Checked it out, iPod quality seems ...well, compressed :-) I used iTunes and Apple Lossless codec.

Also, some hissing noise, like you could hear the iPod HD moving its heads. Is this unique to mine or is this common?

Overall - yes, a lot of music at your fingertips with your default controls, but, man, is this cumbersome...

Thanks,
Andrei

Inferior parts used in the iPod that leads to some not-so-great audio through the headphone jack, including the noise related to the hard drive when it spins up as you found out. According to him, this occurs when the iPod is running on the battery but when it's charging this sound isn't as noticeable. BTW, he has an electrical engineering background and designs components for high end studio digital audio equipment or something like that.

The hissing you hear is either related to the iPod or the interface used between the iPod and the Audi headunit.

As for cumbersome interface, it's been like that since day one. There's nothing better out there in my opinion unless you're looking at the new interface that Audi has coming for the S6, S8 and Q7.

no noise from the hard drive at all. My iPod froze 2 days ago and I was forced to use CDs fr the day and I noticed that CDs do in fact sound better, but I have to sacrifice a little bit of sound quality to have 60 gb of music in my car.

So I guess it is the iPod output electronics...

Yep, same compromise for me...

Andrei

PS U surely know how to soft-reset the iPod? Do the lock-unlock twice, and then press and hold the Menu and center button until it blacks out, then release them. It then shows the Apple logo and reboots.

however, apple lossless is supposed to be better...

I guess I will have to stick with this anyways

since I didn't want to crack it open and disconnect the battery I just waited for the battery to die each time.

If you are they aren't really feasible anyway due to file sizes. I mean I have a 500 GB hard drive on my desktop and I still look for the best compromise of V0 VBR MP3s and it's more then fine quality wise.

I end up converting every other lossless format to Apple Lossless so I can use it with the iPod.

Is it clicking away, or... ?

3 months now. I have no issues where the sound quality from the iPod seems compressed. The iPod is a different source, and as such, it's not hard to believe that it would sound differently than the internal CD player. If you're hearing compression, my guess is that it's from the stock stereo itself. They can be terrible at modestly higher volumes. I have mine tuned just fine with my iPod, and I'm certain I'm as picky about sound quality as you can get. This is the first car I've ever owned that I didn't gut the stereo system. I'm not changing it because I believe a new B8 is in my future, not because I think it sounds good.

I also have not noticed any hissing sound with the Dice module. I'll check, but I'm certain I would have noticed it by now.

I am currently recoding all of my music to Apple Lossless (ALAC) to use with my Roku M2000 hooked up to my home stereo. Running ALAC files on the iPod really pushes the limits of the iPod. It's slower and will have considerably less battery life because the processor and hard disk have to work so hard with lossless files. My iPod even acts strangely and has locked up with ALAC files on it. I'm converting all my ALAC files to V0 VBR LAME MP3. There should be no way anyone would notice the sound quality difference between the two and certainly not in a car.

I wanted to hate my iPod when I first purchased it, but I have to say that I'm a very happy owner and do not regret the purchase whatsoever.

however, I heard more than one person say that the output electronics are inferior to any decent cd-player, hence the sound deterioration.

Anyway, I have always thought that stock is best. I guess since Audi is just a car manufacturer and does not know much about sound engineering they did not do justice to the ipod.

I love the car though :-) The only thing I hate about it is the so-called Esatern European package (bigger clearance, softer shox), but this will go once the snow melts :-)

Andrei

Besides, we're talking about an MP3 music device that is mass marketted to all sorts of people. DOn't expect that the iPod is going to sound flawlessly.

For an ultimate solution, the iPod should be treated as a hard drive and the headunit access the files off the drive itself and the decoding done within the headunit thus eliminating the major weakness in this setup - the analog link between the iPod and the headunit.

For the car, the quality is good enough.

no hdd noise at all. The screen stays lit and the image freezes along with the music which just cuts off and all you hear is silence. It isn't the end of the world since the battery dies over night since the backlight stays on, but still it bothers me that it happens.

Send it back to Apple.

I had one that froze like that but it was due to a bad hard drive (first recognized by the faint clicking sound of the drive then the music stopped, then it just 'froze' though I was able to reset it but only for it to click away on startup).

now maybe I won't wait to call them. I'll give them a call tomorrow and see if I can get it replaced!

I don't have problems with hearing the hard drive clicks coming through the speakers or anything. I'd check the wiring if I were you, especially the grounding.

Software just communicates the control, hardware connects the analog signal to the head unit. I haven't heard anyone say bad things about the oem adapter, but then again, I really don't see a whole lot of people with them.

I sat in my car last night with the car turned off and the stereo and iPod on. I have no hissing noises whatsoever with the car off or running. Maybe the Dice module is made a little better. I also fiddled with the tuning (bass, mid, treble) and I have to say that mine sounds nearly the same as playing a normal CD. As I stated before, the internal CD and the iPod are two separate sources, so having them sound different is not unlikely. I have no issue with the sound quality of my iPod as a source. It's nice that the stock head units allow for different bass, mid, treble settings for each source. Works well for me as I really never play normal CD's in my car since having the iPod.

Now, on the other hand, the stereo itself is not so good. I have a lot of music that just doesn't sound the same played in my car as it does on my home stereo, computer, or iPod with ear buds. There are definately some attenuated frequencies in the mid-bass and upper-mid regions not to mention the poor performance of the tweeters themselves. Some music sounds fine and some sounds horrible. The adjustment points for the bass, mid, and treble also do not seem to accomodate the stereo's needs. Something is just off...

Oh well, it's just a car...