Options for playing music

[Pastry]

My car is a 2010 with iDrive and a single CD player. I currently listen to music via a USB memory stick however, the quality is very poor and quiet. I expect this is down to using iTunes to copy my CD's so firstly I was wondering if there is a better way to get music onto the memory stick improving the quality. Secondly, is there a better way to play without using the actual CD's, using my iPhone 7 some how for example?

 

[Zed Five]

Do you transfer to the cars hard drive?

i basically:
Use the cd drive to play/listen to dvds on long journeys
use the 10gb drive for the majority of music playing mp3s
use a memory stick in the centre console for new music playing before i eventually transfer to the cars drive

so to answer your first question, i download as mp3 files. If i have a cd, i copy it directly to the cars drive.

 

[willgill]

I've heard the sampling rate of the recording via USB comes into play, however, I listen to spotify on my phone via a tune2air bluetooth player plugged into the usb socket under the centre armrest. Can even be controlled via the steering wheel so it's decent enough from an integration perspective.

Quality is just fine (I consider myself an amateur audiophile) and definitely loud enough, although I did have a few speaker and amp upgrades. That said it plays at the same volume as the CD does.

 

[SteveSmith]

I plug my iPhone in to the USB under the arm rest and it all comes up on the idrive. I can do it via Bluetooth but you don't have full control / album art, just the full list of songs in alphabetical order and you can skip.

Since the last apple update I've lost the ability to select a playlist so that's bloody annoying as I listen to the playlists on Apple Music more than albums.

I don't got the standard 6 speaker system so no idea what the quality of the input is like because the output is shocking! One of the upgrades I'll be doing this year!!

 

[Wrs]

Yep if you have AuX & USB in the centre armrest you need...

1.https://www.amazon.co.uk/ViseeO-Tune2Air-WMA3000B-Bluetooth-Adapter/dp/B00R3ABHXY

2.https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B01KL6W7UI/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apip_gTwzgkcaDgKGk

http://www.z4-forum.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=23&t=93558

 

[Pastry]

Do you transfer to the cars hard drive?

i basically:
Use the cd drive to play/listen to dvds on long journeys
use the 10gb drive for the majority of music playing mp3s
use a memory stick in the centre console for new music playing before i eventually transfer to the cars drive

No, I didn't know it had a hard drive! The handbook was missing when I got the car and I really should get one and learn about idrive. Can you copy your CD's in the car then?

 

[willgill]

You can tell if you have the hard drive by looking for a usb socket in the glovebox, if you do it it will automatically copy mp3s onto the hard drive (10gb ish)

 

[willgill]

and yep you can import CDs too, think they cover it in this vid but their accents drive me mildly mad

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qOEZ-GlDuCg

 

[Zed Five]

Err, i haven't had an e89 that you cant, but not sure on spec differences.

I think, when on the media menu, if you press the option button by the idrive then it will show you disk space. I think it is 10gb. I have hundreds of music files there. If yiu have no joy, let me know and I'll confirm the steps for you.

i think, that if you put a cd in the and select options, the ootion is 'copy to car'.

 

[djstan]

I don't have any issue with the volume of mp3s ripped using iTunes?

 

[Pastry]

You can tell if you have the hard drive by looking for a usb socket in the glovebox, if you do it it will automatically copy mp3s onto the hard drive (10gb ish)

Ive got the USB and aux sockets. Im assuming this 'tune2air' mentioned a couple of times is for spotify really? Ive a road trip in France coming up and don't want to stream (plus I don't have spotify) because of the cost. Are you saying I copy music onto the hard drive from the memory stick? To do this I still need to find a way to record better quality onto the dongle in the first place?

 

[willgill]

You can tell if you have the hard drive by looking for a usb socket in the glovebox, if you do it it will automatically copy mp3s onto the hard drive (10gb ish)

Ive got the USB and aux sockets. Im assuming this 'tune2air' mentioned a couple of times is for spotify really? Ive a road trip in France coming up and don't want to stream (plus I don't have spotify) because of the cost. Are you saying I copy music onto the hard drive from the memory stick? To do this I still need to find a way to record better quality onto the dongle in the first place?

yep spot on, but try uploading some songs first via the usb slot in the glovebox, the playback quality is higher afaik

 

[Pastry]

Err, i haven't had an e89 that you cant, but not sure on spec differences.


i think, that if you put a cd in the and select options, the ootion is 'copy to car'.

Copying CDs sounds like the easiest option for a technophobe like me

 

[Pastry]

I don't have any issue with the volume of mp3s ripped using iTunes?

I find the sound level is much lower than the radio or CD?

 

[willgill]

yeah but you havent imported them you are playing them from the armrest socket, it's different

 

[djstan]

You can only import to the Hard Disk using the USB port in the glovebox. It's a pig to find - right up at the very top on the right hand side.

Once you've got it though, pop in the USB stick, and through the iDrive menu go to 'Music Collection' (I think it is), then push right on the iDrive controller, and scroll until you see Import from USB. The nice thing about this is that it stores them in the car so you can add to the collection.

An alternative, yes, is to feed CDs in but I think you'll have to follow the same import procedure.

I've just done a trip down through France to the Alps and having all the music on the HDD and then playing it on random was absolutely fab

 

[djstan]

I don't have any issue with the volume of mp3s ripped using iTunes?

I find the sound level is much lower than the radio or CD?

How peculiar - I don't get that! What radio station are you listening to? Some of them are compressed as hell and sound awful, but I suppose they do sound louder..

 

[Pastry]

yeah but you havent imported them you are playing them from the armrest socket, it's different

Thanks, I'll try that too

 

[Pastry]

You can only import to the Hard Disk using the USB port in the glovebox. It's a pig to find - right up at the very top on the right hand side.

Once you've got it though, pop in the USB stick, and through the iDrive menu go to 'Music Collection' (I think it is), then push right on the iDrive controller, and scroll until you see Import from USB. The nice thing about this is that it stores them in the car so you can add to the collection.

An alternative, yes, is to feed CDs in but I think you'll have to follow the same import procedure.

I've just done a trip down through France to the Alps and having all the music on the HDD and then playing it on random was absolutely fab

I didn't know there was a USB there, only the one in the centre armrest! Im off the the Alps at the end of April which is why Im getting the music sorted

It isn't just the radio, the CD is much louder also. If I'm listening to the radio and then change to USB, I have to turn it up as I can't actually here the music!

 

[pvr]

You need a lot of music to fill the waiting time for when you are waiting for Smartbear to catch up .... :evil: