mrk's HU - pics?

iaind said:
Believe it or not, this is one thing stopping me considering an E46 - music in the car is very important to me and I dont think I could live without full iPod integration, AFAIK there's no good solution that allows full navigation of an iPod so it would need an aftermarket HU.

Would love to be corrected though
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Do you actually need integration though? No way of running a cable from a line out dock on the ipod to an AUX input and just use the ipod to pick the music?

Not worth spending £150+ for the sake of it! Or have I missed something here?

EDIT: Forgot about steering wheel controls. Ha. But still...
 
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Or you could get a Parrot MKi9200 which bypasses the god awful BMW amplifier entirely and gets you a nice screen to show your album art on. It's what I did after examining many different options.
Why BMW saw fit to put such absolutely apalling amps in their cars is beyond me. Even the "Premium DSP" systems in E39s is terrible.
 
paradigm said:
Mmmm 330d... ;)
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Stop it :p

LostPhil said:
Do you actually need integration though? No way of running a cable from a line out dock on the ipod to an AUX input and just use the ipod to pick the music?

Not worth spending £150+ for the sake of it! Or have I missed something here?

EDIT: Forgot about steering wheel controls. Ha. But still...
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Yes, its well worth 150 quid, if not more.

You either have to mount the iPod in a cradle, which looks naff or try holding onto it as you drive. Even if it was in a cradle, trying to use a clickwheel when driving is pretty daft.

My current setup lets me find albums and tracks on an interface that was designed for use in a car and skip tracks/adjust volume from the steering wheel. Much better :)
 
Rilot said:
Or you could get a Parrot MKi9200 which bypasses the god awful BMW amplifier entirely and gets you a nice screen to show your album art on. It's what I did after examining many different options.
Why BMW saw fit to put such absolutely apalling amps in their cars is beyond me. Even the "Premium DSP" systems in E39s is terrible.
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I'd hardly hold the Parrot up as an example of amazing sound, I had one in my 328ci (MKi9100 - same amp as the 9200) but I let it go with the car when I sold it. It certainly wasn't anywhere near as good as the hi-fi (BMW not HK) option in my 325i and miles off the DSP system in my Z4. The Parrot is better than the standard e46 business radios though, but it's just a tiny plastic box at the end of the day so it's not going to be anywhere near as good as a proper amp.
 
iaind said:
You either have to mount the iPod in a cradle, which looks naff or try holding onto it as you drive. Even if it was in a cradle, trying to use a clickwheel when driving is pretty daft.

My current setup lets me find albums and tracks on an interface that was designed for use in a car and skip tracks/adjust volume from the steering wheel. Much better :)
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Well, you don't have to hold onto it, there's ash trays/cubby holes for that... Besides, shouldn't be browsing your music while driving anyway! :p

But no, I do know what you mean. Just found every HU interface I've seen to be naff at searching through music so never seen the point. I've essentially disconnected my steering wheel controls anyway since I use a head unit that doesn't support them so I forgot about that.

Thought about mounting my Cowon D2 onto my dash with some car friendly interfaces but never got around to it. Anyway, OT, I'll shut up now! :)
 
LostPhil said:
Well, you don't have to hold onto it, there's ash trays/cubby holes for that... Besides, shouldn't be browsing your music while driving anyway! :p

But no, I do know what you mean. Just found every HU interface I've seen to be naff at searching through music so never seen the point. I've essentially disconnected my steering wheel controls anyway since I use a head unit that doesn't support them so I forgot about that.

Thought about mounting my Cowon D2 onto my dash with some car friendly interfaces but never got around to it. Anyway, OT, I'll shut up now! :)
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Totally off topic but I've just realised your from the same town as me! small world eh :)
 
Intravee/SOund on top was an option...until I heard it. I prefer sound quality thanks and the Pioneer HU looks nice enough, a flusher face HU from Pioneer will sort the flushness of the fit but by that time I'd have changed cars so....this it is for now :p

Heck, if at a motors meet Jez says it looks nice enough then it looks nice enough...


(excuse the stitching jaggies, only direct pic I have from work)

And at night the illumination is 1:1 with an E46:

interior_night.jpg


Umm..yeah that's it really :p
 
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mrk said:
Intravee/SOund on top was an option...until I heard it. I prefer sound quality thanks and the Pioneer HU looks nice enough, a flusher face HU from Pioneer will sort the flushness of the fit but by that time I'd have changed cars so....this it is for now :p

Heck, if at a motors meet Jez says it looks nice enough then it looks nice enough...



And at night the illumination is 1:1 with an E46:



Umm..yeah that's it really :p
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The red on mine matches up ok but not great, works a treat though.
 
A turd doesn't have good sound quality though!

I guess I'm spoilt by sound, I have awesome sound at home and on my PC and the moment I heard the stock BMW head unit I almost barfed. The "addons" for the stock HU are no better if you're used to a particular level of sound quality. A great shame since the BMW speakers are very good and have a decent level of kick when needed.

I did think of lining up a row of micro machine cars on the "shelf" but I am at two minds about it still :p
 
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Wicksta said:
I'd hardly hold the Parrot up as an example of amazing sound
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I didn't. I just said it was vastly superior to the rubbish in the E46 and E39. I didn't say anyting about the Z4 or any of the other systems.
And it's not the same amp in the one you had. Yours was only 2 channel thus driving only the 2 front speakers. The 9200 is a 4 channel amp.

Don't put words in my mouth.
 
Rilot said:
I didn't. I just said it was vastly superior to the rubbish in the E46 and E39. I didn't say anyting about the Z4 or any of the other systems.
And it's not the same amp in the one you had. Yours was only 2 channel thus driving only the 2 front speakers. The 9200 is a 4 channel amp.

Don't put words in my mouth.
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Wow, did you get out of the wrong side of bed today?

The blue 'gubbins' box of the 9000,9100 and 9200 is exactly the same unit I thought apart from the firmware? It's only the display (or lack of it on the 9000) that is different. If I'm wrong then send me a link rather than get uppity about it.

And no, it's nowhere near as good as the hifi option on my e46 which is what I was talking about - sorry if adding the Z4 onto my post confused you but you did mention 'their cars' which meant I assumed you meant BMW cars as a whole. Anyway, forget the Z4 if that makes it easier. :)

EDIT: I hate to feel like you're wrong here, but here is the brochure for the MKi range: http://issuu.com/talkaudio/docs/parrot_mki9000_brochure

Apart from the screen the 9100 appears to be the same. So I can confidently say that the e46 hifi option is much better than the MKi9200.
 
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mrk said:
A turd doesn't have good sound quality though!

I guess I'm spoilt by sound, I have awesome sound at home and on my PC and the moment I heard the stock BMW head unit I almost barfed. The "addons" for the stock HU are no better if you're used to a particular level of sound quality. A great shame since the BMW speakers are very good and have a decent level of kick when needed.

I did think of lining up a row of micro machine cars on the "shelf" but I am at two minds about it still :p
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Have to agree, i replaced the business radio with a Alpine unit and the speakers with Infinity Reference 5020cs Components. Much better than the standard/HK/hifi options.
 
Hmm its a shame thats the sound quality isnt up to scratch on the OE units, I dont think I could live with that sort of fascia - the HU isnt even in the middle!

I can consider the 330d unjustified again!
 
Muffin` said:
Looks good, cheers
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It doesn't, it looks rubbish but mrk is such a talented photographer everything he shoots looks awesome. He even manages to make his phone sat on his desk look like a work of art.

Aftermarket stereos in BMW's = ARGHGHGHHG just no.
 
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