Kinivo BTC450 Hands-Free Bluetooth Car Kit – (Bluetooth Car Adapter with 3.5mm AUX, Dual Phone Connection, USB Charger, BT Receiver, Wireless Music Streaming & Calling)

Best bluetooth hands-free I’ve tried
I’ve tried many bluetooth devices for handsfree phone work – ones that stick on to the windscreen, tie around the sun visor, speakerphones that plug into the cigarette lighter, etc, but none of them are as good as this one. The last one i tried before this (the SuperTooth Buddy) still seems to be ahead of this one as #2 best seller vs this one at #5, which I don’t understand.Anyway you need an AUX in for this, as there is no built in speaker. I preferred this because means the volume can be turned right up without reaching the edge of a small speakers capability.I mounted the microphone on an old air freshener that was attached to my air vent, and then ran the cables down the side of the radio and central console, so looks nice and neat.Easy setup and now my phone connects automatically. Although the paperwork says that only one phone can be connected at once, I’ve had two connected at times.Call quality is good, people on the other end of the phone have told me this is the best bluetooth i have used in terms of call quality so I’m happy with that as some of the others I have used have been too quiet.Only potential downside of this product is that it runs off your cigarette lighter and thus you can either pull it out and put it back in when you leave the car, or can leave it in but be aware that it will draw some power from your battery – probably not a lot.

A brilliant, practical device, and a joy to use!
I purchased this to link my Samsung Galaxy Note running Android 4.4.4 to my Honda Jazz (2006) as it has an AUX port and no Bluetooth. Previously, I used to have a charging and 3.5mm cables plugged in, but it was very inconvenient and messy.I knew the Kinovo was small, but after unboxing, I was pleased to see that it was even smaller than I thought, so I managed to easily find a convenient and discreet spot on the dashboard. The provided 2 x 3M pads are strong and have endured hot weather over the last few days with a strong bond and no movement.I connected the power and AUX, and turned the ignition 1 turn. The Kinovo turned on and was immediately in pairing mode and so I added the device on my phone – no passkey required. A jingle played once connected (this plays every time it connects) After that, it was ready!A single press on the main button opened up my default music application (Google Play Music) and continued playing the last played file on my phone. Another press would pause the music and close the application on the phone. The should buttons of the Kinovo skip tracks just like on any MP3 or CD player. Music quality is very good, no skips and as good as plugging the phone in directly to the AUX.Answering incoming calls is simple, a single press of the main button answers, and another press hangs up. The sound quality is clear with no missed audio during conversations (given phone signal is good!). When asking the caller about the sound for them, they have said that the volume is slightly faint as if I was using speakerphone, which I am. During all conversations, even driving at 60mph (the Honda Jazz does not have good sound insulation) I was not asked to repeat any part of the conversation.When used with Google Maps navigation, the music volume is lowered for voice directions and returns to normal afterwards.My only issue is not with this device at all, but with Google Now on Android – holding down the Kinovo’s main button for 2-3 seconds activates voice commands on your phone. But upon doing so, Google Now opens, but no voice input is received. From what I have read and after trying another Bluetooth handsfree device, this is an issue with Google Now.After use, as soon as the key is removed from the ignition, the Kinovo is disconnected – exactly how car Bluetooth devices should be!Regardless of the voice input issues with my phone, I would not hesitate to purchase this product again. It’s a very welcome addition to cars with limited expansion for technology and I highly recommend this product!

Dieses Teil ist einfach genial! Die Sprachqualität ist perfekt, kein Mensch merkt, dass man über eine Freisprecheinrichtung telefoniert: die Lautstärke ist uneingeschränkt so, als hielte man das Handy direkt am Ohr.Das Streaming von Musik oder Hörbuch er funktioniert problemlos und ohne Aufwand!Das Pairing funktioniert problemlos und ohne lange Installation; auch mit mehreren unterschiedlichen Handys (bei mir: iphone 4s, samsung galaxy s4 und BlackBerry Z10).Auf eine Nachfrage beim Herstellers erhielt ich umgehend eine freundliche Antwort, die das Problem sofort löste.Unfassbar praktisch ist auch der zusätzliche USB Ausgang an der Buchse für den Zigarettenanzünder, der gleichzeitiges aufladen bzw. Eine Stromversorgung des Handys sicherstellt! Kombiniert mit einer Kabelführung (s.u.) schafft man sich so gut weniger als 50 Euro eine funktionale Multimedia Anlage im auto, dir qualitativ mit einbausystemen lecker mithalten kann!!Uneingeschränkte Kaufempfehlung für jeden, der eine günstige, hochwertige und unauffällige Freisprecheinrichtung sucht!!Was ich dazu sagen muss, ist, dass ich die Anlage in einem skoda roomster betreibe, bei dem Zigarettenanzünder und AUX Eingang unmittelbar nebeneinander an der Mittelkonsole hinter der Handbremse angebracht sind, was für die Inbetriebnahme natürlich optimale Bedingungen schafft.Noch einige Tipps:Ich betreibe das Gerät mit einer Magnethalterung, die an der Lüftung angebracht ist. Das kann ich schwer empfehlen, weil es super praktisch und kostengünstig ist (man findet bereits Lösungen für ca. 10 Euro bei Amazon, die ihren Zweck wunderbar erfüllen. Wenn man sich dazu entscheidet ist allerdings anzumerken, dass man die Lüftung beim telefonieren runter drehen oder abschalten sollte, da es sonst unangenehme Nebengeräusche produziert…Ein weiterer Tipp: um den Kabelsalat zu vermeiden habe ich mich für klebbare Kabelführungshilfen entschieden, die es ebenfalls für wenig Geld bei amazon gibt. Hier würde ich allerdings nicht sparen: ich hatte zunächst eine sehr günstige Lösung gewählt, die dann jedoch immer wieder ab fielen und wahnsinnig unpraktisch waren. Ich habe sie nun zusätzlich mit Power strips befestigt, was auch geht, aber wenn ich es nochmal zu tun hätte würde ich dafür einfach etwas mehr Geld in die Hand nehmen; das lohnt sich auf alle fälle, da die herumliegenden Kabel ansonsten das einzige sind, was an dieser Einrichtung stört! Volle Punktzahl!!

Ich habe so einige Freisprechlösungen ausprobiert, die mein iPhone an das Radio anbinden sollten (das Autoradio soll das Originale bleiben, das ist mir ganz wichtig). Darüber sollen Radio- und Spotify-Stream laufen, idealerweise auch Telefonate. Das Autoradio dient dann ‘nur noch’ als Soundanlage, komplette Steuerung übers Smartphone. Der Einbau einer Parrotlösung scheiterte daran, dass das Soundsystem eine 5-Kanal-Anlage ist und Parrots max. 4 Kanaäle bedienen können.1.) iPhone direkt an AUX: Viel zu leise, flacher Musik-Sound, Freisprechen via iPhone auch zu leise2.) Jabra Freeway: nach etwa 1/2 Jahr immer schlechter werdende Sprachqualität, Musik via FM-Transmitter mit vielen Störgeräuschen. Zudem, wenn mans abzuschalten vergisst, verbindet es sich immer wieder mit dem Handy im Haus…3.) Kinovo BTC 480: Bestmöglicher Musiksound, gute Sprachqualität, super schlichtes Design, einfach zu bedienen, Telefonate laufen über die Anlage im Auto, schaltet mit der Zündung aus. Mit ein bisschen Mühe kann / sollte man die Kabel verstecken, dann fällt das Gerät am Armaturenbrett kaum auf. Damit hats mein Saab 9-5 Kombi (eines der letzten Baujahre) doch noch ins digitale Zeitalter geschafft 🙂 Das perfekte gerät für genau diesen Zweck!

Since my Mazda3 does not have Bluetooth support built-in to it, this Kinivo device was the next best thing for me to hook up my Android phone wirelessly over Bluetooth to my car’s AUX 3.5mm input, and then to playback music/podcasts and take calls over it. Other than the power connection to my phone (as needed), it stays completely wire-free, and eliminates the pain of trying to conceal/route an audio cable to where my phone is mounted on the dash.On the negative side, it does attempt to mess with the original audio levels a bit, has no apparent noise reduction, has a very small audio lag, and a limited cable length. Still, for the $35 price tag and the simplicity of the design, it does very well and the negatives are not enough of a problem for me to knock off a full star for. I’d give it a 4.5 if possible. Truthfully I was a bit leery of this no-name-brand at first, but it looks like they make a good product. Details below.Requirements:1) This BTC450 is an AUX-based unit, which means your car’s stereo must have a 3.5mm female input jack on the front faceplate, in the glovebox, in the armrest, … somewhere. Most cars started having them either by default or as an option since the mid 2000s. My 2007 model has one inside the armrest.2) The unit has a single 3 foot cord coming off the circular microphone/control, that then splits into two cords of 1 foot each for the power and audio. So you must have a cigarette lighter plug within 2 feet of the AUX input, and a clean/flat place to mount the mic/control puck within 3 feet of the split. You could get an extension for the audio cable if need be, but the power port can’t be further than 4 feet away from the puck (3ft + 1ft) since the power cable is not-removable.3) Bluetooth support on your phone or MP3 player. It needs to be v2.1 compatible, which is somewhat standard for phones in the past couple years.4) I highly recommend getting a “ground loop isolator” like this one, PAC Ground Loop Isolator, to go in-line between the unit and your car’s AUX. At least in the case of my last two cars, I’ve had problems with a nasty buzz noise when hooking up any type of audio device that is also powered by the car.Initial syncing was dead simple due to the bluetooth 2.1 support: press the center puck button to “advertise it” to other devices, choose it for pairing on your phone, and you’re done. No PIN or software needed.Auto-Connect! A big plus for me is the fact that it powers off when the car is turned off (no forgetting), it auto-powers-on and connects to my phone within seconds of ignition (no pushing a sync button), and it stays on the entire time even when there is no audio (no power-saving). This is not the case with the battery-based MotorMouth & Belkin units which don’t react to power loss/gain. No batteries in the Kinivo means it is not portable, but then again if it’s always in the car and always plugged in, I don’t see the sense in having a battery anyway. When the car is turned off, the phone detects the loss of connection and pauses the music while it attempts to reconnect – finally giving up and pausing until you say otherwise. The cigarette lighter adapter for power is smaller than most, so it’s nicely unobtrusive. Now your mileage may vary if your car does not power down the cigarette lighter plug when the car is turned off. Most do, but if yours does not, you run the risk of draining your battery.Microphone quality is actually quite good. My voice was clear and distinct when used with my voice recorder app. People I called could hear me even when the microphone was 90 degrees to my right, as opposed to right in front of me. However when road noise and A/C noise came on, it was picked up as well. There appears to be no intelligence to filter or deal with that noise. This was not a deal-breaker for me because I could still be understood and didn’t need to repeat myself. It was just not as clear and was more difficult for the caller to hear.Sound quality was surprisingly good. I used a good-quality, thick 3.5mm stereo audio cable as the “standard” while switching back-and-forth to compare. The Kinivo seemed to increase the stereo separation a bit, making the music more enveloping and clearer. The volume was higher than what was received on the cable (setting “10” instead of “16”), which theoretically means a cleaner signal and less need for amplification. A bit of a negative: the bass level was noticeably enhanced, such that I had to use my car’s equalizer to take it down to “-2”. Some may like the bass – I don’t. The unit advertises support for Bluetooth A2DP (Advanced Audio Distribution Profile) for high quality stereo audio transmission with a minimum bitrate of 345 Kbit/sec. I admit I’m not a die-hard audiophile, but I know low bit-rates and bad encoders when I hear them. In this case there was no discernible drop in the audio quality itself on my mid-range car speakers in a quiet environment. The connection was solid with no audio dropouts after testing it during several hours of driving to/from work. When a call comes in, it pauses the music, and resumes when done.The puck controls were intuitive and compatible with my Galaxy Note 2. There are two buttons on the edge for track skip/previous, and the center button starts/plays/pauses music. It brought up the Google Music app automatically and picked the current playlist. The microphone is in a small opening on one side of the puck. In the bluetooth settings for the phone, I could choose whether to enable it for phone calls, for media, or for both. Very convenient if you don’t want both. The puck comes with a sticky pad to adhere it to some place in your car. I did not test it, since I had no need. I let it sit in a groove in the center console.There was a small audio delay when adjusting playback from the phone. For example, when “pause” is pressed, the audio would continue for a split second and then stop. Not enough to be a problem, but not the immediate response you would get with a hard-wire.I finally settled on buying this unit, but the other big-name competition I choose from were:Belkin Bluetooth Car Hands-Free Kit, US VersionScosche motorMOUTH Plug and Play Bluetooth Handsfree and Streaming Audio Car KitGriffin Technology BlueTrip AUXI skipped these others due to complaints about the lack of auto-connect on power-on and audio quality issues.