, which mounts the unit a lot more centrally:

IMG_1816.jpg


However it still looks awful in my opinion, in my old car I went for the option of an inline ISO amp on the standard head unit which improves the sound a lot. Then finally I retrofitted sat nav which of course is the best looking and most functional option.
Click to expand...

thats much much better. got the part number for it?
 
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