I bought a total of 5 (yes five) different Bluetooth speakerphones to test on my car visor and operate with my Sprint HTC Touch phone. Each unit has flaws and two are unusable in my opinion when used with the Sprint Touch. Your results may differ.
Here are the units I tested:
The Jabra SP5050, Parrot Minikit, BlueAnt Supertooth Light, BlueAnt Supertooth II and Motorola T505. I chose these units based on the positive user reviews on the Amazon site.
Now how they perform when paired with my Sprint HTC Touch...
BlueAnt Supertooth Light Works good with few complaints. Connects automatically every time. Has mini USB for charging which is exactly the same as my phone. OK speaker volume (but the volume may cause an echo on the other end). I like how turning the unit on or off is accomplished by pushing the mic in/out. Magnetic clip is nice.
BlueAnt Supertooth II Works good but doesn't usually connect automatically with the Touch. I need to push the talk/end button to connect. Best speaker volume (you can turn the volume too high which may cause an echo on the other end). This unit can be used with the visor up or down since the mic can swing totally open. Aesthetics might not appeal to some. I really like how turning the unit on or off is accomplished by swinging the mic in or out. Magnetic clip is nice.
Jabra SP5050 Maybe the best aesthetics with very slim size. Easy to understand if it's on and connected with the alert tones. Very light unit and did I say how slim it is?
Terrible low volume with my Sprint Touch! The volume is unusable for highway speed driving and is a deal killer compared to the other units. This cannot be corrected using the volume on my phone as it's at max too! I was so hopeful for this unit.
Parrot Minikit Works great sometimes. Has great speaker volume. Sometimes cannot get it to connect and sometimes locks up. I believe this is an issue with the Minikit and the Touch combination as I also tested a Parrot LS3200 color built in unit with the exact same terrible results. Unusable!
Motorola T505 Nice aesthetics. Connects automatically every time. Has mini USB power connector exactly the same as my phone. Very good speaker volume and I love the option of using the FM transmitter with my car stereo for even better sound and volume. No complaints from people on the other end and they never heard an echo like the BlueAnt. I haven't tried using the music player but that isn't why I bought it. I prefer the Supertooth II on/off mic switch over the Motorola back of the unit location. This is by far the best unit for use with my Sprint Touch and the one I'll keep using. Works fantastic!
Now I'm giving away the other units to friends.
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I recently bought a 2008 Cadillac CTS. It is the best car I have driven to date, but the biggest problem it has is that all vehicles manufactured prior to April 2008 have no bluetooth. This is the first car I have owned without bluetooth installed since the technology first became available. Since I run a business and constantly use the phone in my car, I scrambled to find the perfect device.
Right now the two most popular BT devices are the Blueant Supertooth Light and the Motorola T505. It was a tough choice which way to go but I chose the Motorola because it had FM transmitting capability.
The one thing that is misleading about the pictures depicted of this device on Amazon is its size. I was amazed to see just how small the T505 is. It comes with a very strong clip that secures itself on the visor, and it easily slides on and off whenever you need to remove the T505 for charging purposes.
The included car charger is worthless for most because who wants that cord dangling from the visor? What is visibly absent here is a wall charger. I can't really get upset about this as it does have a USB socket that allows you to plug your device in your computer's USB port for charging.
Pairing was easy. Hold the Power button down for a few seconds (you may have to press PLAY as well) and the T505 goes into pairing mode. My iPhone immediately recognized the device and once you type in 0000 you are instantly paired. No need to pair the phone each time you enter the vehicle.
For best results make sure the bluetooth volume is all the way up on your phone. This will provide the loudest results from the built-in T505 speakerphone.
My first call came today while I was driving. A british voice announced the incoming phone number. I simply pressed the front PLAY button and the call was connected. Speakerphone was crisp and loud. It was pretty incredible as far as the overall voice quality. People sitting in the back seat would have no problem hearing or joining in the conversation. The caller said I sounded great on his end and would never have guessed that I was talking on a speakerphone.
Press the FM locator button on the back of the unit and a British voice will announce a vacant FM channel that is available for you to tune and have your call directed to. Directing the call to FM produced a rather good quality call though slightly fuzzy.
I would not hesitate to recommend this device to anyone looking for the most ideal bluetooth solution for their vehicle. For portable hands-free bluetooth, this is about as good as it gets.
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Here is a nice little product that I like a lot. It doesn't get 5 starts because it is not perfect, and it doesn't get 4 stars because it has problems, but it is still quite good and I use it a lot in my car.
The MotoRokr T505 is a battery operated bluetooth device that hooks to the visor and allows you to receive or make hands-free phone calls in your car. While it has its own speaker, it can also transmit the sound through an FM frequency so that you can listen to your calls on your car's stereo system.
Furthermore, it supports A2DP protocol, which means that if your phone is compatible, you can stream music to its speaker or to your stereo system. And not only MP3 music, as it works well with applications too (so, if you have Windows Media Player or equivalent application in your phone, you can actually listen to Internet Radio or Podcasts, for example).
The main problem I have with this device is the transmitter strength. While I guess that it could work well with a front side antenna, my car has a rear side and the signal strength is not that high. Makes it hard to listen on FM in a busy area (probably most larger cities). There is a workaround though, but it is a little annoying (keep reading to find out).
Other issues are the awkward operation. Turning it on and off is actually unecessarily hard, as you need to press the power button on the back of the unit for several seconds before it will turn on or off. For your own safety, do not try to do this while driving.
Another awkward operation issue is the FM frequency setup. This device will automatically search the current area and choose the "less" crowded frequency for you. It doesn't do a good job, particularly in crowded areas. With time, if you are driving the same route everyday, you will notice which frequencies work better. You can then store them as one of the 5 preferred stations. Even then, it will only pick a preferred frequency if there is no interference when you try it. You cannot force it to pick a frequency you want, not you can store a frequency that wasn't picked automatically.
On the other hand, there are several other very nice features about this thing. I especially like the mini-USB charging plug, its small size, long battery life, its visor clipping capability and how it is well positioned in my car to access the controls, which are basically call/receive, play/stop, previous/next.
It also works very well with voice calling if your phone supports it and it will tell you the number of the person calling when you receive a call.
With my phone, bluetooth connection is a breeze and works pretty well. Turn it on and the connection is aquired. Also, I have not had problems with noise, echo, or sensitivity of the mic. All work very well in my car.
Here are some tricks I found over time that can make your life easier with this device:
Once you have chosen one or more preferred stations, turn on the FM transmitter in your parking, especially if it is underground. As there is poor reception there, it will pick your preferred stations most of the time.
You can greatly improve transmission quality if you connect the device to the charger, as the charger works as an antenna for it. In fact, frequencies that are otherwise full of interference, start to work beautifully. Of course, having the cable crossing your windshield is not a good idea, so you might need to place the T505 somewhere else when connected.
In the end, it is a good product that could be improved even more, especially if it had more transmitting power (or larger antenna) and a better frequency setup. I use it a lot today, but in my next car, I will try to get a bluetooth enabled radio instead, in order to avoid the FM transmitter problems.
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I've been looking for a way to get my HTC Touch more "integrated" with my factory sat nav system in my Yukon. I already had the BlueAnt Supertooth II bluetooth speaker phone, but really wanted something that would work with the stereo.
So I pre-ordered the ROKR T505 and have been using it for about a week now. First, in the box, you don't get a whole lot. Just the unit, visor clip, a DC charger, and very detailed and easy to understand instructions. However, since it uses mini-USB, any one of my many AC, DC, or USB chargers will work just fine. This device is also quite compact when compared to the blueant device and looks good sitting on the visor (also unlike the blue ant).
After it was charged, I easily paired it up to my Touch, and media player (which was already open) immediately start playing music. I made a few test calls in the house, and it works great. The internal speaker is nice and loud (on par with the BlueAnt), controls are well placed for car use, lights and tones are easily understood, and the music will automatically pause/resume when you receive or place a call.
After reviewing the rest of the instructions to understand what the buttons did (recommended), I took it out to the Yukon, and pressed the "FM" button. The unit talks to you telling you which station to set it to. Once you tune the requested station, you now have full stereo sound through your car stereo for both Voice and Music. If it has a bad signal, simply press the FM button again, and it will find the next free channel.
I made a few test calls while parked and while driving around and it works just as it did in the house, except in stereo sound. While people could hear me OK, they could easily tell I was on a speaker phone. This is partly due to the vehicle being louder than usual on the highway (aftermarket exhaust). Voice recognition (voice tags) on the Touch also worked through the T505, just as it does with a bluetooth headset.
Through the stereo, I could hear the caller just fine. But in my area, which is in a big city, I did keep getting intermittent static, regardless of which station I was on. While not a major issue, it is rather annoying. Changing the station does help, but as you drive, it tends to pickup other stations in the form of breif static and may interfere with your phone call, requiring you to find another free station.
As noted earlier, incomming calls will mute your music, and it tells you the phone number that is calling. It won't say the name of the person on caller ID however. Even though I didn't really buy this to play music via FM, it works about as well as your average FM transmitter. So when a call comes in, I just press a button for the pre-programmed FM station that I previously saved in memory, then go back to CD when it's done. Although if you prefer to use FM for Music and Voice with your phone, this will makes things a lot easier for you. Just keep in mind that this is still FM, so don't expect anything near CD sound quality.
Overall, everything does work as advertised. The battery has lasted on a single charge all week, but haven't had a chance to see how long it will go. Unfortunately, the FM issues are annoying, but expected. Your results will of course vary depending on the sensitivity of your receiver and number of stations in your area. So to wrap things up, here is a list of pros and cons.
Pros:
* Excellent compact design with well placed controls
* Bluetooth supports A2DP (Stereo Bluetooth protocol)
* Very easy to use
* Voice dictation of certain commands
* Speakerphone nice and loud
* Mic picks up voice over moderate background noise
Cons:
* Expensive
* FM transmitter could be better
* No AUX output
Basically, once you understand what it will do and determine that it meets your requirements, this is definately something to consider. However, I personally plan on waiting for something that uses your AUX audio port instead of FM. Not to mention something that is a bit cheaper ($139 US at time of review). I returned it.
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I have used many bluetooth earphones. Although many of them sound Ok but the most common problem is that the person at the other end can't hear you well. My two GPS devices also have bluetooth capability for cell phones but with the same problem: the other person can't hear you well. The Motorokr T505 solved that problem. People at the other end can not tell the difference whether I am using the cellphone (Motorola V9 with ATT, a great sounding phone)or the speakerphone. The sound coming out of this device is loud enough and very clear. Cliped on the sunvisor, you are totally handsfree and "ear-free" so you dont have to take it off your ear to listen to music when not on the phone. Turning it on and off is easy, and very easy to use in general. I have no comments on the battery life yet since I dont chat for too long in the car. But I find charging it in the car is easy. I use it exclusively in the car where this device is supposed to be. I use a bluetooth earphone outside the car. I highly recommend it to anyone who wants to use it in the car.
