I have an '06 c4s. I have been fighting with myself for some time on whether to get the dension and the bluetooth module from Eric @ bumperplugs for a few reasons.

1- I'm cheap. A bluetooth headset cost $75.00 and the bluetooth module is substantially more than that

2- Big tires make big noise. I was wondering if the road noise would diminish the bluetooth capability- Can your callers hear you are in the car? When using the headset, they many times cannot tell I am not in my office.

3-Scared! that some hack will screw up the Bose upon installation. Anyone in the east bay of San Francisco you guys would recommend if I go forward with this?

4- anybody done this customization to discover it just was not what they expected?

Your help is greatly appreciated.

 

Dension works great and Eric from Bumperplugs is top-notch

i was gonna do a writeup on my install but got side-tracked recently..


but if u r already using a bluetooth head set, why do u need Dension for bluetooth?

the sound quality will not be the same as the headset since the mic for Dension will be further away from ur mouth.

the placement of the mic install is critical in getting a good sound.

however, if u need/want the ipod integration and the bluetooth connectivity, i would recommend the Dension.

also, what kind of phone do u have? the htc(with windows mobile) i had did not work as precisely as the Samsung.

BOL

 

Honestly.., it only had to do with making it convenient to have a bluetooth integration in the car. I was hoping that the Dension had some type of noise supression similar to what headsets have but wanted the input of someone that has it installed.

I currently have the Palm Pre. It has all my music on it and was also hoping to stream the music to the player.

 

It's love / hate with me. I love the fact that I can stream pandora to my iphone and it works very well. Bluetooth on the other hand needs alot of work and am considering pulling the module for something else.

 

What else is there besides Dension for bluetooth? What is it that needs work? Is it basic functions or limited functionality?

 

If you pull out the outdated PCM 2.1, you have a plethora of choices with aftermarket navigation head units....(Pioneer-Kenwood-Alpine, etc) You will get XM, Bluetooth, touchscreen, iPod, DVD movies, CD, SD cards, picking your own start up screen and I am sure there is more I must be forgetting...And, the price is not much more than a Dennison or whatever else they sell to interface with the PCM...

Its throwing money away, IMHO. Either live with what you have or dump the PCM and go aftermarket...

No regrets here!

 

I got the Dension and I really like it. The Bose still sucks, but listening to uncompressed tunes off my iPod is a big benefit. I also have a bluetooth headset. I would think the bluetooth module is a waste of money. Plus you can buy better ones for about $50 as they come out. Got mine from Bumperplugs as well, hats off to him.

 

I have the Tooki(Nav-Tv)bluetooth and Sirius radio in my 2006 C2S.

My callers have trouble hearing me when on a call due to cabin noise.
I do enjoy the Sat. radio though.
I too have the Bose. It sounds good as long as the car isn't moving.

I wish I had saved my money on the Bluetooth.

 

Not sure how much Denison was but the top of the line pioneer (that was on sale for $700) system sounded awfully tempting and looked great. It had bluetooth, nav, etc.

 

I'm in the same boat here. I've been quoted $1,200 to add iPod and Bluetooth to my PCM2.1, but for a little more money I've found an awesome Alpine system that has it all integrated.

How hard is it to remove the PCM unit? I'm tempted by the Alpine, especially if I box up the PCM for the future in case I want to swap it back in.

 

If you're going to replace the head unit, you might as go all out and replace everything else (amps, speakers, etc) since the stock Bose speakers and amp don't work well other products (wrong impedance, optical loop, etc). The Dension is as good an Ipod integration as you'll get with the stock head unit, but no where near what you can get with an aftermarket system.

 

crazycarlitos Where did you place the mic?

 

Dension has changed my life over the weekend. Many thanks to Eric at bumperplugs who had to deal with my nagging questions throughout Sunday afternoon...Thanks again Eric. My advice would be to setup multiple playlists in your i pod and use those instead of trying to browse through the track list as the PCM doesn't respond that fast. I too was debating going full aftermarket but I think there is some old world charm about the PCM interface I like the look of the stock PCM for now...I don't even have NAV (use i phone tomtom app when I need it).

 

The clip on the top of my dension cradle just broke this weekend.. I've had the unit about 3 months. Time to look for another cradle.

 

On my 06S dension for iPod-outstanding, for bluetooth-flakey!
Eric-terrific!