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Alpine to Release iPod Interface in Autumn 2004
jeblucas writes "Not to be outdone by the recent iPod your BMW news, Alpine updated the details on their iPod interface for those of us who want to spend cash on the sound system, rather than the logo. Apparently announced in January (?), this should be available this fall. Sweet! You can ask for more info by emailing Alpine directly."
Supposedly, this will work with any Alpine Ai-Net compatible head unit (CDA-####) models. No word yet on if will be the only allowed Ai-Net piece in the chain, or if will have the standard bus-in/bus-out connections like other Ai-Net pieces.
What this means is that the car audio maker known as Alpine that installed the iPod connectors into the BMW's will soon be making this interface for other cars, and mere mortals such as ourselves will be able to afford it.
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For those that don't know, Alpine are also a major supplier of audio equipment to BMW. The pre-fitted CD players are Alpine units, at least in MINIs. I seem to recall that the MD and tape players are as well, but I could be wrong about that last one.
Apparently, there is a TI DSP that sits right in front of the D/A converter in the MX head units. What it does (according to my Alpine rep) is 'watch' the waveform... any out-of-character notches or irregularities are 'smoothed out' by the MX processor.
MX does work; it adds midbass and depth to FM & 128k MP3 sources pretty well. On CD, MX setting #1 (there are 3 available on the units) is kinda like loudness.
The car is an inherently noisy/lossy environment; this helps overcome roadnoise and loss due to panel vibration.
Watch for real-time DSP time-alignment and EQ coming soon - it's on the very high end Alpine F#1 Status in-car DVD-Audio player.
I have an Alpine head unit with the MediaXpander stuff and I have to say that it does a decent job at making compressed music sound better. It's especially noticeable for radio broadcasts and low-quality MP3s. Highs sound crisper and lows hit harder. It even tends to get rid of that annoying tinny sound up in the higher frequencies of compressed audio (cymbals, etc)...
However, don't plan on using it with a well-mixed CD or high-quality MP3. For these applications, it tends to make the sound worse.
I think the advantage of actually having track names displayed on the screen vs just the number of the track in the required specially generated "BMWLIST#1-5" is quite a distinction.
The Alpine unit also allows you to " browse the iPod's entire music library right from the Alpine head unit ".
In short, the Alpine unit is actually a good interface, whereas the BMW unit just acts like a lame CD changer.
Don't want a BMW, don't want to shell out for some fancy rig just because it says "Alpine" on the front-- I just want the iPod to play through my stock stereo. FM transmitters stink in Philadelphia because the radio dial is very crowded, and cassette adapters don't have great sound-- plus if I park anywhere I've got to stash everything out of sight before I get out, or risk returning to find my window broken and my iPod gone.
This Monday, I ordered a Dension ICELink 1.1. It plugs into the unused CD-changer port on the back of the stock stereo in my Toyota, keeps the iPod charged, and provides line-level input from the iPod as well as letting me use the next/prev track buttons (possibly others, but I'm not sure) on the stereo to minimally control it while it stays out of sight in the glove compartment.
This is not as fancy as being able to fully control the iPod like the BMW solution, but it's good enough for my purposes and cost less than $250. It just shipped yesterday, and I can't wait to get it.