iPhone and E89

[Betazero]

Is there any way to make them play nicer? I just want to play my downloaded library and it keeps trying to play cloud songs which ends up leaving me listening to air most of the time. It’s really my only issue with my Z4. I tried the CarPlay “upgrade” box from bimmertech but it kills audio quality since it runs thru aux jack. Any solution for this? What are the best settings for my phone to make them play better together?

[Marcoose]

In a nutshell, there's very little that can be done.

The E89 is 'old'. iPhones/iOS improve every 6 months. They became incompatible with time. For example, I don't like that my music start playing automatically every time the car starts. So I've unchecked 'media', or whatever it's called.

[KennyP]

Originally Posted by Betazero

it kills audio quality since it runs thru aux jack.

Really?

I use aux in in my car all the time. My 2009 car doesnt have bluetooth media playback. And i dont really care about upgrading to some aftermarket module that would give me that functionality...

When i use aux input with my iphone X it doesnt sound bad at all... though im not really playing lossless audio files...
Trick i use with aux to get better sound is to not max out iphones volume... i usually set iphone volume around 80%, if you max it out it distorts audio a bit imo. And then have aux in input volume at max on idrive and finally set my desired volume on the steering wheel or with the volume knob...

I do play around with audio settings alot when i drive depending on the song playing. Some songs sound better with surround on some sound better with it off.
Also i change highs and lows often depending on the song or what type of music i have playing. Each song is different.
I rarely play around with the full 100hz to 10khz equalizer... i used to... found ideal settings and if i go to change it now then i cant really find anything better and change it back.
All this is with HIFI professional sound option. What i have noticed is that some electronic music doesnt sound that amazing but listening to some recording with real instruments like drums, quitars, sax etc... thats where my cars audio system shines.

I always thought bluetooth has worse sound quality... Thats because bluetooth converts and compresses audio signal to meet its wireless standards.
At least its so with my home theater sound system. Really noticable when i switch to bluetooth.


To get best sound put some lossless files on USB stick.

[DavesZed]

Set up your playlist before you get in the car and it'll play what it's told, well it'll actually continue once it connects to the car.

And you can genuinly tell the difference between Bluetooth and AUX while driving at 60mph with the roof down? Sound quality is "fine" for driving a convertible with all it's road noise, wind noise squeaks and rattles. Yes there is a difference, and as above music from a memory stick would be far better.
Personally I'd rank it as... CD, HDD, USB, Bluetooth, AUX.
AS for the CarPlay boxes, a comapny called Mr12volt have now produced a CarPlay/Android Auto MMI box that plugs directly into the MOST line and takes the place of the CD Changer (just like the iPod retrofit box does)....
https://www.mr12volt.com/products/ca...2-x5-x6-z4-f01

[nowool]

i use this: https://www.audiocity.co.nz/bmw-appl...2009-2017.html
uses Bluetooth then hands over to WIFI. sound quality is excellent and if you want to use SIRI just say her name. doesn't interfere with the i drive system. you can switch back and forth

[airwalk776]

I installed a WAKAA MMI unit in my 2011 e89 few days ago, works great. Gives me CarPlay, airplay mirroring and an HDMI input if I ever need one

https://www.wakaa.us/products/apple-...me-kit-for-bmw

If you get one when installing you do not need to connect the cable to the i drive controller
You will need to patch into the factory mic which is in the steering housing and it uses the AUX input for audio. I was able to run all the cables to the glove box

[GerryC]

I use the BMW Music Media Adapter 619046 - Part number 61-12-2-408-012. It lets you control the iPhone/iPod through the car controls and gets the audio through the Aux input. There's no digital audio available through the USB connector in the factory setup.

Here's one source: https://parts.bmwofsouthatlanta.com/...46-61122408012

It works fine, though it can take a while to transfer the directory to the head unit (Business Professional) the first time you plug it in. I don't have iDrive/Nav in my 2016 Z4. Navigating the directory on the head unit is a nuisance, but I usually just hit play and shuffle.

Gerry

[KennyP]

i did buy that dongle Gerry talked about years ago. I could not get it to work with my 09 35i. Have idrive + hifi.
Though i did not go deep into it... connected it up... did not seem to connect or anything. Assumed that its trash and threw it in a drawer and called it. Still have it somewhere.

Is there some sort of trick to getting it to work?


Edit: forgot to mention that my car came with similar adapter when i bought it, but that was for old 30pin apple connector. (do people still remember these ?) in 2009 lightning port did not exist yet... Well i had a working iphone 3g relic still laying around, loaded some music on it and that worked fine.
Decided to use it as extra music storage and leave it plugged in all the time.
Well it charges itself through the usb and such an antique smartphone doesnt have much battery capacity left so it charges itself constantly. I started getting increased battery discharge messages in the morning. Removed it and no more messages.
As i did not want the hassle of plugging it in and out all the time i just stopped using it entirely. From there i had an idea to try that lightning dongle. But it did not work as the 30 pin one did.

[GerryC]

Originally Posted by KennyP

i did buy that dongle Gerry talked about years ago. I could not get it to work with my 09 35i. Have idrive + hifi.
Though i did not go deep into it... connected it up... did not seem to connect or anything. Assumed that its trash and threw it in a drawer and called it. Still have it somewhere.

Is there some sort of trick to getting it to work?


Edit: forgot to mention that my car came with similar adapter when i bought it, but that was for old 30pin apple connector. (do people still remember these ?) in 2009 lightning port did not exist yet... Well i had a working iphone 3g relic still laying around, loaded some music on it and that worked fine.
Decided to use it as extra music storage and leave it plugged in all the time.
Well it charges itself through the usb and such an antique smartphone doesnt have much battery capacity left so it charges itself constantly. I started getting increased battery discharge messages in the morning. Removed it and no more messages.
As i did not want the hassle of plugging it in and out all the time i just stopped using it entirely. From there i had an idea to try that lightning dongle. But it did not work as the 30 pin one did.

I had the old 30-pin version. Used it my wife's 10 X5 with an old iPod. Worked fine, but you are correct in that you can't leave the iPod plugged in continuously. Since the port does turn off eventually, with the reduced capacity the iPod battery would self-discharge to 0 and you'd have to wait 10 or 15 minutes after starting the car before it had enough charge to work.

With the lightning version in the Z4 I have had a few issues with it being recognized when the car powers up. Usually it just requires being unplugged and plugged back in after the car is running. I use an iPod with a lightning connector. Since I don't drive it frequently, I disconnect it when I'm home to avoid discharging it.

Alternately you may have the wrong version for your car. If you check realoem.com, there was a dongle for non-Nav, non-HiFi cars with a different part number (61122287642) from all other applications (61122287642). Both have been superseded by the one I referenced (61122408012) which is the one I have.

Good luck.

Gerry