[Taxvictim]

I have a Bluetooth headset to use when driving. It would be cool to upgrade my head unit to run the phone through the stereo with a mike by the visor. The cost would be $250 installed. For you guys who use an integrated Bluetooth set up for your phone, do you think it's worth $250 to go that route over a simple earpiece?

[xquizitdjx]

The factory installed bluetooth works great and I love it. its nice not to worry about dealing with having a ear piece (putting it in while in the car or battery) It all depends how much you talk on the phone while driving. I wouldn't want to own a car with out factory installed bluetooth or some sort now that I have had it. So I would pay the money to have the feature if I was in your shoes.

[Noxious_]

I love mine and use it every day. But i find the OEM mic to be garbage. $250 is alot though. If it works with the steering wheel controls and it will support voice control Id go for it.

[Taxvictim]

I should have clarified: this is an Alpine head unit, so it's not the BMW Bluetooth. The other advantage might be that installing the Bluetooth feature on the headunit will play streaming music from any device that can transmit in Bluetooth. That's not something I have now, but it might be a good selling feature in a few years.

Still, $250 is still a lot.

[fdriller9]

So you have an aftermarket HU?

I love my bluetooth...I can see my address book in my iDrive which is nice.

I also have bluetooth streaming to my AUX port via a Blackberry Stereo Gateway and I use it everytime I get into my car.

Although lately I've realized that any static in songs becomes very noticeable. Only happens with a few songs though....probably just a low quality MP3.

Anyway, $250 is kinda steep. Does the unit integrate the phone book, etc? If it does I would definitely get it. I love getting into my car and not having to plug anything in. Just select a song and go.

[Taxvictim]

Originally Posted by *********

So you have an aftermarket HU?

...

I love getting into my car and not having to plug anything in. Just select a song and go.

Yes, it's an aftermarket Alpine. For music, this system has an integrated iPod plug in the center armrest. A 120GB iPod classic stays in the car at all times, and I can select from 8,400 tracks by artist, title, or playlist through the head unit. So I don't need the Bluetooth to play music from my phone because any tracks on my phone are already on the iPod.

Another way to phrase the question would be this: If someone said they would give you $250 to replace your integrated Bluetooth with an earpiece, would you take the cash and give up the phone system?

[VP Electricity]

I'm pretty sure that Bluetooth earpieces are really contraceptive.

And I wouldn't put an aftermarket HU in my car, and I'm in the car audio business.

$250 is a lot? Seriously? Adding OEM BT is $700 from bimmernav, WITHOUT the microphone:

http://www.bimmernav.com/store/catal...-item-182.html

We install Mobridge kits for around $800 with a mike, and coding, if needed, is additional.

[Taxvictim]

Originally Posted by VP Electricity

And I wouldn't put an aftermarket HU in my car, and I'm in the car audio business.

We install Mobridge kits for around $800 with a mike, and coding, if needed, is additional.

My 328Xi had the lowest level stock audio system. It sounded terrible compared to the stock Infiniti/Maxima Bose units I was used to for the past decade. I yanked the whole BMW setup and replaced the head unit, amp, and all speakers. The iPod feature alone was worth getting rid of the stock head unit. But, then again, you're obviously much smarter than I am since you're in the business, so there must have been a lot of things I missed when making that decision.

[VP Electricity]

Originally Posted by Taxvictim

My 328Xi had the lowest level stock audio system. It sounded terrible compared to the stock Infiniti/Maxima Bose units I was used to for the past decade. I yanked the whole BMW setup and replaced the head unit, amp, and all speakers. The iPod feature alone was worth getting rid of the stock head unit. But, then again, you're obviously much smarter than I am since you're in the business, so there must have been a lot of things I missed when making that decision.

Oh, stop. I didn't say "I won't change it because I'm smarter than you", I just said I wouldn't do it. I didn't say you were stupid for doing it.

My system in my 07 328 was HiFi - the lowest available in the US at the time - and it was horrible, and I upgraded it completely, and I've helped a lot of other people do the same. I just didn't change the head unit.

[tafan321]

Yeah, he didn't say he's smarter than you. He said "You wack, you're twisted, your girl's a hoe,
You're broke, the kid ain't yours, and e'rybody know"

[Taxvictim]

Originally Posted by tafan321

Yeah, he didn't say he's smarter than you. He said "You wack, you're twisted, your girl's a hoe,
You're broke, the kid ain't yours, and e'rybody know"

Yeah, that's what it felt like he said. Sorry, VP, didn't mean to act so put off late it the night. I've appreciated a lot of info you have put in these threads the past few years.

Anyway, if I had the stock head unit I'd still have to carry CD's around. There is an AUX jack available for the stock head unit, but I installed that in my wife's E46, and it's just a headphone jack that goes into the MP3 player. You still have to control the music from the ipod, plus your music is decoded by the 1 bit processor in the ipod. I prefer CD's over that.

With this Alpine head unit, the digital stream is decoded by the Alpine's 24 bit processor. It's just a question of taste and ease of access, I guess.

[VP Electricity]

NP. My earlier point was that something that integrates for $250 is cheap.

Check if your Alpine HU works with the Alpine/Moto or the Alpine/Parrot. The Alpine/Parrot module is the good one and the Moto wasn't so good. Then you need a mike (you want the external mike).

[Taxvictim]

Thank you for that tip. I called the guy and told him to get the parts. It is the Parrot, but it needs some converter plug to work on my head unit.

[BMW.FTW]

it all depends on the quality of the system. i have the OEM bluetooth and it i cant live without it. i would install an aftermarket version if i had too as long as i could test it out before.

[Bslaw83]

i love my bluetooth...think it's amazing and well worth the $250..go for it