want to resurrect this thread as there was a lot of good info on here and a lot of people seem to have a lot of experience on the topic.

After reading this, i decided to get GROM module for my car, but i am not sure if i need to buy a DSP converter. My car came with DSP but no CD Changer. I looked inside the cover in the back where the DSP module is located and found 3 cables - two 3pin and one 6pin... from reading all the posts it sounded like early e53s came with only two 3 pin connector and no 6 pin and therefore needed the DSP converter. Am I right? Do i still need a DSP converter if I have a 6pin connector?
Can someone shed some light on the subject please?

Both Grom and Audiovox mediabridge specify you will need a convertor if you have DSP. If you are sure your X came with DSP it would seem you need one. With something like this I would call the maker and get their technical input specific to your 06 X5.

I suggest you call both Grom and Audiovox and ask how their offering compares to the other as well as ask about price difference before finalizing your decision. This thread is incomplete as far as a point by point comparison.

I talked to Grom today and i was told that if i have a DSP i would only have a 3 pin connector and a coax wire... and if i didn't have DSP i would have 3pin and 6 pin connectors...I went back to look at my car and i have an unattached 3 pin and a 6 pin connectors in the back and i know for sure my car has a DSP... so i am not sure what's going on here.
I am only interested in playing music from a USB stick while mounting my unit in the trunk and the Grom seemed to fit the bill, hence the reason why i went with it...
I've ordered just the Grom unit so i'll see if it works by itselft... if it doesn't i'll order their DSP converter

I think if you have the 6 pin connector you can connect the Grom to the 6 pins connector. Later car with the DSP and 6 pins connector were really analog system, not true Digital system.

I'll post on here once i get the unit and see if it works with the DSP converter

Any idea why later cars have an analog system rather than digital? isn't it going backwards? I would think digital system should provide a better sound than an analog one?

It's cheaper to build one type of car then have different options. Example if a buyer wanted a silver X5 the dealer would have to stock a silver X5 with Nav, A silver X5 with Nav and DSP, A silver X5 with Business cd, a silver X5 with business CD and DSP, and some early car had cassette instead of CD. So you would have cassette with and without Nav and DSP.

ukrcan,
For what its worth, the GROM worked perfectly on my '08 MCoupe without the DSP adapter. That car have DSP, but it also have both the 3 & 6 pin connectors (I believed the E85/E86 Z4 have similar audio systems to our E53 X5 & E83 X3).

I love the unit thus far. My only complain is the MP3 tag display on the NAV screen is horrible - only displaying 10 characters. I'm trying to get them (GROM) to see if they can display the MP3 tags on the full screen, similar to what the OE CD player would if you were to play an MP3 disc.

Sounds like you've done a good job doing your homework!

Is this about the analog or digital question or what?

ok,
so i've got the unit, plugged it in using 3 and 6 pin adaptors and it didn't work...:confused:

I've looked at the manual for the DSP conversion kit and it states: "your x5 can have either 3 & 6 pin connectors or 3 pin and coaxial cable connected to CD Changer. if you car has 3 pin and coaxial than you have a digital dsp and will require the kit." If i am reading it right, i have an analog DSP module and don't need the kit. However when i plug in the device, my stereo recognizes that i have music on the USB stick but there is no sound coming from the speakers.

There are instructions on how to determine whether or not you have digital or analog DSP but only if you have a CD changer (which my car didn't come with).
How can i find out if i have a digital or analog DSP?