2009 Audi S5: Non-iPod Interface

iPods are so 2006. Just stream music from your smartphone through the car's BT audio.

"iPods are so 2006. Just stream music from your smartphone through the car's BT audio."

I am driving an MKZ with Sync and streamed Pandora from my Blackberry to the car via Bluetooth audio, it is pretty cool and actually sounds halfway decent.

I don't.

Like Blueguy I use my phone (Palm Pre) for both stored music and to stream via Pandora. Before that I used a 30gb Creative Zen Vision M.

I still use an ipod, but I won't be buying a new one when this one dies. When that happens, I'll just use my smartphone (probably with an aux jack since my car doesn't have BT).

The other connectors in the bag look like they fit some smartphones or other devices like a Zune. The only cable I can make out appears to be a micro-USB, which is what my phone uses (Droid).

I like having an aux jack around. My Ipod connection on my car kinda sucks and can be glitchy, but an aux jack will always work

I'm with the streaming music crew. Pandora is my weapon of choice, via the BB.

The problem with the iPod hookup is that now most people have iPhones (or some knockoff) and are using things like Pandora, so you need AUX (or better yet, Bluetooth.)

The car kit and aux jack is essential for my Inno XM radio. Best sound and signal.

I actually use a Nexus One or Creative MP3 player. iPods are nice but don't do what I need and I don't want to go through the hassle of either using a proprietary system to access it or to have to hack the iPod to get it to work how I want. it's nice to see that there are more than just iPod inputs but some cars still lack a good selection or location for it. my aux input is located in the back for rear occupants so I have to run a long cable for it.

My iPod was a huge POS so I switched to a Zune 120 gig a couple of years ago and have been loving it ever since. As much as I like the idea of Pandora, I'll keep using the Zune for as long as it keeps playing. Call me old fashioned, but I dig keeping my phone a "phone" and having a dedicated music player. Plus, I can't abide the compressed quality of Pandora and SatRad. I enjoy music too much to compress the sound out of it. I was thinking of getting a Zune HD, but they lost the ZunePad "squircle" thing and I hate touchscreens.

Anyway, I think it's just cool to have so many choices. Kudos to Audi for facilitating those choices.

How long do you all think before in-dash harddrives with auto synching wifi becomes standard? Just synch your car with your PC and head on down the road. No more CDs or external players. It's kind of an odd thought...

OK, so that's who the hell uses something other than an iPod. I suppose this post is more appropos than I thought.

As an aside, I barely know what you people are talking about. Why are you venturing to that alien planet in Avatar for your music? Are those blue people making some cool tunes I'm not aware of?

at this point in time more people are likely using mp3 players to store extensive music selections than smart phones. I know quite a few people with smartphones and few of them use them as ipod replacements. Streaming bluetooth may be nice but I believe part of the attraction of car based ipod control is the ability to navigate your collection easily with the car's controls. I suppose that is possible to some degree with bluetooth but I doubt its as nice as using a custom made ipod interface that is part of the car's audio system.

jriz...

I don't have an mp3 player. I have 3 mp3 cd's that total about 600 tunes, all golden oldies & classic country... I've really never had a need for an mp3 player or smart phone.

I just use a 4gig SIM card and call it a day. All of this connecting and unconnecting is a real pain in de arse.

"sounds halfway decent" is code for sounds like crap.

Honestly, streaming music is horrible in sound quality.

If you're going to pay a zillion dollars for something like an S5 with a bangin system, you should probably not waste Mr. Bang or Ms. Olufsen's time with compressed music

Lossless compression or CDs for me, and anyone else that values sound reproduction

Off topic, but can someone elaborate on the "Valet" thing in the picture? Is it a button that you push to activate a certain ECU map, which restricts RPM's or MPH's as a safeguard against valets hooning your 60K car?

The industry is always 5-6 years behind. Remember in 2003 it was nearly impossible to find a car with even an aux connector? Now that and iPod are almost everywhere. BT should be on everything as the licensing and implementation are cheap.

Bigger issue - navi systems still costing 2k when people can get a navi off their phone or from target for well under $100.

How much longer can Lexus, Infiniti, BMW, MB charge people for navi as if it's worth 2k?

"How much longer can Lexus, Infiniti, BMW, MB charge people for navi as if it's worth 2k?"

Well, for starters it's not just nav anymore. In 2002, $2K bought you an LCD screen and in-car nav. In 2010, $2K typically buys you that plus added communication features (like real-time traffic), hard-disk based music systems with Gracenote, a range of Bluetooth capabilities, integrated cockpit management functions (like MMI, iDrive, and COMAND) which unlocks additional features and customization, voice command for everything beyond nav, emergency and convenience telematics, HD radio, and more.

If you don't like that stuff don't buy it, but don't ruin it for the rest of us.

"Bigger issue - navi systems still costing 2k when people can get a navi off their phone or from target for well under $100."

Those $100 systems are utter crap too. I've used them and they perform as well as their bargain-basement price suggests. The new iDrive has an almost 9" widescreen 1280 pixel HD display which shows gorgeous maps (the surface detail is now based on satellite imagery) with 3D topographic modeling and 3D buildings. Real-time traffic is included and you get useful stuff like accurate exit-ramp and intersection views with lane guidance.

Once again, you may not find value in it but for the same $2K you're getting an increasingly premium product than you ever did in the past.

It's just ridiculous when it's packaged with other desirable options, like an upgraded soundsystem or something

Off topic answer-Valet button:

The valet button functions as this. Usually have two keys, your main/smart key and a valet key. With the smart/main key in the ignition, depress the valet button. Now when the valet attendant takes your valet key - they won't be able to open the glove box/trunk.

At least that is my understanding...

@bimmerjay,

Sigh. Real-time traffic is a feature available on just about any mid-range GPS (about $200). HDD ($20) is also low-tech and very old school technology. BT is less than $5 to add. Cockpit management has been around for a longtime on iDrive, MMI, etc - over 10 years. Voice command ($5 with microphone) is also over 10 years old. You haven't named anything that's legitimately expensive.

You can toss in backup cameras, IR sensors, UI, etc.

Even the LCD is cheap - less than $150 in bulk. What you've described is less than $300 in parts and licensing. The R&D on all of it was done long ago.

There's really no reason for an in-car GPS to go beyond $500. I'm still waiting for the luxury makes to just put it in as standard equipment (like AC which was once an option).

Yeah until it goes into base models without a substantial price increase itll never cease to be a stupid, unrealistic expense. I dont see how hard it is to understand why the luxury marques charge opulent amounts of money for it – it has nothing to do with conveying a 'premium' feel, it's because they make money off of it.

C'mon blueguy, that argument applies for ANY optional equipment on a car. You think Comfort Access costs BMW $1000 to fit on a 5-Series? Of course not, it's probably $200 of hardware at their cost, if that. Cost-plus pricing is not the way the world works. You price at what the market will bear as an overall margin strategy. $2K is steep but it still offers a lot more value now than what that same amount bought 8 years ago.

i refuse to buy anything apple makes, due to being a software developer and them being basically satan as far as openness.

that said i have a 2010 a4, and apparently if you haven't stepped up to the S series you ONLY get the ipod cable and the usb / micro usb / rca cables are like $50 EACH.

Why audi doesnt give them with every car I dont know (i didnt even know some of them came with all the cables until reading insideline). that said 2010 models can read SDHC cards so I just use that, the S5 hsa an SD slot too but the 2009 radios cannot read more than 2GB.

I guess for the extra $20k getting 3 extra cables for S5 owners is something they did pay for haha. And yeah lots of people use things that are not ipods. If anything more cars should have standard SD and usb ports not ipod ports.

"As an aside, I barely know what you people are talking about. Why are you venturing to that alien planet in Avatar for your music? Are those blue people making some cool tunes I'm not aware of? "

LOL!

I can never understand why you would want to have the aux jack or USB port in the glove compartment. Seriously this way of packaging is made of pure fail.

On the who uses something other than a Ipod front I use a basic 8gb USB flash drive.

Hans007 +1

Apple = Evil.

@bimmer,
I know you price it to what the market will bear. If everybody just refused then the price would finally come down. There's no logical reason for a navi to run 2k.

Well, some of the post here prove that PT Barnum was right...

"I know you price it to what the market will bear. If everybody just refused then the price would finally come down. There's no logical reason for a navi to run 2k."

Exactly. Which means nav IS actually worth $2K because lots of people are willing to pay that for it. Myself included. I despise tack-on portable units, so the $2K is more than worth it to me - plus like I said before, it usually includes tons of other stuff nowadays. The worth is not determined by an individual who sits down and calculates the sum of the parts and labor in a spreadsheet. Capitalism baby!

Help! I purchased 3.5mm jack (as shown above), for my 2010 Audi A4, however I cant get audio when playing mp3s via non ipod mp3 player (its a Zune, oaky?) - Why is this??? What am I doing wrong???

Thanks in advance!