[Amtrak98]

Hi everyone! I don't post very often but I lurk frequently. I'm currently on my 3rd three series and my mom has an E83. My current 2011 335i has a build date of 03/10 and is equipped with navigation. This means: you get bluetooth but only for phone calls! Build date 10/10 and onward were equipped with a combox instead of a TCU which adds Bluetooth audio for the cars. I purchased the combox Retrofit kit from bimmertech and couldn't be happier. I was nervous at first because I prefer OEM setups but I have to highly recommend them. The custom made harness arrived only 3 days after purchase (all the way from Poland). Parts were all correct. I didn't have any instructions yet because they email them to you but by the time my package arrived and I requested them, help desk was closed for the weekend. Was able to mostly install the parts correctly. Removed the TCU and MULF in the trunk and swapped in the combox. The tech was extremely patient and has us switch around a few things in order for it to work (some plugs look the same). After two hours it was successfully coded. I can now stream music wirelessly from my phone. If you're considering this, do it. Huge improvement. They send you a cable that runs from the OBD to your laptop and remotely access your laptop for the coding. And then it's all done. One software update later and I'm ecstatic with the setup. High quality and BLUETOOTH AUDIO.

[N54POWR]

This would have also given you oem level Bluetooth music
Bovee WMA3000B Wireless Bluetooth Music Interface Audio Adaptor for BMW iPod integration https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0131P6P5E..._KFuIAbCBGXRJT

[deeLow]

Originally Posted by N54POWR

This would have also given you oem level Bluetooth music
Bovee WMA3000B Wireless Bluetooth Music Interface Audio Adaptor for BMW iPod integration https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0131P6P5E..._KFuIAbCBGXRJT

What? I can buy this and get exactly the same integration as oem? As in, be able to see tracklists album names etc etc in the CIC?

I have an el cheapo Bluetooth streamer that I use, but I get no functionality out of it.

[ptpending]

Originally Posted by deeLow

What? I can buy this and get exactly the same integration as oem? As in, be able to see tracklists album names etc etc in the CIC?

I have an el cheapo Bluetooth streamer that I use, but I get no functionality out of it.

if you have USB audio port in armrest, yes, you can get bluetooth streaming functionality with tune2air

[bmw335ie90]

Originally Posted by N54POWR

This would have also given you oem level Bluetooth music
Bovee WMA3000B Wireless Bluetooth Music Interface Audio Adaptor for BMW iPod integration https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0131P6P5E..._KFuIAbCBGXRJT

I wouldn't call it OEM level. Based on reviews several people said the Bluetooth is barely strong enough for a rear seat passenger to connect their phone, sometime it goes in and out of connection. You also loose both your aux and USB connections. Now you cant charge your phone or have a passenger quickly throw in the AUX and take over DJing. Does this even display album art? Combox retrofit is far superior and can be done for $250 if you buy used and make all your own connections.

To the OP thanks for sharing your experience, I will be doing this retrofit shortly.

[Amtrak98]

Originally Posted by bmv335ie90

I wouldn't call it OEM level. Based on reviews several people said the Bluetooth is barely strong enough for a rear seat passenger to connect their phone, sometime it goes in and out of connection. You also loose both your aux and USB connections. Now you cant charge your phone or have a passenger quickly throw in the AUX and take over DJing. Does this even display album art? Combox retrofit is far superior and can be done for $250 if you buy used and make all your own connections.

To the OP thanks for sharing your experience, I will be doing this retrofit shortly.

I have also heard that certain aftermarket devices like those do not allow for steering wheel controls of audio and like mentioned, the quality is not good and just not there. The bimmertech kit is almost 100% OEM, all controllable by OEM buttons and interfaces. And I also found out today, I can now use just the USB in the center console for music streaming and it charges at the same time. Used to be just for music file transfer from a USB and audio was restricted to the dreaded BMW Y cable. Not anymore!!! Shows album art as well. I'm telling you guys, this is the way to go. I got my hands on a used combox and didn't have to pay full price for the kit. For the parts and time it took to code, I would say the price I paid was more than worth it and would do it again. If you get a used combox, please make sure it is compatible before installation. I know some might require FSC codes or software updates, but thankfully mine didn't.

[N54POWR]

I have it and it works flawlessly. Bluetooth is so strong, it will sometimes connect to the car when I'm in the house or inside the gym. Quality is just as good as with the y cable from bmw. It shows all the album info in the Cic, it's controlled by the steering wheel buttons and connects quickly enough that music is already playing bu the time I get in my car and start it. Plus it costs about 6 times less than retrofitting the different telemantics module and doesn't take hours to install or need coding.

[Raakhuga]

Originally Posted by Amtrak98

Hi everyone! I don't post very often but I lurk frequently. I'm currently on my 3rd three series and my mom has an E83. My current 2011 335i has a build date of 03/10 and is equipped with navigation. This means: you get bluetooth but only for phone calls! Build date 10/10 and onward were equipped with a combox instead of a TCU which adds Bluetooth audio for the cars. I purchased the combox Retrofit kit from bimmertech and couldn't be happier. I was nervous at first because I prefer OEM setups but I have to highly recommend them. The custom made harness arrived only 3 days after purchase (all the way from Poland). Parts were all correct. I didn't have any instructions yet because they email them to you but by the time my package arrived and I requested them, help desk was closed for the weekend. Was able to mostly install the parts correctly. Removed the TCU and MULF in the trunk and swapped in the combox. The tech was extremely patient and has us switch around a few things in order for it to work (some plugs look the same). After two hours it was successfully coded. I can now stream music wirelessly from my phone. If you're considering this, do it. Huge improvement. They send you a cable that runs from the OBD to your laptop and remotely access your laptop for the coding. And then it's all done. One software update later and I'm ecstatic with the setup. High quality and BLUETOOTH AUDIO.

Where can I find this retrofit kit ? 😄

[ctuna]

If you want to do a cheap bluetooth streaming device that also gives
you usb and sd card playback as well as phone that does not use the
damm aux as an audio Input.

This is the one

http://www.e90post.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1499808

don't know how it displays on an idrive but it displays the same as
a cd player on a pro radio.

[Amtrak98]

Originally Posted by Raakhuga

Where can I find this retrofit kit ? 😄

Here's the link:

https://www.bimmer-tech.net/products...with-bluetooth

I was able to find an old combox laying around that I verified by vin had Bluetooth audio capability. They gave me a discount on the kit cost because I didn't need the box from them.

[ryan stewart]

Originally Posted by N54POWR

This would have also given you oem level Bluetooth music
Bovee WMA3000B Wireless Bluetooth Music Interface Audio Adaptor for BMW iPod integration https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0131P6P5E..._KFuIAbCBGXRJT

Those things sound like butt compared to something that integrates into the optical circuit. I know because I had one of those for years before getting something like this:

https://www.ebay.com/p/2299505131

Which is vastly superior.

[freakystyly]

Correct me if I'm wrong but doesn't the bluetooth codec reduce quality by default?

How does sound quality compare by bypassing the aux?

[ryan stewart]

Originally Posted by freakystyly

Correct me if I'm wrong but doesn't the bluetooth codec reduce quality by default?

How does sound quality compare by bypassing the aux?

Yeah bluetooth isnt perfect, although there are aux codecs that support CD quality audio (and some that do better but dont think any of the receivers on the market really support those due to licensing fees).

But its much clearer with more range. Bluetooth, without those additional codecs, isnt as good as a good set of cans hooked to a good DAC but that isnt what we are talking about. Were talking about a cheap DAC in a cheap bluetooth receiver from amazon, plugged into a 10 year old aux port running down parallel copper in an electrically noisy environment.

By doing one of the MOST systems youre getting rid of all of that garbage. Its digital the entire way, plus those bigger powered systems likely have a better bluetooth receiver supporting more reliable bandwidth. So then your only weak point is the bandwidth and how the codec is handling it. Then the only DAC youre relying on is the one in the $1000 amp in the trunk.

It sounds pretty good, volume and depth is considerably higher than MY aux jack. Although I will admit if I find one reaosnably that pays the fee for one of the more losless codecs Ill probably upgrade. But honestly it depends on your source, if youre using MP3s then its kind of moot anyway as those are lossy compressed even beyond the AAC streams.

[solo118]

Does Combox work on an '08 e92 that has 6FL option (has hifi system)? Or only for LCI models?

[Amtrak98]

Originally Posted by freakystyly

Correct me if I'm wrong but doesn't the bluetooth codec reduce quality by default?

How does sound quality compare by bypassing the aux?

I have harman kardon in my e90 and the sound quality is stellar. It's beyond amazing

[solo118]

Originally Posted by ryan stewart

Those things sound like butt compared to something that integrates into the optical circuit. I know because I had one of those for years before getting something like this:

https://www.ebay.com/p/2299505131

Which is vastly superior.

Was the install easy? I am getting mixed reviews here, and looking for something plug & play

[Amtrak98]

Originally Posted by solo118

Does Combox work on an '08 e92 that has 6FL option? Or only for LCI models?

This would be for an LCI system with CIC. Pre LCI will have CCC.

[Amtrak98]

Originally Posted by solo118

Was the install easy? I am getting mixed reviews here, and looking for something plug & play

This is literally plug and play and as OEM as you can get, which is what I wanted. And integrates fully in to your existing nav screen. None of that cheap aftermarket stuff. No mixed reviews on this post because in the only one that has done the retrofit on this thread. I don't have anything to do with all these eBay Amazon links for cheap. Go in the trunk, unplug some connections from your old TCU, mount your combox, install them in to the combox and the new harness you have, then bimmer tech does the coding remotely. They give you all the instructions and if there is ever an issue they walk you through everything step by step. I had one connection plugged in wrong and we went through the entire process on Skype until we found my mistake. They even send you pictures of how all the connections are supposed to look. Could take about an hour max.

[ryan stewart]

Originally Posted by solo118

Was the install easy? I am getting mixed reviews here, and looking for something plug & play

Its not as simple as plugging into an aux jack but its easy by my standard. you pop out the head unit and it comes with its own fiber cables and clips to put itself in the chain. I then just zip tied and used some 3M VHB two sided tape to strap it down in the open space behind the head unit. Im not using the USB ports or anything, just bluetooth, so I didnt need it someplace I could access it.

then, in theory, you would need to code to enable the CD changer because this device just takes over its slot in the chain of fiber optic devices that can be connected but mine just recognized it as a CD changer when I restarted the car. So when I want bluetooth audio I just have to set my source to CDC from the audio button. I have the emergency call button on my roof but not the service so maybe it replaced that in the chain, nobody knows since I only used that button once since I had the car (and was disappointed in the service anyway).

I do recall flipping a switch on the device before stashing it to disable its phone functionality, so it only handles media. That way my phone connects to the regular BMW phone bluetooth module so the phone button works and the phone book shows on the dash.

Being said Ive kind of forgot about it all. I did it a couple of years ago and havent touched anything. Havent used a CD or the aerial since, when I get in the car and start it the bluetooth receiver connects and auto-starts whatever playlist was last active in my phone and I use my steering wheel to FFW/RW. The song shows up on the head unit.

[ctuna]

All bluetooth streaming reduces fidelity .
The Aptex codec is suppose to be better but you have
to have it in both the transmitter and the receiver.

The BMW aux is a disaster.
some people try to make it better by using a headphone DAC

You can only install the Combox for streaming music if you have
the newer idrive with the correct software in the idrive.

There are endless threads on what people have tried on the
E90post stereo sub forum.
Like this one
http://www.e90post.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1002984

[solo118]

Originally Posted by ryan stewart

Its not as simple as plugging into an aux jack but its easy by my standard. you pop out the head unit and it comes with its own fiber cables and clips to put itself in the chain. I then just zip tied and used some 3M VHB two sided tape to strap it down in the open space behind the head unit. Im not using the USB ports or anything, just bluetooth, so I didnt need it someplace I could access it.

then, in theory, you would need to code to enable the CD changer because this device just takes over its slot in the chain of fiber optic devices that can be connected but mine just recognized it as a CD changer when I restarted the car. So when I want bluetooth audio I just have to set my source to CDC from the audio button. I have the emergency call button on my roof but not the service so maybe it replaced that in the chain, nobody knows since I only used that button once since I had the car (and was disappointed in the service anyway).

I do recall flipping a switch on the device before stashing it to disable its phone functionality, so it only handles media. That way my phone connects to the regular BMW phone bluetooth module so the phone button works and the phone book shows on the dash.

Being said Ive kind of forgot about it all. I did it a couple of years ago and havent touched anything. Havent used a CD or the aerial since, when I get in the car and start it the bluetooth receiver connects and auto-starts whatever playlist was last active in my phone and I use my steering wheel to FFW/RW. The song shows up on the head unit.

Great thank you! I really wanted the ebay box, and this seems very straightforward. I will look up which switches turn off the phone function as the car has BT built in already so it will be purely for media (I will use USB so I can charge and play media from one place)

Glad to hear steering wheel controls work as well, that is key!

[solo118]

Originally Posted by ctuna

All bluetooth streaming reduces fidelity .
The Aptex codec is suppose to be better but you have
to have it in both the transmitter and the receiver.

The BMW aux is a disaster.
some people try to make it better by using a headphone DAC

You can only install the Combox for streaming music if you have
the newer idrive with the correct software in the idrive.

There are endless threads on what people have tried on the
E90post stereo sub forum.
Like this one
http://www.e90post.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1002984

Thank you for confirming my suspicion, that combox can only be used with CIC idrive. My car is pre-LCI with no i-drive at all.