Cheap audio upgrade

[Wood Butcher]

My car has the Business radio/cd with 10 speaker setup & factory aux port. It sounds pretty good but I don't have the 6 cd changer. The aux connection doesn't sound that great compared to cd or radio.

I bought this contraption second hand, which just plugs into the connectors on the back of the radio. It has an aux, will take usb sticks and sd cards. Basically it's replacing the cd changer (if you had one), so on a card or usb, you can save 6 folders of 99 tracks.
The steering wheel controls still work, and the aux on the box sounds much better than the factory one, I'm assuming there is some sort of amplifier inside the box.

Downside is that you can no longer use the factory aux when the box is connected.

For £8 + postage I'm pretty pleased

 

[mr.tourette]

nice job... perfect if you dont have the 6 cd changer .. personally I have no issues with the aftermarket aux.. yes its a bit quieter than the rest of the outputs but it can be worked around with apps such as poweramp if you are using your phone as your music source

 

[srhutch]

There is a setting in the head unit that will adjust the aux volume from memory.

And I don’t mean the volume knob

 

[Wood Butcher]

Yes I found the aux volume in the radio menu. I had hoped I could have increased it, but it had already been set to the max level.

 

[tuco]

What make is it, trying to find one on Ebay.

 

[ph001]

How to you get into the hidden menu to change aux vol out of interest?

 

[mjennings23]

Also curious about this, its not an option I've seen on my radio menu

 

[tuco]

Probably need the satnav to do it.

 

[ph001]

Ah, here it is....I actually replied on it !

https://z4-forum.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=2&t=105197&p=1533139&hilit=hidden+menu#p1533139

 

[Wood Butcher]

What make is it, trying to find one on Ebay.

Sadly I don't know, the only sticker is that one on the top, it doesn't show a brand.

 

[Tinker15]

What make is it, trying to find one on Ebay.

Sadly I don't know, the only sticker is that one on the top, it doesn't show a brand.

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/USB-Aux-MP3-Adapter-BMW-E39-Z4-E85-E83-X5-E53-Business-SD-interface-CD-changer/172295433375?_trkparms=aid%3D555018%26algo%3DPL.SIM%26ao%3D1%26asc%3D20140122125356%26meid%3Dd5d2ed4aabe846b5b497ab0fa5446d91%26pid%3D100005%26rk%3D2%26rkt%3D3%26sd%3D222858255115%26itm%3D172295433375&_trksid=p2047675.c100005.m1851 A bit more than £6 though!

 

[road warrior]

Where is this aux input to be found, on the back of the radio somewhere ? And what is it I'm looking for? 3.5 or what?

 

[tuco]

Does this work with the Carver DSP amp ?

 

[Tinker15]

Where is this aux input to be found, on the back of the radio somewhere ? And what is it I'm looking for? 3.5 or what?

According to the blurb on the eBay website in connects to the CD changer jack on the back of the radio.

 

[road warrior]

thanks. its a matter of knowing what your looking at eh, i took it out and looked, but its all bmw wiring and i was looking for a hatchet job as i have still to find where this redundant phone lead goes too from the passenger side. :wink:

 

[Wood Butcher]

Where is this aux input to be found, on the back of the radio somewhere ? And what is it I'm looking for? 3.5 or what?

On mine, it was a small connector on the right hand side of the radio, below the large main connector. Think it just has 2 wires.

 

[road warrior]

thank you

 

[Dj Garry]

looks like a good alternative.
found this on ebay with all cables for around 20 pounds

 

[Wood Butcher]

Yes, that's the same unit

 

[Striven]

I have a 2006 Z4MR with the business CD and 10 speakers, did all these cars have an aux port and if so, where is it?