[parapaul]

Question for anyone who has done this:

I have the Professional HU with iDrive - no bluetooth. I've upgraded the front speakers, underseat subs, and added a JL Cleansweep and amplifier. I'm very happy with the sound as it is.

All my music is MP3, somewhere in the region of 200 albums. For a very long time I've been copying it to a CD and using these in the changer, but I only get 5 albums to a CD, and when you do a lot of miles it's surprising how quickly those 30 albums start to repeat.

I tried an MP3 player with a 3.5mm lead plugged in under the armrest, but the sound level was very, very low - so low that even with the MP3 player volume almost at max, I had to turn the car stereo volume up way, way past where I'd have it for radio or CD. The result of this was a lot of white noise, not ideal at all.

So, I'm wondering.

Is there a module I can add to my exisiting setup that will give me bluetooth capability, both for phone calls and streaming music? I'm thinkng something like a Denison Gateway but I don't know whether it will fit with the existing CD changer, or stream music.

Secondly, what's the music quality like when streaming with bluetooth A2DP? I'm happy to buy something if it will do what I want, but I don't want to shell out hundreds of pounds for something that will give me hissy, crackly music like the 3.5mm lead I've already got.

Thanks

[xenon]

I can't speak for a third-party product, but Bluetooth streaming from my iPhone using the OEM setup is perfect.

[Alex.J]

Oem fit options are a faff and expensive, but personally the only way to go!

Guess that means a Bluetooth/USB HU and combox!

But that's a lot of cash!

[parapaul]

Kind of answering my own question here - normal A2DP Bluetooth is heavily compressed and barely better quality than FM stereo. For anywhere near CD quality we need APT-X Bluetooth. My phone doesn't have that - in fact, only a few devices do. @xenon - iThings aren't one of them. List here:

http://www.slashgear.com/galaxy-s-ii...udio-04226274/

And then I'd need an APT-X enabled receiver, which I can't find.

So this is a non-starter.

[parapaul]

OK, next idea - 3.5mm to RCA lead direct to the Cleansweep. That would mean I'd have to route the Cleansweep control knob (which is currently neatly tied up behind a trim panel, unused) up to the centre console somewhere so I could switch between HU and mp3 player.

Total cost, about £5. Definitely worth a try!

[IanS100]

Before Sam upgraded my Sat Nav and installed the armrest 6FL USB, I used a Griffin AutoPilot (see ebay item 221348205411) and it worked very well. They use the iPod line out rather than headphone jack so sound quality is much better - you won't have any control over tracks or playback but steering wheel volume controls function. A cheap & sweet solution that will also charge the ipod

[Hennessey]

Could you no use a USB stick in the port in the armrest?
i have one in there with all my songs on and its perfect. you can scroll through the iDrive and even save music from the USB to the iDrive

[IanS100]

Originally Posted by Hennessey

Could you no use a USB stick in the port in the armrest?

I don't think the OP has the armrest USB

Originally Posted by Hennessey

..... and even save music from the USB to the iDrive

You can only save music from the glovebox USB but you need a CIC Pro Sat Nav with hard drive whereas the OP has the CIC iirc

[bungleaio]

I was in the same position as yourself. I originally installed the mobridge A2010 unit which gave the equivalent to OEM Bluetooth and an ipod link.

This works fine but like you I have a large music collection, this is what caused me the issue. The BMW headunit will only allow 250 tracks per CD, as the mobridge synthesises a cd changer you are restricted to a total of 250 artists or albums. You can just use the ipod to select a playlist or album though.

Do you have CCC or CIC? I have CIC so I Sam installed me a combox. This has given me OEM Bluetooth with text messaging function and an ipod link that will see all of the music on my ipod. I also get album art and a few other things like internet.

[parapaul]

Thanks for all the replies but...

Originally Posted by IanS100

Before Sam upgraded my Sat Nav and installed the armrest 6FL USB, I used a Griffin AutoPilot (see ebay item 221348205411) and it worked very well. They use the iPod line out rather than headphone jack so sound quality is much better - you won't have any control over tracks or playback but steering wheel volume controls function. A cheap & sweet solution that will also charge the ipod

I don't - and won't - have an iPod. It's annoying because I know the iPod connector seems to give very good sound quality.

Originally Posted by Hennessey

Could you no use a USB stick in the port in the armrest?
i have one in there with all my songs on and its perfect. you can scroll through the iDrive and even save music from the USB to the iDrive

Originally Posted by IanS100

I don't think the OP has the armrest USB

You can only save music from the glovebox USB but you need a CIC Pro Sat Nav with hard drive whereas the OP has the CIC iirc

Correct on both counts. Armrest USB would be ideal, but the retrofit is ridiculously expensive.

Originally Posted by bungleaio

I was in the same position as yourself. I originally installed the mobridge A2010 unit which gave the equivalent to OEM Bluetooth and an ipod link.

This works fine but like you I have a large music collection, this is what caused me the issue. The BMW headunit will only allow 250 tracks per CD, as the mobridge synthesises a cd changer you are restricted to a total of 250 artists or albums. You can just use the ipod to select a playlist or album though.

Do you have CCC or CIC? I have CIC so I Sam installed me a combox. This has given me OEM Bluetooth with text messaging function and an ipod link that will see all of the music on my ipod. I also get album art and a few other things like internet.

Again, no iPod so wouldn't be able to use any of that functionality. I'm almost certain the problem lies with the armest 3.5mm socket and its connection to the HU. My phone plays music perfectly through headphones so it's not the output that's causing the noise.

[Hennessey]

Originally Posted by IanS100

I don't think the OP has the armrest USB




You can only save music from the glovebox USB but you need a CIC Pro Sat Nav with hard drive whereas the OP has the CIC iirc

strange...my USB in the glove box doesnt let me view anything from the USB stick. only thing that usb does is charge my phone...
the one in the armrest lets me do everything with the usb stick :/

[bungleaio]

Originally Posted by Hennessey

strange...my USB in the glove box doesnt let me view anything from the USB stick. only thing that usb does is charge my phone...
the one in the armrest lets me do everything with the usb stick :/

Be careful doing that, the wiring is not designed to have a constant highrate current through it. It's only supposed to be used to plug a memory stick in when you are loading/backing up data. The manual warns not to use USB hard drives through it.

Originally Posted by parapaul

Armrest USB would be ideal, but the retrofit is ridiculously expensive.

Combox install is around £600 so pretty reasonable I thought. If you have CCC you can still get things retro fitted and I bet it wouldn't be any more than that.