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Best option for Bluetooth audio

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Best option for Bluetooth audio

Post by Jembo » Thu May 25, 2023 5:14 pm

GROM BT3 if you'd also like to make & receive calls
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Best option for Bluetooth audio

Post by ERX » Thu May 25, 2023 5:34 pm

I have actually been considering Bluetooth options myself recently.

When I bought my car it came with a device called Xcarlink which is sort of like the GROM devices I think (takes the wiring from the CD changer), but the output is very quiet and I have to turn the volume up a lot from the headunit which introduces a lot of hissing noise. I would expect it to send a digital signal straight to the headunit but maybe that is not the case, otherwise I don't think I would have this issue. If these devices do send an analogue signal, then it would have the same issue as using a device plugged into aux.

I am also considering the aux method and I just wanted to give some input on what people are saying about degrading the sound quality.

I am not sure what path it the audio takes through the car, but I assume if you put something in the aux in, it may go through an analogue-to-digital conversion so that any signal processing can be applied, then back to analogue once the processing is done. This would affect the sound quality if the analogue-to-digital convertor is low quality.

If it went from aux straight to the amp and into the speakers then the sound quality would be fine, assuming the device that is plugged into the aux has a good digital-to-analogue convertor.

It may also be a negligible difference in sound quality. I find road noise to be the biggest killer of sound quality so I am currently doing my best to add some sound deadening to the car. I think a lot of sound may come through the drainage holes and the fact that the drain and boot area are not isolated from the cabin so I'm not sure how much noise reduction can be made.

It may be worth plugging in a device into the aux and seeing if you can notice any problems with the sound quality. I plan on doing this but I need to retrofit aux first.

I am considering this device - https://www.amazon.co.uk/TOPPING-ES9018 ... 4Y337?th=1 - as I know this has a good quality DAC and it supports LDAC which is a high quality bluetooth codec. Would need to figure out where to fit it and the best way to wire it into power, though. You would also lose the ability to make calls handsfree, so it depends how important sound quality/handsfree calls are for you. I haven't had a proper look at devices yet but I have a feeling the BT devices with handsfree calls etc will not be great for audio quality.

I am also looking at something like the echo auto but still not entirely sure. After posting this I also realised you would lose any microphone and ability to make Bluetooth calls with the above, so I will update you if I come across anything better

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Best option for Bluetooth audio

Post by NaweedMustafa » Wed May 31, 2023 9:12 pm

smorris_12 wrote: Thu May 25, 2023 9:40 am At the end of the day the signal has to become analogue at some point to flap the speakers back and forth. Saying the aux-in degrades the signal is nonsense, particularly in the environs of a motor car!
I can confirm that aux has more noise interference, did my own independant testing on this. Went for the bluemusic path which hooks up to the 6CD changer and i think its the best option. you can Play music, enter pairing mode, accept/decline calls and skip tracks all from the head unit. If you have the Multi function steering wheel, all of those work as the car thinks it is interacting with the "CD changer"
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Best option for Bluetooth audio

Post by Shadbolt83 » Wed May 31, 2023 9:25 pm

Update on this. Got the phone pairing to work though my standard equipment. So thanks to Calps for the set up info on that

As for Bluetooth, I used an iPod adapter for Bluetooth as I wasn't sure if the cable in was just a iPod analog aux... It just about works, but it is indeed just an aux cable, it's a bit quiet and sounds shite.

Will return the adaptor and go down the bluemusic cd changer route as this seems to be the better quality way to go.
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Best option for Bluetooth audio

Post by Shadbolt83 » Wed May 31, 2023 9:27 pm

NaweedMustafa wrote: Wed May 31, 2023 9:12 pm
smorris_12 wrote: Thu May 25, 2023 9:40 am At the end of the day the signal has to become analogue at some point to flap the speakers back and forth. Saying the aux-in degrades the signal is nonsense, particularly in the environs of a motor car!
I can confirm that aux has more noise interference, did my own independant testing on this. Went for the bluemusic path which hooks up to the 6CD changer and i think its the best option. you can Play music, enter pairing mode, accept/decline calls and skip tracks all from the head unit. If you have the Multi function steering wheel, all of those work as the car thinks it is interacting with the "CD changer"
Thanks buddy, I think this has confirmed to me the best route to go moving forward, there's been a few shout outs for this solution.
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Best option for Bluetooth audio

Post by Jasco » Tue Jun 06, 2023 11:13 am

Shadbolt83 wrote: Wed May 31, 2023 9:25 pm Update on this. Got the phone pairing to work though my standard equipment. So thanks to Calps for the set up info on that

As for Bluetooth, I used an iPod adapter for Bluetooth as I wasn't sure if the cable in was just a iPod analog aux... It just about works, but it is indeed just an aux cable, it's a bit quiet and sounds shite.

Will return the adaptor and go down the bluemusic cd changer route as this seems to be the better quality way to go.
Hey, have you got any updates on this? I am in the exact same situation as you.

I can't really determine what is better and what does and doesn't work-

1) Bluemusic with the microphone- do the wheel controls work for answering/declining calls as well as track skipping? Can I use Google's voice assistant to make calls with this option?
2) Bluemusic without the mic and try to use the Bluetooth that came with the car for calls.

To me I feel like the first option is better but struggling to get clarity in previous posts, any experience would be fantastic!

Additionally I have seen some people say that the Bluemusic connects in the cd changer in the boot and others talk about connecting to the back of the factory headunit, any clarity on this would be really appreciated too.

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Best option for Bluetooth audio

Post by skelters » Fri Jun 16, 2023 9:36 pm

Shadbolt83 wrote: Wed May 24, 2023 1:27 pm
skelters wrote: Wed May 24, 2023 11:46 am There's Bluetooth receivers on the Amazon for under £15.

Plug it into the AUX socket and that's it.
Does plugging it via aux not make it analog and sound shite?
Spotify sounds fine.
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Best option for Bluetooth audio

Post by NaweedMustafa » Fri Jun 16, 2023 10:20 pm

Jasco wrote: Tue Jun 06, 2023 11:13 am Additionally I have seen some people say that the Bluemusic connects in the cd changer in the boot and others talk about connecting to the back of the factory headunit, any clarity on this would be really appreciated too.
Hey Jasco, if you see my posts above, you can Indeed accept/decline calls with the steering wheel. Super useful. Unfortunately I never found a way to activate Google Assistant with the steering wheel or head unit buttons.

As for the different types of bluemusic adapters. The 6CD changer piggyback solution is for those that have the hifi amp (10 speaker setup). The headunit piggyback solution didn't work for me.

Additional note: pre-LCi's need an additional dsp converter for the 6CD changer solution. Because pre-LCI, the amp uses coax as it's audio input. LCI uses the 6pin digital signal. You can only find out if you see that your changer is connected with a tiny coax cable or not
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Best option for Bluetooth audio

Post by Jasco » Fri Jun 16, 2023 10:29 pm

NaweedMustafa wrote: Fri Jun 16, 2023 10:20 pm
Jasco wrote: Tue Jun 06, 2023 11:13 am Additionally I have seen some people say that the Bluemusic connects in the cd changer in the boot and others talk about connecting to the back of the factory headunit, any clarity on this would be really appreciated too.
Hey Jasco, if you see my posts above, you can Indeed accept/decline calls with the steering wheel. Super useful. Unfortunately I never found a way to activate Google Assistant with the steering wheel or head unit buttons.

As for the different types of bluemusic adapters. The 6CD changer piggyback solution is for those that have the hifi amp (10 speaker setup). The headunit piggyback solution didn't work for me.

Additional note: pre-LCi's need an additional dsp converter for the 6CD changer solution. Because pre-LCI, the amp uses coax as it's audio input. LCI uses the 6pin digital signal. You can only find out if you see that your changer is connected with a tiny coax cable or not
Thanks Naweed, I actually have an interesting update to this, it may (but probably won't) be useful to others. I have a 2007 coupe with satnav and the basic speakers, a previous owner installed an intravee at the disc changer end (in the boot).

This week I have installed the Bluemusic device that connects to the back of the radio (I picked the version with the microphone), not only does it work flawlessly but the intravee also works!

So now I have Bluetooth, steering wheel control and intravee- I'm absolutely over the moon that this is working together, I have also found a really good app that allows me to run android auto directly on my phone.
Last edited by Jasco on Sat Jun 17, 2023 7:45 am, edited 1 time in total.

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Best option for Bluetooth audio

Post by NaweedMustafa » Sat Jun 17, 2023 12:55 am

I was always curious, what's the added benefit of intravee? Thought it was an alternative to bluemusic, didn't think it works together. I don't have satnav so I'm curious if it is a benefit only for satnav owners
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Best option for Bluetooth audio

Post by Jasco » Sat Jun 17, 2023 8:01 am

NaweedMustafa wrote: Sat Jun 17, 2023 12:55 am I was always curious, what's the added benefit of intravee? Thought it was an alternative to bluemusic, didn't think it works together. I don't have satnav so I'm curious if it is a benefit only for satnav owners
Intravee allows you to plug an iPod in and play music off it, you get steering wheel controls and track information etc. it is a bit of a "product of it's time" now as I doubt many people are uploading songs to their iPod nano any more.

The other advantages is that it opens up a selection of "extras" that ultimately are like coding some (limited) options without the need of a laptop and software- I'm yet to understand exactly everything it offers. It's nice that the car came with it and wanted to retain the functions as they are already there but I probably wouldn't rush to get one if it didn't.

It's easier to use with a satnav due to the bigger screen and menus but I believe most of the benefits are there for non-satnav cars too.

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Best option for Bluetooth audio

Post by tonyz4c » Sat Jun 17, 2023 10:47 am

thanks for the information :wink:
i will have bet that i have to remove the intravee in order to plug the bluemusic
as i had to unplug my factory iphone option to make the intravee work
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Best option for Bluetooth audio

Post by TomK » Sat Jun 17, 2023 12:56 pm

Not sure if this has been mentioned but it's supposed to be great and fully integrates with the oe kit..
https://www.bluebus.dev/
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