Bluetooth to JVC--poor streaming

[slcasner]

I have an iPhone 4S which plays through the old 30-pin connector to the JVC when the "iPod" source is selected. At an earlier time this did not work; the JVC would just say "Reading..." forever, and cause the phone to be locked to the JVC for control so its own interface did not work. Then a new iOS version fixed that problem, so now the iPhone's UI works and the JVC does display the song info.

During the earlier time, what I did was to change a setting in the JVC so the iPod source selection was changed to "External audio". That way it did not try to use iPod control and just took the analog audio that goes over the iPod connector. Doing that configuration change requires standing on your head and rubbing your tummy at the same time (that is, it requires navigating through some contorted sequence of JVC menus that I can look up for you if needed).

Is there a lightning-to-old-iPod adapter cable that gives the full iPod functionality?

 

[Panicopticon]

At an earlier time this did not work; the JVC would just say "Reading..." forever, and cause the phone to be locked to the JVC for control so its own interface did not work. Then a new iOS version fixed that problem, so now the iPhone's UI works and the JVC does display the song info.

During the earlier time, what I did was to change a setting in the JVC so the iPod source selection was changed to "External audio". That way it did not try to use iPod control and just took the analog audio that goes over the iPod connector. Doing that configuration change requires standing on your head and rubbing your tummy at the same time (that is, it requires navigating through some contorted sequence of JVC menus that I can look up for you if needed).

Excellent tip.

The sequence (from page "93" of the manual NX-KD5000 Manual, Google Drive) is:
Setup -> Input -> External Input. Set to either iPod for iDevice control or Ext Input to turn the iPod dock into a line in.

In Ext Input mode, the dock connector does continue to supply power. This enabled me to use my August MR240 (Amazon.com) iPod to Bluetooth adapter. In this configuration this gets me a second Bluetooth input, or iPod control that doesn't completely suck. Previously the head unit would sit at "Reading.." forever as you noted.

I also experience A2DP (Bluetooth Audio Streaming) skipping using the NX-KD5000, hopefully this will be better. Worst case I'll probably buy an iPod to 1/8 stereo converter.

That said, I'll probably replace the head-unit with a slightly less crap one come spring.

 

[DrComputer]

I too have the old JVC head unit and never had good success with Bluetooth streaming. It would always skip and jump. Last year I ordered what I thought was the latest map DVD's from Navteq but it turned out they were from 2010 (which was the latest they made according the Navteq). When I installed them it upgraded the firmware on the JVC to a newer version than is even listed on the JVC site. Magically Bluetooth streaming now works from my phone with this new firmware. I did return the DVD's to Navteq since I didn't want to pay $200 for "updated" maps from 2010. I did, of course, archive a copy of them for "evaluation" purposes :smile: If someone needs to upgrade their old JVC and needs a copy of this firmware, just PM me and I will do my best to help out.