A good use of the factory cassette player

[Tom G.]

Originally Posted by alpac

In my X this solution using the cassette player DOES NOT sound like garbage at all. It is actually pretty close to the quality from the CD changer. Unlike hc97mg2000 I have never experienced any volume issue nor had any problem with the sound fading away. I actually had people in my car amazed by the sound obtained from this solution. It is much better than an FM transmitter. I would agree though that the Dice IPOD integration kit is probably the best for connecting an IPOD to the X but for a cheap connection working with any mp3 I found the cassette player to be a good solution. I did it in 2 other BMW (1998 & 2000_3 serie ) with the same good results.

No worries, most people start with the cassette adapter. The price is definitely attractive, but most grow tired of seeing a wire protruding from the tape player and constantly having to recharge the iPod.

With a cassette adapter, you are amplifying a high-level signal which typically causes distortion - the equivalent to making a photocopy of a photocopy. The highs and lows are the most affected can be present depending on the type of music you are listening to.

A $15 cassette adapter is a good cheap way to get the iPod in the vehicle and should sound better than an FM transmitter, but it is no way comparable to a true integration kit like the DICE.