Bluetooth music streaming

[wilsoncloot]

Hi peeps,

I'm looking for a bluetooth unit which will take phonecalls and also stream music from the phone via bluetooth as I use Spotify for most of my music. I'd like to keep things standard looking (no extra screens / controls etc), and have so I been looking at the xcarlink and also the fiscon unit. im not sure if you can stream music via bluetooth with the fiscon unit (even their own website does not make this clear). Does antyone know if this is possible? Also has anyone used either of these units? Whats the sound quality like when streaming music? Any other alternatives I should look into?

Thanks, Adam.

 

[sebseb8]

Hi peeps,

I'm looking for a bluetooth unit which will take phonecalls and also stream music from the phone via bluetooth as I use Spotify for most of my music. I'd like to keep things standard looking (no extra screens / controls etc), and have so I been looking at the xcarlink and also the fiscon unit. im not sure if you can stream music via bluetooth with the fiscon unit (even their own website does not make this clear). Does antyone know if this is possible? Also has anyone used either of these units? Whats the sound quality like when streaming music? Any other alternatives I should look into?

Thanks, Adam.

Hi,

I've recently fitted the gateway pro bt unit by dension. Its a very simple installation which is just a case of removing the radio, unplugging the block connector, putting in the new splitter cable and unit then putting it all back together again.

I cant fault the system at the moment really. I did think the sound quality was a bit naff but it turns out if the volume is at full on my phone then the music sounds pretty good to me.

Thanks,

Seb

 

[wilsoncloot]

Thanks for your reply Seb.

The Dension unit is a little more expensive than some of the others I am looking at, although I have had some experiance with some other cheaper bluetooth units and I'd much rather pay a bit more for something reliable. I have also used the audi factory bluetooth and the quaility of these were pretty good in terms of making phonecalls so Im uing this as a benchmark.

Just to clarify, are you streaming music wirelessly with the dension unit? Whats the start up time like? Part of the reason I want wireless is because Im in and out of the car alot and I dont want to muck about with connecting wires and waiting for the system to boot up etc.

 

[sebseb8]

No problem.

They aren't the cheapest no, but I can't fault it. I am able to stream music yeah and it works very well. It will take around 5 seconds when I get into the car for music to begin playing. Sometime it will take longer for the phone function to be available but only 20-30 seconds as it syncs the phone book on start up.

 

[wilsoncloot]

What phone & headunit are you using? Can you skip tracks and hang up /answer calls through the unit with the dension?

 

[sebseb8]

iPhone 5s with a concert 2+ I believe. You can change tracks with the cd track change button but I've never tried the phone functions as I do it all through the steering wheel. I would expect you can use the head unit.

 

[mitalm]

I have a Grom Audio box installed, can't recommend it enough! Easy installation, connects within 5-10 seconds every time I get in the car! You can control the music playback with the forward and back buttons on the head unit and fast forward and rewind within a song also. I posted a thread on the Grom Audio box, have a look and let me know if you have any more questions!

http://www.audi-sport.net/vb/car-en...h-phone-connection-symphony-ii-head-unit.html

 

[wilsoncloot]

Your write up is pretty convincing! You don't work for grom audio do you?

Is it the bt3 model you are using? Where did you get yours from?

 

[Dan-Jnr]

Bluetooth streaming is compressed audio, and may not sound as good as CD, or high quality MP3.
Do you have the RNS-E?

 

[wilsoncloot]

Yeah I know its never gonna be quite as good when streaming wirelessly, but I have a bose wireless home system and the quality of the music streaming on this is good enough for me.
I have the concert single din radio, but am concidering changing to the RNSe at some point in the future.

 

[wilsoncloot]

Questions to both Seb & Mitlam - have either of you tried using spotify or other music player with your devices, or are you using the built in music players? Also, do track names appear when streaming bluetooth? Can you skip tracks with the stereo when streaming bluetooth, or do you have to use the phone controls? Does your phone contact info come up onto the screen and dash when a call comes through?

 

[sebseb8]

Questions to both Seb & Mitlam - have either of you tried using spotify or other music player with your devices, or are you using the built in music players? Also, do track names appear when streaming bluetooth? Can you skip tracks with the stereo when streaming bluetooth, or do you have to use the phone controls? Does your phone contact info come up onto the screen and dash when a call comes through?

I haven't ever tried spotify but YouTube videos have played through it ok. I am using the default player yeah. The head unit sees the dension as a 6-cd changer. The track details are displayed on the DIS though. I can change tracks with the head unit controls and the steering wheel controls. When using the phone only PHONE is displayed on the head unit but the contact info is displayed on the DIS.

Hope that helps

 

[mitalm]

Questions to both Seb & Mitlam - have either of you tried using spotify or other music player with your devices, or are you using the built in music players? Also, do track names appear when streaming bluetooth? Can you skip tracks with the stereo when streaming bluetooth, or do you have to use the phone controls? Does your phone contact info come up onto the screen and dash when a call comes through?

To answer your previous question no I don't work for them haha! I just really like the product! Bought mine from their site with all the necessary bits. I bought the AUX one and added the bluetooth box on so I could position it where I wanted, think it worked out a tiny bit cheaper too!

With regards to what audio plays through the speakers it's all audio from your phone, so music player, Spotify, YouTube, message tones, keyboard clicks etc. So there won't be any issues with certain apps not working like there can be with Airplay. With regards to track names my A3 is a 04 so doesn't have any sort of track name capability in the head unit, however I believe on later models this functionality may work. Yeah I can skip tracks with the head unit or the phone controls. My phone is positioned in a holder on long journeys so usually just see the caller info on that screen.

 

[stewie80]

Hi peeps,

I'm looking for a bluetooth unit which will take phonecalls and also stream music from the phone via bluetooth as I use Spotify for most of my music. I'd like to keep things standard looking (no extra screens / controls etc), and have so I been looking at the xcarlink and also the fiscon unit. im not sure if you can stream music via bluetooth with the fiscon unit (even their own website does not make this clear). Does antyone know if this is possible? Also has anyone used either of these units? Whats the sound quality like when streaming music? Any other alternatives I should look into?

Thanks, Adam.

I currently have a used dension gateway pro for sale if you are interested PM if your interested.

 

[wilsoncloot]

Thanks guys this has ben very helpfull. I think Im sold on the grom audio now so Im gonna order and hopefully install this weekend. Think I'll just go for the standard setup and wire the unit behind the glovebox or something. I'll let you know how I get on Mitalm.

 

[Pal77]

Does this also work on a mk1 rnse. I have a 57plate s3 with rnse and would love to be able to stream my music from my phone through Bluetooth. I have Bluetooth for calls and an iPod connection but if I can stream through my phone it would be a lot easier.
Cheers

 

[wilsoncloot]

Thanks for the recommendation mitalm, I installed the Grom BT3 at the weekend and so far I am very pleased!!

Install was easy, music quality is the same as playing a cd, skip tracks from headunit, and phone call quality is loud and clear. The only small issues I have experienced is that spotify can sometimes go a bit haywire after taking a phone call - I think that this is more a problem with the app than the bt3, but also the bluetooth range is not fantastic - works fine in the car, but as soon as I set foot out the car the reception cuts - not a huge problem but would be nice to have slightly more range - mitalm is this the same with yours??

Pall77; I believe they do have a unit which should work with your setup, best to just give grom a call tho, they were very helpful on the phone.

 

[mitalm]

Glad to hear you went for it and like it!

Hmm, as to your bluetooth problem, I don't have any range issues. It was this for potential issue that I went for an AUX box with the bluetooth module as an add on, this meant I could place the bluetooth "dongle" type thing in a position a bit further away from all the metal of the head unit etc. I placed the Grom audio box underneath my head unit and stuck the bluetooth dongle up a hole in between the air vents. This is probably why my range is better.

You can always try moving the Grom audio box to an area with less surrounding metal? Hope you manage to fix that issue! I'll properly check the range of my unit tomorrow and get back to you!

 

[Pergan]

Is oem Bluetooth able to stream music with an RNS-E unit? @Dan-Jnr

 

[Dan-Jnr]

Is oem Bluetooth able to stream music with an RNS-E unit? @Dan-Jnr

No the OEM Bluetooth isn't able to stream music. It can only be used for phone services. Silly how they didn't include A2DP protocols for our Bluetooth.