Hi guys... I currently have had the GROM version 1 iPod adapter in my 8 for about 3 years now and have loved it, but now I noticed they have a bluetooth adapter available to work with my unit. I've been trying to add bluetooth to my unit in order to make it complete, but have been a little skeptical of playing audio through streaming over direct connection.

My question is how is the audio quality over bluetooth compared to a direct connection? Is there any noticable quality degradation compared to direct connection? Will all sound coming from the phone, like music and a navigation app, be directly played through the speakers?

 

I have the GROM unit with bluetooth. Audio quality isn't quite as good as direct connection but it isn't bad either.

It'll play all audio the phone outputs. The one thing that I really like is if I have my iPod playing through the direct connection, and have my phone navigating, it'll pause the music, say the directions for the next turn, then resume the music.

 

^^Are you talking about having an iPod connected directly and your phone seperately through bluetooth?

 

Yes. I have them both connected all the time. Any time the phone outputs sound it'll stop the iPod then resume when it's done playing sound.

I also have the microphone so if I get a call, my iPod will stop playing and I can pick up the call with the Up button on the steering wheel and their voice comes through the speakers and I can just talk to them like normal.

 

Ok great. Thanks.

 

I am looking into buying the Mazda AUX-IN iPod Bluetooth Adapter from grom as well. Do you remember which firmware you got? Was it the CD/notext or the SAT/text firmware? Because I am having a hard time choosing between having steering wheel controls and song info/text on the dash.

 

Steering wheel controls is a MUST!

 

I just ordered it yesterday with the bluetooth adapter and talked to the rep via chat and he suggested the CDC/no text firmware even though I have satellite radio....

 

^^Did they tell you if the unit was updated to allow music playback directly through the adapter, but switch over to bluetooth when a call comes in? The rep I talked to a month ago said it was in the works to be released within a matter of weeks, but I never heard back from them yet.

 

We didn't talk about that but I know the is a new firmware u can download and install in the grom module via the SD card reader that's on it. Here is the link http://gromaudio.com/software.html select your module and the rx8 02-08 and firmware version 8... Hope this helps.

 

I meant MAZDA 02-08

 

I have version 1, so this isn't possible.

 

You can't upgrade to firmware version 8????

 

Make sure we're all clear about which firmware we're talking about.The Bluetooth adapter or the AUX module. AFAIK you can't update the firmware on the BT adapter, however I've upgraded the firmware on my GROM-AUX-MAZ AUX module many times with the onboard microSD card reader.

 

Yeah I meant the actual module not the Bluetooth...
This is the Changelog: (mostly Bluetooth fixes)

BT loop fixed
Startup fixed
BT sleep fixed
HAC/HAD changes
BT reset added on SCAN or RPT button
Bus timings adjusted

 

^^Right. Mine is a version 1 as I've had it for like 3-4 years now.

 

Right! That means you've missed 7 firmware updates!!!!!! LOL

Just update it to 8 and you should be good to go

 

No. I have the version 1 module, not firmware. That module was not user updatable firmware capable.