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      04-28-2008, 03:58 PM   #67
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Quote:
Originally Posted by ScottyGams View Post
that depends...

if you are using a headphone-2-headphone cable from out of your iPod, then the signal is amplified and will give you a whole lot of interference.

You can buy a iPod cable that will use the data port, and thus will be the exact same as the BMW solution :headbang:
Nope... The ipod cable uses the line-out, which is a volume fixed headphone jack.

Won't give you any interference you will be able to notice either way. Lots of info on this...

:
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      04-28-2008, 04:28 PM   #68
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Quote:
Originally Posted by john970 View Post
Nope... The ipod cable uses the line-out, which is a volume fixed headphone jack.

Won't give you any interference you will be able to notice either way. Lots of info on this...

:
i guess that means if you do not have a usb port, the best solution is skip the bmw cable and get a $15 aftermarket dock-to-headphone cable which will pull a line-level output instead of the amplified headphone jack output. i hope i'm not missing something here....

btw, for those concerned about missing the charging capabilities of the dock connection if going from a dock to headphone cable, there are some cables (monster immediately comes to mind) that incorporate audio out and power charging from the dock, thus leaving the headphone jack unconnected.
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      04-28-2008, 05:00 PM   #69
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Originally Posted by Nice1 View Post
i guess that means if you do not have a usb port, the best solution is skip the bmw cable and get a $15 aftermarket dock-to-headphone cable which will pull a line-level output instead of the amplified headphone jack output. i hope i'm not missing something here....

btw, for those concerned about missing the charging capabilities of the dock connection if going from a dock to headphone cable, there are some cables (monster immediately comes to mind) that incorporate audio out and power charging from the dock, thus leaving the headphone jack unconnected.
The line out goes through the same amplification stage as the headphone jack, so in terms of audio quality there shouldn't be any difference as long as you have the headphone jack set to about 2/3. It can look cleaner though.
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      04-28-2008, 08:47 PM   #70
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john970,
thanks for your explanation. the sound quality out of the dock connector vs. the headphone jack is still confusing me, especially after reading threads such as this. Some have related that the dock connection bypasses the headphone amp and thus provides a constant output. I will just have to do a blind test as you suggested in the other thread and will post my observations.
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      04-28-2008, 09:44 PM   #71
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I think the best bet is to work a couple days O.T. and just get the iPod/USB option. I wasn't even considering it until my son said "GET IT"
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      04-28-2008, 10:10 PM   #72
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Nice1 View Post
john970,
thanks for your explanation. the sound quality out of the dock connector vs. the headphone jack is still confusing me, especially after reading threads such as this. Some have related that the dock connection bypasses the headphone amp and thus provides a constant output. I will just have to do a blind test as you suggested in the other thread and will post my observations.
There is more misinformation about hifi audio than probably anything else on the planet. It is one field where everyone proposes to be an expert. One thing you will almost never see on an audio forum is any sort of double-blind test, also known as an ABX test. The most ridiculous thing I have read is people putting coins on top of their speakers to "nullify external magnetic fields" and people were debating which coins sounded best!!

Anyway, the iPod amplifier is integrated onto the same chipset as the DAC and cannot be bypassed unless you crack open the case and resolder the wires. There are services that will perform this modification for you, such as Red Wine Audio (http://www.redwineaudio.com/iMod.html). The line-out and the headphone jack on almost all digital audio equipment use the same clean signal path as an (unmodded) iPod.

The claims these companies make are completely ridiculous. The above mod claims to give you "more seductive midranges." Say what?

Not to turn this into a rant, but the concert and hall Logic 7 modes introduce a huge amount of distortion into the signal path and people actually pay a premium for that processing.

Hope this helps dispel some of the myths.
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      04-28-2008, 10:19 PM   #73
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I just did some searching to find that coin placement thing, and found something even more obscene. This paragraph is describing a very expensive piece of wood you put in various locations to make audio components and speakers sound better, and details the types of wood and secret ingredients that make them sound different:

[FONT='Trebuchet MS',Tahoma,Verdana,Arial,Helvetica,Sans-serif,sans-serif]Basically, C16 is a 3x3x2inches wooden block consisted of 16 different species of timber including "Good Sounding" wood commonly known by audiophiles such as Beech, Maple, Oak, Cherry, etc; and some not-so-common species such as Teak and Hinoki, etc; plus some very rare and expensive lumber including Wengi and Genuine Rosewood, etc. I wish I could list all the 16 names but Mr. K refused to announce them all. C16 was also inserted with a small quantity of a very rare particle that is, proclaimed by MR. K, the "secret weapon" and "The Soul". Again he refused to disclose what it is. The surface of C16 was sealed with special micro-seal coating (which, in fact, I couldn't feel any at all).

[/FONT]
Here is the link: http://www.1388.com/html/c16_tmf.html

The picture is the experts listening room with the wooden blocks all over. Need I say more??
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      04-28-2008, 10:28 PM   #74
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Quote:
Originally Posted by john970 View Post
I just did some searching to find that coin placement thing, and found something even more obscene. This paragraph is describing a very expensive piece of wood you put in various locations to make audio components and speakers sound better, and details the types of wood and secret ingredients that make them sound different:

[FONT='Trebuchet MS',Tahoma,Verdana,Arial,Helvetica,Sans-serif,sans-serif]Basically, C16 is a 3x3x2inches wooden block consisted of 16 different species of timber including "Good Sounding" wood commonly known by audiophiles such as Beech, Maple, Oak, Cherry, etc; and some not-so-common species such as Teak and Hinoki, etc; plus some very rare and expensive lumber including Wengi and Genuine Rosewood, etc. I wish I could list all the 16 names but Mr. K refused to announce them all. C16 was also inserted with a small quantity of a very rare particle that is, proclaimed by MR. K, the "secret weapon" and "The Soul". Again he refused to disclose what it is. The surface of C16 was sealed with special micro-seal coating (which, in fact, I couldn't feel any at all).

[/FONT]
Here is the link: http://www.1388.com/html/c16_tmf.html

The picture is the experts listening room with the wooden blocks all over. Need I say more??
john970, don't tell me it's not true!!! and i thought gray poplar was the key to an optimal 1er listening environment!!
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      04-29-2008, 05:17 AM   #75
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WOW I love the experts reflective floor. Talk about shit. Thats a joke.
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      04-29-2008, 09:04 PM   #76
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Well I finally got my 135 last night and I got the basic stereo and no USB connection... I consider myself to be an "audiophile" of sorts as I love listening to music and that includes in the car as well. I was a little worried that I missed the boat by not ordering the premium stereo or the USB option. I have a zune not an Ipod so I went with no USB and I was trying to keep costs down so I went with the standard stereo. Well I have to say the standard stereo sounds great and the aux in works great as well. Sound quality is sweet from the aux input. As long as you have your mp3's encoded at a good rate you will have no problem... the only thing I miss about not getting the USB option is being able to use the steering wheel to go through my songs and folders...
The aux input also has it's own volume which I have half way and the stereo is plenty loud.. and believe me I like to crank the shit out of a good song or two...
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      04-29-2008, 09:51 PM   #77
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I'm with you, I had MAJOR reservations and regrets at times about not getting the premium stereo, but it was just too much for my taste. So, I was expecting a crap stereo and getting the bavarian soundwerks speaker upgrade for $500 or so, but the stock system sounds just great for me. I love that it shows the titles of my mp3s on the display and love having steering wheel radio controls for the first time in 4 years. Overall, I'm so glad with both what i DID get, as well as what i DIDN'T get.
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      04-30-2008, 09:55 AM   #78
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Does the non-nav premium hi-fi have a graphic EQ. If so how many bands and what freq's. I am curious if it has a good spread of freq's. I hope it has at least 50hz adjustment. Many have just 100hz which does nothing for the subs.
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      04-30-2008, 10:42 AM   #79
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Jeff1962 View Post
Does the non-nav premium hi-fi have a graphic EQ. If so how many bands and what freq's. I am curious if it has a good spread of freq's. I hope it has at least 50hz adjustment. Many have just 100hz which does nothing for the subs.
I think the bass just has "treble" and "bass" controls, which oddly enough I believe the hifi does also even though it also has an EQ screen.

I'll have to look in my manual for this, but I wonder if it does this by input, i.e. it would be nice to have a differeny EQ for HD Radio and regular radio, for example.
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      04-30-2008, 11:11 AM   #80
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YAH. I think the premium hi-fi without the nav has a 7 band eq. I hope the freqs are wide range.
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      05-06-2008, 09:24 AM   #81
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Yesterday my son and I looked at the 1 series AGAIN and the 128i in the showroom had the standard stereo and I was impressed how it sounded. I adjusted the treble to +10 and the bass flat, it sounded good on the radio which usually sounds flat compared to a CD. I will still pay the extra $875 for the premium hi-fi for the extra 3 dB's.
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      05-06-2008, 09:59 AM   #82
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I had another listen to the standard stereo (and another test drive... can't get enough of those... ) and the standard sounds great. More than adequate for my needs!
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      05-06-2008, 05:23 PM   #83
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Quote:
Originally Posted by bmrgrl View Post
I had another listen to the standard stereo (and another test drive... can't get enough of those... ) and the standard sounds great. More than adequate for my needs!
YAH I was suprised it sounded good enough. :w00t:
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      05-06-2008, 09:44 PM   #84
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Quote:
Originally Posted by bmrgrl View Post
I had another listen to the standard stereo (and another test drive... can't get enough of those... ) and the standard sounds great. More than adequate for my needs!
I love the standard as well... I listen to my Zune 95 % of the time and the aux input volume adjustment works great and the sound is both loud and clear...
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      05-06-2008, 09:54 PM   #85
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I am just worried not getting the Premium Hi-Fi, I have always been an audio freak. And it will add $12.53 to my monthly payment and 3dB's louder then the standard. I have been asking with no answer if the premium has a multi-band EQ along with the treble and bass? Along with 300 watts, DSP, and upgradded metal cone/dome speakers.
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      05-09-2008, 01:54 PM   #86
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Jeff1962 View Post
I am just worried not getting the Premium Hi-Fi, I have always been an audio freak. And it will add $12.53 to my monthly payment and 3dB's louder then the standard. I have been asking with no answer if the premium has a multi-band EQ along with the treble and bass? Along with 300 watts, DSP, and upgradded metal cone/dome speakers.
i would love to hear the answer to these questions as well from people that OWN the car...

all i do know is that it has to have some type of DSP, because it is faking a center channel.
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      05-09-2008, 03:27 PM   #87
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I'm not concerned with the EQ. At these price points they are nothing more than consumer gimmicks that end up making it sound worse to my ears. I will probably still get the premium audio, but it certainly would not be for an EQ I would end up leaving flat anyway.

Jeff1962, in the other thread you mentioned Dire Straights "Brothers in Arms" Great recording for testing audio. Don't be fooled into cranking up the treble to try and bring out the "air" on that cd. That is a sign that the system lacks crispness in the high-end which you should hear without having to jack up the top end. Try both systems EQ'd flat with that recording or others you know well and see which sounds best to you before making a final decision.
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      05-09-2008, 05:05 PM   #88
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Quote:
Originally Posted by 1erich View Post
I'm not concerned with the EQ. At these price points they are nothing more than consumer gimmicks that end up making it sound worse to my ears. I will probably still get the premium audio, but it certainly would not be for an EQ I would end up leaving flat anyway.

Jeff1962, in the other thread you mentioned Dire Straights "Brothers in Arms" Great recording for testing audio. Don't be fooled into cranking up the treble to try and bring out the "air" on that cd. That is a sign that the system lacks crispness in the high-end which you should hear without having to jack up the top end. Try both systems EQ'd flat with that recording or others you know well and see which sounds best to you before making a final decision.
B4 I go any further I must tell you I have about $40,000 in stereo equipement, and I keep all my systems FLAT, no bass boost etc. I am a 35 year audio FREAK and I know more then 99.99% of all people about this subject. I usually go to stores and teach the salespeople about real systems.

The only reason I want an EQ to adjust the muddy bass and lackluster sound inside a car. The DSP might help but I hate certain frequencies like 400hz that muddy-up the low clean bass, and midrange. When I play CLEAN music I always leave it flat and crank up the WATTS. I have been trying to make people understand true sound and recording at a flat responce. I have some old BIG REAL home speakers that BLOW AWAY all the crap out here today. Flat setting and LOTS-A-WATTS. I know.
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