kreveta

I personally don't like the BMW multimedia options. Both 6NF and 6FL are mostly flawed, because:

6NF Smartphone integration:
- The phone is in the cradle, hidden in the armrest. Sometimes you don't want to pick up on speakers when you carry other passengers. Opening the armrest and picking up the phone manually is painful. Also, managing music through iDrive is a major pain. You can navigate to your favorite song on the iPhone 100 times faster, easier, which also means it's safer while driving and more convenient.

6FL with Y cable:
- Hard to move around, difficult to operate, inaccessible.. Again, painful iDrive navigation and the iPod/iPhone is hidden in the armrest, connected using very short Y cables. You can extend them, but it's very clunky.

Standard aux-in:
- Well, it's a cable. It messes your interior and when you pick up, you're still on a wire like in 80's.

What we (or is it just me?) need is basically a high-quality wireless uncompressed data transmitter, but with the option of easy charging too. Benefits:
- Move around freely
- Navigate through music or pick up a call easily
- Charge when needed
- Zero cables, no mess

I have came up with this idea of 2 products, see the attached diagram:
- $20: Kensington LiquidAUX Auxiliary Car Kit with Remote for iPod; iPhone 1G, 3G
- $100: Yamaha YID-W10 Wireless iPod Dock (Black) - should work with iPhone 4 dimensions by looking at it.

What do you think about this? The great part is that you can just connect the transmitter base to your iPhone when you enter the car and you're set. But if you need to charge, you put the whole thing to the Yamaha cradle.

Now, I need the adapter from 30 pin Apple connector to the proprietary Yamaha connector. But I only have very basic electricity/wiring skills. Anyone willing to help me out or try this at home? I'd willingly pay anyone who can build the adapter for me, if it works.

The 30 pin Apple connector is documented HERE, but the Yamaha one isn't anywhere, so we can only do the trial and error.

Thanks!

BlaSTiWi

to the forum!

Either using OEM iPod or Dension Gateway 500 module or the AUX in you maybe able to use spec.dock for the base holder ...cost a bit more but will look much better from integration point of view.

kreveta

Yes, thank you. I know spec.dock, it's pretty cool. But not wireless

BlaSTiWi

I mean ... use the spec.dock as the base as oppose to the Yamaha so it won't be bulky cluttering the dash and/or around it and as far as wire it it's up to you ...
I myself prefer wired using Dension Gateway 500 ... it's all digital from the iPod to the iDrive.

kreveta

I completely understand. By the way I also like Gateway 500, been using it in the other car. But my point is, if you find using iDrive for finding your music too slow and complicated (isn't it?), you have to browse for it on your iPhone or iPod, which is way faster. And how do you to that while the device is sitting in the dock? You can't comfortably use your finger, you need to hold the device in the palm of your hand, which means you have to un-dock it.

That's why I thought of having a wireless equipment but _with_ easy charging when needed.

BlaSTiWi

Hmmm ... slow ??? My GW500 is way faster than the OEM iPod module (not to mention the USB input) ... I don't have to hold and look into my iPod (which I just left it in my glove box) and I can have both of my hands on the steering wheel and keep my eyes on the road ... not sure where you live but here in the USA doin' that kinda of stuff with small device like iPod is become problematic especially w/ cops so the less I have to fiddle around w/ it the better and concentrate on the driving to avoid any possible acident.

And when I'm listening to my iPod I like to have it clear so goin' back-'n-forth wireless etc will just drop the quality not to mention interference and reduce quality goin' into analog AUX while using GW500 it's wired over the iDrive fiber optic loop digitally.

Have fun!

kreveta

With the equipment I showed above, there is no quality loss and no interference. It's all digital and uses special short-band WiFi. But yes, the input is analog.

But anyway, how do you navigate through music on the steering wheel? Is that possible? I mean, not just next/previous, but looking for a certain album, etc. Am I missing something?

BlaSTiWi

Navigate still thru iDrive screen but at least has a bigger screen than the iPod/iPhone ... GW500 has alphabetical search ... My point is you are not holding the small device ... I plug the wire and put it down the next/prev control is from the steering the album/artist display and search etc on the iDrive screen.

BlaSTiWi

All digital between the Yamaha cradle you mean? The audio goes thru AUX to the car via mini plug still analog ... which where you'll have quality loss ... you'll have 2 places to set the volume and it'll be distortion like if you put the iPod volume to high the iDrive volume will be to sensitive or if the iPhone volume to low you have to turn up the iDrive volume way higher and become inconsistent.

I C the Wi-Fi is on the Yamaha cradle & bottom attachment at the bottom of the iPod ..

kreveta

Well, it's never digital on the iPod/iPhone. It's impossible.

The dock connector pushes analog left+right audio in 2 pins (wires). The same as stereo headphone jack, just different connector. Actually the headphone jack on your iPhone/iPod is a higher quality output, because it has a small amplifier built in, whereas the dock connetor has not.

And so there are always 2 volume controls when using iPod or iPhone, and the music is always analog, no matter if you push the audio from its 30 pin dock connetor or headphone jack, no matter if you use Gateway 500 or just the simplest Aux-in.