Sony MEX-BT5000 - Radio / CD / MP3 player - Full-DIN - in-dash - 52 Watts x 4 Review

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(More customer reviews)Been a Sony car head unit user since many years ago I decided to give it a try and as a one solution to integrate Ipod and a BT hands free in one unit so let's say it could be worse. Installation is a breeze because there isn't extra speakers or mic to set. Just hook the speakers and power cables as any standard unit, plug the Ipod adapter, set and match the cell and that's it. Be aware it is hard to read the display when the sun hit it. Also digits are very small.
Unfortunately Ipod integration is a disaster as other reviewers noted with the XA-110IP. I also tested a ipod2car 2nd gen (with it's Sony interface wiring harness) which work great on my other older Sony head units but in the MEX-BT5000 it is not recognized. Is a shame because it's way better than the XA-110IP.
Sound through the bluetooth interface is a joke. Have tried several devices and they sound terrible. Is like hearing music through your home phone.
Cell Bluetooth interface has some issues and callers report severe echo. Having the mic integrated in the head unit has it's cons, setting a mic on better places could improve a lot the echo but unfortunately that's not possible.
Another concern is that the MEX-BT5000 doesn't have the option to update it's bluetooth software to keep it more integrated with newer phones.
On another vehicle I have both a standard Sony Head Unit and a Parrot 3200 bluetooth hansdfree device and this one is the best handsfree I have seen so far, it's so user friendly, has so many features like the phone book which is spelled through the speakers, and it's software can be updated by the user with a bluetooth equiped laptop as I already did. I located the mic in a optimum place and callers hear me clearly.
It's a fact: a company only dedicated to make stand alone handsfrees or ipod interfaces will have a better product against a manufacturer that makes them all by itself.
If you can afford it go for a dedicated Handsfree like the Parrot 3200 (sound goes through the stock speakers) and choose a better (non Sony for now) Ipod interface. If budget is tight just go for a dock hooked to the Sony aux input and control the iPod directly.

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JVC KD-BT11 Single DIN In-Dash CD Receiver with Built-In Bluetooth (Silver) Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)Let me explain this product in one sentence: A steal for the price. The deck is comparable to most on the market right now other than the fact that it has bluetooth built in. I was using the bluetooth with my phone in seconds - making calls, streaming music. I have read reviews elsewhere that complain about navigating through the menu, I find these complaints unsubstantiated. Although not purely intuitive they were graspable without picking up the manual and looking things up - the only thing I had to revert to instructions for was setting the clock. The sound has been good, no objections there - and the equalizer functions are minimal but in my opinion adequate (I've had decks with crazy equalizers that have gone unused so this one was a good switch for me). I intend to add the ipod interface ($30-$40 on amazon) as well as the HD radio tuner (not on amazon at the time of the review but available for around $100 if you really look around). So, for about $300 I'll have a bluetooth, HD radio, that can control and charge my ipod (through the stereo). Try to find anything that can do all that for the same price and I'll give you a cookie.
A quick note about the bluetooth quality (in regard to talking on the phone). There is a mic in the stereo that picks up your voice as you hear the person you're speaking with through your speakers. As an artifact of this setup at times the person will hear their echo (one must deal with it). People will know they are on speakerphone, but conversations can be had with ease. So far all the calls I've made have been successful, in other words no one has said 'you've got to get me off speakerphone'. All in all I'm happy with the quality and I assume if my car were more airtight the person would hear me much better.
One potential problem: there is only one set of pre-outs, so those of you with big ideas about expanding drastically should look into a deck with front, rear, and sub outs (3 total). I however am doing a downgrade and the single pre-out worked fine for me.

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Altec Lansing IMT525 inMotion SoundBlade Bluetooth A2DP Speaker/Speakerphone (Black) Review

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(More customer reviews)This unit is quite thin and fairly small, but it has amazing sound for its size with surprisingly good bass and decent volume. It was easy to setup and works well. I had no problems pairing with my laptop and mp3 player. The build quality seems good, the controls work well, and it looks nice.
I haven't tried the speaker phone feature yet, but the music playing functions as expected. I can basically put this anywhere in the room and just turn it on (after the initial pairing which you only do once). Then I can turn on the bluetooth device on my laptop (I use a USB bluetooth dongle) and it connects quickly. I then fire up my mp3 player software on the laptop and go. The sound quality is good, very pleasant actually. Surprisingly good tonal range. (If your expectations are reasonable, you will be pleasantly surprised.)
I also tried this with my bluetooth enabled portable mp3 player and again, everything worked fine. No problems at all.
If you want bluetooth capable powered speakers with decent sound at a fair price, then this is it. You will be surprised at the decent tonality from such a small, portable set. Thumbs up!


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Sony MEXBT3700U CD Receiver Bluetooth Hands-Free with Integrated Microphone (Black) Review

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(More customer reviews)I got this head unit because I got an iphone 3GS (previous iphone models do not have Bluetooth audio streaming (A2DP)) and wanted something that would give me as many options of integrating it with the car stereo as possible without spending a ton of money. I also didn't want to have to pay extra for the bluetooth attachments that you have to add on to the bluetooth ready head units.
-BLUETOOTH AUDIO STREAMING
The audio bluetooth streaming is great sound quality is very good (I am not a picky audiophile so can't say if sensitive ears would notice anything wrong with the quality), I actually listen to local radio stations through their internet streams through the iphone then bluetoothed to the car stereo because its better sound quality then what I get out of the tuner (any tuner not just this one, I live in a bad radio reception area between 2 markets). The stereo usually picks up my phone (for both phone and audio) within 30 seconds of turning on the car. I have had to reset the bluetooth (takes about 20 seconds, push one button twice) every few weeks because it will start to get skippy but it is a pretty minor inconvenience. Listening to Pandora through the Iphone to the car stereo is awesome, and has greatly improved my commute.

-Bluetooth Phone connection
Connects within 30 seconds of starting the car. Sound quality is good. And the microphone that is built in actually works well, this shocked me I was sure I would have to either yell or buy an external mic but the one that comes in the head unit picks up my voice fine I have not had a complaint about people on the other end of the call not being able to hear me. Another good thing about the mic being built in is that it saved me $60 on the installation that they would have charged me to install an external mic. The transition between phone call and what was playing before the call is automatic and fluid.
-USB input
I have not gotten a chance to use this because the bluetooth has worked well. It would be nice if it had a USB on the back of the unit in addition to the one on the front so that you could run a wire hidden behind the console plastic and have it connect where ever you wanted it to without it cluttering up the car (that is the main reason I gave it 4 instead of 5 stars).Overall I love this unit because it was fairly cheap and it does exactly what I wanted it to do in respect to integrating with my Iphone.

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The Sony MEX-BT3700U head unit with Bluetooth wireless technology features a front USB connection, a front aux-in and three preouts. The CD/MP3/WMA/AAC receiver is also compatible with the latest in Sony's audio features and technologies, including ZAPPIN, Quick-BrowZer, Jump Mode, Passenger Control and DM+ Advanced. Sony offers an optional microphone, model XA-MC10, designed to complement the MEX-BT3700U.

Detachable Faceplate The MEX-BT3700U features a detachable faceplate with black 13-segment LCD display. Switchable blue or green key illumination makes control in the dark a snap, and lets you pick your style.

USB 1-Wire With the addition of USB 1-wire functionality on select Sony CD receivers, you can easily expand your digital music player's options in your system. USB 1-wire receivers allow you to connect, charge, and control many digital music players including iPod, iPhone, Walkman music player, and even USB thumb drives directly from the head units, all from one wire.
iPod Direct By connecting an iPod to the USB port, you can listen to all your favorite iPod tunes on your car speakers. Once connected, the iPod will turn on, and it'll resume where you last left off. Enjoy full control of the iPod from the CDX-GT530UI, and while the car is on, your iPod will get a charge, so it'll be ready to go when you're back on foot.

USB Support Insert a USB thumb drive in the front panel USB port and enjoy your favorite digital audio files.
The CDX-GT530UI gives you the freedom to choose your format. Whether it's burnt to disc or on your USB drive, you'll enjoy playback of MP3, WMA, and AAC formats.
You also get ID3 tag support--title, artist and album info will be scrolled across the LCD.

Get Zapped with ZAPPIN While enjoying your iPod, or USB tunes, you can give ZAPPIN a try. Sony's unique ZAPPIN technology operates similarly to most car stereos' scan buttons. It continues to play a series of short music clips from your own music library until you can find your favorite song to match your mood.

Ready for SAT and HD Radio Using separate Sony adapters you can add an HD radio tuner, or add Satellite Radio for a wealth of channels of music, news, talk shows, sports and traffic information with CD quality sound.
AM/FM Radio Always have your favorite stations at hand with 18 FM and 12 AM presets.
Best Tuning Memory Setting your radio presets can be a real pain while you're driving--especially if you're in an unfamiliar area. So, let the tuner do the work for you by activating the Best Tuning Memory (BTM) function. The tuner will seek out up to 18 of the strongest stations in the area and set them into the tuner presets.
What's in the Box Sony MEX-BT3700U CD Receiver, manual

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Altec Lansing inMotion SoundBlade Bluetooth A2DP Speaker/Speakerphone (Black) Review

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(More customer reviews)What I was after:
- Amplified Loudspeaker
- Highly Compact & Portable
- Dual powered (battery & mains)
- Wired & Wireless connectivity
To sum it up: The whole point of a product like this is to get the best possible sound in the least possible space with the highest degree of flexibility.
The Altec Lansing SoundBlade was the best fit.
This speaker gets about as loud as the speaker gets on a typical television, so it can actually fill a room. Unfortunately, you cannot adjust the tone, as it tends to be a little too bass heavy. When you max out the volume of your source and on the speaker, distortion is quite noticeable. For the most part, listening to audio at reasonable levels actually produces a very clear and rich sound that suggests a sophisticated piece of hardware.
The Bluetooth connectivity may be tricky for people new to the technology, but once you understand the process of pairing it with your unit, it's a snap. With a clear line of site I've managed to move it a full twenty feet from my laptop before I experienced any dropouts with the device.
It's not just for iPods or Zunes. It's agnostic towards the brand of audio player you are using, so it can easily be used with any standard 1/8" audio output jack. Once the wired connection is made, the wireless functionality is automatically disabled. Your favorite MP3 player is going to sound great.The estimated 24 hours of use for 6AA batteries seems about right. Having a built in charger might have made it seem more convenient, but when you value portability, replaceable batteries actually make more sense in the long run. Having the option to plug in the speaker to standard AC power makes for a nice backup plan too, and there's nothing that says you can't use your own rechargeables.
The thin, sleek design is a major plus. It's a flat, smooth rectangular unit. The glossy black finish allows the SoundBlade to easily slide into your laptop carrier, briefcase, or backpack. The built in kickstand latches securely in place during travel and provides exceptionally stable support on any flat surface when you take it out for use.
The price is a bit fierce, but I have yet to find anything else that meets or exceeds all of the above criteria
Bottom Line
-----------
Pros:
Good sound
Excellent portability
Cons:
Unable to adjust tone
Expensive

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The Altec Lansing inMotion SoundBlade Bluetooth A2DP Speaker is designed to untether you from your cell phone, letting you take a call or listen to music in comfort. With Bluetooth support, the speaker doesn't require any cables, and setup is extremely easy. With this unique speaker by your side, you can listen to music or take a call with crystal-clear sound every time.

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