For those who are still interested and have read all 46 pages of this thread (!) like I did, today I got around to installing the Mediabridge 1500 in my convertible 2007 MCS.

I am posting because I want to be specific about my install to help others who are nervous about this. Don't be! It is easy enough; jet leave 3 hours to get it done "right". That includes time for set-up as well as clean-up, so this is start-to-finish.

I have the H/K sound system and no nav. Mine has the AUX jack in the glovebox, and as others have mentioned that doesn't matter, as this uses the CD changer connection.

I have mine connected to the CD changer connections in the boot.

Steps I took:

1) looked at photos from other posts to gt the image of the actual CD harness in the boot. If I hadn't seen a picture I'm pretty sure I'd still be out there looking for it. Kellonwheels has amazing pix on page 13 of this thread...check that out for a start. Also, the actual picture is here from member cabrown:
https://www.northamericanmotoring.co...0-post477.html

2) Placement of the actual Mediabridge device: I read a number of different ideas, including the sme post I jst referenced (Kellerwheels) who put the device under the armrest. Others hid behind radio. **i opted to mount the device to the underside of the air grille just under and behind the window/door switches in the center console**. I didn't see any other posts talk about the, but it sure worked well for me.

I used zip ties and drilled two holes toward the front of the flip-down portion of the grille, right by the finger releases, and ran the other end of the ties through the 2nd grille. Left airflow room, as well as from for cables (more later on these).

I placed the unit with the connections facing driver, and DIP switches facing passenger side.

Now for cable routing.

3) Cable from boot was run under Right Rear (RR) connection point in boot all the way to front by feeding under plastic at edge of seat and pax door on right side, all the wy up to the air filter box.

I coiled extra length around the box once, then over to the grille behind the door/window switches, and forced the connection through the left rear grille so that it could plug right into the attached Mediabridge device.

Note that I didn't have to cut a hole in any carpet or plastic...just tucked in behind plastic cabin wall at floor/carpet all the way to the front, and tied around air filter box behind gllove box to take up extra length. This worked well and kept away fom noise-inducing power cables that otherds say exist on driver's side.

4) Microphone placement was easier than I thought. I simply popped out the mic grille to the left of the rear view mirror, and fed lead from there along the plastic/glass space to the left, where I polled it down the side of the widow frame to the dash where it meets the door. I tucked it under the rubber seal to keep it from getting pinched, then routed behind the driver kick panel (that pops out nicely if you give two upper corners a nice tug) and over...to the grille behind the window/door lock switches, down through the back left grille hole (like the CD changer cable) and into the Mediabridge device.

One key comment here: the mic cable was not long enough to make it all the way back to the armrest like the install I referenced on page 13, so that fact helped cement my decision to put the Mediabridge device at the center console.

As for hanging the mic itself, I pulled it about an inch forward from the back of the left mic grille, and hung it about 1/2" down using a clean piece of black electrical tape. Sounds bad but looks ultra-clean and professional, in my opinion. I haven't tested this yet but if it works well, I'll post a photo here for reference.

5) As for iPhone placement, i want it in line-of-sight (pilot-style). So i also bought the Craven Speed scissor attach for my iPhone 4S, and installed that behind and to the right of the tach. Cool! Puts phone right in the line of sight for Waze or your other favorite navigation or traffic app.

This makes routing of the iPhone connection a piece of cake...simply run it down behind the kick panel and around to the Mediabridge device.

6) reconnect the battery cables, select "CDC" on the H/K head unit, and viola, it works!

7) I will admit to not having fully-programmed it yet, so if I hit any bumps I'll write back later. After an hour of driving tonight I was very impressed with the head unit's display of song, artist, and album. Awesome! USB iPhone connection works with absolutely no alternator whine or electrical feedback at all. I expect Bluetooth playback to be as good or better...we'll see tomorrow.

8) I am very pleased with the location of the Mediabridge device because it is essentially hidden, yet easily accessed for firmware upgrade and/or switch-out of USB or its own AUX connection.

8b) That reminds me...I see no reason to use the AUX in the glovebox going forward. Easier to put a non-iPhone device in my Craven Speed scissor mount or simply drop in the tray under the window/door switch anel right under the Mediabridge device itself.

9) Steering wheel keys are great for advancing tracks, as promised by the device. Haven't tried phone yet...that waits for Sunday.

That's it. Very, very clean install that I could back out in 20 minutes if I ever had to do it.

I hope this helps others make the jump. I was a bit concerned with some of the recent posts, but this works and can be done by anyone with Torx wrenches and zip-ties.

Good luck and have fun. I did!

 

deleting my duplicate posting

 

I can also confirm a successful install of the Dice (now Audiovox) Mediabridge in my 2007 Mini Cooper S convertible w/ Navigation and Harmon Kardon stereo.

I purchased my Dice unit from Amazon due to the competitive pricing and 30 day return policy since I was concerned after reading some threads that my Navigation unit wouldn't be supported correctly. I'm happy to say they (Dice/Audiovox) have apparently worked out all those issues. More on the Nav display later in this email.

In researching the unit I found conflicting reports about whether or not my setup had a DSP amplifier. After a lot of reading I concluded that it does not, and I have now confirmed it with a fully functional installation using only the AMBR-1500-BMW (Audiovox model number) and without the need of the extra DSP adaptor mentioned on their site and in some postings.

The Mediabridge install is very simple as mentioned by carimer and others in this thread. I chose to keep the Mediabridge in the trunk, accessible via the passenger side tail light access panel. I mounted the USB cable (for iPod/iPhone/memory stick) in the center armrest and placed the bluetooth microphone adjacent to the stereo right above the driver side knee panel at the center console.

Both of those cables have just enough (and I mean JUST enough) length for these runs and to still allow access to the unit via the trunk panel. I routed the cables under the rear passenger seat with the USB snapping into the armrest wire channel, and the microphone tucked under the armrest/shifter/cup holder panels and up into the center console behind the knee panel. Audio quality from this lower dash location also proved to be much quieter than my trials with the mic clipped to the sun visor during top-down motoring (somewhat frequent for me).

I keep my iPod (classic 120gb) permanently connected to the Mediabridge in the armrest, and have been using bluetooth for both phone and audio for my iPhone. The audio quality via bluetooth is crystal clear and honestly sounds somewhat better than the wired iPod in my situation - I'm assuming this is due to the higher bitrate (320kbps) and dynamic range of my iPhone content over the 128kbps material I keep on the iPod.

The Mediabridge has several configuration settings and now supports the Mini Navigation system in either single or multiline text display, with or without scrolling. I set it up for multiline with scroll and am finding it just ok. I wouldn't want to loose the text, but the phone text emulation used my the Mediabridge is definately more limited than the CD changer style of text display used by the Intravee I coming from.

I do appreciate the single track navigation (artist/album/song) using the stereo, navigation dial, and steering wheel controls, but miss the search capabilities and menu navigation of the Intravee . And speaking of steering wheel, the dedicated phone button on the multifunction wheel controls can be used to initiate phone voice dial with my iPhone. It also ends calls. I can't find a use for the dedicated R/T button, but am quite happy with the hands free functionality for both audio and phone.

Overall I can strongly recommend the Mediabridge as a comprehensive audio and phone solution in our Minis.

Cheers-

 

Sorry to bring back an old post... I did go through several pages but never found an answer. I also have a 2005 Mini, and my iPod worked fine with the DICE for several years. One day I got the "Accessory Connected" screen on the iPod while it was plugged into the DICE. It still plays music, but I can't control anything on the iPod while it's playing music. Tried it with an iPhone and it does the same thing. Any ideas on how to fix this? Thanks for any insight.

Matt

 

What you are describing is actually the normal mode of operation. When you have your device properly connected through the USB port, you should no longer be able to control anything through your device. You then control it through the car. What of the best things about the DICE was that it connected through the CD changer harness, thus allowing you to control it through the steering wheel controls and/or the factory radio. I admit that searching for music through the mediabridge is a pain, in fact I don't even do it. I find what I want to play and then plug it in. Though you can scroll through with the steering wheel up and down buttons or the radio seek buttons, depending what mode you have the mediabriudge in. In song mode it will scroll through your songs, in artist mode it scrolls through the artists.

I also have a Ford Flex with the SYNC system and my iPhone behaves the same way when connected through the USB so I have always assumed this is normal. One way around this is to connect via Bluetooth Audio, then you control everything from your device

Hope this helps,

newtothisgame

2006 MCS Works
3 a/d/s/ amps-700+ watts
11 speakers
Alpine 12" DVC subwoofer
JBL MS-8
Optima Yellow Top Battery
DICE Mediabridge

 

Thing is, it used to work with full navigation on the iPod, and then one day it stopped. I don't have the MFSW so it's a lot easier to navigate on the iPod than the HK head unit.

 

Old thread, new problem. I'm hoping that someone may have experienced this and can help.

I have an '06 Cooper S Vert and installed the Audiovox/Dice Mediabridge following all the instructions, down to which battery cable you remove first. I just get nothing - I can't select it using the mode button, the iphone doesn't indicate that it's there, etc.

My situation is a little different in that I had to remove the factory Ipod adapter and repin the wires to the back of the HU, but it was done from the BMW/Mini instructions and shouldn't be an issue. I've let it sit, replugged, retried, unistalled the whole thing and reinstalled the whole thing and still nothing.

Anyone have any thoughts? BTW, I've searched for several hours and haven't found anyone with a "dead" unit.

I'd appreciate any help you could give!

Bryan
Dat240zg

 

Back in '08, I installed a DICE adapter in my '05 R52 MCSC; it's worked well since then, although I've only used the aux input for some time -- with a bluetooth headset designed for earbuds paired to my (Android) phone; I use it mostly to listen to podcasts, and I also have an XM radio that shares the aux input.
Over the past year, the DICE has started to make a scratching noise in the right channel, and it's gotten progressively worse to the point that there is barely any signal and the scratching is now pretty annoying.
I'm assuming the DICE is shot, as it doesn't get any better after disconnecting it to reset it, so I'm looking for options to replace it. It seems that particular unit is no longer made, and the Audiovox Universal 150 and 200 units seem like overkill since I no longer use the iPod functionality; is my best bet to just install one of the OEM aux input cables?

 

Are you sure its the DICE, and not the H/K amp?

 

A few months ago, I started to have problems with my unit. After hours of research I came up with the conclusion that no there is not a comparable product out there, at least not for a 2006 MCS JCW. Some were in development, some weren't available in the USA and some just didn't do what I (anyone) wanted or needed.

It made me appreciate the unit and am sorry so see it go. I have been able to resolve my issues with it by unplugging the power for a few minutes. I just figured that I was on borrowed time...

Hope that helps

 

I can't be 100% sure, but the problem only presents when using the DICE; it's fine when playing FM. For a while, it also seemed to get better after resetting the DICE by unplugging it.

 

Hi,

I have a DICE MediaBridge unit (the one that has Bluetooth) installed in my R53 2006 and since a lot of years of use a few days ago says BT (Bluetooth) OFF in the Stereo unit, I tried to see if was some configuration but no luck, also I disconnected and connected the DICE but the same thing BT OFF in the Stereo, so I am desperate and don´t know what else to do.

Please help me!!!

 

No body ??? =(

 

R53hyberblue, I feel for you.

I had the same challenge -- only solution was a new unit -- and they don't exist! I had to go on eBay.

Biggest bummer for me is that I had the SiriusXM option working in the unit -- but when the Bluetooth went out, so went the SiriusXM. In the unit I got from eBay, the Bluetooth works, but SiriusXM does not. Also note that I had to play with firmware (they still support firmware updates) -- the newest firmware made the Bluetooth *not* work, so I had to go back a release and reinstall. But still no SiriusXM. Oh well.

So -- I keep hoping that some other company will come along with another aftermarket option. Given the # of MINIs out there, I'm surprised there is not yet.

Good luck!