[web1b]

Can't you just plug one of these


into the aux jack under the armrest and then set the stereo to aux input?
The car stereo would see the A2DP adapter as just some audio device plugged into the aux port and the A2DP adapter would communicate with your A2DP phone or MP3 player and pass the audio through to the car stereo.
The A2DP streaming audio quality through the aux port should be much better than what you get from an FM transmitter broadcasting to your car radio over FM radio.

I wouldn't get the particular one pictured because I read reviews that said you can't charge it and use it at the same time. If you plug it into a power adapter, the bluetooth is disabled. You would have to keep fiddling with it to charge it when you aren't using it and that would become a hassle really fast.

Does anyone know of something like this (a different brand/model) that can be left under the armrest plugged into the aux port and the under armrest power or USB port to charge and will keep working while it charges? Ideally it would be specifically designed for use in a car, come with a car charger and power off automatically when the power is cut.

Has anyone tested plugging any bluetooth adapter into the aux jack and streaming music and calls from a stereo bluetooth phone?

I'm thinking that getting the new Garmin 765T that has both A2DP audio streaming and bluetooth hansdfree and teaming it with an A2DP adapter would be ideal. It looks like calls, music on the device and the GPS directions would all play over the car stereo speakers wirelessly.


https://my.garmin.com/shop/shop.do?pID=14926

[tek818]

just check it out... it is a bluetooth transmitter, not a reciever

[web1b]

Originally Posted by tek818

just check it out... it is a bluetooth transmitter, not a reciever

I don't know what point you're making.

[tek818]

The device is meant for you to plug it in to your ipod, pc, etc.. and broadcast an a2dp signal to bluetooth headphones. It is not meant to receive the signal from an a2dp phone.

[web1b]

Originally Posted by tek818

The device is meant for you to plug it in to your ipod, pc, etc.. and broadcast an a2dp signal to bluetooth headphones. It is not meant to receive the signal from an a2dp phone.

OK, the device pictured as an example may not work, but the concept of what I want to do should work provided the right device is used.
I know I have seen one that was deigned to do what I want on a web site a few months ago, but I can't remember the name of the company (it isn't a well known brand) and I never bookmarked it because I didn't realize it was new or unique, so I can't find it anymore.

[tek818]

please let me know if you do find an a2dp reciever --> aux jack device. I am very interested in that...

[web1b]

Originally Posted by tek818

please let me know if you do find an a2dp reciever --> aux jack device. I am very interested in that...

There is this one:

http://www.amazon.com/Scosche-UBR-Bl.../dp/B000BKL2G0

But it has been out since 2006 and is quite bulky. I had found one that is brand new this year and much more compact. I can't remember the name of the company that was supposed to be releasing it.

[web1b]

This website seem really vague about the description, but it appears that this device would work an it's super cheap and only $18.72 with free shipping. You would just need to get a car charger.
It also doesn't say if it functions at the same time as it charges.

http://www.dealextreme.com/details.dx/sku.8422

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[tek818]

that thing looks pretty good, however it does not look like it can play/charge at the same time as it uses the same port...

[web1b]

Originally Posted by tek818

that thing looks pretty good, however it does not look like it can play/charge at the same time as it uses the same port...

I'll keep searching around for the other one I saw earlier this year. Maybe the perfect device is available that I can just leave constantly plugged into the under armrest power port and set it and forget it.

However, for this price, I could buy 2 for less than $40. Since they are so small, I could keep them both in the car and when the battery dies on the one in use, I could swap them out and take the dead one inside to charge.

I found the manual online too:
http://www.netmedia.com/vs2005/man-tunebeam.pdf

[tek818]

I just purchased one to try it out. under $20 and free shipping... can't beat that!

[web1b]

OK, let us know how it works when get it.
If it works well enough and I can't find anything better, I will probably get it and deal with recharging it manually.

[tintivilus]

Motorola DC800. It's a little bit overkill (it's an A2DP transmiter *and* receiver, with both audio line-in and line-out) but it works just fine in the car.

http://www.amazon.com/Bluetooth-Ster...3237117&sr=8-1

It comes with an AC power adapter but it works just fine with any Motorola-compatible car charger.

The only catch is that a lot of phones only support being connected to one Bluetooth device at a time so you can't simultaneously connect to both the carkit (HFP) and A2DP adapter.

Also, from a purely usability perspective, A2DP seems like a waste. You have to pull your phone out of your pocket or whatever to navigate the music, so why not just plug it in? The whole value proposition of Bluetooth is that you don't have to fish out your phone every time you get in the car.

oh, and by the way: not all A2DP implementations are alike. I've already seen some products that "support" A2DP that transmit way lower-quality audio than FM radio.

[web1b]

Originally Posted by tintivilus

Motorola DC800. It's a little bit overkill (it's an A2DP transmiter *and* receiver, with both audio line-in and line-out) but it works just fine in the car.

http://www.amazon.com/Bluetooth-Ster...3237117&sr=8-1

It comes with an AC power adapter but it works just fine with any Motorola-compatible car charger.

The only catch is that a lot of phones only support being connected to one Bluetooth device at a time so you can't simultaneously connect to both the carkit (HFP) and A2DP adapter.

Also, from a purely usability perspective, A2DP seems like a waste. You have to pull your phone out of your pocket or whatever to navigate the music, so why not just plug it in? The whole value proposition of Bluetooth is that you don't have to fish out your phone every time you get in the car.

oh, and by the way: not all A2DP implementations are alike. I've already seen some products that "support" A2DP that transmit way lower-quality audio than FM radio.

Bluetooth stereo would still be easier. Just set a playlist and hit play and then hit stop when you get out. You won't need to keep opening the console storage to keep plugging and unplugging the wire.

I would use it with the new Garmin 765t or the 785t that both come out later this fall. These new portable GPS support being simultaneously connected to your phone for handsfree calls and to an AD2P receiver to output the audio wirelessly.
I would pop it in the ashtray charger to mount and charge, control the music stored on it's microsd card using the touchscreen and also make and receive handsfree calls with it without having to take the phone out of my pocket or having to keep going into the center console to connect and disconnect the audio cable. The phone calls, music and turn by turn navigation voice would all wirelessly play over the stereo and the caller id and music info would be displayed on the gps screen.

[web1b]

Originally Posted by tek818

I just purchased one to try it out. under $20 and free shipping... can't beat that!

So, how did it work?

[tek818]

gotta admit.. for $20, it certainly does its job. It looks like a cheap ipod nano

[web1b]

I thought it was more the size of an iPod Shuffle.

Seems good for the price, but having to repeatedly disconnect it to recharge seems like a hassle.
I'm still looking for something similar that you can use as it charges (or has no battery at all and simply powers on and off automatically with the car).

[tek818]

yes, shuffle is what I meant. I have a cig lighter to usb power adapter in my center console. It is perfect to charge it if needed...

[web1b]

Yes, but then you can't use it for as long as it takes to recharge because the charging port is the same as the audio port and you would also need to be on a pretty long drive to recharge it in the car if the battery was drained.
If I bought this, I would probably get two, so I could swap them out when the battery dies.
However, a device like this that could be used while plugged into the charger for power would be ideal.

[web1b]

Kensington has a device that looks like it would work. The only important issue is that it is unknown if the armrest lid can close while it's plugged into the power port.
One other issue is that you won't be able to use the handsfree function because the mic would be under the armrest.
You would need to use a separate device for handsfree calling.

http://us.kensington.com/html/14484.html

[johnnya1306]

Just got the Kensington LiquidAUX to use with the ipod in the console. The model posted above is a Bluetooth adapter. I got the ipod/iphone 3g model http://us.kensington.com/html/14492.html
The power connector clears the lid just fine and the included wireless remote (which you can remove from the cheesy steering wheel attachment) works well.
Holding down the pause button will shut off the ipod and the sound level/quality is better (obviously) than the FM transmitter I was using previously.

Hope this helps,
John

[web1b]

Originally Posted by johnnya1306

Just got the Kensington LiquidAUX to use with the ipod in the console. The model posted above is a Bluetooth adapter. I got the ipod/iphone 3g model http://us.kensington.com/html/14492.html
The power connector clears the lid just fine and the included wireless remote (which you can remove from the cheesy steering wheel attachment) works well.
Holding down the pause button will shut off the ipod and the sound level/quality is better (obviously) than the FM transmitter I was using previously.

Hope this helps,
John

My car already has the factory iPod adapter but no factory bluetooth, so the stereo bluetooth version would be the one I'd get so I could play music from my phone or play music and the navigation sounds/voice from a Garmin Nuvi 765t.
The Garmin has both bluetooth stereo and bluetooth handsfree, so it would be a great setup if you could use the Nuvi's mic for handsfree calls, but have the incoming audio from the phone call play over the stereo via the A2DP.
The Liquidaux adapter would stay under the armrest and would power off with the engine automatically. The biggest problem with the battery operated visor mount speakerphones, is that you have to turn them off manually unless you are going to take the phone at least 10 meters away when you park.
If you park in your garage and walk inside your house, the bluetooth link doesn't break and you may miss calls if you forget to turn it off.
They could solve this by making one of these with a pairing range down to 10 feet instead of 10 meters (it's not as if you can really use it when you're 10 meters away from the mic). I don't know why they don't do that.