BurakTan

I have a 2010 ML and have been searching threads forever to find an answer but only options I have seen for Bluetooth audio are either:

Mercedes Interface Plus
tune2air

Both of them are on the higher price range.

I have tried a cheaper A2DP Bluetooth 30 pin but command says it is incompatible and there is no audio coming from the speakers.

Has anyone found alternate solutions aside from the expensive ones above?

What about AUX Bluetooth? Has anyone tried that?

Thanks for your feedback everyone

Frank1298

I did a lot of research and have tried most 30 pin adapters that you can by off the shelf and they will not work. You can buy a rechargeable bluetooth adapter that will plug into the aux works fine but the downside is you have to manually turn it off and obviously charge it all the time. I went ahead and just paid the money and got the tune2air and have never looked back. Audio quality sounds good and can control tracks with the steering wheel controls.

BurakTan

Thanks Frank. I think I am going to hunt for a tune2air deal and see if I can get it cheaper.

I hear MIP still has lots of issues and do not live up to its price tag of $299

fabbrisd1

If you have 30 pin cable input - the Tune2Air is awesome - connectivity and functionality is spot on - and frankly very decent sound quality - like $90 from Amazon - and my customers who have bought one - again, those who have 30 pin connector - love it - a very solid product !

BurakTan

Thanks fabbrisd1. I am going to try to get one online for sale
I have one other unit coming for free that has an amplifier within the Bluetooth that has AUX connection. I am curious to test that as well.

I will report back with results once I get it.

pharaoh

My .02 about tune2air.....

Good: It is a great product, works perfectly for audio streaming and I've had it for a little more than 2 years now.

Bad: Lately, I've seen it getting stuck in Waiting for Activation, even though it is connected, until I hit play on the iphone a few times (play wont turn into pause on the first hit, so keep hitting it until it turns to pause and you hear music).

Ugly: If you are using an iPhone, right from day 1, because there is no way to disable tune2air from stop using the phone profile in bluetooth settings, all phone calls show tune2air as an audio source. What this means is, phone call audio will be get choppy through the MB headunit and if you want uninterrupted handsfree on your MB headunit, you have to either unplug tune2air or disable it. Looks like the iPhone can't handle 2 bluetooth devices at the same time.

There you go! Good luck!

BurakTan

Pharaoh, that was very helpful I appreciate you taking the time to write about your experience. I am watching tune2air used units to get a discounted one so i have not jumped the gun yet

Also another Bluetooth amplifier coming that is Aux. when I receive that I will post results on the "good, bad and the ugly"

BurakTan

THE FOLLOWING IS MY REVIEW SUBMITTED. HOPE IT HELPS FELLOW BENZ OWNERS:

I have been searching for a Bluetooth unit for media streaming for my Mercedes ML w164 as it didn't come with Bluetooth audio streaming. The cheap 30 pin Bluetooth devices do not work with the car. Bought one and ended up using it for an old iPod dock....

The first alternative was tune2air $100-150. Reading reviews I saw that people were happy overall but it still had few issues. I couldn't get myself to pay that amount for something I am not going to be 100% happy with. Second alternative was Mercedes Media Interface Plus which is $300 new and used ones go for $150+. So many people complain about functionality of that unit as well.

THEN....I came across this unit and wanted to give it a shot. Boy am I glad that I did. Let me give you the one minimal downside, then I will tell you all the positives about it. It connects from the auxiliary port so you could control the volume from steering wheel but you can't change tracks or see track info in your car. If you are like me and don't pay for spotify/pandora a monthly service, this wouldn't be a big deal to you, since free app comes with commercials and only allows you to skip so many times in a given period.

OK so all the positives:
1. Unit is very small so it will not take tons of room in your glove box.
2. It has a USB Power out so you can plug in any electronic that uses 5V to charge.
3. Unit has an AMPLIFIER. So when I play the music it sounds like I have a premium sound system even with the Bass setting at 0 in the car settings. I PROMISE YOU WILL BE SHOCKED WITH THE AUDIO QUALITY. (From a regular consumer perspective- I am not an audiophile or audio expert)
4. When I purchase the unit it was more than 50% off so it is fraction of the cost of others I listed above
5. Because it is an AUX Bluetooth no issues with connecting to MBBluetooth for phone calls at the same time. When a call comes in, music pauses and then continues after the call is ended.
6. I got the black but comes in 4 colors: white blue green black. How fun and you can pick a color of your liking to customize.

Overall, I am extremely happy with this purchase and I would recommend it to anyone looking for a Bluetooth solution for their Mercedes. I didn't try it with home stereos but I am sure it will have a comparable quality to what I experienced.

P.s. I will share this experience on the Mercedes forums too so hopefully people can benefit from my research and wouldn't have to spend as much time to dig through bunch of products like I did.

The link for the product:

BurakTan

I forgot to mention:

You need to get a 30 pin to micro sub converter to power through media interface cable. Otherwise you can use the micro sub to USB cable unit comes with and plug it into a sub poet directly.

I wanted to keep everything in the glove box so I ordered a converter for $.99 from eBay

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Micro-USB-Male-to-30Pin-30P-Female-Docking-Adapter-For-Samsung-S4-S3-S2-White-/221719451180?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_2&hash=item339f82562c

texasflysuper

Thank you for your review BurakTan, one quick question. Will this product work with iPhone?

This unit is in the right price range for me (read-cheap) I will give it a shot next week and hope it works. I wasn't impressed with tune2air price or performance either.

BurakTan

texassuperfly: yes, i have iPhone6 plus
you are going to be amazed with the bass results. I had to keep mine in 0 in command settings because otherwise it was too strong/"thump" for my ears...lol

hope you like it!

BurakTan

For those of you who are interested, I did a video review (my first video review so don't bite my head off...lol) hoping it can help people. Here is the link if you care to watch:

texasflysuper

After watching your video I immediately bought the exact same components for our ML. The sound quality is great. Looking forward to finally streaming music.

Thanks again BurakTan

BurakTan

Glad the video was helpful

Enjoy.

sacleonard

BurakTan: thanks for the review and info.

I purchased (and subsequently returned) the tune2air module b/c of a few quirks: (1.) although it connects quickly, it often forgets what playlist was playing and selects the first song in my iPhone library, (2.) when I select different music, the navigation on COMAND gets confused and displays the songs from the previous playlist order (not the songs that are actually playing. I've discovered that both of these are not unique to tune2air, but because of the device's aggressive Bluetooth connection, it's extremely annoying and not easy to fix without disrupting (and re-connecting) the Bluetooth.

Which leads me to #3: Siri becomes inoperable with the tune2air. I use Siri all the time to get directions, place a call, etc., but with the tune2air, it will not recognize my voice commands. This was a deal-buster for me.

I didn't find a good alternative, so I decided to connect 30-pin to lightning adapter to a 6ft lightning cable, which I am running out of the glove box. While it's not ideal to have a wire running out of the car, I'm usually charging my iPhone in the car anyway, it's a minimal inconvenience.

BurakTan: since you have an iPhone, can you please comment on how well this device handles the following Siri commands: (1.) play a song/playlist, (2.) place a call to someone from your contact list, and (3.) get directions to a location.

BurakTan

Sacleonard:

I don't save music on my iPhone, only using music apps so I can't comment on Siri command for iPod functionality.

When I use Siri to dial, music stops and Siri interferes to listen. And also I haven't used Siri's directions because I have Comand with navigation so I use that functionality for maps. But I don't think Siri command for navigation would clash with aux Bluetooth.

Again this doesn't display anything on the cluster or dashboard but music quality is great. Especially bass. I still can't get over it!!!

sacleonard

Thanks for the response to my question. Definitely worth checking out as an alternative to my "wired" solution.

sacleonard

Hi BurakTan.

For the last three months, I've been running a lightning cable (via 30-pin to lightning adapter) out of my glove box. Despite being "wired," I have issues recently with Comand recognizing the device. Also, it forgets where it left off and simply reverts to the first song in my library (I thought this was a Bluetooth issue, but it appears to be a bug between iPhone and MB). Finally, this configuration barely charges my device (low wattage via the 30-pin), and if I run music and Google maps at the same time, it will actually deplete the battery on my iPhone.

So, I am abandoning my "wired" path and returning to the world of Bluetooth. I watched your video again, and I just ordered the powered Bluetooth interface. I'm going to give it a run-through over the weekend --- playing music, Siri, Siri for Apple Maps, Google Maps, phone calls, text messages, etc.

I'll compare it to my previous experience with the tune2air and see if it overcomes the issues I encountered with that device. I'm hoping it works flawlessly and that I don't mind losing visibility to the screen for my music.

Finally, do I really need a 30-pin to micro-USB adapter? As I watched your video, it looked like the micro input was on the device end, and I'd actually need a 30-pin to USB adapter. Can you please clarify this point for me?

Thanks again for sharing your experience. I am hopeful that this solution will work for me too!

sacleonard

Sorry… one additional question. Does it need to be powered on every time you start your vehicle? I just read this on one of the Amazon reviews, and this would be a deal buster. The goal is to never have to open my glove box to power or sync my connectivity device.

texasflysuper: since you've had it for a few months, any other feedback on this device? Do you have to turn it on with each use? Any dropped connection or power? Thx!

sacleonard

Update: the thought of opening my glove box every time I started my car, in order to power up the BT device, was enough for me to cancel the order. Instead, I decided to give the tune2air another chance, since I've discovered that many of the issues were caused by MB's Comand and/or my iPhone.

My tune2air Review:

I purchased the WMA3000A (which replaces the original WMA1000), and I am connecting it in my 2011 GL450. It was extremely easy to pair with my iPhone, and it has very little problem syncing whenever I start my car. The sound quality is consistently good, although perhaps not as loud as my direct line connection. And I am happy to report that I haven't experienced any pauses, crackles, or connection losses that I've read about (particularly with Audi owners). I don't use Spotify or Pandora, but I've considered creating accounts to try them out (I'll post an update, if I have anything worthwhile to share).

Usually, when I start my vehicle, the music will pick up exactly where it left off (recognizing the playback position of the song and track number within the existing playlist). However, on occasion, it will completely forget where it left off and begin playing the first song in my music library. This is extremely frustrating, especially because the tune2air will immediately begin playing this song before I can re-select my playlist.

Previously, I assumed this was tune2air losing the connection, but I experienced the same thing when my iPhone was connected via a direct line, so this appears to be an issue between my iPhone and Comand.

Pro-tip #1: as I walk to the car, I take a moment to confirm that the previous song is showing on my iPhone (swipe up from the home screen or launch the Music app). YouTube or other videos seem to interfere with my iPhone's music memory.

Sometimes, my car is unable to establish a connection. It may try "activating device" or give another message (i.e. "charger empty"). This rarely happens when I start my vehicle, but it happens when I'm toggling between music, phone calls, Siri, maps, etc.

Pro-tip #2: whenever I experience issues with playing music, I place my iPhone into Airplane mode for a few seconds and then remove the Airplane mode. This resolves 90% of my connection issues!

Also, whenever I change my music (via the iPhone or Siri), the Comand will display music incorrectly. The artist and album may be correct (50/50 chance), but the song title is always wrong. Again, I experienced the same issue via my wired connection, so this is not a tune2air issue, but rather a "feature" between my iPhone and Comand.

Pro-tip #3: to fix the incorrect Comand display issue, turn on the Airplane mode for a few seconds and then re-engage Bluetooth. After a few seconds, it will re-connect to your music and show the correct song title, artist, album, and track number. Note: likewise, for a wired connection, disconnect the lightning cable and re-connect it.

Summary: the tune2air is the best, most cost-effective solution I've found to stream via Bluetooth in my car. It connects quickly (maybe too quickly!) and can stream music, map directions, Siri, etc. alongside the phone calls, which are being routed directly into my MB's Comand interface. While it's not perfect, most the issues I've experienced are consistent with running via a direct line (lightning cable into the 30-pin via adapters), and most glitches are easily remedied in a few seconds via the Airplane mode, which is preferable to running a cable out of my glove box (or worse yet, placing my iPhone into my glove box, gasp!).

I hope this is helpful to anyone considering the tune2air for their MB vehicle. Please feel free to ask me any questions. I've seen a few other threads out there, so I may copy/paste (selectively) to share my findings elsewhere on these boards. Cheers!

joelb

I did a lot of looking around, and since I have the aux input in the glove box I decided to go with a A2DP adapter from New Potato Technologies. The unit is called TuneLink, and it has a usb port for charging my phone and connects automatically through bluetooth A2DP profile. I also have a bluetooth MB phone puck, and everything works well together.

The TuneLink is plugged in to the 12v plug under the glove box, so the only thing that I see is the lightning cable. I have a cradle clipped into the left vent, and I run an app called CarTunes that makes it easy to skip through tracks and shows me what's playing.

The unit also has an fm transmitter, and connects really easily. I've noticed that 3-4 times over the past year it's refused to connect, but deleting the TuneLink from my trusted devices and re-adding it does the trick.

Audio comes in clear and overall I've been really happy with it. Most other A2DP adapters either were battery-powered or had a HFP too, which I didn't want.

Hopefully this helps out someone else that's looking for a solution for integrating with the MB system!