Testing an Idea: MP3-Bluetooth-Phone car audio

CWest

Like many people I'm trying to avail of the latest technology advancments with Bluetooth phones, and MP3 players in my car. However the car is older than the technology (a '03 Audi A4) so doesn't allow neat and simple integration. I have an idea on how to get over this without lots of nasty wires and without the problems of constantly retuning the FM tranmitter from the MP3 player, but it is only an idea so I wonder if anyone else has also had this idea has actually tried and succeeded...


The idea is....
Install a Bluetooth car phone kit and fully integrate this into the car stereo - the car stereo accepts car phone kit integration (as do all or most I assume). So far all a fairly standard stuff.

Then send MP3 quality audio (from an MP3 player or a phone with an inbuilt MP3) over Bluetooth via the car kit Bluetooth reciever to the car stereo and thereby get a neat way of playing your MP3's via the existing stereo?? This would then allow me to get over the problem of finding a way of getting the MP3 source as an input to the car stereo, and also to achieve a way of switching to that as a source. (The car stereo automatically switches to the "phone kit" as a source when that source is live -eg phone rings, etc. )

All the above is only a theory.
Has anyone tried this in practice??????
If so I'd love to hear your experiences and what kit you used (I reckon the choice of Bluetooth car kit is key)

PS I do know I can send music via Bluetooth from my phone (Nokie E51) - I've done this to a PC via Bluetooth with OK results (quality is at/near MP3 standards but not certain that the signal/decompression can keep up and hence not get sound gaps)

kyote00

why not just replace the head unit with a new stereo with either usb or aux in socket on the front and bluetooth.

i have a sony unit that does this, cost about 289e last year in halfords....

plug my mp3 player into the aux in and phone connection to radio when in the car....

CWest

Yep, could do that too and that may be the best bet in the end.

Still keen to test the other idea because a) existing stereo will is and hence looks more integrated - e.g. buttons and red illumination are as per the rest of the Audi dash, and b) perhaps save some cash as all I'd need to buy is the bluetooth kit (in theory of course!).

JJJJNR

I'd love something bluetooth that would synch my music selection from my PC to my car HDD with a click of a button, do away with tapes, cds, mp3 players etc.

Damn we can all wish.

fletch

Most new bluetooth kits have this facility OP. You want one that supports A2DP streaming.
Here's an example
http://www.expansys.ie/p.aspx?i=141753

daauneal

I seen a sat nav in dixons that can play your mp3's over bluetooth aswell . I forget what brand it was but its in dixons in jervis center , just seen it on sunday so im sure its not sold out or anything, I'm nearly sure it was a garmin . cost about 295 .