I Pod connection point

[idrussell]

Interested to hear your thoughts on the 'Ipod connection' some of you may have on your new Mercs. Before buying my wife's A class I read several reviews in magazines (Top Gear etc) which claimed all new Mercedes are Ipod compatible. I should have checked this out better before buying the car but I am rather unimpressed with a jack phone inside the glovebox and obviously no controls. I am informed that the full 'integration kit' is approx £420 incl fitting . When an Ipod is connected the sound is very low even with the volume turned right up on the Ipod - is this the same on other peoples cars?? While I will make do with it (as I am not going to rush out and get the full kit fitted) do other people not think that this connection is rather poor ?

 

[dsolds]

Yes the minimalist IPOD connection is poor, but then so is the sound quality from an IPOD. MP3 is a very lossy type of format although Apple's lossless format is not bad.
The fact that you would need to operate the IPOD by hand whilst on the move is also a very bad thing indeed.
Whilst I have an IPOD myself, it is reserved for when I am working in a datacentre which is a very noisy environment. Helps keep the general noise of the datacentre from driving me mad but I have no real desire to connect it to the car. As long as you have an onboard CD player I would use that over an IPOD any day.
If you have the DVD player on COMAND then a straight copy of CD's onto a DVD will yield approximately 6 CD's worth of music, approx 7 to 8 hours of playback time. Enough for most journeys.

 

[Bobby Dazzler]

Playing an iPod through the aux-in jack will be quieter than CD or Radio, but there are inline amps you can fit.

I guess it depends how loud your stereo is. Mine is quieter but if I turn it right up there's no further loss of quality. Just need to remember to turn it down again before switching source.

 

[Bobby Dazzler]

PS I think an aux-in was a £300 option on the Boxster when I looked in January!!

 

[jeremytaylor]

When an Ipod is connected the sound is very low even with the volume turned right up on the Ipod - is this the same on other peoples cars??

I thought it was quiet too. Until I turned up the volume setting on my iTunes.

I have mine wired through my Comand, and I have to say it's brilliant. Easy access of 1400 songs at the touch of a (steering) wheel, with the iPod tucked away out of sight in the glovebox. No, the sound quality isn't brilliant, but that's down to the iPod, not the car.

 

[moneyman]

I don't have an ipod but a Sony MP3 player and this has a setting for line out to use when connecting to an external source. No problem with volume levels when this is used. If I leave on the headphone setting then volume is distinctly quiet. If your I pod has line out try it
Kind regards
Steve

 

[maddog]

I thought it was quiet too. Until I turned up the volume setting on my iTunes.

there are volume restrictors that need to be altered in the settings of the ipod as well, i find mine plenty loud enough

 

[richard]

I am informed that the full 'integration kit' is approx £420 incl fitting . When an Ipod is connected the sound is very low even with the volume turned right up on the Ipod - is this the same on other peoples cars?? While I will make do with it (as I am not going to rush out and get the full kit fitted) do other people not think that this connection is rather poor ?

Its only £420 if you go to a MB dealer. You can buy the kit for £175 at www.comandonline.co.uk + postage and fit it yourself (instructions on my website http://www.mercupgrades.com/IPOD+Retrofit+in+A++B++C++CLK++ML++GL++R+Class-article-35.html ) or alfie (pm him on this forum) fits it for decent price.

The input is quiet, much less so (but still so) with the proper iPod kit and there is an optional amp (I think MB sell it for £35) that can be added to the iPod kit to make it louder. Your dealer is highely unlikely to know about the optional amp. Again, look on my website, at http://www.mercupgrades.com/iPod+Volume+too+low+fixes-article-45.html

Cheers
Richard

 

[gl boy]

have never found any problem with the mb ipod interface great sound and loud enough.....only moan i would say is it takes to long to enter the i pod menu to choose a song to play (through the sterring wheel controls) regards jon

 

[idrussell]

Thanks to all for the replies. I did not realise the Ipod had a menu for volume settings so will try that. I suppose atleast the Merc has a input socket neither my Porsche or Honda have anyway to connect an Ipod without one of the FM transmitters

 

[Spin_bowler]

Thanks to all for the replies. I did not realise the Ipod had a menu for volume settings so will try that. I suppose atleast the Merc has a input socket neither my Porsche or Honda have anyway to connect an Ipod without one of the FM transmitters

That particular criticism is a bit harsh on the guys at Porsche given that the Ipod wasn't invented for about another ten years after your 911 was manufactured