[JSpira]

A lot of people have asked, both via PM and by posting here, what happens to the signal.

Here is the answer.
The iPod output from dock connector is analog for music and digital for ID3 tag info (title, artist, etc). The new BMW Interface for iPod converts the analog audio signal to digital so that the MOST bus can carry it.

[bsjd00]

Damn! :mad:

I don't know why I had my hopes up. I guess we just have to suffer with the loss in quality from a digital to analog conversion and then an analog to digital conversion.

Thanks for posting the answer though. At least now we know.

[JSpira]

Originally Posted by bsjd00

Damn! :mad:

I don't know why I had my hopes up. I guess we just have to suffer with the loss in quality from a digital to analog conversion and then an analog to digital conversion.

Thanks for posting the answer though. At least now we know.

Apparently, it´s the nature of the iPod dock, not BMW´s idea.

[bsjd00]

I know, it does make sense. (Well, I guess.) If the connection were digital, then the BMW's electronics would need the logic to decode the various compression algorithms, i.e. MP3, AAC, etc.

With an analog signal, BMW's life becomes much easier - all of the work is done at the iPod level.

[LEDZEP]

Unless you're going to be sitting in your car in an insulated garage at night listening to your iPod, what difference does it make? I've noticed that when I'm driving there seems to be some ambient noise. Things like your tires on the road, the engine that makes the car go, the movement of the vehicle through air, oh - and that tractor-trailer that is passing you...

Sitting in your easy chair at home listening to music through your audiophile system is one thing... enjoying some tunes in your car is quite another.

[Rocket850]

Originally Posted by LEDZEP

Unless you're going to be sitting in your car in an insulated garage at night listening to your iPod, what difference does it make? I've noticed that when I'm driving there seems to be some ambient noise. Things like your tires on the road, the engine that makes the car go, the movement of the vehicle through air, oh - and that tractor-trailer that is passing you...

Sitting in your easy chair at home listening to music through your audiophile system is one thing... enjoying some tunes in your car is quite another.

I agree 100%. BMW is not known for putting audiophile equipment in there cars so I'm not going to lose sleep over this.
If everyone is so worried about this then here are a few more things to worry about:
What kind of speakers do they use?
What freq is the cross-over set at for the subs?
Which DAC's do they use?
Are you all calibrating your car systems with a sound pressure meter?

[Broken1]

Originally Posted by LEDZEP

Unless you're going to be sitting in your car in an insulated garage at night listening to your iPod, what difference does it make? I've noticed that when I'm driving there seems to be some ambient noise. Things like your tires on the road, the engine that makes the car go, the movement of the vehicle through air, oh - and that tractor-trailer that is passing you...

Sitting in your easy chair at home listening to music through your audiophile system is one thing... enjoying some tunes in your car is quite another.

I concur doctor!