MB iPod interface RIP-OFF, beware
Junior Member
Joined: Mar 2011
Posts: 55
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From: Atlanta,GA
2011 C300
nope, i actually downloaded an itunes song onto my ipad and played it. it seemed to still have the distortion. Actually as soon as i switch over to my ipad on the menu, i can hear the buzz..
Member
Joined: Feb 2012
Posts: 87
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From: Sacramento, CA
2018 C300 sedan, P1, Multimedia, Burmester
So I just called my local dealer, and they quoted me $74 for the inline amplifier (part# A204 870 3994). I've seen posts here where people have gotten the thing for <$5.
Can someone provide the name of the dealership where they got this great deal, and when? I'm going to feel totally ripped off if I pay $74 for something that Mercedes should have fixed for free (I do consider it a defect, after all), and that other are getting for a fraction of the price.
Can someone provide the name of the dealership where they got this great deal, and when? I'm going to feel totally ripped off if I pay $74 for something that Mercedes should have fixed for free (I do consider it a defect, after all), and that other are getting for a fraction of the price.
MBWorld Fanatic!
Joined: Jan 2008
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C300 Sport/Palladium Silver on Black/P2
What's also horrible on the 2008 cars is the AUX line in audio. It is horribly quiet. Absolutely ridiculous. It should have been a recall IMHO.
I have no idea how Mercedes screwed up Aux In and iPod audio levels so bad!
I have no idea how Mercedes screwed up Aux In and iPod audio levels so bad!
Senior Member
Joined: Oct 2009
Posts: 291
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From: MD
'09 C350
Hmmm interesting..... Cuz I do have the iPod integration cable but I notice that the sound quality is not up to par as if I was playing it through cd or my memory card... Do I have to open up the glove compartment to check this cable out?
Thread Starter
MBWorld Fanatic!
Joined: Oct 2010
Posts: 1,128
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From: Acapulco Mexico
2010 C300 Sport
@dadangman: If you follow the iPod connector cable behind the glove box liner, there should be an iPod amplifier. If you DO have this amplifier, check to see if it is Chinese or German, the ones sourced by MB in China have 30% THD.
If it is missing entirely, then the dealer who installed the iPod Integration Kit should provide one. A new one (from Germany hopefully) can be ordered and installed for about $65 USD.
If it is missing entirely, then the dealer who installed the iPod Integration Kit should provide one. A new one (from Germany hopefully) can be ordered and installed for about $65 USD.
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Thread Starter
MBWorld Fanatic!
Joined: Oct 2010
Posts: 1,128
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From: Acapulco Mexico
2010 C300 Sport
@buyaka350: Since 2011 I believe, the iPod and Aux inputs have been reengineered to their proper levels, and current W204 offerings need no iPod amplifier.
However, if one insists installing an Ipod Integration Kit on a 2013 C63 (why bother if it comes with the HK Logic 7?), I am unsure that the unit itself doesnt deteriorate the signal by 6 dB, necessitating probably the insertion of an iPod Amplifier... Probably the wiring on the current audio headunit doesnt even accept an iPod Integration Kit anymore.
However, if one insists installing an Ipod Integration Kit on a 2013 C63 (why bother if it comes with the HK Logic 7?), I am unsure that the unit itself doesnt deteriorate the signal by 6 dB, necessitating probably the insertion of an iPod Amplifier... Probably the wiring on the current audio headunit doesnt even accept an iPod Integration Kit anymore.
Member
Joined: Apr 2013
Posts: 85
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From: Northern Taxifornia
None
I've tweaked the sound a bit in my factory HK system in the car, and it has a lot of tweaks, but while decent, it's not quite satisfactory. I'll have to check the formats of the stuff in my iPod. Thanks for that suggestion.
Thread Starter
MBWorld Fanatic!
Joined: Oct 2010
Posts: 1,128
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From: Acapulco Mexico
2010 C300 Sport
@Go_Navy: Confused about the term "lossy" as a format. It is an adjective to differentiate between a "lossless" format such as original AIWW CD recordings and Apple Lossless format (which when decoded duplicates bit-for-bit the original CD) and "lossy" formats which reduce size through reduced bit-rates, sampling, and data compression. "Lossy" implies that much (or most) of the original music is just plain being thrown away.
Cartronics has an important point, in that just by obtaining, storing and playing your tunes from your iPod in "Apple Lossless" format, will result in a significant difference in increased sound quality, and it doesn't require tweaks or cost a single cent, It's for free, albeit that it occupies more space. Perhaps it is not the HK system that is not satisfactory, but the quality of the files that you are feeding into it!!!!
Cartronics has an important point, in that just by obtaining, storing and playing your tunes from your iPod in "Apple Lossless" format, will result in a significant difference in increased sound quality, and it doesn't require tweaks or cost a single cent, It's for free, albeit that it occupies more space. Perhaps it is not the HK system that is not satisfactory, but the quality of the files that you are feeding into it!!!!
Member
Joined: Apr 2013
Posts: 85
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From: Northern Taxifornia
None
@Go_Navy: Confused about the term "lossy" as a format. It is an adjective to differentiate between a "lossless" format such as original AIWW CD recordings and Apple Lossless format (which when decoded duplicates bit-for-bit the original CD) and "lossy" formats which reduce size through reduced bit-rates, sampling, and data compression. "Lossy" implies that much (or most) of the original music is just plain being thrown away.
Cartronics has an important point, in that just by obtaining, storing and playing your tunes from your iPod in "Apple Lossless" format, will result in a significant difference in increased sound quality, and it doesn't require tweaks or cost a single cent, It's for free, albeit that it occupies more space. Perhaps it is not the HK system that is not satisfactory, but the quality of the files that you are feeding into it!!!!
Cartronics has an important point, in that just by obtaining, storing and playing your tunes from your iPod in "Apple Lossless" format, will result in a significant difference in increased sound quality, and it doesn't require tweaks or cost a single cent, It's for free, albeit that it occupies more space. Perhaps it is not the HK system that is not satisfactory, but the quality of the files that you are feeding into it!!!!
I'm not really having a problem with my HK standard system in the car, but I do need to check exactly what format(s) is/are in my old iPod.
Thread Starter
MBWorld Fanatic!
Joined: Oct 2010
Posts: 1,128
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From: Acapulco Mexico
2010 C300 Sport
Remember receiving some kind of notification with an iTunes 11 update (its horrible - v10 was SO much better) that a history of all purchases effectively stored in iCloud, allows you to download them again in any format. Haven't tried it though, as my current 10,000 tunes were all ripped to Lossless from a CD collection, and maybe only a Mac OS update was purchased thru iTunes, hence the iCloud notification.
Remember that Apple Lossless generally takes double the space of a 320 bit MP3. A 160GB iPod Classic holds about 9000 tunes for me, but this includes naturally a lot of classical works which, besides their longer length, occupy more space because of their complex harmonic structure.
Remember that Apple Lossless generally takes double the space of a 320 bit MP3. A 160GB iPod Classic holds about 9000 tunes for me, but this includes naturally a lot of classical works which, besides their longer length, occupy more space because of their complex harmonic structure.
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Joined: Apr 2013
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From: Northern Taxifornia
None
Acapulco: I got used to iTunes v11 and have tweaked the home screen format so I can deal with it. My iPod Classic is an 80gb model. My collection is not as large as yours. I'm not sure how much space is left on it. I'll have to watch that. I still have a bunch of CDs to rip, too.
Sorry for the topic drift..........
Sorry for the topic drift..........
Thread Starter
MBWorld Fanatic!
Joined: Oct 2010
Posts: 1,128
Likes: 19
From: Acapulco Mexico
2010 C300 Sport
Go_Navy, assuming you are ripping CDs in Apple Lossless. Great! Space remaining, when you connect your iPod to the computer, requesting INFO will show you how much space is used and how much free. Then one can judge how many more tunes to load onto the iPod.
I had pulled about 1000 tunes out of the iTunes Music folder (is this correct?) and left them on my desktop so that the other 9000 tunes would fit. However, iTunes has the nasty habit of doing a complete library rebuild without warning and gathers ANYTHING it perceives as a music file. Suddenly there are hundreds of folders with "unknown artist" or "unknown album". Too bad iTunes is such a POS. I would prefer just dragging everything on the iPod as though it were a hard drive (USB's and MP3 recorders work this way, right?) and let the headunit display everything just as you arranged it in your own folder structure.
I had pulled about 1000 tunes out of the iTunes Music folder (is this correct?) and left them on my desktop so that the other 9000 tunes would fit. However, iTunes has the nasty habit of doing a complete library rebuild without warning and gathers ANYTHING it perceives as a music file. Suddenly there are hundreds of folders with "unknown artist" or "unknown album". Too bad iTunes is such a POS. I would prefer just dragging everything on the iPod as though it were a hard drive (USB's and MP3 recorders work this way, right?) and let the headunit display everything just as you arranged it in your own folder structure.
MBWorld Fanatic!
Joined: Oct 2008
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From: Atlanta, GA
2008 C300 Sport 6 Speed Manual, 1953 Chevy Bel-Air, 2015 Audi allroad, 1963 Chevy Apache
lol...about six months ago my buddy was laughing at me when I went from GnR, Sarah Brightman, CCR and finally some old Coolio. Nothing like a little variety to keep things interesting.
