Rev It Up

Is anyone else who installed the iPod with the new MB kit having a problem with the volume being a lot lower then the the other components (radio and CD changer)? If so, any fixes?

enzom

I know that when I use the auxilliary input in the glove box, I need to set the volume on the ipod itself to the highest level to even compete with the other sources. Even then, the volume is a bit lower than the changer and radio. I think you need to enhance the playback volume of the songs in your library to make the ipod play back with the same volume as the radio and cd players.

DRCrowder

settings->sound check == on

JokerzWld

iPOD Crowd: I too psted this problem several weeks ago but got no help. GMdebruyn helped me with my NAV volume but so far the lowered volume issue persists in my 'audio world' in my E55 soundscape! Could it be the MP3 conversion has something to do with it? Also, what does the advice mean settings>sound check== on mean? Jokerz

xraymd

He means check the settings on the Ipod itself. You can do it on the Ipod or thru Itunes. Songs from different albums are often at different volumes. Engaging the sound check makes the Ipod try to even that out a bit. As far as your volume, I just got the call that my unit is in at the dealership. Hope to get it installed next week. I'll tell you what I find out. Have you turned the Ipod volume up to max? Right now, mine runs through the glovebox jack. I have to turn the volume up on the Ipod to max for the volume in the car to be OK.

enzom

In your settings menu on your ipod, there is an option for "sound check". If it is "on", the volume on your ipod will not exceed a predetermined level. Make sure it is off.

JokerzWld

Owners: thanks for the continued tech tips-Ill try turning off the sound check setting and keep you posted. BTW, what is the total power output for the Logic 7 system? Joker

HollaBack

Where do you buy the cord to plug into the auxillery input in the glove box. I can't seem to find it.

Ducman

Try Radioshack,I believe it's 3.5 male to male.

DRCrowder

actually what we have found is that for lower playing mp3's shound check -> ON works. sound check makes sure that the songs play and an even level: lowering loud mp3's and aac's and rasing low ones. If this doesn't help PM me and I'll work with you.

FourBore

I had my iPod integration kit installed a couple of days ago.

I have the exact same problem with the volume. It varies between songs, depending how they were recorded I guess, but it is impossible to get any of them very loud. Some of them are too quiet even at full volume.

Changing the Sound Check settings on the iPod makes no difference.

I haven't gone back to the dealer yet as this was their first install in a W211 and they seemed a bit clueless - it took them 7 hours to install!!

JokerzWld

Tech experts: can anyone help us with this iPOD volume issue??? I tried the SAT,CD volume in my car and the volume will blow you out of the cabin-not so with iPOD.TRied all sound check setiings and no luck...anyone?

xraymd

Mine's getting put in today. I'll see what I can find out.

gmdebruyn

soundcheck should not do anything for you, at least with the ipod. soundcheck is used for recording to media (like a dvd or a cd).

not sure what model ipod you are using. i have been using my nano and the sound is loud and clear. my mp3's were recorded off of cd's (not taken off the net from kazaa or anything like that).

try these steps and let us know if they make a difference
1) take a cd you own and rip it using itunes. then create a playlist and put those songs on your ipod. play those songs back in the E55 and let us know if the sound is better or worse (you may have ripped them at a low volume or gotten some bad copies somewhere).

2) this does not work with my nano, but it might work with your ipods. turn the volume of the ipod up to the maximum before plugging it in to the ipod adaptor.

3) just thinking out of the box here, but are you guys sure your dealers disconnected the aux input in the glovebox? get a male to male 1/8" phono jack and see if your ipod works through that input as well as the ipod input. if it does, then you might be losing signal that way. the instructions said explicitly though to disable it, and you'd really have to do some splicing to keep it around.

just some ideas. let us know if any of them work. i know the car remembers a different volume for NAV vs. CD volume. i will check tonight to see how many "volume memories" it has.

FourBore

I'm using the iPod Photo 60Gb. The MP3's are ones I have ripped myself and work fine in all MP3 players. Many of the files are the exact same ones that I have on a DVD-R and can play through the COMAND head unit. On the head unit they are nice and loud. Via the iPod interface they are MUCH quieter.

Already tried at full volume on the iPod - doesn't help.

The dealer explicitly mentioned this to me so that I wouldn't try to use the glovebox socket.

Thanks for the ideas. I have considered redoing the MP3s but I cannot get a decent enough volume without the files starting to clip - and the iPod is fine without going through he iMB interface....

xraymd

Has anybody posted to the audio and electronics forum. There are often some helpful people over there. Anyone with an install from Steve with this problem?

PS - I should be picking up my car today with the integration kit installed. I'll see what I find out.

DRCrowder

read your ipod manual as to what sound check does.

************************************************** ***
Because audio CDs are mastered differently, you may notice discrepancies in volume between songs on different albums.

Like iTunes, iPod also offers the Sound Check feature to standardize the volume of all the songs in your music library.

To switch on Sound Check on your iPod:
In the main iPod menu, click on Settings - Sound Check - On
If you wish to switch off Sound Check on your iPod, follow these steps:

To switch off Sound Check on your iPod:

In the main iPod menu, click on Settings - Sound Check - Off
************************************************** *****

while the sound check may not have helped the original poster, it was the solution for me for the exact same problem

gmdebruyn

well, if he disconnected the AUX glove connection, you should get no signal at all. I did the install myself. You're supposed to disconnect it completely. Now, if it does give you signal, that might be your problem.

I do know that when I asked the mechanic at my dealership (have a good relationship with him) about whether I installed things correctly or not, he said he was pissed at me (not really) because I would have been the first kit they did, and they all wanted to learn (doesn't give me a warm and fuzzy feeling).

xraymd

Just picked mine up and I'm really happy with it. Running with sound check turned on. At max volume, it's uncomfortable at a stop light. On the freeway, max volume is about where I want it (assuming no one else is in the car ) I can't make it "too loud" while on the freeway. That's basically the same as when I played the iPod through the AUX port in the glovebox. Jokerz- I come up to A2 maybe once a month, but usually with the wife's minvan. I'm off the week of the 24th. Maybe we can set something up and compare?

xraymd

I may have found something to help. I did a google looking for some sort of amplifier for the iPod. They exist, but so far I've only found ones for home use or ones that amplify the headphone jack and not the base. During my search, I came across a software "solution" called mp3 gain. It does AAC files too. I bumped up my Franz Ferdinand 9db, and my ears are still ringing. I'm doing my whole library right now and will have more to report soon.

Link to explanation of mp3 volume "tags"

link to mp3 gain

Torquester

The problem is due to the output level from the headphone jack of the iPod. If you use high end headphones you experience the same problem. Basically the iPod doesn't have a strong enough output stage to drive high-end headphones or the MB Logic 7 system.

The cure has typically been an amplifier that increses the gain coming out of the iPod. But the better amps are really expensive: $300-400. You can adjust the gain in your recording a little but you'll also be increasing the noise in the system as well. The better amps do not increase the noise level.

FourBore

I already tried mp3gain. Yes, you can increase the volume but you also introduce an amount of clipping into the track if you increase the volume very much at all, which I personally find unacceptable. MP3Gain is a good program and will tell you whether clipping will occur with the amount of gain you introduce. However it cannot overcome the fundamental flaw with this MB/iPod setup. With 9db gain you will certainly ruin the quality of your MP3s.

FourBore

The MB iPod integration kit connects to the iPod via the docking connector, not the headphone jack.

xraymd

Well you guys certainly know more about it than me, but I just got back from a freeway run with the 9db gain and I didn't notice clipping. Maybe my ears are not as good, but hey, I make a living with my eyes . I did have one album that I accidentally ran through twice (18db!), and it sounded horrible. I need to fix that. Anyways, try it out somebody.