I own a CLS and I also so this same issue in my E class. When ever I hook up an ipod/cell phone through aux. The sound quality decreases pretty dramatically compared to cd playback. I thought it was possibly the actual songs..but i recorded mp3 cd..and playback was good. Is there a reason aux sound quality is not as good? If I installed another aftermarket stereo would playback be better.

 

I don't have it bookmarked, but about 2 years ago a contributor did sound tests of various input methods - and found that MB compresses the audio coming through the AUX input. Wish I could find that writeup, it was a superb piece. The author showed the test equipment readouts, and held a very intelligent discussion.

So, if you are using mp3 on your iPod, it is being doubly compressed and squeezed down. Your other audio sources are not. There are several ways to go.

1) Don't use the audio input. Purchase a Dension Gateway 500, which will feed directly into your audio via fiber optics. There is other equipment for this as well - see iTronic and mObridge. See https://mbworld.org/forums/audio-ele...mentation.html

2) Don't use mp3 files, especially at a low bit rate, when recording to your iPod. I record either in original AIFF (the CD format) or Apple Lossless wherever possible. When I buy music from iTunes, I pay the extra 30¢ to get the higher bit rate files.

The limitation wouldn't be removed by another brand of mp3 player.

BTW, you should also not use any equalization on the iPod - either while recording the songs, or while playing back - for best results through your car audio. Set EQ to "None" when recording and when playing back; adjust EQ on the HU.

 

Super thanks for the info!! Never heard of AIFF files but I will check into that. As for option one. I checked it out..and it looks like the gateway alone runs about $400-500. Wouldn't it be better to purchase an aftermarket stereo that does not double compress? I was actually thinking about purchasing a aftermarket stereo(one with rearview camera capabilities and one where music files can be uploaded to a drive(20+ gb) for direct playback instead of plugging a mp3 player in). The one I'm looking at costs around $500(hopefully its plug and play with wire harness).

 

You'll have to do your research carefully not to lose steering wheel controls. I don't get into the complete replacements much, but some folks do - I leave that research to you. Look at Pioneer AVIC, Kenwood, and Alpine on the forums if you want to go that route. And be aware, you will be giving up all of your telematics (amp, CDC, phone, nav, voice control) - and will have to replace those functions you want. Most often, integrating 3rd party equipment into an MB isn't plug 'n play - it's a complete replacement.

I wanted a system that let me keep what I had, including functions and controls - and add an iPod. That's why I chose the GW500.

AIFF files are the standard files on a music CD. Pop one into your computer CD drive, and look at the file names. You can choose to import those files in their original format, and you can load them into your iPod that way too. They take up much more disc space, but they sound a LOT better.

 

why not just buy ipod integration ?

 

mp3's will never sond as good as a regular cd. Compression methods require sopme of the info to be lost. If it is for background music mp3 is fine , if you are seriously listening you will pick it up everytime.

 

Unfortunately the MB iPod integration uses the AUX input - and for some installations, requires a separate (small) inline amp. The AUX input still compresses the music (specifically, it limits the bandwidth), whereas the fiber optics inputs (for the CDC) do not.

The GW 500 will provide input via the fiber optics, not the copper copper wire AUX input. With high quality source material on the iPod, it will sound better.

The GW 500 also allows one to keep the CDC (not all 3rd party systems do) - and it adds RCA and USB inputs as well.

For a MOST bus fiber optics system such as the OP's car has, the GW 500 integrates very well.

 

oh I thought the loss was coming from using the aux input headphone like jack not the auxiliary input itself. I am surprised they would use this type of setup if there is such a loss.

 

I have done several systems where an iPod will sound good, though it is not CD quality.

What perplexes me is the comment in general, I am hoping you are young 20ish, which would put you in the upper age group of people with portable media players as being a standard for audio, though I was really hoping for a 16 year old to say that someone put a CD on and it sounded better then their iPod" as their experience with CD would be limited. Oh well, it was a topic from a long time ago on a different forum.

sooooo..... All I have to say are you freaking kidding me? just playing

Anyways it must be the way you set up your iPod when recording (compressing) the audio onto the iPod or used a lower bit rate recording.

not only that your music is going out analog, input to the head unit, converted to digital on the MOST line, fed to the amp digitally, decoded at the amp back to analog and amplified, then sent in analog form to the transducers

CD is always in the digital world with yours

 

I can't figure out why, in my 2010 R, the ipod sounds great, while the satellite radio sounds no better than FM. It sounds lo-fi, lifeless, and compressed. My C36 has a Sirius Starmate fed into the radio via a cassette adapter, and it sounds fantastic.

 

do you have HD radio also with your R class?

 

yes, but i'm not certain if I've heard any HD stations yet.

 

I'm pretty aware of diff. format songs. Tried highest MP3 format. But I guess I didn't understand how much MP3's where compressed. According to my research MP3's are 1/10th the quality of highest unformatted music files. it seems MP3 is horrible to begin with. Interesting tidbit:

As a rule near CD quality MP3 requires approx 2 MB per minute file space (about 1/10th of uncompressed WAV or AIFF).

Can someone send me a high quality song/sample in AIFF format...I want to put this on my music player and test it(thought I do wonder if playback is compressed by the music player it self).


reference for others on music file types:
http://www.beatsuite.com/page/96/

 

Read the responses to your questions! As I said in post 2 and 4 above, AIFF is the standard CD audio format. If you own any commercial CDs you already own songs in the AIFF format. No one needs to send them to you. All you have to do is to import them into iTunes in that format, and record them to the iPod in that format. Read the iTunes help files (or just browse the menus - it's that simple).

We're spending our time to respond to you. At least spend the time to read and comprehend the responses.

 

Obviously I read that part(And even posted a link on information on that format). I do NOT have any commercial CDs. Everything I have is purchased in MP3 format. Hence, the reason why I want a non-cd stereo. I wanted something bass heavy specifically so I thought this would have been a quicker solution than asking around hopelessly searching for bass heavey melodies ..I'll ask around. But thanks for replying.

 

If you find an aftermarket HU that actually works without heavy modification, please let us know. I'm very interested in an aftermarket HU mainly for their better navigation system and bluetooth integration. There are so many fancy products out there, but I'm not aware of any that provides MOST interface. If the HU can't integrate into the MOST fiber optic network, I think you'll have to route the speaker wires, the steering wheel control (CAN-BUS2), gps antenna, etc. all separately. Perhaps, I don't know enough, but it just sound like a huge pain to me.

 

lol. Sorry I'm def. not going to find a HU that is not going to require some form of modification. I think even if I wanted to upgrade to one of the new 2009+ commands it would require some sort of modifications and is not plug and play. So I'm def. taking the route of revamping the system.

 

In that case, you might be interested in the Dension Gateway 500 I'm selling https://mbworld.org/forums/mobile-el...tooth-kit.html

cheers!

 

yes there is! NavTv has something they been working on for quite some time, I have a BETA test of it that allows the audio from the after market head unit to be placed on the MOST bus. steering wheel controls were not integrated on my sample as it was... a sample for field testing,, they did go back and rewrite it enabling steering wheel controls as they did with the Porsche replacement units.

Now I do not know if it is being marketed, derek@navtv.com was a member on here and fielded a lot of questions, but since the amadouche (spelling??) ban him for not being a sponsor, and quite honestly, I am baffled at that, he needs to pay to help the forum? I give up on that as I don't see it making sense.

anyways back to the topic, I can say that 98% of us here will not know the difference between a mp3/4 recording vs a CD when properly converted and compressed. GIGO still applies to this day.