Hi folks,
I'm currently in the market for a MINI to replace my '95 Civic. I currently have an aftermarket stereo with a bluetooth connection, and I love having the ability to stream music, pandora, navigation directions, as well as answer calls. From what I understand, MINIs with the bluetooth connection cannot stream music or any other A2DP protocol unless they have MINI Connected. has anyone found an alternative to MINI Connected for A2DP audio? If there's a viable alternative, I might just forget about the factory bluetooth in my purchase criteria.

 

subscribed. I want AD2P on my non connect mini as well.

 

I've found a few options on Amazon:
This just plugs into your 3.5mm aux in jack and is powered by your cigarette lighter plug. It has its own mic. It's the cheapest option I've seen, but based on the price, I can't imagine the call quality will be good, and you have to have your stereo on aux to answer a call.
This one looks really sleek and integrated, but appears to only work with iPhones.
Parrot MKi family This one looks promising as it will hard-wire into your stereo, and there is an add-on module to use the factory wheel buttons. You can get one with a large display, small display, or no display (reads commands to you through the stereo). Most likely not much integration with the factory stereo, and will most likely render your factory bluetooth connection & mic redundant.
DICE Electronics MediaBridge This one seems to offer the most factory integration - steering wheel buttons, displaying music info on the stereo, etc. But, doesn't appear to be compatible with all MINI stereos...yet.

 

If you want Pandora - your only choice is the AUX plug - unless you have connected

However - you can load your music on a USB stick and use that - it is digital and high quality

 

Just got an email from Audiovox, which bought DICE. Looks like 2nd-gen compatibility is in the works.

 

with tune2air you can do pandora, and skip forward.

Im telling you guys, it works!

 

I just received a JVC.Bluetooth Radio because the Mini factory unit C.D. player does not play "coffee" I am putting this unit into my 2005 Mini "S" I also picked up the PAC SW adapter so my steering wheel controls will work. Radio install is a piece of cake, no problems. The instructions on the PAC however are a little confusing. I am to hook the yellow wire on their unit to the original "steering wheel control" wire. They do not have a pic of the harness and therefore cannot tell me how to locate this wire. Is it in that extra harness coming out of the O.E.radio (small white plug) with like 3 wires coming out, all white with a different color stripe? If so which one do I use, or am I completely off track. Any help will save me from going completely bald. Thanks to all, Live Long and Prosper

 

I'm a big fan of the Viseeo tune2air as bcman noted.

Technically as long as you're looking for a bluetooth streaming interface which gives you track skip/rewind controls through your steering wheel- you can use it with any device that supports a2dp.

I have a Lumia920 and I can stream spotify over it- while controlling track skip through my steering wheel.

The compatibility with iPhone is more for track listing and album information. If you can live without that then you're good- although they said that they're coming out with a software update that will give android that capability as well.

But if you have the iPhone 40-pin adapter that goes to the USB and audio in, then you just hook up the little bluetooth adapter- pair whatever your device is- and go.

 

The Bluetooth on my 2008 MiniCooper S quit, no reason why. Dealer said a thousand dollars to replace!!! No thanks. Anyone else driving around with dead Bluetooth?

 

maybe it just needs to be coded?

 

Coded? One day it's worked; the next it did not. And what is "coding"?

 

Quick update, in case anyone's still subscribed:
Bought the ViseeO Tune2Air, and attached it to the factory y-cable. Audio streaming worked, but no steering wheel controls or track info displayed on the HU. After a long email chain with the company, I bought ViseeO's y-cable for BMWs. Still no track info display, but steering wheel and head unit can skip forward/reverse and play/pause on my Android phone, for local mp3s and Pandora. Phone still connects to the factory bluetooth for phone calls.

 

Four days ago after multiple intermittent operation, the blue tooth on my 2008 Minicooper S suddenly started working and has continued to work without any difficulty. I am beginning to think that a Bluetooth gremlin lives under the dash. Anyone with a rational explanation? If find it very mystifying.

Gerald

 

I wound up switching to the Bluetooth unit and am using it with my Galaxy Note 3 and it works flawlessly and sounds great.
The greatest part is that my steering wheel controls for next and previous song works as well as compared to using the Kinivo or the Belkin unit.
It has an old style iphone connector on it so it works with the Y Cable from mini.
ViseeO makes a special Y cable for the mini that allows the song names to be passed to the radio as well and I have that on order. Right now it just says next where the song name would be. LOVE LOVE LOVE this unit. It even works in my other car with a Dension PCM Adapter although there is no song name support in that scenario.

 

ViseeO probably works with spotify too because it works with my Sirius XM app