JBL Premium not so Primo?

Got an '04 Prius with 29K miles and the Navi/Premium JBL system on Saturday and was enthusiastically looking forward to enjoying my listening experience during my commute only to find it apparently lacking in several areas:

1) No auxiliary input. Bummer. Could use a cassette adapter since it has the deck but the loss in sound quality isn't appealing. I've seen the Dice on here, and the VAIS products, and am wondering whether they're worth the price or whether an install of an aftermarket stereo is the better way to go. If I decide on the Dice or the VAIS (SLi or VML?), will they accomodate a non-Apple mp3 player and still show titles? If I go the aftermarket stereo install route, can the cassette deck be replaced and still retain all other factory functionality, or do I need to give up the CD compartment?

2) Is there a pause button? I realize the power off effectively does the same thing and probably saves energy, but seems an odd function to leave out (or make hard to find).

3) Where is my bass? I looked in the instrument case and in my ears and around the car, and I must be overlooking (or overhearing) something because the bass on my "drum and BASS" music is sorely lacking. Is there a known lack of low-frequency response with the system?

Any help or advice on modifications to the system, without significantly modifying my bank account (and requiring wife-approval) is very much appreciated.

 

Thanks for the responses. Mid-level bass seemed okay to me, but overall lacked the punch I had on the Mistu Galant rental I was driving for the last month.

Anyone have more info on whether the Dice or VAIS will show titles on screen and sync with the steering wheel controls if I use a non-Apple mp3 player? And if I choose VAIS, should I go with the SLi or VML?