HD Radio add-on

[joelk]

okay i searched and found nothing ...

anyone know if the dealer can add an HD Radio module?
thinking i might want it and ... well ... my car's built already.

thanks.

[joelk]

update from dealer. can't be done so he says.

[john970]

but sat radio can be installed at the dealer...

one of the reasons i made sure to order hd radio and not sat radio...

[WhiteOne]

HDRadio is the future. I understand it sounds better than MP3 and Sat. More bps ? BMW is one of the few farsighted enough to offer it. A must have for me. Someday I might even turn it on.:biggrin:

[john970]

Originally Posted by WhiteOne

HDRadio is the future. I understand it sounds better than MP3 and Sat. More bps ? BMW is one of the few farsighted enough to offer it. A must have for me. Someday I might even turn it on.:biggrin:

In order of quality:

1. CD Audio is about 800Kbps when losslessly compressed and is the gold standard for consumer audio. Only DVD-Audio and SACD offer higher quality recordings, but I can't tell the difference and many studios don't master well enough for this format anyway.
2. MP3's are generally 128-256Kbps. AAC is a newer file format and comparable to a good MP3 encoding.
3. HD Radio is 96Kbps on FM, using an advanced compression algorithm and sounds very close to a 128Kbps MP3.
4. Satellite radio is a distant forth. Sirius splits their allocated bandwidth into about 24-56kbps per channel (talk gets less) and sounds somewhere between AM radio and FM radio, and (significantly) worse than a cassette tape. I can't listen to it, and certainly won't be paying for it. It sounds worse on a high end audio system as you can really separate the compression artifacts from the actual content.

I use AAC encoding, usually 256Kbps but 128K is very listenable. HD Radio on FM is also listenable, and generally preferable to FM to my ear.

Long story short: of all the formats I've listened to music on, from FM radio to vinyl to iTunes AAC, the only one I would say sounds unlistenable is satellite radio.

I have an internet subscription to sirius (which is a 128Kbps feed) and record it on my computer and then transfer to my iPod for listening in the car. This way you can also fast forward through stuff you don't like.

[BMW Dreamer]

I agree about Satellite radio. When I had my 07 Acura TL-S the XM radio sounded flat, where CD's sounded much better, DVD Audio and DTS Audio sounded AWESOME. I really liked the quantity and variety of XM radio, but paying $13 a month for flat sounding music sucked.
I am very interested in the HD Radio option, and maybe the Premium Hi-Fi option. But I MUST hear what the $875 Premium sounds like compared to the regular 135i stereo.

[WhiteOne]

Thanks john970. I'm sure others will appreciate your response too....

[john970]

Originally Posted by Jeff1962

I agree about Satellite radio. When I had my 07 Acura TL-S the XM radio sounded flat, where CD's sounded much better, DVD Audio and DTS Audio sounded AWESOME. I really liked the quantity and variety of XM radio, but paying $13 a month for flat sounding music sucked.
I am very interested in the HD Radio option, and maybe the Premium Hi-Fi option. But I MUST hear what the $875 Premium sounds like compared to the regular 135i stereo.

The best part about the DVD-Audio format is the support for multi-channel audio, which can make a big difference in certain recordings (esp. live concerts). I think for most stuff, audio is best in two channels. For purists, CD is still hard to beat all these years later.

I'm excited to get HD Radio as NPR is availalbe on FM HD and analog AM, no analog FM station is offered.

If Sirius would cut some fat off of their programming lineup and offer maybe 40 channels in higher quality, I'd have ordered it.

[ChrisK]

HD Radio in the 1er sounds much much better then I expected. I had XM in my last car and I just wasn't impressed.

[new2the3]

I have never heard HD radio before and was wondering how is it? I would say 3/4th of the music I listen to in the car is radio and 1/4th CD. Is the HD radio $350 better then standard FM?

[Nice1]

edit: deleted

[TwinturboBMW07]

I have no clue what I am going to do and I install this shit for a living ughhh decisions good thing I have like 2-3 months left till I order my 135i

[Ringmeister]

I like the HD when it works. I find it is always going in and out of the HD signal which is annoying.

[vivid]

yes its better than FM... and it can not be added after the purchase of the car unlike sat radio, so get it now or never have it.

[BMW Dreamer]

I WAS going to get the HD Radio option but not anymore. I will get the iPod/USB and Premium Hi-Fi.

[vivid]

Yea HD can not be done as an add-on which is why I am ordering in... You would have thought they could have done it but...

[ChrisK]

The HD radio is well worth the money. I couldn't believe the difference in quality.

I listen to AM talk radio, and now the AM channels sound like XM.

[sredish]

the benefit of sat is not the quality, it's the ulimited amount of channels along with coast to coast reception. i live in a rural area and most fm stations go in and out like crazy.... it will drive you nuts... i signed up with sirius when it first came out and couldn't imagine not having it simply due to being able to drive anywhere i want and never lose a channel. i do wish the quality was a tad better and music variety varies... sometimes great and sometimes I can't stand what they're playing... but I find myself listening to news and variety talk a lot.

[Rippy087]

Originally Posted by Nice1

a search would yield this thread.

You do realize that you posted a link to the thread you are currently in right?

On the other hand, I'm still debating whether or not to get HD radio. Would HD radio be worth it without the Premium Hifi sound system?

Jake

[InsaneSkippy]

Originally Posted by Nice1

a search would yield this thread.

Sorry but that's funny

[Nice1]

Originally Posted by Rippy087

You do realize that you posted a link to the thread you are currently in right?

On the other hand, I'm still debating whether or not to get HD radio. Would HD radio be worth it without the Premium Hifi sound system?

Jake

that was posted before the mods merged two different threads. :smile:

[Red135]

I think the better question would be, why can't they add the HD radio head unit in later? You can purchase HD radios aftermarket. What is the difference with the BMW unit?