lpolo

Hello, anyone here installed MP3 player (creative, iPod, etc) in the car?

Is it possible to do this?
I want to buy MP3 player (not sure yet what brand) and install it in the car.

1. driver must be able to control the MP3 player from the console.
2. the MP3 player must get power from the vehicle itself so that it won't require any battery changes and no need to afraid of dead battery, etc.
3. installation must be completely neat and seamless as if the MP3 is part of the car.

Anyone did this? Give me some guide and advices. The new BMW 3 series has special place for iPod and driver can control the iPod directly from the wheel. How nice......

Help help help.....

Dema

As I know only iPod has BMW integration, still nothing for MB. phatnoise has no integration with MB. You can install MP3 CD changer.

Oslo

As far as I know, there is no interface into the MOST bus made for Mercedes. Although BMW and Apple made an interface (BMW E60 also use the MOST bus), there is nothing available yet for the MB. Blitzsafe promised in May this year to make an interface, but nothing so far. Therefore, there is no way to control MP3 devices from the wheel or the console. If you do a search on this board for "Ipod", you will find some very nice Ipod installations (mine included )

W210

And the Apple iPod/BMW kit does not work in the E60 new 5 series. It only works on limited number of older BMW models such as the 3 series and the X5 and also the Z4.

weinschela

The best solution for playing MP3 files I have found is playing them from a DVDin the CD slot -- this works perfectly on my 05 E500. I have about 2GB of music, which is more than enough, burned on a DVD. I love my iPod Mini but the iPod never needs to be used -- in this car. My understanding is that some of the older models will play MP3s from the CD player (though not on a DVD), which is less of a solution than DVD but still better than fumbling for the iPod, making the connection through the Aux port -- or using FM modulation, and also having to recharge it.

Brother Benz

http://www.altberg.net/Minebilder/ipodmini.jpg

rusnakmb

Can you give more detail about installation and what is needed. Thanks

Brother Benz

I ran a Radio Shack male to male headphone extension from the glove box to the console. I used stick-on 3M wire guides to secure the extension in the glove box. You will be able to easily stuff the wire under the console after that. I used a right angle adapter to connect to the Ipod just to keep it tight. I cut the cigarette lighter adaptor off an Ipod charger and tapped into the twelve volt power to the rear seat cigarette lighter. This is located under the base of the lower storage compartment of the console. Any car stereo installer can do that for you. There are some low voltage power lines for the rear A/C contols under there so a volt meter is important (learned that the hard way). Also I have modified this since I took the picture. In the picture I used some of the Ipod packaging to make a mounting bed for the unit. I have recently used the belt clip that comes with the mini to mount the unit. I found that I took the unit out for updates often enough that a more durable mount was necessary. You won't regret installing this. I have 300 songs on mine and the sound is oustanding. Good luck.

figure1a

Here's an iPod install:

https://mbworld.org/forums/e-class-w210/84369-alpine-navigation-ipod-controller-installed.html

Skylaw

See the telematics forum at https://mbworld.org/forums/audio-electronics/93278-dension-ice-link-plus-mercedes-ipod-integration-install-review.html

Awiner and I have done iPod installations in our CL55 and S500 (D2B bus) using Dension's IceLink integration and Tom from Dension has several posts responding to questions and referencing availability for MOST bus cars as well as answering other questions.

The Dension integration makes the iPod as controllable from the steering wheel, from the COMAND buttons, and through voice command as your Mercedes CD player is, and it displays playlist number and song number on your COMAND and instrument cluster displays. Awiner and I have both mounted our iPods in the center console, out of sight when the car is parked.

You can also read an extensive writeup on my installation at http://www.benzworld.org/publications/pub.asp?id=330

And in the first link, Adam (awiner) has done an excellent job with his installation. Don't miss these posts if you're interested in an iPod installation.

glojo

I must go along with weinschela, IF and obviously I must emphasis if... it is possible to play Mp3's through the front CD slot then this is the tidiest way to go.

If you do not have this facility then what is the cost of converting the COMAND and then having a very neat tidy system compared with having an iPod accessory fitted somewhere?

Good luck with your decision,
John

Skylaw

In my book convenience factors are about equal if you have DVD capability - the 40 GB music collection on my iPod would require 9 DVDs (or 60+ CDs). The iPod requires much less storage space, and all of the music on it is accessible by menus; no hunting through DVDs. My iPod is hidden away in the center console, so the installation is tidy (See http://forums.mbnz.org/publications/pub.asp?id=330

There is little doubt that if you lack MP3 music playback on DVD, the IceLink/iPod integration is best.

As for costs - if you don't have DVD music playback capability, upgrading a COMAND unit in the U.S. can run from $4000-$5,000 U.S. or more. My Dension IceLink ran about $400 with the cradle connector ($449 after Christmas) and $400 for a 40GB iPod. And, I can record in Apple lossless format, which has superior sound to MP3s.

glojo

I think that is the 'nitty gritties'. $4000 - $5000 is a lot of money.

The 40Gb storage is brilliant, but I wonder how many Mp3's the average car owner possesses. I have stored all my collection on just one single DVD with room to spare. That equates to 1108 divided into manageable folders.

A conversion I think must be in keeping with the interior of the E-class and if yours is as good as Oslo's it will no doubt look very nice.

Regards,
John

scorchie

I have both the iPod (to go from car to car) and ability to play MP3 discs... but I need to keep my CD changer. So I don't think anything that replaces the CD changer will work for me.

-s-

khaug

Our '05 is DVD/MP3 capable, and I've reduced my 150+ CD collection to just three MP3 DVDs. Doing this in a fashion which will display album and track titles on the screen was a bit of work. But for a retired guy like myself, that's amply repaid by the perfect integration and avoidance of add-ons.

Converting the CD to an MP3 bit rate of 256 KB/Sec yields audio quality that is indistinguishable from the CD on the H-K system in my Benz. I suspect you could shave the bit rate some more without significant loss of quality, if storage space is really crucial.

I agree with John that 40 GB storage capacity would be pretty academic for most. Even if one owns a truly mammoth collection of CDs, the ~50 CDs on one of my DVDs will provide nearly two continuous days of music. Changing a DVD every 40-50 hours of use is no bother, IMHO.

Of course, if I'd been looking at four figures for upgrading my CD drive and Comand system, the iPod soultion would appear very attractive indeed!

awiner

See my Denison Mercedes Ipod Intergration kit install and review at:

https://mbworld.org/forums/showthread.php?t=93278

A MOST bus version will be avaialble soon for the W211 E-Class.

glojo

What an excellent, informative thread. I was impressed to see the gentleman from DenisonUSA also contributing.

For owners of older 211's this might be an option worth considering.

Is the sound quality of the iPod superior to the CD quality that it appears you have to sacrifice?

I am in awe of the expertise of the so called 'amatuers' that contributed to the thread and was also surprised to see the pnuematic air lines from what I assume is the central locking system on a CL?

Thanks for posting the link,
John

A wet and very windy morning in Torquay
(90mph winds at the weekend)

Skylaw

Awiner and I have added comments on sound quality to Adam's excellent thread.