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How many roadsters built with the Blaupunkt Hamburg MP57 Head Unit?

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How many roadsters were built with the Blaupunkt Hamburg MP57 Head Unit?

In researching my purchase of roadster #268 I asked two of my co-workers, that were ex Tesla employees, for information about the Roadster to help me decide on the purchase. An interesting tidbit is that one person who worked in purchasing mentioned how he had bought a bunch of Blaupunkt Hamburg mp57 Head units destined to go into the roadsters until Elon heard of it, and that's where Blaupunkt got scrapped and the JVC head unit with navigation came into the picture. In the end they had a bunch of the BP head units laying around collecting dust....

I'm curious how many roadsters have these BP head units in them? Also what did they install before that model?

Really I'm happy I got this radio, I'm not to fond of having my navigation tied into my radio as well as placing the maps down off the road view. The roadster is already tight for space and moving around. I end up using my cell phone mounted on an adjustable window suction cup mount for the navigation and it works great! My phone is an HTC EVO 4G so the screen is a nice size too. I also use a program called WAZE which warns of hazards in the road which is essential for possibly saving yourself and the roadster's life! It also warns of police and speed traps, as well as traffic delays. Its built off a social reporting network so you also get added and contribute to the data pool. Best part its FREE and ported to Iphone, Android, and the Blackberry platforms.

so back to the Roadsters.... I'm curious as well about the change from an analog shift selector versus the more digital push button gear selector between the Roadster 1.5 and 2.0 generations. I'm more in favor of the analog shifter, I don't have to look down to move between forward/neutral/reverse to make my selection. Also the center console looks "right" in terms of its placement, feel, and layout of the knobs and buttons. It also looks more solid. The real shifter, simple head unit, and center console give a true "sports car" look and feel. Why did they switched if it looked good and worked? It also appears they removed the tray that lays below the dash for a closed clean look with a glove box. I find the tray really handy and easy to access. I place a couple of microfiber rags in there to take up space and keep things from sliding around in there. Possibly Elon's idea to change the console and dash layout too?

How do others like the push button shifting and JVC headunit / navigation in their 2.0+ roadsters? Have to admit I'm bias to the 1.5 design since that's the way my Tesla is setup :)


console.jpg
 
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I use Handstands Sticky Pads cut to size in the tray (and in the slot to the left of the steering wheel, and in the iPod tray) - nothing slides around on those, no adhesives involved, and they look good.

I definitely like the stick shifter - the irony of it hasn't worn off. Once I got the new iPod that the JVC seems to talk to nicely, it's not bad. The JVC comms with my Android phone via Bluetooth have been solid as well. I think I've used the JVC nav three times? I got Steve's 'iPod' bracket for the 1.5, and got a ProClip quick adapter and then have gone through a couple of Android adapters as I've gotten new phones - if I have to navigate, it's going to be with my Galaxy Nexus.

I think it's all a matter of taste. I'm very happy with the 1.5 interior.
 
I have to pick up the Sticky Pads, thanks for the tip! Where and I pick up Steve's Ipod connector/mount? I saw a pic of it on the forum and it looks sweet. Never understood why the ipod connector was so out of sight on the 1.5's. Found a thread on the Blaupunkt and it appears the builds pre #500 had them or you could opt for a premium audio package that had the JVC head unit without NAV or with NAV and upgraded speakers.
 
Where and I pick up Steve's Ipod connector/mount? I saw a pic of it on the forum and it looks sweet. Never understood why the ipod connector was so out of sight on the 1.5's.
Sorry, I sold all of the ones that I had made a couple of years ago. When the 2.0 Roadster came out, that bracket wasn't applicable, so there was not a need to make more. Now we see second owners of 1.5s; I don't know if anyone who bought one of those brackets no longer uses it.
 
haha yes :) That's where I found the 500 number at. I didn't think its all that junky, the User Interface for Audio and other misc Settings was not intuitive at all and even after you learn how to dig in there its again not intuitive! Had to download the manual online to figure it out, and I'm one of those guys who buy's things without reading how to use them for the learning fun aspect of it. Looks like of those bad UI designs where no one used while driving! As for the reception, its not too bad either. I agree its not as strong as my other cars but it is useable. The key part I like is slim and simple otherwise. But again my personal preference is typically simple and clean.

I have a beautiful Nachamichi head unit I was going to put in that has a really simple design with an excellent UI. But the BP has Bluetooth that the NM doesn't have. So I figured it wasn't worth the effort.

Maybe I don't have a good ear for audio quality but I also thought the BP's sound wasn't all that bad, was clear and crisp. I'm not cranking it up nor do I want to.... My Nirvana Live cd's sound brilliant in the Roadster's cabin and its a joy to listen to music in there. But not cranking up the radio so other's can hear me.... maybe that's a sign I'm getting old :/ I do remember doing that allot! Ohh no, what did the married life do to me!!! j/k honey ;)
 
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haha yes :) That's where I found the 500 number at. I didn't think its all that junky, the User Interface for Audio and other misc Settings was not intuitive at all and even after you learn how to dig in there its again not intuitive! Had to download the manual online to figure it out, and I'm one of those guys who buy's things without reading how to use them for the learning fun aspect of it. Looks like of those bad UI designs where no one used while driving! As for the reception, its not too bad either. I agree its not as strong as my other cars but it is useable. The key part I like is slim and simple otherwise. But again my personal preference is typically simple and clean.

I have a beautiful Nachamichi head unit I was going to put in that has a really simple design with an excellent UI. But the BP has Bluetooth that the NM doesn't have. So I figured it wasn't worth the effort.

Maybe I don't have a good ear for audio quality but I also thought the BP's sound wasn't all that bad, was clear and crisp. I'm not cranking it up nor do I want to.... My Nirvana Live cd's sound brilliant in the Roadster's cabin and its a joy to listen to music in there. But not cranking up the radio so other's can hear me.... maybe that's a sign I'm getting old :/ I do remember doing that allot! Ohh no, what did the married life do to me!!! j/k honey ;)

[this should go in the Blaujunk thread]
So it has terrible UI, you can't hear when above 50 MPH and there in no AM.

Have you tried the AM? Do you have speakers in your doors? Are you happily married? :)
 
" So it has terrible UI, you can't hear when above 50 MPH and there in no AM."
It doesn't really sound bad at freeway speeds so I guess it works for me.

"Have you tried the AM?"
Not an AM listener but more of a WB [weather band] listener for weather conditions for ocean fishing :).

"Do you have speakers in your doors?"
No I don't. I saw the thread on how to install them and it appears there's wiring for that already in the door. Still debating to put them in or not. I guess at the moment I'm happy with the simple audio sound.

"Are you happily married?
Talking about the Roadster right ;)
 
Eric, just curious where all the bad reviews are coming from on the Blaupunkt? The first thing I did was understand how to adjust the audio settings on it. I don't think people who have these head units installed understand how to dial them in. When I picked up my Roadster the owner never messed with the audio settings. The sound was flat, yes after 50MPH it was drowned out. The reason the sound was flat was because it was dialed in to be flat. Treble, Bass, etc... But after I downloaded the manual and messed with it it actually comes ALIVE! You can adjust all the sound dynamics, the low mid, and high sound frequencies along with the treble, mids, bass, and XTra-Bass levels. It also has pre-coded EQ settings like Rock, Jazz, etc. I never found those to work for me and always did dig radios that allow you to suit the listening style to your cabin dynamics and ear.
 
No its not, the sound frequency is different setting than treble level. For example the treble level is on a scale from -5 to 0 to +5 (sorta like a volume control). Treble frequencies are like what's on an EQ and deals with the full range of the sound dynamic. You can greatly suit your listening needs with these settings and that's my point :) I believe only 10% of people actually have an ear or the geeky knack to mess with these settings hence the pre-programmed EQ's like rock and jazz.

Audio frequency - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Drew's Equalizer and Frequency Equalization Tutorial - The More You Know, The Better It sounds.
 
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No its not, the sound frequency is different setting than treble level. For example the treble level is on a scale from -5 to 0 to +5 (sorta like a volume control). Treble frequencies are like what's on an EQ and deals with the full range of the sound dynamic. You can greatly suit your listening needs with these settings and that's my point :) I believe only 10% of people actually have an ear or the geeky knack to mess with these settings hence the pre-programmed EQ's like rock and jazz.

Audio frequency - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Um, treble ~= high frequencies, and bass ~= low frequencies. If you're really adjusting sound frequencies, then that would be pitch control, like bending a note on a guitar.

Maybe the difference is in how the two sets of audio controls blend into the rest of the frequency range, like a quasi-parametric EQ...

(sorry, I don't own a Roadster or the head unit in question, so I can't answer your original question on why the units in Roadsters seem to get bad reviews)
 
For those that have the Blaupunkt head units.... you may or may not know this but this head unit has the "automatic" volume compensation feature on it. Its that feature that turns the volume up appropriately as you drive faster where the noise in the cabin increases. I was curious since the head unit indicated that a speedometer sensor needs to be hooked up for this to work. I turned the feature on in the menu and it works great :) Top on or off it adjusts so that I can comfortably listen to my music.

I'm also looking to put an amplifier into the roadster and connect it to the Blaupunkt Pre-Amp connectors. I think if I drive a little more power to the speakers I should be able to get a better snapping response from them. It sounds like the speakers are just mushing out on top end from distortion and their hunger for more power.
 
Very compelling comment on the "sturdier" perception of the 1.5 center console. What about the dash itself as a further "sturdier" look/feel? I think I'd miss having a glove box. . . On the flip side, I must agree that I really like the analog shifter a whole lot more. But I have never seen a 2.X center console live to compare how they would feel in front of me. Though in pictures - they also look very nice.

Really enjoying this topic.
 
Everybody has their opinion on what they like or don't like and I can respect that. Like VFX said, if you like it that's what matters :)

As for me I think the 1.5 interior really captured the simple EV vehicle and sports car look. I like the analog shifter for that I don't have to look down to find the push buttons like the 2.x models. I can turn my head back and at the same time move the selector backwards. Very easy to find. Possibly one could learn where the reverse button is on the 2.x's. I like also the carbon fiber center console. I just put CF sills in and it really adds a nice touch and feel to the car. The 1.5 has the full size trinket tray too. No glovebox, but again it fits that simple sports car feel and look.

If I had a 2.x I'm sure I'd find many good attributes about that too. I wish they did stay with the CF center though.