[335icandy]

What's the best Bluetooth Audio streaming adapter for our BMW AUX in?

Looking to connect the adapter in the armrest, to Bluetooth stream audio from my Galaxy Note 2 phone...

Any recommendations?

[mact3333]

While most tout the Blackberry one, I think the Belkin one for 50.00 is good cause not only is it functional, but it also charges so you don't need to keep charging it in your house and bringing it out to the car.

I initially felt the sound was pretty thin and bad, but I had the base stereo and that was really the culprit as I upgraded my stereo and now bluetooth streaming fro Spotify sounds half way decent.


http://www.amazon.com/Belkin-Bluetoo...lkin+bluetooth

[dinkoh]

I just bought the Blackberry Music Gateway for ~$50. It works decent. For me, sound quality depends on the app I'm using on my phone. Pandora on my phone sounds great. But, listening to NPR app, I have jack up the volume so high to hear anything.

[335icandy]

Any way to upgrade the 2008 oem idrive to accept A2DP stereo audio signals?

[BmerMeUp]

I don't know about "best" - but it works flawlessly, so that must count?

I bought this (different seller, same item by "FTX") for $12:
http://www.ebay.com/itm/3-5mm-Blueto...-/221150654948
Note: The cable also doubles as a direct-drive link to an iPhone4S just like (*MOSTLY* like...) the grossly overpriced $60 BMW Y-Cable...

Then I added a nano-usb 4GB usb drive and put a few hundred songs on it.

Then I added a $6 USB 4-port hub when I got tired of switching the USB port back and forth.

So now I can seemlessly switch between Tuner / USB Drive Music / iPhone Bluetooth Audio, answering my question: "Can you split the USB control port in the console?" Answer: Yes, you can.

[alexwhittemore]

Originally Posted by BmerMeUp

I don't know about "best" - but it works flawlessly, so that must count?

I bought this (different seller, same item by "FTX") for $12:
http://www.ebay.com/itm/3-5mm-Blueto...-/221150654948
Note: The cable also doubles as a direct-drive link to an iPhone4S just like (exactly like...) the grossly overpriced $60 BMW Y-Cable...

Then I added a nano-usb 4GB usb drive and put a few hundred songs on it.

Then I added a $6 USB 4-port hub when I got tired of switching the USB port back and forth.

So now I can seemlessly switch between Tuner / USB Drive Music / iPhone Bluetooth Audio, answering my question: "Can you split the USB control port in the console?" Answer: Yes, you can.

I think you might have some misconceptions about the factory Y cable, but correct me if I'm wrong.

The purpose of the Y cable (or the tens of $20 knockoffs on Amazon) is not just charge+audio - you could get that with the factory white cable and a normal headphone cable. And in fact, the MULF can barely put out enough current to get the job done anyway - it tops out at like 150mA. Most iDevices will say they're not charging (with the screen off, they will charge slowly, with it on they'll typically discharge slowly).

Anyway the point of the Y cable isn't charge+audio, it's control+audio. With the Y cable, your steering wheel skip forward/back buttons will work, as will the headunit menus for browsing iPod songs. It has active electronics onboard to accomplish that, which are necessary unless you have a combox. I'll bet with an '08 you don't, but if you do, that may be why you've never noticed that control doesn't work with your Y cable - because it would. But if that's true, you don't need that Y cable at all (factory or your passive version), you'd only need the iPhone USB cable.

However, I'd further bet that you don't have a combox and simply don't have iPod control based on the fact that you say a USB hub works. I just tried this out with my MULF - it turns out that both the Y cable AND a thumb drive will work with a USB hub in the middle (which is cool, didn't know that), but they won't work TOGETHER at the same time. Or actually even if the other was previously plugged in (plug in usb drive first, that works. Plug in Y cable, that takes over. Unplug Y cable, nothing works until you replug either).

Although if the hub DOES work, both USB drive an Y cable at the same time, and you DO have track control over the iPod/iPhone, then maybe that's just a combox feature. But again, if that's true, you aren't using the 3.5mm part of that Y cable at all, and could just use a USB cable instead.

[geko29]

Originally Posted by mact3333

While most tout the Blackberry one, I think the Belkin one for 50.00 is good cause not only is it functional, but it also charges so you don't need to keep charging it in your house and bringing it out to the car.

The Blackberry one isn't battery powered, so there's no charging concern at all. I power mine from the USB port in the center console. When I unlock the doors, it turns on. When the car goes to sleep it turns off. Easy as can be.

[BmerMeUp]

Originally Posted by alexwhittemore

... Anyway the point of the Y cable isn't charge+audio, it's control+audio.

Trudat - You are correct, I forgot to mention that. You cannot control an iPhone via your head unit with this cable, that is true. (Or at least... I think it's true - now I'm second guessing, going to check that! Although for sure you can "control" a USB drive of course) I rarely get through a full iPhone sourced song anyway because the iPhone is my daughters and she is the impatient DJ randomly flipping through her music every 15-25 seconds.

I just tried this out with my MULF - it turns out that both the Y cable AND a thumb drive will work with a USB hub in the middle (which is cool, didn't know that), but they won't work TOGETHER at the same time. Or actually even if the other was previously plugged in (plug in usb drive first, that works. Plug in Y cable, that takes over. Unplug Y cable, nothing works until you replug either).

Yes I did notice some quirkyness over which cable is plugged in first, but once I got the combo figured out and left them alone, I can seemlessly switch between them. The battle you described must be the Y-Cable being bossy because my baby-FTX device seems to give in after a couple tries. I'm not sure if that is what you mean by "not at the same time." But this is how it works for me: Plug them both in (get the order right, I forget which) and just leave them. Now I can listen to Tuner, hit USB listen to that, hit Aux, listen to iPhone, USB, Tuner, Aux... you get the idea. I don't need to mess with the cables once they have found their place, so I just leave them all permanently connected. When my daughter gets in the car, she hooks up with the Bluetooth and I hit Aux.

... But again, if that's true, you aren't using the 3.5mm part of that Y cable at all, and could just use a USB cable instead.

I will test this later out of curiosity - I'm not sure if my setup works with the iPhone wire and no 3.5mm. Even if it does, with no other pressing need for the 3.5mm anyway, plugging the phone in every time would be a bit of a pain in the pooper, so I'd probably just leave the Bluetooth as-is.

Interesting info! Thanks. It's fun figuring out the "undocumented" quirks of the electronics of this machine. I was similarly surprised to see the USB hub worked, I would have bet that it wouldn't!

[335icandy]

So with all that being said ( very interesting information thanks) does anyone know if its possible to upgrade the Oem Bluetooth in a 2008 I drive logic 7 system to accept bluetooth stereo audio instead of just mono phone signal? I'm looking for A2dp compatibility like in the 2009+ I drives

[wilbur_the_goose]

What's really "strange" is how the Waze app gives voice commands through Bluetooth and plays through my BMW's speakers. I have a 2010 E92.

Every time it does it, the iDrive screen looks like it's doing a phone call.

If it works for Waze, I wish it'd work for other stuff too.

[peddymax]

Originally Posted by mact3333

While most tout the Blackberry one, I think the Belkin one for 50.00 is good cause not only is it functional, but it also charges so you don't need to keep charging it in your house and bringing it out to the car.

I initially felt the sound was pretty thin and bad, but I had the base stereo and that was really the culprit as I upgraded my stereo and now bluetooth streaming fro Spotify sounds half way decent.


http://www.amazon.com/Belkin-Bluetoo...lkin+bluetooth

the belkin one doesnt automatically pair when you turn on the car does it? i believe the blackberry and griffin ones do

[335icandy]

Who has the best Sound Quality?

[scward]

Originally Posted by peddymax

the belkin one doesnt automatically pair when you turn on the car does it? i believe the blackberry and griffin ones do

I just got the Belkin one and it's pretty good. I use it mainly for streaming and it has the same quality as plugging straight in with the aux jack.

And the only thing you need to do when you get in is push the button and it automatically finds your phone and resumes playing music (iphone 5.)

[Braumin]

I'm pretty happy with the Blackberry one. $50, has USB power so it just powers in the console, and the sound quality is pretty good depending on content.

[PortablePasCher]

I think that The BlackBerry Remote Stereo Gateway is compatible with all Bluetooth enabled mobile devices so you can stream your music from your BlackBerry smartphone, PC, laptop, or any other A2DP-compatible mobile phone. It can support up to eight different devices. you can test.

[mact3333]

Originally Posted by peddymax

the belkin one doesnt automatically pair when you turn on the car does it? i believe the blackberry and griffin ones do

It doesn't and I dont want it to unless I am streaming music with it...otherwise, if its on all the time it will answer my phone calls and it sounds terrible with phone calls imho...much worse than OEM bluetooth for phone.

[Braumin]

The Blackberry one is just A2DP it doesn't do the phone calls which was a requirement for me. I know lots of them do hands-free as well but it's always crap and I have it built into the car so I'd rather use that obviously.

[M BROK3]

Originally Posted by wilbur_the_goose

What's really "strange" is how the Waze app gives voice commands through Bluetooth and plays through my BMW's speakers. I have a 2010 E92.

Every time it does it, the iDrive screen looks like it's doing a phone call.

If it works for Waze, I wish it'd work for other stuff too.

same thing for google maps, everytime it gives me directions it connects to the Navi and looks like a call in progress, now only if we could use the same logic for the Music app.

[everlast]

I have had great success with this:

http://www.ebay.ca/itm/USB-Bluetooth...ht_2405wt_1393

Stupid cheap. Works well, syncs every time.

[2kaccordocoupe]

Originally Posted by x-ception

same thing for google maps, everytime it gives me directions it connects to the Navi and looks like a call in progress, now only if we could use the same logic for the Music app.

Siri also does it.

[VP Electricity]

To answer the question, you can replace the stock BT module with the Mobridge BT module with BT streaming. Ain't cheap though.

[Deep_Blue]

Originally Posted by geko29

The Blackberry one isn't battery powered, so there's no charging concern at all. I power mine from the USB port in the center console. When I unlock the doors, it turns on. When the car goes to sleep it turns off. Easy as can be.

Do you mean this Blackberry adapter:



or this one