Best audio options for an E86 with DSP and Bluetooth?

[Major Mojo]

:roll: Hi everyone, looking for advice!

I have an ‘08 E86 with the professional DSP setup, the aux in jack and Bluetooth phone prep. Today I use my phone paired to the car and an old 60Gb iPod through the aux in jack. I do some long road trips between London and Dublin so the audio is important.

I would like a slicker setup but want to retain the ability to use my phone on the hands free and don’t want to sacrifice sound quality (the iPod library is raw AIFF format). Also I’m not really keen to swap the head unit since I like the look of the car as is.

I know it is a lot of constraints, but what are my options to have a decent sized, good quality music library?

Only thing I can think of is fitting an original BMW iPod adapter to hardwire the iPod and get it out of sight. Or go with a CD changer and burn CDRs with AIFF mixes?

 

[Anonymous]

Hello, I’m not an E85 expert , but have twiddled a lot with my E89 audio setup.

What I do is use an old iPhone SE which was one of the last iPhones officially supported by the E89 as an iPod player.

It’s a 128gb version and I can copy staring across my ALAC 6000+ song library to it.

The best possible interface is the USB, followed by Bluetooth followed by 3.5mm jack

The onboard DACs in the iPhones are without exception some of the very best and independent testing shows as digital playback devices they are up there with the dedicated £500+ music players.

Depending on your config you then get artwork support/playlists etc

 

[Major Mojo]

Hello, I’m not an E85 expert , but have twiddled a lot with my E89 audio setup.

What I do is use an old iPhone SE which was one of the last iPhones officially supported by the E89 as an iPod player.

It’s a 128gb version and I can copy staring across my ALAC 6000+ song library to it.

The best possible interface is the USB, followed by Bluetooth followed by 3.5mm jack

The onboard DACs in the iPhones are without exception some of the very best and independent testing shows as digital playback devices they are up there with the dedicated £500+ music players.

Depending on your config you then get artwork support/playlists etc

Thanks Pbonder. The E85/6 bus is actually 20 years old now so no USB sadly. The closest equivalent was the BMW iPod adapter that plugged in to the back of the head unit. I’ve a 160gb iPod and I have move of my CD collections ripped as AIFFs so considering fitting that and stuffing the iPod in the glovebox...

 

[Anonymous]

As I said I'm not au fait with the E85/E86 apart from following many on various runs! :driving:

Most manufacturers provide good ipod support (and an iphone is an ipod for these purposes) so its a simple way to go about it.

As I said the DAC stage certainly on iphone and I assume on ipod is excellent so if the 3.5mm input is OK on the E85 O would go that way.

If the BMW ipod adapter gives you remote track selection and/or art work support that's a bonus..

If you have a multi cd operation then you can of course load a few non CD audio discs with your compressed music but it will be only a fraction of what your ipod can do..

No fully satisfying solutions given your not unreasonable constraints..IMHO :tumbleweed:

Best change it for a late well spec E89? :rofl:

 

[heavymetalthunder]

I have an E85 with Carver/DSP system and fitted an Intravee + Alpine KCA-420i to connect an old iPod Classic 160GB via 30 pin dock connector (which has track display on the satnav screen and allows steering wheel controls). I'm not sure if there's any newer/better system, but that was the best for me when I bought my car about 5 years ago and has been working fine! I don't have factory bluetooth but use a 3.5mm bluetooth adapter via the retrofitted aux input, however it does mean if I get a call (or use my phone for music) I need to switch inputs manually.

 

[TheDan]

I have an E85 with standard stereo, but a previous owner fitted an aux cable. So what I did was buy an Amazon Echo Auto, used a piggy back fuse to give it micro USB power from the fuse box (on with ignition), connected it all up and velcroed it to the panel below the heater controls.

It works great. I get in my car and it automatically connects when I switch the ignition on. I can ask Alexa to play my Spotify playlist or phone someone etc, but I don't do this very often as I tend to do it manually before driving or not at all (cos straight six).

 

[Major Mojo]

I have an E85 with Carver/DSP system and fitted an Intravee + Alpine KCA-420i to connect an old iPod Classic 160GB via 30 pin dock connector (which has track display on the satnav screen and allows steering wheel controls). I'm not sure if there's any newer/better system, but that was the best for me when I bought my car about 5 years ago and has been working fine! I don't have factory bluetooth but use a 3.5mm bluetooth adapter via the retrofitted aux input, however it does mean if I get a call (or use my phone for music) I need to switch inputs manually.

Interesting setup. I don’t have a sat nav so no screen but even steering wheel controls to swap songs would be good. I’ll looking it up, thanks.

 

[Major Mojo]

I have an E85 with standard stereo, but a previous owner fitted an aux cable. So what I did was buy an Amazon Echo Auto, used a piggy back fuse to give it micro USB power from the fuse box (on with ignition), connected it all up and velcroed it to the panel below the heater controls.

It works great. I get in my car and it automatically connects when I switch the ignition on. I can ask Alexa to play my Spotify playlist or phone someone etc, but I don't do this very often as I tend to do it manually before driving or not at all (cos straight six).

Another interesting setup Dan, but I’m keen to retain the audio quality and between the Echo, Spotify and streaming I think sound quality will take a hit over my current setup with a headphone wire from the phone to the Aux In?

 

[TheDan]

I have an E85 with standard stereo, but a previous owner fitted an aux cable. So what I did was buy an Amazon Echo Auto, used a piggy back fuse to give it micro USB power from the fuse box (on with ignition), connected it all up and velcroed it to the panel below the heater controls.

It works great. I get in my car and it automatically connects when I switch the ignition on. I can ask Alexa to play my Spotify playlist or phone someone etc, but I don't do this very often as I tend to do it manually before driving or not at all (cos straight six).

Another interesting setup Dan, but I’m keen to retain the audio quality and between the Echo, Spotify and streaming I think sound quality will take a hit over my current setup with a headphone wire from the phone to the Aux In?

I haven't noticed any sound quality differences between aux in directly from my phone and the Echo. No buzz or anything like some cheaper bluetooth devices I have owned previously. However, pinch of salt here as my Z4's speakers are the boggo standard ones and don't produce the greatest quality sound in the first place.

To get more information you may have to do a search for Echo Auto here or on other BMW forums to see if there is any information from someone with a better speaker setup.

 

[Jameszy]

:roll: Hi everyone, looking for advice!

I have an ‘08 E86 with the professional DSP setup, the aux in jack and Bluetooth phone prep. Today I use my phone paired to the car and an old 60Gb iPod through the aux in jack. I do some long road trips between London and Dublin so the audio is important.

I would like a slicker setup but want to retain the ability to use my phone on the hands free and don’t want to sacrifice sound quality (the iPod library is raw AIFF format). Also I’m not really keen to swap the head unit since I like the look of the car as is.

I know it is a lot of constraints, but what are my options to have a decent sized, good quality music library?

Only thing I can think of is fitting an original BMW iPod adapter to hardwire the iPod and get it out of sight. Or go with a CD changer and burn CDRs with AIFF mixes?

Realise you said you didn't want to change the head unit (and I was the same as I like the stock look) but I found that if I wanted something that was hands free, supported lossy formats, supported Siri, DAB and had decent audio quality I would have to replace the head unit.


Previous owner fitted Pioneer DEH-X8700DAB and I have kept it. It is a very simple, minimalist head unit and almost looks stock. The benefit it has in that department is that you can change the colour of the display and buttons to match the orange lights in the interior (rather than some jarring blue or green nonsense).

As I said, realise you said you'd rather you didn't change the head unit but this thing has been great. Works seamlessly and worth considering.

 

[Major Mojo]

:roll: Hi everyone, looking for advice!

I have an ‘08 E86 with the professional DSP setup, the aux in jack and Bluetooth phone prep. Today I use my phone paired to the car and an old 60Gb iPod through the aux in jack. I do some long road trips between London and Dublin so the audio is important.

I would like a slicker setup but want to retain the ability to use my phone on the hands free and don’t want to sacrifice sound quality (the iPod library is raw AIFF format). Also I’m not really keen to swap the head unit since I like the look of the car as is.

I know it is a lot of constraints, but what are my options to have a decent sized, good quality music library?

Only thing I can think of is fitting an original BMW iPod adapter to hardwire the iPod and get it out of sight. Or go with a CD changer and burn CDRs with AIFF mixes?

Realise you said you didn't want to change the head unit (and I was the same as I like the stock look) but I found that if I wanted something that was hands free, supported lossy formats, supported Siri, DAB and had decent audio quality I would have to replace the head unit.


Previous owner fitted Pioneer DEH-X8700DAB and I have kept it. It is a very simple, minimalist head unit and almost looks stock. The benefit it has in that department is that you can change the colour of the display and buttons to match the orange lights in the interior (rather than some jarring blue or green nonsense).

As I said, realise you said you'd rather you didn't change the head unit but this thing has been great. Works seamlessly and worth considering.

Could you share a photo? Most after market head units I have see look shockingly bad because of the adapter (hence not wanting to change it). Also, do you a have a multifunction steering wheel and do the controls still work?

Thanks in advance,
-Lee

 

[Jameszy]

Hi Lee - sure. I’ve taken a couple. It’s a fairly simple design, with no silly flashing lights or pointless bass buttons and whatnot. I’ve been pleased with it - put it this way say my Z got nicked tomorrow, I’d buy one again for a replacement Z. You can also keep the existing unit if you want to sell in stock condition.

I have the multi function steering wheel. Some of the buttons work, some don’t. I can change the volume up and down, and I can skip to next track (or station), not sure about others.

The main thing is though is my phone connects automatically when I hop in, and I can just say “hey siri” at any point and make a call, send a message, ask for directions, ask for a track etc. That means I can do most things, and have hard volume controls on the wheel.

 

[Jakg]

Bear in mind with the DSP system you can't just swap the headunit on it's own - you need a new amp, too.

 

[Major Mojo]

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Thanks Jameszy, we’ve got the same interior combo as well

 

[Major Mojo]

Bear in mind with the DSP system you can't just swap the headunit on it's own - you need a new amp, too.

Yes Jakg, sadly I read something along those lines recently. Evidently the Carver amp only works with the BMW head unit and the subs are 2ohms...

 

[Jameszy]

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Thanks Jameszy, we’ve got the same interior combo as well

A fantastic combination if you ask me! God I love that thing