[bimmer4me]

I got sick and tired of playing songs through my iPod Shuffle. It doesn't have a screen and the controls are difficult to use while driving so I finally burned an MP3 CD (via iTunes) so I could use my steering wheel controls and see the song names on the iDrive screen. Another annoyance of the iPod Shuffle is that you cannot charge it and play it at the same time.

HOLY COW the sound quality is sooooooo much better on the MP3 CD!!!! I was totally stunned!! I had no idea it would be such a night and day difference. It's like the first time I've heard the stereo system really doing its job. I love the seat shaking slightly when there is bass. It's also a joy seeing all the songs listed on the iDrive screen too.

Weird note: The songs are listed vertically. When you hit the UP arrow on the steering wheel the selection goes DOWN. When you press the DOWN arrow on the steering wheel the selection goes UP. I assume this is because the up arrow means to increase the track number (from track 1 to track 2, track 2 to track 3, etc.), but it is unnatural when looking at the screen.

My iPod has now been demoted to podcasts in the car and for running. Even for running it is annoying because of the dumb wires that flop around everywhere.

[KL2DC]

Shucks...now I see this post ... after I negotiated a gift of an ipod nano (to go with the new car) from the wifey... wasn't too big on MP3 players before

[bimmer4me]

It's possible that with a cable that plugs into the dock connector instead the headjack port it would sound better.

[bk8]

Could it be because on the ipod the output your're using isn't a true line out? I know that for the nano it isn't but there is an attachment gives a true line out using the firewire connector.

[bimmer4me]

By "firewire connector" do you mean the dock connector?? For my situation, the iPod Shuffle doesn't have a traditional dock connector because it's a USB device.

[hotsand5]

I have the I River mp3 20 gig and sound also sounds like crap, so I started burning MP3 cd's, and yes, the quality is way better. I have an optical out on the I River, and too bad there is no optical input along w/ the aux jack so that I can listen to the songs digitally, not in analog. That would be interesting if somebody could retrofit this.

[bimmer4me]

I tried my friends iPod (video) and it sounded like CD quality to me. I think that it's my iPod Shuffle that makes it sound worse than regular iPods. Regardless, even if it sounded great, I prefer MP3 CDs because I'm able to use the steering wheel controls and see the song names on the iDrive screen.