Streaming Audio via Bluetooth on B8 S4

[SteveYem]

I was searching today for solutions for streaming audio via bluetooth in my 2012 S4. I came across a few DIY methods on other discussion forums (there was a guy last year in the UK doing mods to the OEM iPhone AMI cable, but I couldn't see the photos that went along with the DIY guide). Then I found this website:

http://www.audia2dp.com/index.html

Has anyone here purchased this product and used it successfully? It doesn't fully interface with MMI in that it will not display track data or allow control of the source via MMI, but it's a decent solution for a way to stream audio (mp3's, pandora, etc) from your phone without having to take your phone out of your pocket. Just wondering about reliability and whether you felt it was worth the $150 price of admission.

Thanks in advance for any reviews!

[Stubek]

I'll suggest you start here with the 8 pages on this topic
http://www.audizine.com/forum/showth...34#post8129834

If you can't find your answer there...
http://www.audizine.com/forum/showth...ight=streaming
http://www.audizine.com/forum/showth...ight=streaming
http://www.audizine.com/forum/showth...ight=streaming
http://www.audizine.com/forum/showth...ight=streaming
http://www.audizine.com/forum/showth...ight=streaming

Or the search results for audia2dp
http://www.audizine.com/forum/search...archid=2820839

[SteveYem]

^ Awesome, thank you. When I searched earlier via Google, all of the popular hits were from some other Audi forums and none of these AZ threads seemed to come up (unless I missed them). I will do some reading.....thanks again!

[Maltitol]

I will save you the agony that I went through. Your answer lies here:
http://a2dp4audi.netmagi.com/

[reggiedavid]

I will save you the agony that I went through. Your answer lies here:
http://a2dp4audi.netmagi.com/

I have one for sale, PM me

[SteveYem]

I will save you the agony that I went through. Your answer lies here:
http://a2dp4audi.netmagi.com/

Thanks! If I'm not mistaken, that particular Bluetooth receiver does not automatically pair with an iPhone, correct? If that's the case, then what is the process for initiating streaming via Bluetooth? Will it pair automatically when I try to play something on the iPhone (e.g. Pandora), or do I need to go into Settings->General->Bluetooth in my iPhone to manually "force" communication between the phone and the Bluetooth receiver?

EDIT: Currently my iPhone 4S pairs successfully with the MMI system for phone use via Bluetooth. When I add this new Bluetooth receiver for streaming audio, will the phone pair with both Bluetooth receivers simultaneously?

I have one for sale, PM me

PM'd you!

[yourownhero]

Is there an option that splits the cable, one part going to the ipod that will remain plugged in, while the other goes to a bluetooth adapter having some automatic switching ability going from playing the ipod to the bt stream when a bt device is connected or playing?

[Rodney Hasty]

Thanks! If I'm not mistaken, that particular Bluetooth receiver does not automatically pair with an iPhone, correct? If that's the case, then what is the process for initiating streaming via Bluetooth? Will it pair automatically when I try to play something on the iPhone (e.g. Pandora), or do I need to go into Settings->General->Bluetooth in my iPhone to manually "force" communication between the phone and the Bluetooth receiver?

EDIT: Currently my iPhone 4S pairs successfully with the MMI system for phone use via Bluetooth. When I add this new Bluetooth receiver for streaming audio, will the phone pair with both Bluetooth receivers simultaneously?



PM'd you!

I would also like the answer to these questions- basically, if I buy the combo modified cable/receiver, and pair the receiver with my iPhone, will it automatically connect each time I get in the car like the MMI does with the phone? It doesn't seem like it would be worth it if I had to force my iphone to connect every time I got in the car- I just want to get in, have it automatically connect, and play what's on my iPhone without any further ado.

Also, with the Bluetooth pairing, what is shown on the MMI screen? Does it mimic your iphone display? Are you able to use the MMI controls to play what's on the phone? If not, what does the screen show when connected and streaming?

Thanks in advance :)

[SteveYem]

I would also like the answer to these questions- basically, if I buy the combo modified cable/receiver, and pair the receiver with my iPhone, will it automatically connect each time I get in the car like the MMI does with the phone? It doesn't seem like it would be worth it if I had to force my iphone to connect every time I got in the car- I just want to get in, have it automatically connect, and play what's on my iPhone without any further ado.

Also, with the Bluetooth pairing, what is shown on the MMI screen? Does it mimic your iphone display? Are you able to use the MMI controls to play what's on the phone? If not, what does the screen show when connected and streaming?

Thanks in advance :)

I ended up buying reggiedavid's adapter and should have it within the next couple of days, so I will give you a first-hand review.
But what I've been told is that it will pair with iPhone automatically, and it shows up as "Aux. Input Device" (or some similar verbiage) in your list of available Media within MMI. My understanding is that it basically acts the same way as a standard 3.5mm auxiliary input cord, meaning that it does not show any of the info or controls from the iPhone. Everything must be controlled from the iPhone, and the MMI screen will say something like "Auxiliary Device Connected" when you are set to that channel on the MMI.

[lmwong]

The audia2dp package is a Belkin BT receiver with a modded power/MMI cable. I bought one when it first came out and it works. The iphone will pair automatically with the phone function (Audi MMI) but not for audio (Belkin C02). Anytime you want to listen to music via bluetooth, you need to go into settings > BT > tap Belkin C02. Click AUX input and anything the iphone outputs will be heard through the car (including movies). It will stay connected as long as the MMI and phone are on and within range. I've made it a habit everytime I start the car while I wait for it to warm up.

PROS: no wires so phone is within reach and can be placed anywhere, mutes music when call comes in
CONS: sound quality is not as good as directly connecting but I've gotten used to it and it's not that bad (iphone sound quality is much better than android I've found), occasionally the signal drops out like any other BT device, no info on the MMI just a black screen that says 'AUX device connected'.

[SteveYem]

The audia2dp package is a Belkin BT receiver with a modded power/MMI cable. I bought one when it first came out and it works. The iphone will pair automatically with the phone function (Audi MMI) but not for audio (Belkin C02). Anytime you want to listen to music via bluetooth, you need to go into settings > BT > tap Belkin C02. Click AUX input and anything the iphone outputs will be heard through the car (including movies). It will stay connected as long as the MMI and phone are on and within range. I've made it a habit everytime I start the car while I wait for it to warm up.

PROS: no wires so phone is within reach and can be placed anywhere, mutes music when call comes in
CONS: sound quality is not as good as directly connecting but I've gotten used to it and it's not that bad (iphone sound quality is much better than android I've found), occasionally the signal drops out like any other BT device, no info on the MMI just a black screen that says 'AUX device connected'.

You are referring to this unit, correct? http://www.audia2dp.com/index.html
Kind of crappy that they charge $150 for it and it doesn't automatically pair, as opposed to this one (http://a2dp4audi.netmagi.com/) which I am told pairs automatically with iPhone, while priced $65 lower.

[Rodney Hasty]

I ended up buying reggiedavid's adapter and should have it within the next couple of days, so I will give you a first-hand review.
But what I've been told is that it will pair with iPhone automatically, and it shows up as "Aux. Input Device" (or some similar verbiage) in your list of available Media within MMI. My understanding is that it basically acts the same way as a standard 3.5mm auxiliary input cord, meaning that it does not show any of the info or controls from the iPhone. Everything must be controlled from the iPhone, and the MMI screen will say something like "Auxiliary Device Connected" when you are set to that channel on the MMI.

Excellent, thanks very much for the answer, that clears things up for me. And I would appreciate the update once you get it- and to be clear, this is the one you're getting, right? (http://a2dp4audi.netmagi.com/)

[theswoleguy]

i may have to try this device as the audi option is $250 and just to confirm this will work with any phone that supports bluetooth audio correct? I am the blacksheep with an android phone in a sea of Iphone users apparently.

[lmwong]

You are referring to this unit, correct? http://www.audia2dp.com/index.html
Kind of crappy that they charge $150 for it and it doesn't automatically pair, as opposed to this one (http://a2dp4audi.netmagi.com/) which I am told pairs automatically with iPhone, while priced $65 lower.

in the FAQ of the cheaper option:

Q: Does the 30-pin Bluetooth receiver automatically reconnect when I get in/out out of the car?
A: A2DP Bluetooth audio receivers (headphones, speakers, etc.) are usually "passive" for connection. This means they are always available for connection when turned on with pre-paired devices, but will not actively pair unless a connect request is made from the audio player. Some phones or audio players may have an option to reconnect to a Bluetooth target automatically, and in this event auto-reconnection would be possible. If your phone or audio player does not have this option, you will need to reconnect manually. This is actually the desirable configuration as otherwise, every time you were close enough to a Bluetooth audio receiver you'd previously paired with, it would actively pair back, changing your current audio output.

[SteveYem]

Excellent, thanks very much for the answer, that clears things up for me. And I would appreciate the update once you get it- and to be clear, this is the one you're getting, right? (http://a2dp4audi.netmagi.com/)

No problem. Mine is out for delivery currently so I should have time to play around with it and post up some feedback later tonight. And yes, the link you posted is the one I am getting.

i may have to try this device as the audi option is $250 and just to confirm this will work with any phone that supports bluetooth audio correct? I am the blacksheep with an android phone in a sea of Iphone users apparently.

My understanding is that the crux of this gadget (see above link) is the modified AMI cable. Essentially the cable is modified in a way that will allow it to transfer Bluetooth streaming audio to the MMI system. Then I believe (someone correct me if I am wrong) that the white "box" on the end of the cable is just a run-of-the-mill (generic) Bluetooth receiver with a 30-pin connection to mate with the AMI cable. So I think that white box is just looking for an audio signal via Bluetooth and does not discriminate where that signal comes from, sort of like if you have a standard 3.5mm aux. input jack, it will just transfer the audio signal from any old source with a mating 3.5mm aux output. (again, someone correct me if I am wrong).

in the FAQ of the cheaper option:

Q: Does the 30-pin Bluetooth receiver automatically reconnect when I get in/out out of the car?
A: A2DP Bluetooth audio receivers (headphones, speakers, etc.) are usually "passive" for connection. This means they are always available for connection when turned on with pre-paired devices, but will not actively pair unless a connect request is made from the audio player. Some phones or audio players may have an option to reconnect to a Bluetooth target automatically, and in this event auto-reconnection would be possible. If your phone or audio player does not have this option, you will need to reconnect manually. This is actually the desirable configuration as otherwise, every time you were close enough to a Bluetooth audio receiver you'd previously paired with, it would actively pair back, changing your current audio output.

I did read that and was concerned at first, but my logic is that since my iPhone automatically pairs with the MMI's bluetooth receiver for phone functionality, then likewise it should be able to pair automatically with the A2DP receiver. I presume the iPhone is capable of pairing with two active Bluetooth receivers simultaneously (i.e. the built-in MMI receiver and the A2DP adapter), but I will find out tonight for sure.

[theswoleguy]

how do i know what MMI i have?

[SteveYem]

how do i know what MMI i have?

Check this:
http://www.iamaudi.com/audi-2g-mmi-vs-audi-3g-mmi/

[theswoleguy]

hmmm i have an SD card so i have to be atleast mmi 3g

[SteveYem]

hmmm i have an SD card so i have to be atleast mmi 3g

The tell-tale sign for a 3G MMI system is if you have the "joystick" in the center of your main navigation wheel, as shown in this picture:


And since you have a 2011, 3G is the newest version it could be (from the factory).

[theswoleguy]

The tell-tale sign for a 3G MMI system is if you have the "joystick" in the center of your main navigation wheel, as shown in this picture:


And since you have a 2011, 3G is the newest version it could be (from the factory).

I don't have nav nor Audi drive select, I have a similar knob but no joystick in the middle and it's on the dash not down in the consol like so.

Sent from my DROID BIONIC using Tapatalk 2

[SteveYem]

I don't have nav nor Audi drive select, I have a similar knob but no joystick in the middle and it's on the dash not down in the consol like so.

That I'm not sure about. Sorry!


Now back to the topic at hand: I tried out the A2DP receiver (this one, just to clarify: http://a2dp4audi.netmagi.com/ ), and here are my thoughts:
* Sound quality when streaming music stored on my iPhone was good (but not great)
* Sound quality when streaming music from Pandora, which is streaming to the phone via 3G service, was mediocre. Very compressed and tinny.
* Volume in both modes is reduced, i.e. I had to turn the volume up considerably on the car stereo when streaming via Bluetooth to match the volume I would normally listen to it when playing from an SD card for example. Volume was reduced more when streaming Pandora than when streaming music stored on the iPhone
* Sound occasionally cuts out momentarily when streaming both local content and Pandora. Sometimes it will happen 4 times a minute, and other times it will play for 5-10 minutes without interruption.

Before putting the cable and adapter in the car, out of curiosity I plugged the bluetooth adapter into an iPod/iPhone compatible Sony sounddock in the house. I was able to stream Pandora and saved music from my phone successfully (but also at reduced volume) and I did not notice any drop-outs like I experienced in the car....but, I also didn't let it play as long. Tomorrow I will try the adapter in the sounddock again for a longer period and see if it drops out at all.

[NetMagi]

That I'm not sure about. Sorry!


Now back to the topic at hand: I tried out the A2DP receiver (this one, just to clarify: http://a2dp4audi.netmagi.com/ ), and here are my thoughts:
* Sound quality when streaming music stored on my iPhone was good (but not great)
* Sound quality when streaming music from Pandora, which is streaming to the phone via 3G service, was mediocre. Very compressed and tinny.
* Volume in both modes is reduced, i.e. I had to turn the volume up considerably on the car stereo when streaming via Bluetooth to match the volume I would normally listen to it when playing from an SD card for example. Volume was reduced more when streaming Pandora than when streaming music stored on the iPhone
* Sound occasionally cuts out momentarily when streaming both local content and Pandora. Sometimes it will happen 4 times a minute, and other times it will play for 5-10 minutes without interruption.

Before putting the cable and adapter in the car, out of curiosity I plugged the bluetooth adapter into an iPod/iPhone compatible Sony sounddock in the house. I was able to stream Pandora and saved music from my phone successfully (but also at reduced volume) and I did not notice any drop-outs like I experienced in the car....but, I also didn't let it play as long. Tomorrow I will try the adapter in the sounddock again for a longer period and see if it drops out at all.

Hi everyone!

I'm the seller of the cables/receivers at http://a2dp4audi.netmagi.com/ and have been a member here for a while (prior to making these cables), so I'll take a stab at elaborating on the feedback here and also open up the floor to any other questions folks have (as long as it's ok with the mods).

Reduced sound quality with Pandora is just Pandora itself. The music streams via your cellular connection. If you ever happen to park close enough to your house, connect via wifi instead of 3G/4G and have a paid account with hi-quality streaming turned on, it's much better :P Obviously that's not practical, but just pointing out the limitation here is Pandora, not the device. This will happen with any bluetooth receiver (including the one included in the B8.5's from factory) with Pandora over cellular as the source.

The volume in my S4 was pretty much the same with the cable/receiver as tracks played from SD Card. It's unusual yours was different. Can you check to make sure your bluetooth audio volume is at max on your phone?

And yes, the receiver is a standard 30-pin device intended originally for use in iPhone docks. If you happen to have one of these already, all you need is the custom cable. I often grab mine out of the car and use it in an old dock with an audio cable running to an amp in my garage. I can then roam around the garage working with my phone in my pocket for calls, but still stream Pandora :)

Please let me know if anyone else has any questions and I'll try and stop back regularly to answer them. Feel free to also contact using the contact page on the site.

-Rich H.

[SteveYem]

^ Thanks for chiming in, Rich. Do you have any thoughts on the occasional drop-outs that occur? i.e. are they specific to the source (iPhone in this case), the bluetooth receiver, the AMI cable or the MMI system?

I'm going to try letting it play for an extended period of time tonight streaming from my iPhone to my sounddock in the house to see if it drops out at all. If not, then I have to assume it has something to do with the AMI cable or the MMI system.

Or are the drop-outs related to the iPhone being paired with both the MMI (for phone use) and your bluetooth receiver at the same time while in the car?

[Maltitol]

I don't have nav nor Audi drive select, I have a similar knob but no joystick in the middle and it's on the dash not down in the consol like so.

I also have non-nav, and the only way to wirelessly get Bluetooth into your car is though the factory adapter that Audi sells on their store. Unfortunately it is discontinued and finding one is impossible. I made several calls and sent a lot of emails to a lot of online vendors. I managed to find one in Iowa and the quality isn't that great anyway. I suggest looking into a wired aux input solution.

You can't use the custom cable because non-nav radio doesn't always provide power over the Ami cable.

Good luck.

[lmwong]

I did read that and was concerned at first, but my logic is that since my iPhone automatically pairs with the MMI's bluetooth receiver for phone functionality, then likewise it should be able to pair automatically with the A2DP receiver. I presume the iPhone is capable of pairing with two active Bluetooth receivers simultaneously (i.e. the built-in MMI receiver and the A2DP adapter), but I will find out tonight for sure.

I have an iPhone 5, iOS6, and the phone pairs automatically with the MMI but NOT with my A2DP receiver. Yes, it can pair 2 devices simultaneously, but the music is not automatic. This is also true for my android Galaxy Nexus phone.

The android sound quality was not as good as the iPhone, which is not as good as a direct connection. I have a Pandora One account.

You can adjust bluetooth volume with the iPhone volume controls (buttons or within the app, ie Pandora)

[NetMagi]

I also have non-nav, and the only way to wirelessly get Bluetooth into your car is though the factory adapter that Audi sells on their store. Unfortunately it is discontinued and finding one is impossible. I made several calls and sent a lot of emails to a lot of online vendors. I managed to find one in Iowa and the quality isn't that great anyway. I suggest looking into a wired aux input solution.

You can't use the custom cable because non-nav radio doesn't always provide power over the Ami cable.

Good luck.

This is not entirely true. It can be used, you just need some addtl. components with non-navi systems to provide the power. Check out the last entry in my FAQ page:

http://a2dp4audi.netmagi.com/faq.html

If you remove the passenger side fuse block cover (open the passenger door, and its the flat panel at the end of the dash you can only access with the door open), you can piggyback a fused connection right there. Very clean install if done this way.



-Rich H.

[NetMagi]

^ Thanks for chiming in, Rich. Do you have any thoughts on the occasional drop-outs that occur? i.e. are they specific to the source (iPhone in this case), the bluetooth receiver, the AMI cable or the MMI system?

I'm going to try letting it play for an extended period of time tonight streaming from my iPhone to my sounddock in the house to see if it drops out at all. If not, then I have to assume it has something to do with the AMI cable or the MMI system.

Or are the drop-outs related to the iPhone being paired with both the MMI (for phone use) and your bluetooth receiver at the same time while in the car?

I've driven 2 hours with only one drop-out, and driven 1 minute with 2 drop-outs :P Sometimes I think the earth's core, with it's magnetic bla bla . . j/k :)

I honestly have no idea, but have experienced the same issue with other devices as well. Disconnecting from other bluetooth endpoints may give your phone less to do, and reduce the frequency, but I doubt it. With anything wireless, signal is never constant. I think some of the higher-end head units with built in BT solve this issue with a larger cache buffer and small delay in initial playback to fill the buffer.

It's definitely not the cable itself. You can actually test this yourself by connecting an iOS device directly to the cable and playing back audio that way. With the custom cable, a connected iOS device plays back audio in plain old analog format, the same as it would with headphones plugged in, instead of talking to MMI in iPod mode. When connected directly, the audio *never* drops out.


-Rich H.

[SteveYem]

I've driven 2 hours with only one drop-out, and driven 1 minute with 2 drop-outs :P Sometimes I think the earth's core, with it's magnetic bla bla . . j/k :)

I honestly have no idea, but have experienced the same issue with other devices as well. Disconnecting from other bluetooth endpoints may give your phone less to do, and reduce the frequency, but I doubt it. With anything wireless, signal is never constant. I think some of the higher-end head units with built in BT solve this issue with a larger cache buffer and small delay in initial playback to fill the buffer.

It's definitely not the cable itself. You can actually test this yourself by connecting an iOS device directly to the cable and playing back audio that way. With the custom cable, a connected iOS device plays back audio in plain old analog format, the same as it would with headphones plugged in, instead of talking to MMI in iPod mode. When connected directly, the audio *never* drops out.


-Rich H.

Ahhhh, ok, I meant to test this last night. You're saying that if I now plug my iPod classic into the modified AMI cable, it will show up as Auxiliary Input Device and not as an iPod within MMI, correct?

[NetMagi]

Ahhhh, ok, I meant to test this last night. You're saying that if I now plug my iPod classic into the modified AMI cable, it will show up as Auxiliary Input Device and not as an iPod within MMI, correct?

correct.

-Rich H.

[Rodney Hasty]

If you have the standard cable in the glove box that fits to an iPhone and you plug it in, what does the MMI screen show then?

[NetMagi]

If you have the standard cable in the glove box that fits to an iPhone and you plug it in, what does the MMI screen show then?

goes into iPhone mode, where MMI navigates your songs/playlists

-Rich H.

[Rodney Hasty]

Do you have to have an Iphone with cellular service for it to work plugged directly into the cord in the glove box?

If not, can you use an older iPhone, put all your music on there, and then just plug it in and forget about it? This would obviously just be to play music, because with no service you couldn't use Pandora and other apps like that.

The problem I'm having is that a bunch of songs from my Itunes account will not load into the MMI Jukebox, even converted to MP3 format. It's weird- I tried to transfer all of my music that way- burn MP3 discs from Itunes and upload them- but a bunch of them showed up in the Jukebox grayed out and won't play. I can't figure out a rhyme or reason to it as to why some upload just fine and some show up grayed out like that- they still appear, but are just grayed out and I can't play them.

[SteveYem]

Do you have to have an Iphone with cellular service for it to work plugged directly into the cord in the glove box?

If not, can you use an older iPhone, put all your music on there, and then just plug it in and forget about it? This would obviously just be to play music, because with no service you couldn't use Pandora and other apps like that.

The problem I'm having is that a bunch of songs from my Itunes account will not load into the MMI Jukebox, even converted to MP3 format. It's weird- I tried to transfer all of my music that way- burn MP3 discs from Itunes and upload them- but a bunch of them showed up in the Jukebox grayed out and won't play. I can't figure out a rhyme or reason to it as to why some upload just fine and some show up grayed out like that- they still appear, but are just grayed out and I can't play them.

I have not tried that personally, but I think your logic is solid. It should see your iPhone with no service just as though it is an iPod. Really, an iPhone with no cellular service is essentially an iPod Touch.

[mkato13]

I have not tried that personally, but I think your logic is solid. It should see your iPhone with no service just as though it is an iPod. Really, an iPhone with no cellular service is essentially an iPod Touch.

I have been using my iPhone 3 as an Ipod while at work for a few years. I just put it in airplane mode so I can use wifi for sirius or pandora but I can also play the music via a dock so logic stand that it should still work even with no sim card in it

[Rodney Hasty]

Has anyone had the issue of uploading MP3's to the jukebox from a CD and having some of them show up grayed out and not playable?

[jflail2]

I will save you the agony that I went through. Your answer lies here:
http://a2dp4audi.netmagi.com/

This is absolutely awesome. I was beyond irked when I realized my 2012 S4 wouldn't stream BT audio, and the only solution seemed to be to buy a 2013.......until now. Just received my cable and BT adapter combo in the mail today. Slipped home real quick, grabbed it from the mail, and had it installed and paired in under a minute. Streamed Spotify all the way back to work, happy as can be :)

Thank you Netmagi, you are the man!!!!!

[infinkc]

This is absolutely awesome. I was beyond irked when I realized my 2012 S4 wouldn't stream BT audio, and the only solution seemed to be to buy a 2013.......until now. Just received my cable and BT adapter combo in the mail today. Slipped home real quick, grabbed it from the mail, and had it installed and paired in under a minute. Streamed Spotify all the way back to work, happy as can be :)

Thank you Netmagi, you are the man!!!!!

Do the titles show up?

i was thinking on getting a Tune2air adapter.

[jflail2]

The titles do not show up. It just says that the external audio device is connected, or something like that. So titles, controls etc are done through your phone. I have no idea if that Tune2air adapter would allow the titles to show in the Audi's display. I don't think so, but obviously Netmagi would be able to answer that better than I.

I immediately turned my map on so I'd have something besides the static external audio device message showing on my display. While it's not perfect, it sure beats nothing at all.

[NeedQuattro]

Tune2air does in fact show titles, but all controls are through the phone itself.

More info in this thread: http://www.audizine.com/forum/showth...ight=bluetooth

[jflail2]

Interesting. So I could take the plunge for the Tune2air and get the titles on screen? Not sure if it's worth the $$ if I can't control using the steering wheel controls.