Blaupunkt reissuing Bremen head unit w/modern features

General conversations about BMW E28s and the people who own them.
cek
Posts: 9206
Joined: Mar 18, 2013 6:25 PM
Location: Durango
Contact:

Re: Blaupunkt reissuing Bremen head unit w/modern features

Post by cek »

Shawn D. wrote: Nov 01, 2020 2:40 PM Thanks for the update, cek! What's your overall evaluation of the unit so far?
Now that they've fixed the bluetooth problem: overall I like it and plan on keeping it. The look is great, although close inspection shows poor quality (eg the usb socket when door is opened). The display can be tuned to match our bmw interiors ok. Sound wise it's solid, but I don't think it supports lossless bt profiles, which is disappoint given price. Nothing else out there is period correct, has half-depth profile, bluetooth, and line-level outs.
wkohler
Posts: 50921
Joined: Oct 05, 2006 11:04 PM
Location: Phönix, Arizona, USA
Contact:

Re: Blaupunkt reissuing Bremen head unit w/modern features

Post by wkohler »

I'm pretty sure the only thing you're paying for on that unit is the retro look. It's really disappointing as the head unit it emulates was one of the highest quality units of the era.
Philo
Posts: 2166
Joined: Feb 12, 2006 12:00 PM
Location: Long Beach, CA

Re: Blaupunkt reissuing Bremen head unit w/modern features

Post by Philo »

Dam, I just put in the PRS80 which I love. Would putting in the SQR 46 DAB be a downgrade ?
cek
Posts: 9206
Joined: Mar 18, 2013 6:25 PM
Location: Durango
Contact:

Re: Blaupunkt reissuing Bremen head unit w/modern features

Post by cek »

Philo wrote: Nov 02, 2020 1:44 PM Dam, I just put in the PRS80 which I love. Would putting in the SQR 46 DAB be a downgrade ?
I assume you mean Pioneer DEH-80PRS
Image

I know nothing about that unit's capabilities, but the SQR 46 is an absolute upgrade w.r.t. looks. That Pioneer unit exemplifies what I hate about modern "Tokyo at Night" head units. The only good thing it has going for it is a real volume knob.
rlfletch
Posts: 41
Joined: Mar 25, 2019 1:33 PM
Location: Pasadena

Re: Blaupunkt reissuing Bremen head unit w/modern features

Post by rlfletch »

cek wrote: Nov 01, 2020 2:30 PM
cek wrote: Aug 13, 2020 12:21 AM Just found this today: A potential software update for the BREMEN SQR 46.

https://www.blaupunkt.com/en/nc/service ... %5D=single

As soon as I get Minerva back I plan on trying to update this. Hopefully it fixes what I think is a near fatal flaw in this head unit: You have to reenable BT as the source every time it powers on. Other than that, I think I dig it.
VICTORY!!!!!

I followed the instructions found in the ZIP file linked above and upgraded the firmware on my SQR 46. Now it REMEMBERS BLUETOOTH!!!!

The update also gave the RGB color settings 16 per RG and B instead of 8. Big deal.

Very Nice!
I can not get my head unit to read the usb. When I turn it on its says "Reading" and then eventually goes to "USB Error" I have reformatted and reloaded the correct, non X, files twice from two different computers. Any advice?

My unit has taken to automatically going to a seek mode a minute or so after turning on. Was hoping update would fix that.
Fedaykin528e
Posts: 685
Joined: Apr 03, 2008 2:21 AM
Location: Brooklyn

Re: Blaupunkt reissuing Bremen head unit w/modern features

Post by Fedaykin528e »

Just picked one of these up, very happy so far. It's an upgrade from the early 90s Sony unit that came with the car. It's a little chintzy in construction, but it has the look and it has the features. We're buying this for bragging rights anyway who cares what it sounds like :fool:

Blaupunkt seems to have scrubbed the firmware update files that used to live here: https://blaupunkt.com/en/nc/servicesupp ... %5D=single

Does anyone have a copy of the .zip you were previously able to download, and is willing to share? Thanks!
stuartinmn
Posts: 9380
Joined: Feb 12, 2006 12:00 PM
Location: Minneapolis

Re: Blaupunkt reissuing Bremen head unit w/modern features

Post by stuartinmn »

I just looked up the new Bremen - it's nice, but pricey. Amazon suggested a different Blaupunkt, the Irvine which is only $32.00: https://www.amazon.com/BLAUPUNKT-Irvine ... 6WPLT&th=1 For that price I wouldn't expect much, but it may be worth a gamble.
Shawn D.
Beamter
Beamter
Posts: 21991
Joined: Feb 12, 2006 12:00 PM
Location: Alpharetta, GA
Contact:

Re: Blaupunkt reissuing Bremen head unit w/modern features

Post by Shawn D. »

stuartinmn wrote: Mar 30, 2022 12:48 PM Amazon suggested a different Blaupunkt, the Irvine which is only $32.00: https://www.amazon.com/BLAUPUNKT-Irvine ... 6WPLT&th=1 For that price I wouldn't expect much, but it may be worth a gamble.
That faceplate looks to be badge-engineered version of the Pioneer MVH-S720BHS, one of which I have in my Camry and another I which have on the shelf waiting to go into my 535i. The button/knob/port placement/configuration looks to be exactly the same. The specs look quite different (e.g. the Blaupunkt has one pair of RCA outputs, but the Pioneer has three).
irl-mn
Posts: 133
Joined: Mar 05, 2012 8:08 AM
Location: Twin Cities, MN

Re: Blaupunkt reissuing Bremen head unit w/modern features

Post by irl-mn »

I recently bought two of the new Bremen headunits. I waited too long and ended up having to buy from an eBay seller in Germany. As others have mentioned, the quality is not great, but I can live with it for the expected functionality and retro looks. Looking forward to getting them installed and seeing how they perform in my E24 and E28.
e24mpwr
Posts: 247
Joined: May 12, 2007 3:45 PM
Location: Cary, NC
Contact:

Re: Blaupunkt reissuing Bremen head unit w/modern features

Post by e24mpwr »

irl-mn wrote: Apr 07, 2022 5:39 PM I recently bought two of the new Bremen headunits. I waited too long and ended up having to buy from an eBay seller in Germany. As others have mentioned, the quality is not great, but I can live with it for the expected functionality and retro looks. Looking forward to getting them installed and seeing how they perform in my E24 and E28.
What do you mean by "waited too long"? (I'm asking because I see it in stock at Crutchfield: https://www.crutchfield.com/p_423BREMEN ... 6-DAB.html - or maybe I'm looking at the wrong one)

I'm thinking about replacing the arcane Nakamichi tape deck in my Shark, and would definitely want something with more modern features, but do want the heritage look. No interested at all in a shiny/silver/modern/glowy setup.
reesesboot
Posts: 493
Joined: Jun 28, 2009 8:29 PM
Location: Costa Mesa, CA

Re: Blaupunkt reissuing Bremen head unit w/modern features

Post by reesesboot »

Just installed this yesterday. Looks excellent in-person when installed and the lighting matches perfectly. It truly does look almost stock. The integrated speaker amp is pretty weak though, and is leagues lower than the 15-year old Alpine head unit it replaced. Luckily it does have pre-amp outputs, but it's kind of ridiculous that you almost HAVE TO run an external amp for decent sound. I got mine for $300 from Amazon - they were running a deal.

One thing I noticed is that the unit doesn't have a dedicated 'remote turn on' wire. For those that are running external amps, how are you triggering these to turn on? Tapping into the ignition wire?
e24mpwr
Posts: 247
Joined: May 12, 2007 3:45 PM
Location: Cary, NC
Contact:

Re: Blaupunkt reissuing Bremen head unit w/modern features

Post by e24mpwr »

A couple of my E24 buddies have done this recently - I'll see if they can come describe how it worked out for therm.

My friend Andy mentioned the same thing @reesesboot did - that an external amp is required.
reesesboot
Posts: 493
Joined: Jun 28, 2009 8:29 PM
Location: Costa Mesa, CA

Re: Blaupunkt reissuing Bremen head unit w/modern features

Post by reesesboot »

e24mpwr wrote: Feb 19, 2023 4:02 PM A couple of my E24 buddies have done this recently - I'll see if they can come describe how it worked out for therm.

My friend Andy mentioned the same thing @reesesboot did - that an external amp is required.
I'm looking over what some of the Porsche guys have been doing over at Rennlist and someone suggested using the blue cable (antenna power/trigger), but am wondering if this would only power the amp if using AM/FM. Reading through it looks like it's always switched on when the head unit is on so this sounds like the answer. Helps that my antenna doesn't even work so won't be up all the time if this is the case :laugh:

https://rennlist.com/forums/928-forum/1 ... ab-11.html
MyE21
Posts: 8
Joined: Feb 07, 2023 10:28 PM
Location: USA

Re: Blaupunkt reissuing Bremen head unit w/modern features

Post by MyE21 »

I have one and agree with the above posts.
Cool radio, looks great and so many features, but it does need an external amp to sound good.
I used a small Alpine amp that fits on the back wall of the glove box.
With the amp and stereo sound settings dialed in, (and good speakers) it sounds very very good.
To me the only thing it’s missing is the remote amp turn on AND a power antenna lead that only powers when the HU is set to AM/FM.
A bit of a bummer for us 80s guys that have power antennas, and a puzzling missing feature for a radio designed for 80s Euro cars.
I rarely listen to the radio, but I like all my functions to function.
But I don’t want the antenna to go up every time I turn the radio on and listen via Bluetooth.
So what I did was trigger the amp and the power antenna using the blue trigger wire, but I put a small switch in line on the antenna trigger.
So now my antenna stays down, but in the rare case I want to raise it, I can flip the switch.
reesesboot
Posts: 493
Joined: Jun 28, 2009 8:29 PM
Location: Costa Mesa, CA

Re: Blaupunkt reissuing Bremen head unit w/modern features

Post by reesesboot »

Interesting, good info to have. Wouldn’t mind seeing where you mounted the antenna switch and which model of amp you used. It would be nice to to not reroute all the speaker wires back to under the rear seat for an amp.
MyE21
Posts: 8
Joined: Feb 07, 2023 10:28 PM
Location: USA

Re: Blaupunkt reissuing Bremen head unit w/modern features

Post by MyE21 »

I used this Alpine. It’s great. Light, small, nice features and sound.

https://soundcertified.com/alpine-ktp-445u-review/

I mounted it to the back wall of the glovebox.
I mounted the antenna switch (it’s a small on/off push button) to the amp with double sided tape.
(The switch of course works, but I’ve never used it. I just like knowing it’s there!)
bogdaneise
Posts: 16
Joined: Nov 19, 2021 4:51 PM
Location: 33160

Re: Blaupunkt reissuing Bremen head unit w/modern features

Post by bogdaneise »

Hello,
Anyone know where to get a firmware update for this unit ? I have the P1827201X version. Thank you!
John in VA
Posts: 5278
Joined: Feb 12, 2006 12:00 PM
Location: Leesburg, VA

Re: Blaupunkt reissuing Bremen head unit w/modern features

Post by John in VA »

bogdaneise wrote: Mar 23, 2023 12:54 PMHello,
Anyone know where to get a firmware update for this unit ? I have the P1827201X version. Thank you!
Did you see this? http://forums.pelicanparts.com/porsche- ... opy-2.html
bogdaneise
Posts: 16
Joined: Nov 19, 2021 4:51 PM
Location: 33160

Re: Blaupunkt reissuing Bremen head unit w/modern features

Post by bogdaneise »

Yes but the one drive link it is not valid anymore unfortunately.
Justin_FL
MyE28 IT Guru
MyE28 IT Guru
Posts: 2822
Joined: Feb 12, 2006 12:00 PM
Location: Palm Beach
Contact:

Re: Blaupunkt reissuing Bremen head unit w/modern features

Post by Justin_FL »

Do you have issues with your unit? They probably pulled the firmware off the website for a reason, like there possibly being incompatible hardware revisions now that they have made it for a couple years and the software is required to be different. Unless you have an older radio running firmware versions with the bugs listed in the change logs I'd be cautious flashing firmware.

P1310052X <- Last known version on website
P1827201X <- Your version
cek
Posts: 9206
Joined: Mar 18, 2013 6:25 PM
Location: Durango
Contact:

Re: Blaupunkt reissuing Bremen head unit w/modern features

Post by cek »

Found this thread on Pelica Parts with a link to a Firmware (P1420052) download:

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/porsche- ... opy-4.html
Here's an updated link http://bit.ly/3ncbkxe (Feel free to pm me if this no longer works)

Two comments (provided by the generous person who previously offered to share this with me):
a) Make sure you read and follow the README file
b) The upgrade only worked for me when I plugged the USB drive into the
front of the radio, (I first tried with the rear input which failed)
Relevant:
Found this changelog that came with the software when I upgraded my radio.

Changelog BREMEN SQR 46 DAB (2001018000000)

P9A22031
- First release

P9B15034
- added DEMO MODE with color change
- added more colors 512 > 4096
- BEEP default changed to OFF

P9C10038
- Production release

P0115039(X)
- DAB: Presets stored permanently even after new SERVICE SCAN
- DAB: Improved timing of keys for selection of DAB SERVICE
- Bluetooth: Reconnect to source BT-STREAM after ACC OFF/ ON if available
- Issue: Sometimes wrong DAB channel display (X- Version only)

P0313043(X)
- added: BEEP confirmation for PRESETS even if BEEP is OFF
- added: PRESET+ / PRESET- for SWC commands
- changed: SWC compatibility (58mV)
- fixed: channel display with new DAB module (X- Version only, not verified)
- added: compatibility with SWC commands of some pioneer compatible interfaces, e.g. connects2 (default setting, no SWC setup needed)
- issue: SWC1 / SWC2 reversed for preprogrammed keys
- issue: DAB presets not saved anymore after new SERVICE SCAN/ INTRO SCAN

P0317044(X)
- fixed: SWC1 / SWC2 reversed for preprogrammed keys
- issue: DAB presets not saved anymore after new SERVICE SCAN/ INTRO SCAN
- issue: SWC PRESET+/ PRESET- does not properly on DAB (changes ENSEMBLE instead of PRESET)

P0318046(X)
- fixed: DAB presets not saved anymore after new SERVICE SCAN/ INTRO SCAN
- issue: sometimes wrong channel info displayed on DAB if displaymode is set to FREQUENCY

P0323047(X)
- added: show A2DP streaming info TITLE/ARTIST/ALBUM (select via DIS), capability may depend on used phone/ mp3 player and production date (only models with bluetooth version B20191226 and higher are supported, please check in MENU - VARIOUS - VERSION).
- fixed: SWC PRESET+/ PRESET- does not properly on DAB (changes ENSEMBLE instead of PRESET)
- fixed: sometimes wrong channel info displayed on DAB if displaymode is set to FREQUENCY

P0701049(X)

- fixed: BT pairing issue on selecting STREAMING (shows accidentally PIN before starting pairing)

P1310050(X)

- changed: BT AUDIO MIX volume optimazion for higher volume levels (BT AUDIO MIX volume increases in proportion to the MAIN volume ). Please note: Completely proportional volume change is not possible, this is hardware related.

P1310052(X)

- fixed: Permanent memory issue of some settings (FAD/ BAL)
[/quote'
bogdaneise
Posts: 16
Joined: Nov 19, 2021 4:51 PM
Location: 33160

Re: Blaupunkt reissuing Bremen head unit w/modern features

Post by bogdaneise »

The sound trough the bluetooth is terrible.No other issues what i was able to see.
Post Reply