Advice for in-car Bluetooth

Lovely Bloke

Hi folks,

I'll be picking up a 06 Avensis this week, and it has the stock radio.

I'm looking for a fully integrated Bluetooth system that will stream music/podcasts/spotify from my phone (android) and also act as a handsfree for calls. It needs to play the music through the car speakers.

I don't have a whole lot to spend, approx €200 (to include fitting if needed, I know Halfords charge €50 fitting fee).

Clareman

Baldy Conscience wrote: »

Hi folks,

I'll be picking up a 06 Avensis this week, and it has the stock radio.

I'm looking for a fully integrated Bluetooth system that will stream music/podcasts/spotify from my phone (android) and also act as a handsfree for calls. It needs to play the music through the car speakers.

I don't have a whole lot to spend, approx €200 (to include fitting if needed, I know Halfords charge €50 fitting fee).

I had a thread on this before and I ended up going for the Parrot Mki9200, I bought it from a seller on Adverts for €140 and installed it myself in my 07 Avensis, it's surprisingly easy to do, but Halfords will do it for you for €50, I'm sure there's plenty of other places that would do it as well. You might need an ISO adapter cable setup to make the Parrot compatible with your radio, they cost ~€10

Lovely Bloke

and that does all the above does it? It was mentioned in the thread that it uses it's own Amp for the streaming - does it?

Clareman

Yup, it can connect 2 phones, important to me, I've a S4 and iPhone connected to mine, it'll take audio from any app on your phones, there's also connectors to connect up non-bluetooth devices to it, I've a USB left in it full of music and it's just in the glove box. There's great noise cancelling on it as well.

Lovely Bloke

Wait, does it play the music through the car or not you didn't really answer that for me.

Hmm, never considered that 2 phones would be a thing, but I've two phones myself, one for work and the other personal.

Clareman

Baldy Conscience wrote: »

Wait, does it play the music through the car or not you didn't really answer that for me.

Hmm, never considered that 2 phones would be a thing, but I've two phones myself, one for work and the other personal.

Yes, it plays it through the car, it doesn't have it's only speaker.

Lovely Bloke

Sweet, I'll probably go for that then, sound thanks.

Clareman

No worries, it's a great piece of kit and an Avensis is very easy to put it into

uck51js9zml2yt

Can I hijack the thread please?

Is this kit as easy to fit for an 08 Skoda octavia estate ?
Thanks

Lovely Bloke

Darren Brave Transportation wrote: »

Can I hijack the thread please?

No, go away :pac:

Clareman

Darren Brave Transportation wrote: »

Can I hijack the thread please?

Is this kit as easy to fit for an 08 Skoda octavia estate ?
Thanks

It's all about getting to the back of the radio, in the Avensis you remove the trim above the radio (where the cup holder is) and pop out the ash tray holder, take out the screws above and below the radio and then run your cables, there's a space between the radio and the glove box to store the unit so it doesn't rattle. After that you just have to run the cables behind the glove box, up behind the trim on the door frame and on the way up to the rear view mirror, about half an hour's work.

uck51js9zml2yt

Clareman wrote: »

It's all about getting to the back of the radio, in the Avensis you remove the trim above the radio (where the cup holder is) and pop out the ash tray holder, take out the screws above and below the radio and then run your cables, there's a space between the radio and the glove box to store the unit so it doesn't rattle. After that you just have to run the cables behind the glove box, up behind the trim on the door frame and on the way up to the rear view mirror, about half an hour's work.

But..but..but...I don't have an avensis

Wonder if there are any deals on BA

Clareman

I didn't have to put it into an Octavia so I don't know Doesn't look too difficult https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jPyaJ57x4og

The cheapest place I could find it was an adverts with a seller called TheFarm (http://www.adverts.ie/shops/thefarm/), next day delivery and no hassle, there might be other options available

colm_mcm

Clareman wrote: »

No worries, it's a great piece of kit and an Avensis is very easy to put it into

Did the Connects2 not work out for you?

Clareman

colm_mcm wrote: »

Did the Connects2 not work out for you?

Nope, it was a nightmare, delayed shipping, double charging (thank f**k for paypal) and then the unit didn't work, it was fairly easy to install though. Glad I went for the Parrot in the end, the screen and on wheel controls are very handy.

Mintoe

Baldy Conscience wrote: »

Hi folks,

I'll be picking up a 06 Avensis this week, and it has the stock radio.

I'm looking for a fully integrated Bluetooth system that will stream music/podcasts/spotify from my phone (android) and also act as a handsfree for calls. It needs to play the music through the car speakers.

I don't have a whole lot to spend, approx €200 (to include fitting if needed, I know Halfords charge €50 fitting fee).

Company called Novero do excellent range 4 what u want. I've used myself and does exactly what u want

Lovely Bloke

I got the Mki9200 installed yesterday by Halfords (worth the fee to me, I'm extremely non-techy with stuff like car electronics, I'd likely have done a botch job).

It's exactly what I wanted, perfect solution really.

OldMrBrennan83

This post has been deleted.

Clareman

Glad it worked out Baldy Conscience

Lovely Bloke

Clareman wrote: »

Glad it worked out Baldy Conscience

yeah, cheers for your input.

Trojan

For anyone still looking, do check out the Dension. My car's previous owner installed one, hidden in glove compartment, microphone on dash.

It just works, I recommend checking it out.

Tea drinker

Baldy Conscience wrote: »

Hi folks,

I'll be picking up a 06 Avensis this week, and it has the stock radio.

I'm looking for a fully integrated Bluetooth system that will stream music/podcasts/spotify from my phone (android) and also act as a handsfree for calls. It needs to play the music through the car speakers.

I don't have a whole lot to spend, approx €200 (to include fitting if needed, I know Halfords charge €50 fitting fee).

5 years back I got a Pioneer Bluetooth head unit and it done all that you listed and was better than the stock radio, not sure why to go with likes of parrot.
Not a Avensis though ;-)

imurdaddy

Trojan wrote: »

For anyone till looking, do check out the Dension. My car's previous owner installed one, hidden in glove compartment, microphone on dash.

It just works, I recommend checking it out.

Do you know the model number for the Dension car kit?

OldMrBrennan83

This post has been deleted.

adox

Baldy Conscience wrote: »

yeah, cheers for your input.

Where did you pick up the parrot from? I have the same year Avensis and was looking at something similar, or at least something to to connect my phone to for music.

I had looked at getting a new stereo put in with an aux input and Bluetooth but, with the rather awkward layout of the stock stereo, I'd need a new faceplate type thing ont he front of the stereo too.

Maybe the parrot would be a better solution? Did you buy the parrot seperately and just pay Halfords to do the install or get the lot from them?

Lovely Bloke

got the lot from them.

took about an hour for them to fit it.

adox

Got it installed in Halfords there at lunchtime.:)

adox

Just a quick question. Have the newer versions lost the 30 pin connecter that goes into the glove box? I'm sure there were three different connections on all the reviews I read. Mine only has two, a line in and a USB.

Clareman

Mine has 3, the iPod, Aux and USB, all in a nice handy holder, like in the picture here.

Lovely Bloke

adox wrote: »

Just a quick question. Have the newer versions lost the 30 pin connecter that goes into the glove box? I'm sure there were three different connections on all the reviews I read. Mine only has two, a line in and a USB.

same, but it doesn't bother me, I don't own iAnything.

Clareman

I've only ever used the USB part of it and the bluetooth from my phone, very handy so it is, trip from Dublin to Ennis passes very quickly when listening to Spotify.