Zemex Bluetooth for factory HU?

[MrAdventure]

In my search on eBay for bluetooth for my ZHP, I came across this product

http://www.ebay.com/itm/ZEMEX-Bluetooth-Hands-free-V3-1-for-BMW-3er-E46-AUX-MP3-iPhone-40-PIN-/131678487477?hash=item1ea8a643b5:g:WLYAAOSwstxVSlK B&vxp=mtr

Zemex is a German company. Never heard of them before searching. This unit plugs into the BMW CD changer port connection of the factory wiring harness/stock head unit. Supposedly it supports A2DP and ID3 text info. It appears to be similar to the Dice/Audiovox Mediabridge. Comes with a Microphone for calling, too.

Has anyone ever heard of this company, let along bought any of their equipment? I'm really curious, considering that the delivered price is under $150, and appears to be plug and play.

[ELCID86]

Hmm interesting. Never seen it before.

[Johnmadd]

Somebody needs to see if it any good, it sure sounds nice.

[fw_fw]

Looking at ebay Germany there seems to be 2 different models, one for regular BMW radio, one for factory NAV. Investigating as we speak......

[fw_fw]

Okay, looking it over seems to be a quality unit, made in Germany and Europe. I'll be the guinea pig and keep everyone informed!

[fw_fw]

Here is some more compatibility info for those who are interested in terms of which model to get:

25709

[CarbonZHP]

May buy the one for nav. Anyone think differently?

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[slater]

very cool - i don't want to move away from the business CD so this thing looks perfect! curious to see how you like it, frank - i will order after you get yours setup and tested. :)

:cheers

PS - interestingly enough, they will ship to the US but not to canada. weird.

[CarbonZHP]

Order placed

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[anandoc]

Looking at the eBay link that OP posted - how is this different from the GROM units? GROM (behind-dash or in-trunk units) support BT, USB, iPod and AUX inputs.

[slater]

Looking at the eBay link that OP posted - how is this different from the GROM units? GROM (behind-dash or in-trunk units) support BT, USB, iPod and AUX inputs.

no idea, got a link? never heard of them before...

[Rovert]

Here you go!

http://gromaudio.com/store/all-bmwt.html

[anandoc]

Here you go!

http://gromaudio.com/store/all-bmwt.html

Thanks!!


no idea, got a link? never heard of them before...

I have been using this since I bought my car with a USB stick full of MP3s without any issues. The song info embedded within the MP3 file is displayed on the business CD screen and I can use the steering controls to switch songs, folders etc. The installation was extremely simple - the GROM unit plugs into the CD changer harness in the trunk and then I ran the USB cable from the trunk unit to my dash area. Ayan also had the same unit in his ZHP.

[slater]

Here you go!

http://gromaudio.com/store/all-bmwt.html

cool, thanks trevor... those are all trunk-mounted units. i don't have the CD changer prep in my car (which is awesome as i get a TON more trunk space!), so those units won't work for me. looks like the zemex unit is the ticket!



I have been using this since I bought my car with a USB stick full of MP3s without any issues. The song info embedded within the MP3 file is displayed on the business CD screen and I can use the steering controls to switch songs, folders etc. The installation was extremely simple - the GROM unit plugs into the CD changer harness in the trunk and then I ran the USB cable from the trunk unit to my dash area. Ayan also had the same unit in his ZHP.

cool. but, alas... i don't have that harness...

[anandoc]

cool, thanks trevor... those are all trunk-mounted units. i don't have the CD changer prep in my car (which is awesome as i get a TON more trunk space!), so those units won't work for me. looks like the zemex unit is the ticket!



You don't need to have the CD changer harness in the trunk. You can go with the GROM unit which mounts behind the HU in the dash. Here is a link:

http://gromaudio.com/store/usb_adapters/bmw_mini_98-06_usb_bluetooth_android_ipod_car_kit_-_behind_the_radio.html

[slater]

You don't need to have the CD changer harness in the trunk. You can go with the GROM unit which mounts behind the HU in the dash. Here is a link:

http://gromaudio.com/store/usb_adapters/bmw_mini_98-06_usb_bluetooth_android_ipod_car_kit_-_behind_the_radio.html

cool, but it's another $50 to get the bluetooth option! that's almost twice what the zemex one is (found one for $118).

[MrAdventure]

cool, but it's another $50 to get the bluetooth option! that's almost twice what the zemex one is (found one for $118).

Yeah, that kind of ruins the Grom one, for me.

I had a Dice/Audiovox Mediabridge in my last car, and was glad to see it go. I left it the old car for a couple reasons - random Bluetooth streaming dropouts, noisy scrolling text (which I disabled), and its annoying habit of reconnecting the Bluetooth any time I touched the phone and wasn't playing or streaming music. Few seconds later, it'd proudly announce "Phone Linked'

[slater]

Yeah, that kind of ruins it, for me. I had a Dice/Audiovox Mediabridge in my last car, and was glad to see it go. I left it the old car for a couple reasons - random Bluetooth streaming dropouts, noisy scrolling text (which I disabled), and its annoying habit of reconnecting the Bluetooth any time I touched the phone and wasn't playing or streaming music. Few seconds later, it'd proudly announce "Phone Linked'

yeah, that's not the kind of stuff i want to be dealing with.

i just installed a blaupunkt san diego 530 in the tank. it's a double-din unit with nav, bluetooth, etc. a review i read said this: "finally, a stereo for adults." couldn't agree more, it is clean, simple, basic, and works. i don't like flashy. which is kinda why i like the idea of the zemex unit, so i can keep the stock business CD...

[az3579]

Yeah, that kind of ruins it, for me. I had a Dice/Audiovox Mediabridge in my last car, and was glad to see it go. I left it the old car for a couple reasons - random Bluetooth streaming dropouts, noisy scrolling text (which I disabled), and its annoying habit of reconnecting the Bluetooth any time I touched the phone and wasn't playing or streaming music. Few seconds later, it'd proudly announce "Phone Linked'

Yeah but DICE units are known to be flaky. They are notorious for it, actually.

My Dension Gateway 300 was phenomenal - rock solid operation/stability.

[CarbonZHP]

Something just occurred to me with this Zemex unit i bought. Which E46 Navs have the round pins and which have the flat pins? I know there is a difference. Amazon has the flat pin connector, but looks like the one I bought is round

[GotZHP]

Glad I came across this thread. I would eventually like to get a nexus 7 as my HU, but don't have the funds at the moment and would rather buy suspension parts now anyways. The GROM unit looks really nice, but is a bit more pricey.

For those who order the Zemex, let me know how you like it.

Carbon - If you get the right connectors, let me know when its up and running.

[CarbonZHP]

Gotchu

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[GotZHP]

Gotchu

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Thanks Mang. Having bluetooth in the car would be so clutch for work purposes. So many phone conferences where I rarely say anything, but have to chime in once in awhile. Half the company in based on the East Coast, so when they do things early in the morning, its really early morning here.

[fw_fw]

Looks like my Memorial Day project has arrived, should be able to get to it Sunday afternoon & Monday, write-up to follow:

25979

[CarbonZHP]

Radio or nav? I'll be doing mine next weekend hopefully

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[fw_fw]

Radio or nav? I'll be doing mine next weekend hopefully

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Radio unit in mine, also have the Bimmian mount to go with it.

[slater]

Looks like my Memorial Day project has arrived, should be able to get to it Sunday afternoon & Monday, write-up to follow:

25979

excellent, curious to see how it goes and what you think!

[GotZHP]

Cool

Looking forward to that write up. Especially now that I have a 12" subwoofer and a 1200 watt amp sitting in my living room :)

[CarbonZHP]

Well I'll be attempting nav so we can get a good grip on this early

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[MrAdventure]

I wonder how it'd behave with a nav head unit. Can you just buy a factory nav unit by itself or do you need the DVD trunk unit, too?

[fw_fw]

I wonder how it'd behave with a nav head unit. Can you just buy a factory nav unit by itself or do you need the DVD trunk unit, too?

CarbonZHP has the NAV version coming in....stay tuned!

[CarbonZHP]

Yep. My first curiosity is what kind of connector I have on the back. I know there are round or flat pin types, but I read that flat is mostly not in this country. Haven't pulled it apart to find out yet, since unclipping the stock nav is so difficult

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[GotZHP]

Carbon,

has your Zemex shown up yet or still waiting?

[CarbonZHP]

Delivered but I'm not home until Tuesday. Then I won't be installing until the weekend

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[GotZHP]

Delivered but I'm not home until Tuesday. Then I won't be installing until the weekend

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Cool. I got a project for next weekend as well. I may ask for the Zemex unit for my birthday so keep me posted

[fw_fw]

Okay, hooked it up just to test it out, not permanently mounted. Mine is the non-NAV radio install. impression so far:

Installation instructions: Useless. Absolutely nothing about how to hook it up. Instructions in German only, but not an issue for me as I'm 100% fluent. However, overall hookup of harness is identical to other units like a GROM, so look at online DIYs to figure out. The small 10 pin connector is not keyed, so only got it to work via trial & error.

Could not get USB iPod interface to work. Tried iPod Classic and iPhone 6S. iPod Classic detected it was plugged in, no playback. iPhone showed the Power connection going off/on every 5 seconds.

Bluetooth (HFP/A2DP): Works. Sound quality quite good, both HFP and Music. Forward/backward buttons work on the dash & steering wheel. Radio display shows CDC 5 and some random track info. No phone numbers shown or other info on display. DICE unit shows more. There may be more things that can be done thru the UI, will check some German enthusiast sites for more info as the reviews there were quite high on the Zemex. I'll post back in a few days when I get it completely installed and play with it some more.

Initial Verdict: Would not recommend. Due to the hassle of returning it to Germany I'm keeping mine as an interim solution until the next-gen AVIN & Dynavins come out. Will use it as BT only, mounting the phone on a Bimmian mount for visibility.

[BMWCurves]

Thanks for following up. Do you have a BMW aux input? If so, how does the BT sound compare to it, quality-wise?

[fw_fw]

Thanks for following up. Do you have a BMW aux input? If so, how does the BT sound compare to it, quality-wise?

No, don't have the BMW Aux. Comparing CD MP3 (320k) of the same song with one via A2DP they sound identical to my ears.

[CarbonZHP]

Discouraging

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[fw_fw]

Alright, fully installed in my car. Since the installation method was identical to the one in this thread I won't bore y'all with that:

Dice Mediabridge Install (http://www.zhpmafia.com/forums/showthread.php?242-DIY-Dice-Mediabridge-Radio-Interface-for-BMW-E46)

I mounted the microphone behind the factory spot in the overhead console and ran the cable down the passenger side A-pillar. Mounted the Zemex unit behind the glovebox, the cable harness has plenty of reach to get there from the back of the factory radio.

Never could get the USB iPod connection to work, tried 2 different iPods and an iPhone 6S. Oh well, was more interested in the HFP/A2DP functionality anyway.

The unit works thru the CD Changer input. Turning on the ID3 tag text of the Radio it shows "AUX GW" in A2DP mode "HFP". Takes about 10 seconds before the stream starts, after it gets going the sound is as good as a CD. Forward/Backward on the radio and steering wheel works, that about it for controls and UI.
UPDATE: Turned off the ID3 tag text, as with the Zemex it would not show the time on the radio for more than 2 seconds. Much rather see the time than a constant "AUX GW".....

Mounted my iPhone on a Bimmian mount with a Proclip holder. It is close enough mounted for easy use, allowing for music/phone/nav/siri control on the phone itself.

Still stand by my initial verdict: Would not recommend as functionality is higher with other units, even if their reliability is lacking based upon other reviews across all the forums. It will work for me for now, I will re-evaluate once the next gen Dynavin & AVIN units are out.

[GotZHP]

Bummer to hear the Zemex is not as capable as we all were hoping for.

I am thinking for now I am just going to get the Aux input retro fit. I really like the grom unit, but the aux input is 1/10th the price and will work for now.

@fw_fw , Do you have a link or part # for your phone mount? I could use one. I kind of just wedge my samsung s5 active into the cup holder. Works to hold it in place but is not the great place for it. I really only run Waze with alerts on while driving to help identify Cops on the road.

[fw_fw]

Bummer to hear the Zemex is not as capable as we all were hoping for.

I am thinking for now I am just going to get the Aux input retro fit. I really like the grom unit, but the aux input is 1/10th the price and will work for now.

@fw_fw , Do you have a link or part # for your phone mount? I could use one. I kind of just wedge my samsung s5 active into the cup holder. Works to hold it in place but is not the great place for it. I really only run Waze with alerts on while driving to help identify Cops on the road.

Sure, the Bimmian mount:

https://bimmian.com/Accessories-for-BMW/Lifestyle-and-Convenience/Organization-and-Storage/Mobile-Dash-Mount/

The Proclip phone holder:

http://www.proclipusa.com

Just pick out the phone and case on Proclip's site. I would not use their mount, the Bimmian one for the E46 is better IMO. All you then need is 4 #8 machine screws and some matching locknuts to mount the phone holder to the mount.

[GotZHP]

Sure, the Bimmian mount:

https://bimmian.com/Accessories-for-BMW/Lifestyle-and-Convenience/Organization-and-Storage/Mobile-Dash-Mount/

The Proclip phone holder:

http://www.proclipusa.com

Just pick out the phone and case on Proclip's site. I would not use their mount, the Bimmian one for the E46 is better IMO. All you then need is 4 #8 machine screws and some matching locknuts to mount the phone holder to the mount.

Thanks :cheers

[MrAdventure]

Alright, fully installed in my car. Since the installation method was identical to the one in this thread I won't bore y'all with that:

Dice Mediabridge Install (http://www.zhpmafia.com/forums/showthread.php?242-DIY-Dice-Mediabridge-Radio-Interface-for-BMW-E46)
The unit works thru the CD Changer input. Turning on the ID3 tag text of the Radio it shows "GW AUX" in A2DP mode "HFP". Takes about 10 seconds before the stream starts, after it gets going the sound is as good as a CD. Forward/Backward on the radio and steering wheel works, that about it for controls and UI.


So no actual song title/text? Damn. The Mediabridge would do that.

[fw_fw]

So no actual song title/text? Damn. The Mediabridge would do that.

Exactly.....

[CarbonZHP]

For my purpose it sounds great. Right price point. All I need is reliable Bluetooth audio and calls.

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[GotZHP]

Blue tooth would be clutch for work purposes. It is significantly cheaper than the GROM unit. And once you add the bluetooth function to the Grom unit, you are entering Head Unit territory when it comes to $$$.

Anyone know how much it would cost to put the factory NAV unit in?

[CarbonZHP]

Might want to search around. I feel that would be quite difficult with the trunk wiring

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[CarbonZHP]

Follow up. For the price I'd just get a nice aftermarket nav

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[oclvframe]

Follow up. For the price I'd just get a nice aftermarket nav

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The Dynavin N6 is pretty sweet.

-r

[GotZHP]

The Dynavin N6 is pretty sweet.

-r

Whats the price tag?

Plan is to just get by with stock system. Was figuring I could pick up a stock nav for cheap that someone replaced. Adding the Zemex was the plan, but thinking just Aux now.

[MrAdventure]

The Dynavin N6, Avin Avant-2 and the Eonon GA5150F are aging, and are due for a refresh. Avin's the only announced one, which was why I was investigating this.

For now, I'm going to stick with the Jabra BT / FM transmitter I have, and I'm going to wait it out for the others, I guess.

[oclvframe]

The Dynavin N6, Avin Avant-2 and the Eonon GA5150F are aging, and are due for a refresh. Avin's the only announced one, which was why I was investigating this.

For now, I'm going to stick with the Jabra BT / FM transmitter I have, and I'm going to wait it out for the others, I guess.

I would agree that it may very well be time for an updated Dynavin....they do seem to get better with each update. That being said, I love ours.....

-r

[CarbonZHP]

Finally looked through mine today. Harness looks very good. Unit itself is light. Good quality. Instructions are all German but plugging something in is self explanatory. I'll need translation for Bluetooth pairing and phone operation

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[fw_fw]

Finally looked through mine today. Harness looks very good. Unit itself is light. Good quality. Instructions are all German but plugging something in is self explanatory. I'll need translation for Bluetooth pairing and phone operation

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Pairing is easy, my phone said "Headset" as available BT source. Selected it, gave it number 8888 to pair. After pairing it shows up as Zemex8xxxx in your list. It will not automatically swap the radio to CDC mode when a call comes in. If you are in CDC mode and listening to audio it will automatically swap from A2DP to HFP, and you will hear ringing on the car's speaker.

[CarbonZHP]

Just installed. Plugged in to the nav computer in the trunk. CDC shows up, but no audio is coming through. Phone pairs. No audio for media or calls. Any quick suggestions would be appreciated

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[fw_fw]

Just installed. Plugged in to the nav computer in the trunk. CDC shows up, but no audio is coming through. Phone pairs. No audio for media or calls. Any quick suggestions would be appreciated

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How have you got the little ten pin plug plugged in?? On mine it went to the innermost ten pin socket, with the three wires towards the center of the HU. It will plug into the back several ways, but only one way will produce sound.

[CarbonZHP]

10pin? I'm doing this nav, and everything from my harnesses is plugged in. There is only one large connector and then the connector to the unit

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[fw_fw]

10pin? I'm doing this nav, and everything from my harnesses is plugged in. There is only one large connector and then the connector to the unit

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That's right, you got the NAV version, I got the regular version.....plugs are different. Mine had a 17pin with a small 10 pin next to it.

Thinking back, the one thing I had to do on the head unit was hit the forward button on the HU once or twice for the first track to start playing the first time around.

[CarbonZHP]

The buttons on the head unit work to control the songs on the phone. Just no audio. I tried scrolling through tracks. Also it will only stay on CDC 5-whatever

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[sillieidiot]

what phone are you using the pair? try using another phone? could be just your phone.

[CarbonZHP]

Mines Android. Tried an iPhone. Also aux through the unit. Didn't work. I'd be willing to try another unit but only if I can get a refund if it doesn't work and I'm not paying Germany shipping for the broken unit

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[GotZHP]

Man, sorry to hear it isnt working out Carbon. I am going to cheap out and just by the OE aux input for now.

[fw_fw]

Mine also stays on CDC 5, so that's consistent. Let me ask the obvious question: have you raised the bluetooth volume on the phone? Besides that sounds like everything else is working right. I'd send Zemex a message, even though they are a German company they should be able to help in English....

[CarbonZHP]

I tried absolutely everything. Even fiddled with the connection in the trunk and rebooting and everything. It all worked correctly with the exception of any audio. I submitted a return request but they can't provide me return shipping to it said to contact them

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[MrAdventure]

Do you see any text crop up on the display at all? If not, my bet is there's something wrong with the audio cable from the unit back to the CD Changer connection.