Jabberwock

FM radio sounds really bad because all FM radio broadcasts are sent heavily compressed(basically using a max 6khz wide signal) so what you hear is just a tiny bit better than what comes through a phone line. To get any decent sounding signal you need twice that 6khz band pass of frequency range. FM has caused its own demise with heavily compressed signal, non stop commercials and other artificial crap - they even use systems to take out the space between words and sounds without affecting pitch or timing to put more content in commercials - they can even play your favorite songs faster without you being aware so there is more time for commercials....its a horror show.

The lowly cassette deck adapter will sound way better than FM because you get a much wider signal thru it - more than twice what FM provides.

Playdrv4me

Yea I realize that's a very technically accurate and correct description (as always Jabber) but still... There are some factory systems that even make FM radio sound passably good. The Volvo Audiomax system in my friend's Volvo S60 T5 is a fantastic example of this. Strangely, a lot of vintage 70s and 80s Tuners make it sound REALLY good too.

However, with AM Talk, FM Talk (huge talk radio fan here), HD Radio, XM, CDs and MP3s around I guess the point is... who cares about Terrestrial FM music stations anymore. I'm just pleased that with the cassette adapter (and we'll see how it is with the Soundgate thing, I ordered one today) the quality of the stock non-ML system is very, very nice.

Bocatrip

I wish I had a chance to even appreciate the ML sound system , but having a crippled subwoofer and weak door speaker, I can't pump up anything loud enough without total distortion.