Right, so what does the ice link do that the aux input wont? Is it just the integration aspect of it?

6 disk cd changer w/ Ice link? why???
 

Why would you need a 6 disk cd changer if you have Ice Link??? I just installed it in my car in about an hour and it is the coolist thing ever!!! The tracks show on the Stereo display and the steering wheel controls work too. I now have 2000 songs available in my x5. 6 disk cd changer??? You are not getting it man...

I do still have the cd player in the dash. I guess I can use that when a friend has a cd i have not yet downloaded.

Aux is just a simple input source to the stereo system. You would need to charge the iPod with a vehicle charger adaptor, and change the songs via the iPod itself. The only control you have via the vehicle (steering wheel or radio) is volume.

The IceLink Plus and IPodYouBMW provide integration to control not only the volume but the song tracks as well. Plus it charges the iPod while connected.

Not to mention you are amplifying a high-level source, this creates distortion. The headphone jack is made to do just that, drive a set of headphones.

The icelink is the link between your radio and the ipod. The AUX input is just that: a switch to some sort of auxillary input.

Think about your home stereo receiver, you have DVD, Tape, CD etc inputs. You have to physically connect a DVD player, or cd, etc for those selections to work. AUX is a generic name for an additional component. The icelink becomes the component which you are adding to the system. It converts the output of the ipod to fool the stereo into thinking that an external CD changer has been installed.