potential new owner with concerns

[socalcx-5]

Hey all, the wife and I are narrowing in on a 2014 Grand Touring w/Tech. However, we are concerned with the issues people seem to be having the with the stereo head unit. Doesn't seem like a $30k car should have these issues.

We both use iphones and plan on connecting via BT for our daily commute. Are the problems mostly with connecting via USB? I understand it can take minutes upon minutes each time you start the car it to index the songs on your iphone when connecting via USB. Is the same true with BT? Will we be able to select any song we want from our phone or will it only play them in alphabetical order? And lastly, via BT, does it pick up where you left off in a song when turning the car off/on, or does it start over?

Thanks in advance for any help/advice.

 

[atitus]

I don't have an iphone, but I use it with bluetooth and an android phone. With android, it does resume, and it doesn't take a long time to load.

 

[atitus]

I would recommend bringing your phones (BOTH OF THEM) with you for a test drive. Some users have reported issues based on the model of ipod/iphone.

 

[HoustonCX5]

I have an iPhone 5 and don't have any issues with bluetooth. I use both Spotify and the music in my phone over bluetooth without any problems. The music resumes when I get back in the car. Note that you can't use the Centepoint option of the bose through bluetooth.

 

[socalcx-5]

I have an iPhone 5 and don't have any issues with bluetooth. I use both Spotify and the music in my phone over bluetooth without any problems. The music resumes when I get back in the car. Note that you can't use the Centepoint option of the bose through bluetooth.

sorry, what is Centepoint?

and I guess my larger question is, why would someone connect via USB rather than BT in the first place? Because you don't have a device with BT or want to use one that stores more songs than your iphone?

 

[Kelly_A]

sorry, what is Centepoint?

and I guess my larger question is, why would someone connect via USB rather than BT in the first place? Because you don't have a device with BT or want to use one that stores more songs than your iphone?

Centerpoint is a sound localization option available on the Bose unit. It's designed for use on "high quality" audio sources, such as a CD, so grayed-out as an option with many sources. From what I've read on this forum, most people don't use it even when available.

Some people prefer to keep their playlist on a memory stick or similar media and connect via USB.

 

[socalcx-5]

thanks for all the replies, everyone. So it sounds like as long as we're fine using the music from our phones via BT, we shouldn't be too frustrated with the head unit.

 

[craigo]

It works great with BT. The issues are all related to USB. Also, you can still use the USB to charge your phone, just be sure to plug it in after starting the car.

 

[Kelme]

I had an iphone 4 and now upgraded to iphone 5s. No issues so far with both phones while streaming through Bluetooth.

 

[notalk]

It works great with BT. The issues are all related to USB. Also, you can still use the USB to charge your phone, just be sure to plug it in after starting the car.

So, if I forget about a 32gb usb stick and go with a 32gb ipod touch connecting via bluetooth, I should be okay? I was hoping Mazda would get it updated so all I had to do was stick a usb stick into the usb slot and all my music would be readily assessible. Maybe bluetooth is the answer, and not usb. Thanks.

 

[icarlos]

Had an iPhone 4s and now a 5s. No problems at all with bluetooth. Tons of problems using an iPod via usb. But with bluetooth and iTunes match, who needs a usb connected player?

 

[Chris_Top_Her]

Sound quality may be lost on BT depending on the bitrate of the music.

 

[notalk]

Sound quality may be lost on BT depending on the bitrate of the music.

Yes, but is lesser quality bluetooth connection better than a high quality usb connection which doesn't work?

 

[123373]

My wife and I both have iPhones. Mine is a 5 and hers is a 4S. Both work flawlessly with BT phone, pandora and BT streaming from the phones.

 

[Fleeecy]

My iPhone 5S and the iPhone 4 before that are both able to stream over BT to the CX-5. However, both are unable to use the shuffle/random play function, as the CX-5 forces them to play songs in alphabetical order. It's almost like a random playback feature, but not quite.

 

[socalcx-5]

My iPhone 5S and the iPhone 4 before that are both able to stream over BT to the CX-5. However, both are unable to use the shuffle/random play function, as the CX-5 forces them to play songs in alphabetical order. It's almost like a random playback feature, but not quite.

But can you still select any song you want at any time? if you select the first song in an album will it then play the rest of that album in proper order, or go to the next alphabetical song in the phone's master list?

 

[craigo]

But can you still select any song you want at any time? if you select the first song in an album will it then play the rest of that album in proper order, or go to the next alphabetical song in the phone's master list?

It will play the playlist, starting wherever you tell it to and then remembering position when you turn off the car.

In Spotify sometimes it forgets last position and will return to a previous position it was left off at (headscratch). I think this may be a Spotify glitch.

 

[Tom95134]

I have had some problems with getting a stream from my cell phone to play through the Bluetooth link. I listen to a lot of talk radio and it seem to be mainly related to talk radio programs. I've recently noticed that if I initiate the connection using streaming music and then on the cell phone select the talk stream things work a lot better. Note that the display, when listening to streaming music has all the data field for music and then retains these fields when I switch to the talk stream. If I try two initiate the connection with the talk stream I get a display that is limited to transport controls (Play/Paus/FWD/REW) and it always remains in Pause. I think it has something to do with the metadata that is included in the Bluetooth signal. The cell phone is a Nokia 1020/AT&T.

BTW, do rush the process of getting the stream to play though the Bose system. The system takes sometime to sort things out.

 

[clarabelle]

My iPhone 5S and the iPhone 4 before that are both able to stream over BT to the CX-5. However, both are unable to use the shuffle/random play function, as the CX-5 forces them to play songs in alphabetical order. It's almost like a random playback feature, but not quite.

I have an iPhone 4, IOS 7.3. Bluetooth works great and I have mastered true shuffling by using the voice command, instead of the shuffle commands on the phone. If I initiate shuffle from the phone, it plays alphabetically. But if I initiate shuffle from the voice command "Shuffle - All" and then use steering wheel controls, shuffle works as expected. The only thing I don't like about streaming over BT is limited navigation on screen. I find I have to use the phone to change Playlists. I do have phone mounted with a nice ProClip, but would prefer to navigate on the touch screen. This is only minor inconvenience though. Otherwise BT is a very good experience.

 

[craigo]

I have an iPhone 4, IOS 7.3. Bluetooth works great and I have mastered true shuffling by using the voice command, instead of the shuffle commands on the phone. If I initiate shuffle from the phone, it plays alphabetically. But if I initiate shuffle from the voice command "Shuffle - All" and then use steering wheel controls, shuffle works as expected. The only thing I don't like about streaming over BT is limited navigation on screen. I find I have to use the phone to change Playlists. I do have phone mounted with a nice ProClip, but would prefer to navigate on the touch screen. This is only minor inconvenience though. Otherwise BT is a very good experience.

Sadly, this is a limitation of current Bluetooth implementations. Next/Prev buttons work fine though. Shuffle button should also work, though it seems some phones (and previous iOS versions) work and some don't.