Hello all,
I'd like to add bluetooth audio to my car. I've already got an aftermarket head unit with USB input so I'd imagine that I can do something involving that. However, all the options on amazon just confused me. The goal here is to have a nice, clean solution that I could hide in the glovebox or behind the dash. I'm trying to avoid the adaptors I've seen that sit in the cigarette lighter.
What say the hive?
I got a grom one for our 05 odyssey.
Not exactly your case since it plugged right into the factory stuff.
Mostly works good though.
When I looked into adding Bluetooth to an aftermarket head unit years ago, it was cheaper just to buy a head unit with Bluetooth already. Almost all of them have it now from $50 to the sky.
RevRico wrote: When I looked into adding Bluetooth to an aftermarket head unit years ago, it was cheaper just to buy a head unit with Bluetooth already. Almost all of them have it now from $50 to the sky.
Oh really? This is only like the fifth car this head unit has been installed in...
Im with the op on this one. I love my pioneer hd radio so much that its now in car number 4. I want Bluetooth with it, not a new deck. Just for hands free calling in the miata. Never thought I would want this in anything, but....
Unless we are talking a factory system, I have not seen an add-on Bluetooth unit that wasn't an ungainly mess with usability issues. A good friend of mine drives hundreds of miles every day in an older Prius and has tried six or seven different ones from Amazon and has had complaints about every single one. Now he is just planning to go with a CarPlay unit (though that is a different beast entirely).
Getting a cheap new head unit with Bluetooth really is the answer here. Just stick with the brand you know and like, it will just feel like an upgraded version of what you already have.
If you have an aux input jack, they make plug in bluetooth modules ...
I added bluetooth to my 350Z ad well as the GF's Rav4, I used USA spec kits to work with factory stereo's. An aftermarket stereo with bluetooth would have been cheaper but she wanted to retain factory nav (how's that, factory nav and no bluetooth?) and I wanted to retain my factory bose crap. both systems work well but neither as good as the OE setup in my Tundra.
In your case, since your head unit already has a USB jack in the front, it should support and function as a USB audio receiver port. IF that's the case, you can literally plug something like this in, and DONE.
There is multiple sub $10 "bluetooth recievers" that power up off USB and output through a 3.5mm jack as well. Be careful which one you buy, as some DO NOT support playback through the USB, and only use USB for power.
If your head unit does not support the USB audio input (which it should...but if it doesn't...) you could do a clunkier plug/play option. I'm doing this in my car because I only have a 3.5mm aux input (no USB), but luckily the aux input is hidden in the center console, so the charger/usb reciever/audio cable are all hidden.
You could route the cable stealthy to a remotely powered USB receiver in a normal 12V cigarette lighter spot, and/or if your deck has an aux input on the front, there's a good chance there's a rear aux input as well? (even if RCA)... get an RCA to 3.5mm adapter behind the deck, and route the cable to a hidden USB bluetooth reciever.
I bought a $10 adapter on eBay. It plugs into your cigarette lighter. You transmit from your phone via bluetooth to the adapter, and the adapter outputs to the FM receiver on your radio.
Bonus - you can use it in any car.
Get a new head unit.
I used the Grom unit in my BMW and it works good, but at 4149 for the unit and another $50 for the DSP adapter, it's a bit pricier. But it's for the factory setup and retains the steering wheel controls.
In your case, there are two solutions, the better one being just replacing the headunit with one that has BT in it. I did that in our '02 Suburban and it's perfect ($100 JVC headunit). Is your headunit a cassette or CD player? For some older cars with the factory cassette deck, another option is the cassette adapter for $20. I have this one for older cars:
No FM interference issues. I've also had the opportunity to use one of those USB adapters and it works well.
xflowgolf wrote: In your case, since your head unit already has a USB jack in the front, it should support and function as a USB audio receiver port. IF that's the case, you can literally plug something like this in, and DONE.
That's EXACTLY what I was looking for, thanks! Your amazon-fu is stronger than mine, haha.
I was just looking into options for this on my potential new to me RX8. Hoping to go with a different factory head unit and simply swap the whole thing over. Handsfree calling/talking has now become a must have like heated seats. Apparently I am getting old and wussified.
For those shopping for a new radio, Pioneer has about the best "aftermarket" Bluetooth built into their radios. And by best I am also considering "bang for your buck". I have run almost every major brand under the sun and Alpine & Pioneers definitely are at the top. I currently have an MVH-290BT single din and MVH‑AV290BT double din installed and they work all the time, every time. As soon as you get in the car, it auto connects, and if you were listening to an ipod/mp3 file or some streaming source like Pandora, it picks up right where you left off.
Well I ordered the Bluetooth receiver suggested by xflowgolf. Should be here on the 19th. I'll let y'all know how it works out.
xflowgolf wrote: In your case, since your head unit already has a USB jack in the front, it should support and function as a USB audio receiver port. IF that's the case, you can literally plug something like this in, and DONE.
I'm skeptical that this will work, yet intrigued that it may. All of the head units that I've used were only able to read audio files via the USB port.
This has been on my wish list for awhile.
Compounding the issue is the fact that I flat out refuse to cut the dash bezel on my 84 GTI that still has the factory radio in it. I stupidly inserted one of those damn tape converters and the damn tape jambed in it. I eventually managed to pull it out, but not without screwing up the tape deck. The radio won't play anymore and it only makes a clicking noise like it thinks the tape needs to be flipped.
So with that said, has anyone tried a Bluetooth/MP3/USB conversion?
I started researching this and I found one logical solition for it:
Aurora Design Bluetooth Conversion
This basically installs a circuit board for bluetooth functionality and uses the old 2 post controls to switch between modes.
The catch to me is cost, and trusting the installer to not fudge my radio up.
Anyone had this done? Any recommendations for shops to do it?
I'd spend around $300 before I considered this to be crazy.
In reply to Contradiction:
I've never heard of such a thing before but it looks really cool!
I'd give something like this a try first
. Yes, its a DeWalt.
One thing I didn't see mentioned in this thread:
If you get a decent head unit that supports bluetooth it usually comes with a decent external mic as well. Not sure how the bluetooth-tape-deck or fm transmitter options handle that.
FWIW, I've had an alpine headunit that supports bluetooth calling in my car for over 5 years now. It works well. If I were getting a new one I'd want it to support streaming from my phone as well so I could listen to Audible books without it being a tremendous pain in the shiny happy person.
thatsnowinnebago wrote: Well I ordered the Bluetooth receiver suggested by xflowgolf. Should be here on the 19th. I'll let y'all know how it works out.
Let us know when it shows up if it worked as you had hoped.
Well the Bluetooth reciever arrived yesterday and I "installed" it promptly. The usb input for my deck hides in the glovebox so the installation is nice and clean. It works pretty darn well, especially considering what I paid. It does do this weird thing where the music will play really fast for a second when you first connect, like it's trying to catch up or something. I also noticed it sorta skipped a couple times. Don't know if that's a problem with the receiver or what. My phone is brand new (S7 Active) so my money is on the Bluetooth reciever.
All in all, I am very happy. It's really hard to argue with a sub-$10 solution for Bluetooth audio in my car. I think it might even do hands free calling but I'm not sure/don't care.
fyi, I've run my S6 active over bluetooth for music a lot and never experienced that playback issue.
You say you don't care about the hands free....I would've agreed until I used it some. I put a $100 deck in my old truck that has ipod control, bluetooth, and XM sat hookup. The handsfree with the external mic wasn't something I was really looking for but I hooked it up anyway since it was included. After using it for 6 months, I'm seriously considering replacing the perfectly good deck in my Mustang just to get the hands free. I don't talk on the phone much at all while driving, but for the few times I need to it is so very worth it.
In reply to ultraclyde:
That's why I figure it's the cheap bluetooth reciever, not the fancy shmancy new phone.
You'll need to log in to post.
