# mp3 player for E46!



## spster1 (Jul 17, 2005)

*mp3 compatible CD changer for E46!*

Hello guys,

I have decided to fit my BMW (2000 BMW 328Ci with nav, 6 CD changer and HK) with an mp3 compatible 6 CD changer. With the brief research I did so far, it looks like Alpine CHA-634 would be a good choice.(Any other suggestions are welcome!)

Some say, cha-634 is plug and play while crutchfield website says I need couple of adapters.

Do I need adapters mentioned in the crutchfield website? (Alpine KCA-130B and Blitzsafe BMW/ALP DMXV.1 96-up)

http://www.crutchfield.com/S-TFPJOJAS3R4/cgi-bin/autoinfo/OEMChangers.asp?id=14742&t=0

I would appreciate any input from those, who tried CHA-634 or other mp3 players on their E46.


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## Terry Kennedy (Sep 21, 2002)

spster1 said:


> Hello guys,
> 
> I have decided to fit my BMW (2000 BMW 328Ci with nav, 6 CD changer and HK) with an mp3 compatible 6 CD changer. With the brief research I did so far, it looks like Alpine CHA-634 would be a good choice.(Any other suggestions are welcome!)
> 
> ...


Any of the non-BMW changers will need adapters to convert them to work in your BMW. The adapters above are new-Aline->old-Alpine and old-Alpine->BMW, respectively.

Have you considered a PhatBox? It is a hard-disk-based MP3 player that pretends to be a CD changer. The advantage is you can have 80GB or more of music online at once. Note that the official PhatBox is expensive ($800+), but if you're willing to fiddle, you can get an equivalent system for a *lot* less. You'll need a VW PhatBox from 1stvwparts.com for $119.40, a BlitzSafe adapter (with a jumper changed inside), and a homebrew cable. More info can be found on the PhatHack web site.


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## LDV330i (May 24, 2003)

Terry Kennedy said:


> Any of the non-BMW changers will need adapters to convert them to work in your BMW. The adapters above are new-Aline->old-Alpine and old-Alpine->BMW, respectively.


 Yeap. The cable you will connect to the MP3 changer is to go from AI-Net communications prototcol to an M-Bus. This connects to the Blitzsafe adapter or equal which will then convert the signal to an I-Bus communications protocol so that it can talk to your car. You will get full operational connectivity through the HU except for some funkiness of the Random function. When depressed it will select a disc randomly and then play only from that disc randomly.


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## spster1 (Jul 17, 2005)

Thanks LDV330i. I am not sure about the random function you are talking about. Are you saying, I can choose randomization of mp3 tracks with some control button and the control has some funkiness? Please clarify....


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## LDV330i (May 24, 2003)

spster1 said:


> Thanks LDV330i. I am not sure about the random function you are talking about. Are you saying, I can choose randomization of mp3 tracks with some control button and the control has some funkiness? Please clarify....


 Below is picture of the head unit in my car, I am not sure if that is identical to the one in your 328. The button with the dashes on the right side is a multifunction button. The specific function for that button varies depending on the device selected, CD changer, CD, satellite. When the CD or CD changer is selected the left dash will be assigned the random function. So depressing it will cause the CD changer to select a CD randomly and then play all the tracks therein randomly. On my 318ti depressing the random function once would play the tracks in the current CD randomly, depressing it twice caused all the tracks in the 6 CD's to be played randomly.


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