i have a 2008 535i and i wanted a device that would stream music from my iPhone's Pandora app.

I didn't want anything with wires. So i bought one of those Bluetooth USB things on Amazon that looks like a USB stick but has an audio cord that you can plug into the AUX.

The sound was definitely lacking, as i can tell when switching back to the radio, i had to turn down the volume. Better than nothing, i told myself.

But with this method I still had reach for my iPhone to open the Pandora app to press play every single time i got in the car. And to switch to the next song was the same ordeal, reach for the phone, and

THEN a member named Duperstar on a different forum showed me the light

BLUETOOTH STREAMING WITH SONG NAMES AND STEERING WHEEL CONTROLS!


I can now use the steering wheel controls to switch to the next song and see what song is playing on my iDrive. And the sound quality compared to my old USB Bluetooth stick is MUCH better.

I can now get into the car and when i switch to AUX on the iDrive, it automatically starts playing Pandora. I dont have to reach into my pocket and press play thru the phone.

You will need:

1. ViseeO Tune2Air WMA1000 (i got mine from amazon) ($65-$100)


2. BMW AUX Cable 30 Pin, one with the USB and the audio jack on one side and older iphone (like iphone 4/4s) connection on the other (i had to use an OEM cable as the aftermarket ones i tried did not work for me. even the ones that said they had the chip and all. Only the OEM BMW AUX cable worked and you can get for $30 on ebay. Others have said that aftermarket cables worked for them without a problem. You decide)

OR

i havent used this because when i was doing this, it wasn't yet available.

1. ViseeO TUNE2AIR WMA3000B $89 - This one doesn't need the AUX cable as it comes with one built in. (Someone can get it and tell us if it works good)


Here is my device and how it sits in there

 

So it sounds like you need the Aux port plus USB, which rules out E60s prior to 2008. Correct me if I'm wrong, because I'd love to get my hands on one of these!

 

Or is the USB just needed for power to the unit?

 

i think it will only work for the LCI cars

but i wouldn't know for sure

u can always return it if it doesnt work.

 

I'd love to get one of them, but my e60 2009 520d msport doesn't seem to has a USB or aux in the front any where, in the centre console where yours is shown my just has a little blank plate where it looks like one should go ?
Why why why would bmw do this ?

 

great find. I'm currently trying to work out how to use wifi instead of bluetooth for the better sound quality but maybe this is worth a try. My problem with wifi is that you have to switch on hotspots each time and it's very slow to connect. My bluetooth works too but doesn't seem to automatically connect and the sound quality is worse than radio. Any ideas? Would this Bluetooth solution work with google maps and spotify etc?

 

Chalky, I just purchased this unit. I have a HTC One M8 running Android 5.0 Lollipop. On my phone, Google maps voice directions, spotify, pandora, etc. all come through Tune2air. The unit automatically reconnects whenever I enter the car and will start playing if I have my music app open. The quality is good, but not the best. Obvious bluetooth limitations (loss of sub, distortion at high volumes) are present. This could be mediated by the usage of aptx bluetooth codec, which this unit doesn't support (as far as I know).

I hope this answered some of your questions. If you have anymore, just lemme know, I can test with different phones too.

 

What makes the bluetooth quality on this device superior to others?

 

Very kind of you. I have a Samsung Galaxy S5 running lollipop. How would you compare the quality to say FM radio or cd?? I'm gonna have to research the aptx codec you mention as I'm not aware of this.

 

Various reasons, like the quality of the BT design for one and ground isolation among others.

I installed the SURE BT Board some time ago and my sound quality is same CD or FM.
I stream music off iPad mini.