Stephen Pitts

I wanted to post this for all CGT user's benefit the following system which I use to connect my iPad Air to provide music and navigation. It significantly improves the sound quality, ease of use and functionality by combining Apple maps navigation with your music. I am sorry I promised to post this much earlier (wanted to get the right photos so I didn't get bombarded with questions), but here it is...

PART I: you need to establish an audio in connection which is done by taking over the CD input on the CD changer on the Becker radio with the device below called Audio Link. (If you don't have this input, you can use the radio input--but this apparently is not as functional). You then can plug any standard mini-jack into it (do NOT put the output volume on your iPad over 70% as the sound gets distorted). However, in PART II, I will show how to significantly improve upon this sound. These photos should hopefully make it clear.

wtdoom

I watch this with great interest , please keep it coming mate . Thank you !

Stephen Pitts

PART II: the real estate on the iPad is so expensive that they cannot put a very high quality Digital-to-Analogue ("D-to-A") converter or a decent head amp. And while there have been some really great D-to-A converters made available, none were really portable, with a great Class A amp, and with enough battery to keep it going for a while. Enter stage left...

CEntrance kindly solved this problem very recently: http://www.hifiplus.com/articles/cen...urce=email-243.

This unit takes over your iPad (through the same cord you would use to connect the iPad to your computer), takes the digital information directly out of it and does an amazingly good D-to-A conversion and then puts that analogue signal through pure Class A amp into your audiolink box. The battery lasts about eight hours (it does not charge your iPad, btw, which is better because you need its battery life for the unit itself). Most importantly, you have seperate impedance, bass, treble and volume settings. I set the first to the lowest and the other two to the middle setting. The volume on the unit is set to about 2/3 around clockwise. THE SOUND IS SO MUCH BETTER. You can actually get real bass and the high end is far clearer; essentially you get a much more linear reproduction of the original music with far more "musicality". It takes a full night to fully recharge the unit by the way.

I use the iMaps with this and so the audio gets interrupted (you can adjust the relative volume in the program) whenever it needs to direct you. Indeed, once you load in a set of directions, the screen can go dark (saving valuable battery power) until you alight on new turn, etc. when it lights up ahead of time and tells you to prepare for it (it gives very good warnings on the freeway to prepare you, etc.). You don't use the 3/4G data function on the SIM card except if you deviate from the planned route and so it needs to recompute the directions; as long as you stay on the chosen path, it only uses the GPS so very little battery consumption. So, with PARTS I & II here, you then can use the iPad Air--the same one you carry around everywhere and update constantly--to provide reall superior sound and a very powerful set of navigation tools. You can add a weather program to help you decide on different routes as well. I.e. the iPad Air now becomes your "infomat" system. I recommend the Tumi black case for it, by the way. I also carry cords and batteries in the little dop kit under the stick shift in case it runs low on batteries, etc. (if you charge it on the go, you then have to plug it into the audiolink directly). The new iPad Air 2 is even much lighter and thinner than the first, so things just keep on getting better...

Sorry I didn't publish this earlier, but I think you will find it significantly improves the functionality and enjoyment of the car. No doubt overtime, the CEntrance unit and the iPad will continue to improve and so this lets you freely upgrade these (you're not locked into the car's "IT" system because you have basically bypassed it). By the way, I have no commercial interest in any of these companies. Just wanted to repay part of the debt I owe to the various contributors here for their very helpful advice and commentary!

Cheers,

Steve

Stephen Pitts

Sure wtdoom! You need a professional electronics person on Part I (obviously) and Part II is fairly self explanatory (well hopefully!). Cheers!

wtdoom

Great stuff , will this work on an iPhone or must it be iPad ?

E-Man

This is great information Stephen, very useful.
Who needs a touch screen (ala 918)anyway! Haha

Stephen Pitts

Sure wtdoom, it works on any such device. iPad, iPhone, etc. I started with an iPad mini (with the black Tumi case) thinking that I would just leave it in the glove department. Silly!

The iPad Air is my day-in day-out iPad I carry everywhere (do all my emails, read all the news articles, plan out vacations, road trips etc. -- whatever you would want to do with it) and I just plug it into the CEntrance to (again) have become my "Informat" system. The iPhone works just as well, I just like a bigger screen for navigation purposes (to see where I am going, etc.). I have the new iPhone 6 (fantastic) and it is certainly bigger and the iPhone 6 Plus is quite big (so maybe it is quite functional this way). I just like the iPad Air (2 now) as it easy to use etc. By the way, you can also have your friends just plug in their iPhones to listen to their music, etc.

As an example of how this allows you to keep up with the electronics revolution, the new "finger" system to unlock the iPhone or iPad is amazing -- you put your finger down in different ways so it learns almost angle (and you can do more than one finger). Before, I had to have a very long password (not even the 4 digit one) to open the iPad up on the road after it locked (which was a pain!) -- now just touch it and wala!! Open Sesame. You can your passenger's finger as well (and later remove it if you want).

This is a true future proof system (until you want the computer to drive your car -- NOT!).


Cheers,

Steve

Stephen Pitts

Yes e-man and I like iMaps so much better than the typical satnav systems. It can tell you a lot more in a lot easier format (you can look at different routes and how much different time they will take, etc.). And it keeps getting better and better... You can also run TomTom on it if you want (huge file) and it looks just like a satnav and warns you about radar spots, etc. I also have the Michelin guide to choose more scenic or recommended routes sometimes, but again I prefer iMaps for driving. And all the same one device you take with you everywhere...

nuvolari612

Great stuff Steve.

Have had the 6 for a little while incredibly smooth.

Stephen Pitts

Last thing to note: this system is far superior to any Bluetooth synching system -- the latter doesn't send enough data fast enough to enable the really high end reproduction of music. (If you doubt this, note that even the new B&O portable player uses wifi or a cable to transmit the digital data from the iPad or IMac -- rather than Bluetooth -- to do the same thing that the CEntrance does here.) There is no question that the Burmeister stereo (918) is more capable than the Bose system (CGT) but you do have a much higher quality input with this system (that I have described above) and the CGT speaker set-up is much more designed around simple stereophonic reproduction (which I prefer) to more of a surround sound effect (please note that I have NOT had the opportunity to hear the 918's system in particular but have heard this type of multi speaker set-up in many other cars). Of course, Bluetooth is more "physically" convenient than a CEntrance box and two cables (and you have to recharge this box). However, given that I find immense joy in listening to some of my favourite albums while blasting a beautiful open road -- well, it's kinda of a magical mix. Give the Who's Quadraphenia a try and you'll see what I mean. Btw, you adjust the volume of this system through the basic volume **** on the CGT stereo. Simple and clean --manual control. Enjoy!!! Cheers, Steve

Stephen Pitts

When its cold, there is a small problem for those who actually went to the effort to install this: there must be a temperature switch in the original CD player that prevents it playing until a certain temperature is reached. I only noticed this during this winter when it suddenly wouldn't work until the interior of the car was heated up. So to get the music playing, I do a very fast heating of the interior and it takes a minute of two. Or you can just drive normally and it will take somewhat longer. Cheers, Steve

dwe8922

Has anyone done anything like this recently? I searched for the CEntrance Audio Link on amazon, and couldn't find it. I have similar device for my '91 NSX, but I don't think it is Becker compatible. In my 430 scuderia, I bought a simple connector from Becker that plugs into where the CD changer would have, and then terminated into a 3.5mm headphone jack. I'm wondering if that same cable might work, since it might be the same connector? I know there is an FM bluetooth transmitter option, but I would prefer to hardwire.... I had one of those long ago, and it was frustrating to use.

smokeygt

Those FM units are much better now.

dwe8922

I talked to Becker, and these are the two ways they currently offer. Both come with the keys to remove the radio. Both plug into where the CD player would have (C3 in the above diagram) so you'll lose the CD player. The bluetooth solution requires power and a ground, and the aux cable doesn't. I ordered the aux cable version since it's been a simple and reliable solution for me for a long time in the scud. It was tempting to try the bluetooth; I think this one runs through the auxillary mode, and not FM though.Aux cable model BAS 1319

https://www.ebay.com/itm/26361252813...sAAOSweW5VDj2q



Bluetooth streaming module model BAS-BLUE.BKR

https://www.ebay.com/itm/25521406706...AAAOSw4CFYzARs



either plugs into the rear of the head unit and is active on the AUX input mode. Aux mode activation instructions are included