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In-car Bluetooth: Alpine or Pioneer or . |
Hlcn Twst
Joined: Jul 27, 2006
Posts: > 500
From: Purgatory, Utah, USA
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I have a USA-market VW Golf GTI (A4 chassis). The lousy factory radio was replaced with the Euro-market OEM "Gamma" unit. Besides preserving the "not worth stealing" factory look, the audio quality improved dramatically, and I also gained telephone handsfree kit inputs.
Unfortunately, that last part proved useless. I tried two Parrot kits (CK3000 and 3200LS-Color), and neither got along with the factory "Monsoon" in-line amp/DSP unit in my car. If I used the Parrot's speaker-level inputs, I had plentiful volume + ground-loop noise. If I used the kits' line-level inputs, I eliminated the ground-loop, along with 99% of the phone volume  In addition, my iPod adapter (which takes over the factory radio's CD changer input) never functioned correctly with the radio's "PHONE" mode.
I'm seriously considering an all-new head unit, and Alpine and Pioneer both offer Bluetooth functionality in their products. For the Alpine, it's an add-on "box" to any AI-NET radio, to which an additional 3-button remote control is wired: KCA-100BT Bluetooth Interface Module. Pioneer offers a cleaner solution, a high-end head unit with built-in Bluetooth: DEH-P980BT.
Anyone have any experience with either solution?
If I can solve the ground-loop vs. diminished volume problem, I could try adding the  HCB-700 kit. But this would require purchasing and installing a new factory-iPod adapter.
For now, I'm using the Jabra SP500 speakerphone. It works well enough, but it is a large, obtrusive unit that renders useless the sun visor to which its clipped. Not to mention, as it isn't electronically tied into the car, I must manually turn it on/off every time.
Your experiences and advice are welcome 
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martuk
Joined: Aug 21, 2005
Posts: 60
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Why not use the Parrot inbuilt ISO mute leads? |
Aware
Joined: Jun 24, 2006
Posts: > 500
From: Oxon, UK
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Try this:
http://www.xplodsony.com/arti[....]+Bluetooth+Enabled+CD+Receiver
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petros15978
Joined: Jun 28, 2006
Posts: 20
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I believe you should change your installer!
I own an Audi A3 with the concert radio-cd (factory fit) which I believe has exactly the same inputs-outputs as the Gamma in your Golf. I had the Parrot ck3100 installed and it works like a dream. Very pleased with it and the sound quality is superb.
On the other hand, have you tried adjusting the volume of the handfree kt itself before? It's the middle round button, turning it clockwise increases volume, anti-clockwise decreases volume! In most of the cases this proves to solve the low volume problem.
Then, again, maybe you hane not installed the mute cable correctly. Try that first.
Hope that helps! |
Hlcn Twst
Joined: Jul 27, 2006
Posts: > 500
From: Purgatory, Utah, USA
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@ Aware, I'll have ot look into that Sony unit. Thanks for the tip.
If only the manufacturer's web sites discussed the  functionality in more detail... The downloadable user manual from Alpine indicates you can initiate a call, take a call, and hang up, nothing more (e.g. no call reject, call waiting, etc.). And the radio will only show the word \"Telephone\" or some such. The Pioneer unit appears to show caller ID information, if the photo on their web page is to be believed. But I have no idea what handsfree functions are supported, if any.
@ everyone else, I had to install it myself because no one around here could even spell \"Bluetooth,\" let alone install add-on car electronics that use it  And I'm fairly competent workng on my car myself (I have to be, given the sorry state of VW's dealerships in the USA) - I installed the Gamma radio, in-dash CD player, and iPod adapter on my own, all without incident.
When installing either Parrot kit, using the ISO-leads resulted in the aforementioned ground-loop noise. The \"Monsoon\" unit in the US-market Golfs connects to the speaker leads, and not the line-level outputs of the radio; i.e., it electrically comes between the radio and speakers. With both the radio and Parrot kit feeding the Monsoon unit, a ground-loop resulted (which could only be heard on a call, very annoying).
Using the \"TEL +/-\" inputs on the radio eliminated the ground-loop but also resulted in very low volume. And yes, I know how to adjust the volume on the Parrot kit itself  I tried both the line-level outputs on the Parrot kit, and also tapped its ISO leads to do directly to the \"TEL\" inputs on the radio. The low volume resulted either way 
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martuk
Joined: Aug 21, 2005
Posts: 60
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When you fed the audio direct into the tel+ tel- (not with the line level) did you turn the volume up on the radio, this will allow sound adjustment also. Also go into the setup menu (hold down TP I think) and go through and turn up the Phone on volume to about 10/12 |
Hlcn Twst
Joined: Jul 27, 2006
Posts: > 500
From: Purgatory, Utah, USA
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Quote:
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On 2006-08-25 20:39:20, martuk wrote:
When you fed the audio direct into the tel+ tel- (not with the line level) did you turn the volume up on the radio, this will allow sound adjustment also. Also go into the setup menu (hold down TP I think) and go through and turn up the Phone on volume to about 10/12
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I did that, and I still needed a Phone volume level of around 20!
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martuk
Joined: Aug 21, 2005
Posts: 60
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strange, i've probably done around 100 car kits into golfs and never had that problem. |
Hlcn Twst
Joined: Jul 27, 2006
Posts: > 500
From: Purgatory, Utah, USA
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Quote:
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On 2006-08-26 02:50:38, martuk wrote:
strange, i've probably done around 100 car kits into golfs and never had that problem.
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I suspect the goofy Monsoon unit is to blame. I think it doesn't know how to process the signal from the TEL inputs, so it doesn't bother to amplify them at all.
Anyway, in addition to the above, the latest TomTom and Garmin portable GPS units have and thus offer handsfree functionality. The TomTom will even use the phone's GPRS connection to download the latest traffic and weather info 
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Posted: 2006-08-24 23:39
