[tibook]

I have a pre-sept. 2006 330i, no idrive. I have an ipod.

Does the MOST adapter suck bad enough you wish you didn't buy it?

Or is it just that it could have been implemented better?

I want to know if its functionally fine. Is it slow (i.e. Pioneer's first ipod adapter)? Does it constantly work? Is the sound quality on par with using the cd player?

I've read plenty of threads about complaints and such. But not so much about performance. I want to know if it works quickly, sounds great, and is better than sticking it in the console. I tend to browse by artist, and listen through albums.

Hopefully I won't post another ipod/MOST thread. Sorry.

[rlc]

Originally Posted by tibook

I have a pre-sept. 2006 330i, no idrive. I have an ipod.

Does the MOST adapter suck bad enough you wish you didn't buy it?

Or is it just that it could have been implemented better?

I want to know if its functionally fine. Is it slow (i.e. Pioneer's first ipod adapter)? Does it constantly work? Is the sound quality on par with using the cd player?

I've read plenty of threads about complaints and such. But not so much about performance. I want to know if it works quickly, sounds great, and is better than sticking it in the console. I tend to browse by artist, and listen through albums.

Hopefully I won't post another ipod/MOST thread. Sorry.

You've read all the posts describing the annoying shortcomings (I wrote a few of them). It is not perfect, but I'm glad I bought it and I use it regularly. Just get comfortable with using playlists and it's fine. The sound is pretty much the same as a line level input through the AUX port. Sound is only as good as the MP3 file you use - less than 192k sounds better than FM but not as good as a CD.

Just get it - it's the best iPod option for your car. Don't let them rip you on install fees - you should pay no more than $500 out the door.

[tibook]

I use mostly lossless files, so my concern is the shortcomings of the a/d from the aux or whatever the interface uses, vs. burning the same files to disc. Don't know if its noticeable with logic7.

I do use playlists regularly. However, I browse by artist a lot as well. Am I going to have problems doing that? (is there a limit to browsing by artist? Does it do it the same as the bluetooth address book?)

I'm going to see if my dealer can do the install while I'm having a software update for my bluetooth/assist problems. They said there is a recall on the assist TCU and the update will probably crash it!

If CircleBMW sells it for $259, how much should my dealer charge to install?

OH yeah, does the interface respond quickly?

[rlc]

Originally Posted by tibook

I use mostly lossless files, so my concern is the shortcomings of the a/d from the aux or whatever the interface uses, vs. burning the same files to disc. Don't know if its noticeable with logic7.

I do use playlists regularly. However, I browse by artist a lot as well. Am I going to have problems doing that? (is there a limit to browsing by artist? Does it do it the same as the bluetooth address book?)

I'm going to see if my dealer can do the install while I'm having a software update for my bluetooth/assist problems. They said there is a recall on the assist TCU and the update will probably crash it!

If CircleBMW sells it for $259, how much should my dealer charge to install?

OH yeah, does the interface respond quickly?

If you select the sort option for Artists, Albums, Genre, etc. it is not quick in displaying a list if the list is long, which it normall is on large capacity iPods. This is why playlists are the way to go - even for artists. The playlists will display fairly quickly. BTW, a lot of the shortcomings are not because of the iPod adapter - they are because of the radio head unit. Our non-IDrive cars have a lower functioning computer.

Install labor is recommended by BMW at 1-1.5 hours, so you multiply that by your dealer's labor rate to get an expected total. The software is normally just a coding - not a full progman upgrade - so it is should be included as part of the install labor. If you have other issues that require coding or progman updates I would expect them to code your iPod adapter as part of the maintenance.

[jingai00]

Originally Posted by tibook

I have a pre-sept. 2006 330i, no idrive. I have an ipod.

Does the MOST adapter suck bad enough you wish you didn't buy it?

I kind of wish I had waited for a 3rd party product. It's usable enough, I suppose, but not at $300 + installation. My $200 trunk-end installed (5 minute install/uninstall) Dension iceLink>Plus I had in my Z4 had none of the shortcomings that this unit has, and had a lot more user-configurable options too (such as gain, how long to keep charging the iPod after car has been shut off, etc).

Sound quality is great. Loading large playlists is kind of sluggish.

The biggest gripe for me is that it seems they designed the unit for people that have a fairly small collection of music and know at any given time what they want to listen to. That they would pick an album and listen to it end-to-end.

The problem is, the interface is FAR too slow to find an album you want via the iDrive controller. I presume this is due to the bug where the software thinks you've reached the end of a list once you've gotten to the bottom of the first page. It's hard to describe, but the controller fights you to scroll beyond that.

In addition, the display is limited to 500 entries. You can overcome this by making more playlists (each with less than 500 entries), but..

I personally currently have 9972 songs on my iPod and as such, I prefer to just put it on shuffle and just let it be. Problems with that:

1) Random mode is not preserved when you shut off the car.
2) Turning random mode on (as I have to do everytime I start the car) immediately stops the current song.
3) Skipping tracks does so sequentially. There seems to be no way to skip to the next random track.

So, to be honest.. and this is my opinion.. it is funtionally unusable any way you try to do it.

These limitations would be easier to deal with in home audio equipment, as you don't tend to cut the power as often.. but in a car? If you make 10 stops on your way home from work, that's 10 times you have to turn random mode back on..

[tibook]

There are no 3rd party products like this yet, right? I didn't even think there was a plan for one?

[jingai00]

Originally Posted by tibook

There are no 3rd party products like this yet, right? I didn't even think there was a plan for one?

DICE Electronics is planning one. No idea how long it will take though.

But, I found a way to make the OEM unit work for me:

http://www.e90post.com/forums/showthread.php?p=758263

[JSpira]

Originally Posted by jingai00

DICE Electronics is planning one. No idea how long it will take though.

Won´t happen. They´ve been claiming this for almost 2 years now.

Even if they built it, there´s no way it could be coded.

[jingai00]

Originally Posted by JSpira

Won´t happen. They´ve been claiming this for almost 2 years now.

Even if they built it, there´s no way it could be coded.

My iceLink on my two previous Z4s were coded by the dealer just fine. I don't understand why you think not?

All they do is flag you have a CD Changer installed -- just like the OEM interface.

[JSpira]

Originally Posted by jingai00

My iceLink on my two previous Z4s were coded by the dealer just fine. I don't understand why you think not?

All they do is flag you have a CD Changer installed -- just like the OEM interface.

Your z4 isn´t a MOST bus car, is it?`

I have never heard of an I-BUS car requiring coding to install a CD changer by the way.

My icelink replaced my Phatbox, which I plugged into my 5er without any problem.

[jingai00]

Originally Posted by JSpira

Your z4 isn´t a MOST bus car, is it?`

I have never heard of an I-BUS car requiring coding to install a CD changer by the way.

It was I-BUS, but yes, it did require coding by the dealer. I would imagine if DICE releases a unit, it will probably interface in much the same way as the OEM adapter.

[JSpira]

Originally Posted by jingai00

It was I-BUS, but yes, it did require coding by the dealer. I would imagine if DICE releases a unit, it will probably interface in much the same way as the OEM adapter.

OK, let me clarify further. One of the reasons DICE hasn´t released something for BMW is because of the coding issue.

[jingai00]

Originally Posted by JSpira

OK, let me clarify further. One of the reasons DICE hasn´t released something for BMW is because of the coding issue.

Hmm, that's a little odd, since they just told me to have the dealer code my Z4 when I installed the iceLink>Plus. But then again, Dension made that product, not DICE. Even though DICE was formed by a disgruntled Dension employee :P

Maybe he's just handling the issue differently. Still, it shouldn't technically be impossible. He probably just doesn't want to have to deal with, "My dealer refused to code my car for your product!"

[JSpira]

Originally Posted by jingai00

Hmm, that's a little odd, since they just told me to have the dealer code my Z4 when I installed the iceLink>Plus. But then again, Dension made that product, not DICE. Even though DICE was formed by a disgruntled Dension employee :P

Maybe he's just handling the issue differently. Still, it shouldn't technically be impossible. He probably just doesn't want to have to deal with, "My dealer refused to code my car for your product!"

There´s even more to that DICEy story than you could imagine.

But technically, it´s not impossible although most dealers probably wouldn´t code a car for something that´s not there (i.e. the cd changer, with a foreign unit in its place). And you can´t code the car before the unit is installed.

Further, in many cases, you have to upgrade Progman as the first step and if this is not being done for an accessory installation, the bill (which is at a minimum 3 hours) would be footed by the owner instead of being covered under warranty.

[tibook]

A little update:

Paid $490 after 10% BMWCCA discount (sheesh).

Is it perfect? No. But is it convenient? Yes!

I don't like having to wait 20-50 seconds for the artists playlist to load, but Its not a big deal. Its kind of like it gives you a chance to get rolling before the music starts blaring.

It does sound better than the aux. I'm not sure if its compressing the signal some, at first I couldn't shake what I was hearing. But now it might be that I hear the source material a little better. (BTW I was listening to lossless files)

I think they could have polished the efficiency of the interface, but it sure beats using one plugged into the aux.

Steering wheel controls are great to have...being able to leave your ipod in the glovebox and forget about it...I don't regret buying it!