Kinivo BTC450 Bluetooth Hands Free Input
I purchased this unit compared to the Belkin Aircast (bluetooth version). It's usually about $20 cheaper and I've been impressed with the quality of Kinivo products. First off, you need an auxiliary input on your device (car stereo's too). This is similar to a headphone jack except a headphone jack is an audio output (not input). Also...something to keep in mind, in particular for automobiles, is that your input will have to be switched to AUX. Some auto's do this automatically, however, if you are listening to a CD or AM/FM/XM, don't expect an automatic switch over to AUX, unless your cars does this. (I don't know any that do.) I use this with a 2012 LX model Honda Civic that didn't come with Bluetooth and it works well. I mounted mine right by the radio. You can't even see it in the dark. However, there is an annoying blue light that flashes every once in a while to let you know it's connected. I find it annoying...others may not. I'm thinking of marking over it with a Sharpie Marker. The ability to stream audio is awesome and you can forward Pandora songs without fumbling for a phone. This is one of those items that you purchase where you feel like you are getting your money's worth!
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My co-worker purchased the best-known version of this bluetooth adapter, and the quality of the voice, as well as the bass was not very good.
BalasHapusI took a chance on the Kinivo, and to our surprise, the Kinivo outperformed the major brand (the one with the Lighted "blue ring" around it circumference :).
The kinivo automatically syncs as soon as I hop in my vehicle, and there is no need to ever touch it, unless I want to adjust volume or change a track, which can be done on the phone or in-dash my head unit.
Great unit--works as described and cost less than the major brand!
MB
I purchased this unit compared to the Belkin Aircast (bluetooth version). It's usually about $20 cheaper and I've been impressed with the quality of Kinivo products. First off, you need an auxiliary input on your device (car stereo's too). This is similar to a headphone jack except a headphone jack is an audio output (not input). Also...something to keep in mind, in particular for automobiles, is that your input will have to be switched to AUX. Some auto's do this automatically, however, if you are listening to a CD or AM/FM/XM, don't expect an automatic switch over to AUX, unless your cars does this. (I don't know any that do.) I use this with a 2012 LX model Honda Civic that didn't come with Bluetooth and it works well. I mounted mine right by the radio. You can't even see it in the dark. However, there is an annoying blue light that flashes every once in a while to let you know it's connected. I find it annoying...others may not. I'm thinking of marking over it with a Sharpie Marker. The ability to stream audio is awesome and you can forward Pandora songs without fumbling for a phone. This is one of those items that you purchase where you feel like you are getting your money's worth!
BalasHapus
BalasHapusLength:: 1:37 Mins
BalasHapusI am very pleased with this purchase. Originally I was going to purchase the Belkin model, but the price of it was increased. I decided to purchase this one since it was cheaper and just hope for the best. I am pleased to say that I have been using this for a week now with out any issues. Audio quality is great. The device has a forward and backward track buttons on the top and comes with 2 adhesive pads to mount it to your dash (1 is an extra). The center of the device acts as a large play/stop/call button. Press the center button once to play or stop music, or to answer a call. Press it twice to call the last person you talked to. Pairing the device with my android phones was really easy (just hold the center button down for a couple of seconds). The device is charged through your cigarette lighter, but has a usb input in the back of the charger so you can still charge your phone with a micro usb to usb cable (assuming Droid phone). The microphone on the device seems to work great (I have had no complaints from people regarding the quality of the call on their side). The only minor problem with this device is that only one device can be paired with it at a time.
This device coupled with a Bluetooth Autoconnect app, means I can literally just sit in my car and begin to play music from my Phone without taking it out. This has significantly reduced the cable clutter that used to be required for me to connect my phone. If you have an aux jack in your car and are looking for bluetooth adapter I would definitely suggest this one.
Pros:
- Forward/Backward track buttons on top
- Easy set up
- Very litter effort to connect to the device each time
- Good Microphone phone
- Excellent Quality and no skipping
- Cheaper than alternative
- Ability to charge your phone and the device at same time
- Relatively small and non-intrusive to add to dash
Cons:
- Can only pair one device at a time
Wanted to mention some things that are not in the description: I have an iPhone 5 for reference
BalasHapusIt auto-powers on and connects to the phone.
A press of the button on the front answers calls if you have on incoming, if not, it starts and stops music.
A long press on the button starts Siri
I cannot comment on voice quality, I have a jeep, and well, it really doesn't every get good.
I do have some criticism of the BTC450, but I also love it.
BalasHapusI bought the product to use in my car with an iPhone 5. My car already has Bluetooth, but it only supports HFP and not A2DP for music. I use the BTC450 for audio streaming and for a siri button on my dashboard. Although the BTC450 HFP works better than my car's stock bluetooth, I would rather use my car's bluetooth because it displays the caller's name on the navigation screen.
I did extensive research on similar products, and for the price this is the best product I found. Belkin, Gogroove, Scosche, and Griffin all make bluetooth products but they all have their shortcomings. The only product I found that seems better than the BTC450 is Parrot's Mki9000 series lineup. Parrot's lineup seems to outperform the Kinivo, but at a starting price of $150.
Pros
1. The BTC450 auto connects. This is huge...especially if you are traveling from place to place. Having to remember to press a button to auto connect every time would be extremely annoying. The only other product that did this was the Griffin Bluetrip, but it lacks accessible buttons.
2. Music sounds amazing. After reading reviews of bluetooth technology and the not so good audio quality this product puts all those worries to rest. I cannot tell the difference between audio quality from a wired connection or bluetooth. The only difference that comes into play is the bass. For some reason the BTC450 overcompensates for the bass which makes it louder. Not a problem because you can always turn it down.
3. Phone quality is superb and outperforms my expectations. Although I rarely use it, but when I do use it I am placing a call with siri. The quality of the call outperforms my car's stock bluetooth.
4. It works great with siri. I read reviews of bluetooth devices not being able to communicate with siri because of microphone quality. Not a problem. The BTC450 handles siri with ease.
5. The design is elegant and simple to use. It looks great in your car. The mounting strip is very strong. I remounted the same strip more than five times. The buttons are easily accessible and seem to be able to hold the test of time. The length of the cord and the car charger were designed meticulously.
6. The last and a deal maker for me is being able to use my car's bluetooth and the BTC450 simultaneously. Initially, I was having problems using both at the same time. Siri wouldn't work, music would skip, and sometimes it wouldn't play. However, I think it had to do with trying to use two devices with the BTC450 at the same time. Unfortunately, you can only use one device at a time and it only auto connects to the last paired device. Fortunately, over the last two days my iphone, the BTC450, and my car's bluetooth have been all working flawlessly together. I can switch between devices while still being connected to both. If music is streaming I can receive or place a call with my car's bluetooth, and when the call is done music will resume playing. I can place a call with siri and transfer it to my car's bluetooth with no problem while music is playing. Once the call is done, music resumes playing.
Cons
1. The BTC450 only connects to one device. I read a review in which you could connect two devices simultaneously using different profiles, but after consulting with Kinivo support and trying haplessly myself I could not get it to work. The only other product I found that can do this is Parrot's Mki9100 and 9200 devices. Bummer!
2. As stated before, I was having problems using my car's bluetooth and the BTC450 with my iPhone 5 at the same time. Even after I removed the second device from the equation, for a couple of days it was not working, but over the last two days it has been working great. I am glad it is working because I would have returned the product.
In concluding my review, the BTC450 exceeds expectations and I highly recommend buying this product.