Intravee or Dension?

SamUK

Member
Hi,

Been reading up and from what i can tell an Intravee or a Dension can go into the Z4 - to enable music playback via a USB Stick.

I have used a Intravee, i think when it came out and it was a very basic interface - this was many years ago...is it still the same?

i have a Dension Gateway 500 in my e60 - so do know how it works etc..

Also some say the Dension will not work if i have DSP? wht is DSP? Mine is a Alpina Z4 with the Lux pack & Sat Nav - crap speakers..can i get cd text? what song names are playing etc..?

any suggestions?

Thanks in advance..
 
Intravee only works with iPhone/iPods

DSP is the full blown audio setup with ten speakers and DSP amp. If you have DSP it will be shown as DSP on you Nav main menu.
 
srhutch said:
If you have DSP it will be shown as DSP on you Nav main menu.

That's not entirely true. The DSP option, or why they wanna know, is that some DSP systems have a digital link between the CD changer, and others havent.
I have the DSP system (hifi professional, factory optio 677A), but I don't have a digital coax link between the cd changer and the amp. But I've heard some people who claimed that they have (haven't seen any pics though, only on e46 and e39 with digital link).
So you have to check it. If you have the digital link, there's a small coax going into the amp:
amp5.jpg
Every Hifi prof DSP amp has the connector on it, but only some are coded that way (and have a link/wire going to it).

So if there's a wire, then you have to have a system with spdif digital out.

You can also look at the CP600BMW:
http://www.maintronic.de/en/products/cp600bmw-mp3-player.html
It's not really cheap, and only plays from SDcard, but idtag integration is pretty good on this one. Certainly better than a dension or Grom audio. They only give 11 characters in the top line and the cp600bmw gives full track artist album etc. And you can skip folders/subfolders. (however you cannot read names from subfolders, but dension/grom can't either)
On youtube you can find examples.
(and the cp600bmw does both digital(spdif) audio and analog audio)

Be aware that ID tags displayed on the monitor is highly firmware dependant. When I first got my cp600bmw it didn't display the id3tags (but on other pre facelift z4's with the same hifi system it did, with the same firmware. After a cp600 firmware update (the third I think) it did work however brilliantly.
 
GuidoK said:
srhutch said:
If you have DSP it will be shown as DSP on you Nav main menu.

That's not entirely true. The DSP option, or why they wanna know, is that some DSP systems have a digital link between the CD changer, and others havent.
I have the DSP system (hifi professional, factory optio 677A), but I don't have a digital coax link between the cd changer and the amp. But I've heard some people who claimed that they have (haven't seen any pics though, only on e46 and e39 with digital link).
So you have to check it. If you have the digital link, there's a small coax going into the amp:
amp5.jpg
Every Hifi prof DSP amp has the connector on it, but only some are coded that way (and have a link/wire going to it).

So if there's a wire, then you have to have a system with spdif digital out.

You can also look at the CP600BMW:
http://www.maintronic.de/en/products/cp600bmw-mp3-player.html
It's not really cheap, and only plays from SDcard, but idtag integration is pretty good on this one. Certainly better than a dension or Grom audio. They only give 11 characters in the top line and the cp600bmw gives full track artist album etc. And you can skip folders/subfolders. (however you cannot read names from subfolders, but dension/grom can't either)
On youtube you can find examples.
(and the cp600bmw does both digital(spdif) audio and analog audio)

Be aware that ID tags displayed on the monitor is highly firmware dependant. When I first got my cp600bmw it didn't display the id3tags (but on other pre facelift z4's with the same hifi system it did, with the same firmware. After a cp600 firmware update (the third I think) it did work however brilliantly.

Yes there are two connections types, depending if face lift or pre facelift. But as far as I'm aware both will show up on the Nav menu.
 
Early DSP was analogue, later digital.

From memory, for the early cars you needed a convertor when using the Intravee but can not remember exactly.
 
pvr said:
Early DSP was analogue, later digital.

From memory, for the early cars you needed a convertor when using the Intravee but can not remember exactly.

Thought it was the other way round, early cars had digital with the optical lead.
 
srhutch said:
Yes there are two connections types, depending if face lift or pre facelift. But as far as I'm aware both will show up on the Nav menu.

No, it's a coding issue. The digital link either works or it doesn't.
If you have a digital wire going into the mini coax, it is coded, otherwise it doesnt work. I tried, I made a link and it didn't work.
I don't know how you can code the amp. I haven't seen an option in either inpa or ncsexpert.
Afaik it is not a face/pre facelift lift issue. it's maybe regional.
On early e39's its almost alway's digital.
My z4 is pretty early (2004), but i've also seen 2003 cars (so first years model) with hifiprof on analog connection.

But either way, if you have a digital connection between changer and amp, and you want an analog mp3 interface, there are spdif conversion boxes for sale.
http://www.ebay.com/itm/New-BMW-DSP-Amplifier-Adapter-for-Mediabridge-Duo-converter-module-kit-interface-/271200987462

So that is an option too
 
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