[steker]

Originally Posted by AlbertoSONIC

Yeah I have the very same issue. I have to raise the volume to hear the call, then to quicky turn it down or the music blows my ears.. didn't have time to think about a solution, though

OK, so it must be a software setting in the IDCORE unit. I suspect the volume knob just changes the volume of the AUX output and therefore doesn’t affect the software volume of the call in comparison to the media volume. So I’m afraid we will need a software update for that.

Do you by the way also sometimes get that people hear themselves when they are on a call with you?

[steker]

Originally Posted by AlbertoSONIC

I found a bug, but I don't know if it's just me or not. If you scroll a list (like a song list) too fast, the scroll goes crazy and starts moving upwards. It happens with the idrive controller but not with the steering wheel control wheel. Have you noticed it too?

Which app are you using? Spotify, Apple Music? Does it also happen in your contacts list or only with music?

[AlbertoSONIC]

Originally Posted by steker

Which app are you using? Spotify, Apple Music? Does it also happen in your contacts list or only with music?

It happens in every list. So this means a song list, a contacts list, also the characters list (keyboard) for searching a place on google maps

[steker]

Originally Posted by AlbertoSONIC

It happens in every list. So this means a song list, a contacts list, also the characters list (keyboard) for searching a place on google maps

I checked, I have the same behaviour. So known bugs for Unique's unit at this moment are:

- No signal issue on very rare occasions
- Call volume is much lower than media volume
- In a call the caller sometimes hears themselves echoing very loudly
- If you twist the iDrive controller too quickly clock wise, the cursor will go up instead of down

[ooshnoo]

Curious what type of AUX cables you guys are using and if you are simply plugging into the quad-lock or running the AUX cable to the center console?

I'm thinking of trying the center console port with a high quality cable but am not going to hold my breath for better audio.

Hopefully I'll be pleasantly surprised.
steker
AlbertoSONIC

[Kraftwerk]

I continue to run my audio through BMW Bluetooth and just use CarPlay for the interface. I don't connect to CarPlay Bluetooth.

[theblues]

Has anyone used iDrive USB dock connector while using Carplay?

[grahamrb]

Anyone have an info on shipping? I ordered a week ago and haven't heard anything other than the order confirmation. I've tried their online chat and have just dropped them an email.

[Kraftwerk]

Originally Posted by grahamrb

Anyone have an info on shipping? I ordered a week ago and haven't heard anything other than the order confirmation. I've tried their online chat and have just dropped them an email.

When I ordered they emailed me the next day to confirm my VIN. Once confirmed, the unit arrived approximately one week later.

[ooshnoo]

I just tired something...I put my phone in Airplane mode so it wouldn't connect to CarPlay. I then connected my phone to the car via the AUX cable and connected it to the AUX port in the center console.

Low and behold the audio sounds great...not muffled and washed out like it sounds through the UAD CarPlay box. Wired CarPlay still sounds crappy too.

I have yet to open the dashboard and connect the AUX cable directly from the CarPlay box to the AUX jack in the console but I suspect it won't make a difference as the sound will still be coming from the box itself.

If it's still sounds like crap, I will contact UAD.

[Kraftwerk]

Originally Posted by ooshnoo

I just tired something...I put my phone in Airplane mode so it wouldn't connect to CarPlay. I then connected my phone to the car via the AUX cable and connected it to the AUX port in the center console.

Low and behold the audio sounds great...not muffled and washed out like it sounds through the UAD CarPlay box. Wired CarPlay still sounds crappy too.

I have yet to open the dashboard and connect the AUX cable directly from the CarPlay box to the AUX jack in the console but I suspect it won't make a difference as the sound will still be coming from the box itself.

If it's still sounds like crap, I will contact UAD.

If you just play audio through BMW Bluetooth you won't have a problem with sound and you don't have worry about the AUX connection.

[ooshnoo]

Originally Posted by Kraftwerk

If you just play audio through BMW Bluetooth you won't have a problem with sound and you don't have worry about the AUX connection.

Well yeah.. of course, that's obvious. But this prevents full use of the CarPlay box as it doesn't allow for Siri for listening to messages and map directions as those are delivered via AUX

[theblues]

Originally Posted by ooshnoo

Well yeah.. of course. But this prevents full use of the CarPlay box as it doesn't allow for Siri for listening to messages and map directions as those are delivered via AUX

How about iDrive USB?

I get it would be no more wireless, but I wonder if the combination would work.

[ooshnoo]

Originally Posted by theblues

How about iDrive USB?

I get it would be no more wireless, but I wonder if the combination would work.

I'm going to be playing with it later today and see what I can come up with, but I'm not going to hold my breath. I just can't get over how much better standard AUX is compared to what the box is outputting.

My goal is to use carplay exclusively and not rely on anything from iDrive, and the tgerrible audio is the only thing keeping me from doing it.

[steker]

Originally Posted by ooshnoo

I'm going to be playing with it later today and see what I can come up with, but I'm not going to hold my breath. I just can't get over how much better standard AUX is compared to what the box is outputting.

My goal is to use carplay exclusively and not rely on anything from iDrive, and the tgerrible audio is the only thing keeping me from doing it.

It would be great if UAD will be able to deliver better audio through a software update, but I expect it's hardware related.

And very true, life in full CarPlay mode is much better than the hybrid situation. In the hybrid situation CarPlay has more issues connecting as Bluetooth needs to be paired with iDrive, steering wheel controls are messed up as they control both iDrive and CarPlay at the same time, you can't get audio from anything CarPlay related, etc.

I just messed around with the equalisers a lot and I'm happy with it now. It's not 100% the same, but 90% is still worth it.

[ooshnoo]

Originally Posted by steker

I just messed around with the equalisers a lot and I'm happy with it now. It's not 100% the same, but 90% is still worth it.

Am I correct in that you can only use the EQ presets they provide, or is there some magical way to adjust each frequency that I haven't found yet?

[steker]

Originally Posted by ooshnoo

Am I correct in that you can only use the EQ presets they provide, or is there some magical way to adjust each frequency that I haven't found yet?

It's sadly only those presets. I've got the CarPlay equaliser set to Classic and then played a lot with the iDrive equaliser, the AUX volume and treble / bass settings. By default there is far too much bass and it's too heavy on the lows, so it's mostly just finding the right balance and getting more detail back in the music.

I played the same Spotify song via Bluetooth in iDrive and then kept comparing it to CarPlay playback of the same song and kept tweaking till I was sort of happy.

[ooshnoo]

Originally Posted by steker

It's sadly only those presets. I've got the CarPlay equaliser set to Classic and then played a lot with the iDrive equaliser, the AUX volume and treble / bass settings. By default there is far too much bass and it's too heavy on the lows, so it's mostly just finding the right balance and getting more detail back in the music.

I played the same Spotify song via Bluetooth in iDrive and then kept comparing it to CarPlay playback of the same song and kept tweaking till I was sort of happy.

Would you mind sharing a pic of your IDrive EQ settings? I'm at my wits end.

[Kraftwerk]

Originally Posted by ooshnoo

Well yeah.. of course, that's obvious. But this prevents full use of the CarPlay box as it doesn't allow for Siri for listening to messages and map directions as those are delivered via AUX

Interesting. I don't really use Siri but map directions are definitely being played through BMW Bluetooth while using CarPlay

[ooshnoo]

Ok, so just as I thought...my experiment of running a high quality AUX cable from the CarPlay box to the AUX port in the center console didn't work...it still sounded crappy, as it should since the sound is still being processed by whatever piece of shit DAC chip UAD used. I thought maybe I'd get lucky. Oh well...

[steker]

Originally Posted by ooshnoo

Ok, so just as I thought...my experiment of running a high quality AUX cable from the CarPlay box to the AUX port in the center console didn't work...it still sounded crappy, as it should since the sound is still being processed by whatever piece of shit DAC chip UAD used. I thought maybe I'd get lucky. Oh well...

So now we are a 100% sure that the audio chip in the IDCORE unit is just bad. In the beginning I thought maybe it had to do with the Bluetooth chip as they said they updated the audio chip to a higher quality.... But I guess this is it then.

I will take some photos of the equaliser settings I'm using. But have you tried the Classic IDCORE equaliser and then tweaking the iDrive equaliser while playing music from CarPlay? You can get pretty close once you lower the lows and heighten the mids and highs.

[kris1973]

Is the option of attaching this box to CIC? I have F34 from 2013.12 and I have cic there (HU_CICHB that's how the Bimmercode app shows up as I enter the headunit) and I would like to run it.