Parrot CK3200 LS-COLOR - Bluetooth hands-free car kit Review

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(More customer reviews)This unit has worked really well on my 2006 Honda Odyssey Touring with the Navigation option. This is the most complex Odyssey audio package available with the built in DVD system that supports Dolby Digital 5.1 sound, etc. It has active amplification that is outside the car stereo "head unit" in the dashboard. If the Parrot is installed using any of the supposed ready made harnesses that allow integration of the Parrot and the car stereo, the sound from the Parrot will be a lot louder than tolerable. This is because the Parrot has its own amplifier and a little switching box that sits inside the dashboard when installed. This feeds into a "T" harness which essentially allows the Parrot to switch out the stereo and connect itself to your speakers when it is activated by a call. In any simpler stereo, this would be fine because this arrangement cuts out the car's amplifier. In my car, the downstream amp makes the sound waaayyy too loud, no matter how you set the Parrot's volume.
The solution, then, was to delete the harness I bought ($29.95) with the Parrot from Crutchfield's and replace it with a much more expensive ($149.99) harness from Quickconnect products. This more expensive harness eliminates the Parrot harness and the extra aftermarket harness, but adds its own harness and yet another little electronic box that properly attenuates and switches the audio signals so that the resulting sound does not hurt you or your expensive audio system.
What if you don't have an Odyssey Touring? Well, the point is that you may have some other fancy car audio system and you need to know what it's layout and compatibility are before you buy this BT system or any other that patches directly into your audio. This was an expensive mistake for me, since if I had known about the nearly double cost, i would have just asked my wife (it's her car) to just turn the radio off manually and use the cheapo Motorola BT clip on speaker we have when she needs to talk in the car. (CA handsfree law, you know).
Another reviewer commented that the installation instructions on the Parrot are bad. I would second that. I got through it OK, but I'm a long time electronics engineering nerd, and would say that if you are not an experienced car stereo installer or electronics kinda person, then get some pro help.
I unfortunately purchased this item on the recommendation of Crutchfield's phone sales person and then was too busy to check it out before my 30 days return window ran out. This makes this an indictment of me as much as Crutchfield's since I didn't check it out sooner. I have found in the past that Crutchfield's costs more, but was totally reliable in the advice and instructions department. They also have all onshore (US) based phone support and were helpful in diagnosing the issues. That said, they blew the initial recommendation, so a big Caveat Emptor (buyer beware) to all of you.
Conclusion: It all works great now, but it took twice as long and cost twice as much as I had hoped.

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