It's so simple that it'll work on any car with mono Bluetooth hands free and an audio aux-in.
Here's what my car does:
- - music from iTunes, Spotify or internet radio plays through the RNS-E;
- the music fades out and pauses for incoming/outgoing calls;
- the OEM bluetooth handles the calls exactly as before;
- music comes back on after the calls;
- all while my phone sits in the untampered-with OEM cradle beside the RNS-E unit.
The really important bit that makes this all possible:
iPhones have the ability to stay connected to several slave Bluetooth devices at any one time and choose different devices for different tasks. This ability is key to the slickness of the whole setup. The iPhone uses the OEM mono Bluetooth setup for the phone calls. It uses the new Bluetooth stereo input for the music. I think it's safe to assume android phones, iPads, other tablets can do the same, but I've done this with an iPhone 4S. I've also played music from a Nexus 7.
Here's why the aux-in > stereo Bluetooth receiver > iPhone is better than other solutions:
- - I get to stream music from Spotify (my current favourite music player);
- I can listen to internet radio - BBC 6 Music in my car without a DAB tuner!
- keeping the OEM cradle gives better signal in rural areas;
- the finished effect is OEM and clutter-free - all extra bits are in the glove box;
- the RNS-E and OEM hands-free isn't interfered with;
- It's inexpensive and adaptable to newer devices as and when they come along that output to 3.5mm audio sockets.
Any downsides?
- you need to find a good Bluetooth receiver, but I'll mention more on that a bit further down.
- you can't change tracks using the RNS-E buttons. All functions bar the volume are on the phone screen. I personally thing this is an upside.
- you have to tell the iPhone to connect at the start of each journey. This might be unique to me bluetooth receiver or a consequence of an always-on receiver. There's a shortcut to doing this mentioned further down.
What you need:
1. An AUX IN installed in the glove box. The original part for the RNS-E unit in the B7 RS4s can be bought from the Kufatek website. I dreaded installing it myself so opted for a pro to do it for me. The socket is very neatly installed at the back of the glove box, just to the left of the multi changer. [/list]
2. 12V socket in the glove box. I opted for an always-on socket and the pro put one in adjacent to the aux in. Nothing fancy - just a black socket on a short cable from the audio shop pro's drawer. Apparently they use them a lot when installing bigger sound systems in cars.
3. Bluetooth stereo receiver. I opted for a Belkin model that was inexpensive (£15 off Amazon) and a good one to experiment with. All Bluetooth units are very low power so can be powered off USB.
4. USB car adapter(s). These come in 500mA, 1 amp and 2 amp flavours. Most are of questionable quality! Half an amp was fine for my particular receiver but other stuff such as phones need 1A, tablets/iPads need 2A to charge at normal speed. Easy way to find out: read the small print on the device's 240V mains adapter.
5. 12V multi socket extension Only if you want to do other stuff at the same time in your glove box like charging things: camera batteries, iPads etc.
6. A good quality 3.5mm-3.5mm audio cable This can be a weak link - explained more below.
Things in a bit more detail
Not all Bluetooth stereo is good.
Some Bluetooth devices have superb bluetooth stereo output, some have bad and you won't know until you try. It's a bit of a lottery to be honest. I have a new JamBox portable speaker for holidays and it is superb with an iPhone. There have been several improvements with stereo Bluetooth over time but it's neigh on impossible to know for sure which receiver is best until you try it. If you have a newish phone you can be confident that your receiver is the weak link - proved of course that you've proved to yourself that the 3.5mm cable and the aux-in kit is good.
It might also be worth mentioning that If you find a home Bluetooth receiver that you like but runs off a mains adapter, check the 240V adapter's output. There's a good chance it will be 5V. USB is 5V. Chop the power cable off the adapter and solder it onto a chopped USB cable. Easy peasy.
The Belkin that I've used is cheap as chips. With the engine off, music paused and RNS-E volume high I can hear a background hiss. Turn the engine on or the volume down to levels I want to listen to and the noise isn't perceptible. In day to day use the music quality is on par with music from the SD card with great range and bass. I was pleasantly surprised.
3.5mm audio cables can be hit and miss
Try a few different cables form sound source to the aux in socket. I lost loads of bass with the first one I tried, either a bad connection with the aux-in socket or crappy quality wire. The same wire works fine with other devices so it really threw me. I'm glad I didn't blame the Kufatec kit! With the right audio cable I think the range and noise is equivelent playing off the RNS-E SD slots. I was confident that the setup was good, and the weak link was definitely going to be the Bluetooth streaming.
Choose your USB adapters carefully!
All the blueooth receivers I looked at only need the most basic of USB power outputs (5V/500mA) so no problems there. I'm just going to keep mine turned on all the time day/night for handiness as I can't see 2.5 Watts draining the car battery easily. If you want to charge your iPad or other biggish devices in the glove box you're gonna need more power: all their chargers output 5V/2amps. Big stuff will still charge if plugged into 500mA or 1A USB sockets but at a trickle. The device won't always say tell you that it's charging if connected to low power sources but check the battery percentages and you'll see them go up very slowly.
Other devices will play well too.
I know from experience that the iPhone 3GS has the same multi slave device capabilities as the 4S, although I haven't tried it in this setup. I have also tested it with a Nexus 7 android tablet. Works fine except for a glitch in the Spotify app itself which won't play the next song on the queue if the screen is off. I think this is specific to the Nexus 7.
You can get a shortcut on your home screen direct to Bluetooth where you can choose to connect
This is easy on an android. For iPhone users: if your BT stereo receiver of choice doesn't auto connect, get a homescreen shortcut to the Bluetooth settings page by jailbreaking. Not scary at all. Install an app from the Cydia Store called Homescreen Settings and job's a goodun. If you have no idea how to jailbreak, google 'lifehacker.com jailbreak' and read their Always Up To Date Guide. No more Settings>scroll>General> scroll> Bluetooth for me at the start of every journey. Tap tap done.
The parts that I used
Kutfatec item 37898: AUX IN retrofit kit Audi RNS-E is what you need for a B7 RS4
http://www.kufatec.de/shop/index.php?pa ... &info=1312
Does exactly what it says on the tin. You will have to have your RNS-E coded with a VCDS to see it as a source in the menus. I'm not sure if this is the same for other RNS-E units in other cars.
Three way 12V socket extender
http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B008PMIBGK
Sits very nicely up in the hole where the owners manual is supposed to be. Use adhesive black Velcro spots to stop it moving around.
The Griffin PowerJolt 2 Amp USB adapter is a good quality adapter
http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B003LGT4WU
I bought two just so I can charge a few things at the same time on road trips. My Nexus 7, her phone etc.
The Belkin Bluetooth Music Receiver is cheap as chips and works very well
http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B0037LHUSE
I'm not saying this is the best. It's cheap but it required me to make up a USB cable to power it. At this price I won't feel to bad trying a few others to see which is best but after several hours in the car I think it's a keeper. Only slight downside: this Belkin doesn't automatically connect to the iPhone. Maybe it does when it powers up and down. It pairs without codes and without having to press any buttons on the device itself.
And that's it! Everything you need to know in one overly long post!
Well, probably not everything. Ask me things. Correct me on stuff. Add your ideas.
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I'll insert a photo or two shortly of how things look in the glove box. It's all hidden when shut but I know you lot prefer to look at pictures than to read sometimes.
Stu.
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Vestax32 has come up with his own streamlined version of this setup which he messaged to me plus photos:
He used this:
http://tinyurl.com/cctf4gb
...plugged into this:
http://tinyurl.com/ch8j5t9
...with a good quality cable into this:
http://tinyurl.com/d2kj5zm
This works better for him as he doesn't need to charge/power other things in the glove box. It auto connects on power up.
