E85 Carver system - AUX connection weirdness?

[DaveP]

So, I bought a 2003 car with the Carver system fitted (amp in the boot, VIN decoder confirms it) a few weeks back. I had planned to fit a Grom Bluetooth system, but had been using a Bluetooth/FM thing as a short-term fix.

When I was clearing out the car, I spotted a tiny AUX connection tucked away next to the cigarette lighter, and played about with the stereo until I got an AUX input option. This struck me as weird, because I was under the impression that the Carver system's Digital setup meant that an AUX was impossible.

Is this true, or have I misunderstood?

Photo for reference.


So I went ahead and bought a USB-powered Bluetooth-AUX connector from Amazon, which came with good reviews. However, on fitting it I found the sound to be disappointing. It sounded worse than the FM thing I've been using no matter how I played with the DSP settings.

So, questions for an expert:
- Is this some sort of hooky aftermarket connection, and thus I should expect it to sound rubbish? (if so, why does the stereo have an AUX option?)
- Should this sound better? And if so, should I return the Bluetooth thingy I've bought and try a different brand?

Yours, confused of London.

 

[Mr Tidy]

That definitely doesn't look like an OE installation. I don't think BMW fitted an Aux-in Socket until some time in 2006 on facelift models.

But I don't see why the Carver stereo wouldn't work with an Aux connection. My 1st and current cars have the Carver stereo and both have OE Aux connections on the lower part of the dashboard.

I have used the Aux a few times and it seemed OK, but I've not tried anything else as I don't tend to use the stereo much.