Shocking Performance

Bazooka BTA8100FHC 8 Inch Powered Subwoofer

I spoke w/ tech support at Bazooka (well, I called them and kept asking questions and they eventually put me in touch with a techie:)...Super nice staff, gentleman there suggested the 8" are their most popular size for the tight bass it produces. The 100 series amps you do NOT need to run a power wire up to the battery (you don't need ANYTHING besides what's in the "FHC" box). The 250 watt amps you have to manually splice into the speaker wires, and run a fused powerline thru the firewall up to the battery). For me the 8100 sounded perfect, and after installing it this weekend, it does sound perfect! I wasn't looking to win any bass competitions or rattle the parts off of my truck, just fill in all the missing lows in my rock. Fit under the rear seat of my Honda Ridgeline. Not sure how it would sound in a car trunk, but is great in the truck.

Nice advantage is you can put your headunit's bass settings lower, which allows you to turn up your door speakers louder as well w/o pushing them as much. It really adds a big "sound" for pretty cheap and the install, if you are DIY motivated was pretty simple. I ran the wiring under the door sill trim to the back seat even just took a few hours. If you have a Ridgeline search the ridgelineownersclub.com for install pics.

I should advise that my Honda Ridgeline did "not" have the stereo/12v "remote amp" power line that one of the 6 FAST 9999 wires was supposed to splice into. But, their tech support informed me (they answered my tech support request on a Sunday even!!) to just put both of the 9999 power lines into the main ACC/12v switched power line. Not sure if others will have this issue as well, but you can contact them for support on their online forum from their company website if so. Not sure if Amazon will allow this link but you can see the install issue I had and the solution there: [...]

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Sound Improvement / Reduction

Dynamat 10435 Self Adhesive Deadener Xtreme

I tried researching this product prior to the installation, and concluded that it works only if it is applied to the metal surface - for vibration dampening. It does not work as a sound barrier like other thicker sound damning materials do. So it seems to me that some recommendations to apply this product to the car doors look misleading - they show the product being installed in place of the door vapor barrier. The inside panel of the door has lots of openings and crevices, and the mat is not going to block the noise when it just covers a large opening. The best place to apply the product to a car door - is the inside of the outside sheet of metal the door is made of.

I tried to cover as much of the door surface is I could, using every leftover piece in the hard-to-reach places. I also applied some of the product around the speaker grills, and on the plastic grill spacers to kill the sound resonance.

I installed this product to my RAV4 car in steps:

- Front doors. It decreased the front tire noise considerably, but the noise shifted to the back. It was very uncomfortable, it felt like increased noise pressure right behind me.

- Rear wheel wells (inside of the car compartment). I noticed that the car had almost no soundproofing in those areas, so the tire noise leaked inside. Result - the overall noise pressure decreased somewhat, but now I could hear very directional road noise coming from the rear doors. The doors edges facing the rear wheel wells allow the noise to leak through.

- I applied the product to the rear doors, paying special attention to cover the door edge (covered both surfaces inside of the door) opposite of the hinge side. Result - the directional noise decreased a lot, so there is just uniform muffled road noise inside of the car, quite comfortable for my ear.

Of course the wind noise is now much more pronounced - side effect of the road noise decrease. My next plan - to cover the hood under the stock hood liner (the metal there sounds like an empty can) to decrease the engine noise, and add more lining inside of the tailgate to decrease the road noise even further.

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Exceeds expectations so far

SANOXY Transmitter Charger Holder iPhone

I was kindda skeptical about an electronic item that's only $11. Plugged it in and it works just fine! Does what it needs to do. It only offers a very minimal amount of stations but the one I use with it works. There's a bit of static during a silent song change, but you can't hear it when a song is playing. I use my iphone and it does get VERY hot because of the foam backing. I cut a vertical striping through the middle of the foam to give it some ventilation but it still get's hot. So I cut the foam that I took off (quick and it was right there) cut it in little squares and placed them on the strips of foam that is still left on the transmitter. The phone now has about 1/2 inch space between it and the transmitter. Another problem I've encountered was the 12v socket for the transmitter. It was loose. I thought it was the rubber part of the transmitter was not working correctly, but after a minute of looking at it I realized that it wasn't the transmitter but the socket itself. I had to tighten it because the transmitter has a bit of a weight to it, so when you make a sudden turn the weight makes it fall. All I had to do was tighten the socket in the car and it fixed that problem.

Overall, the overheating is the only problem I've faced with this product.

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Outstanding piece of audio equipment!

Rockford Fosgate Processor Integration Capabilities

I was torn between this and the audiocontrol dqxs with the ddc. Both really high quality processors packed with all the features you need for tuning as well as excellent integrated line drivers. This won due to the ability to tune using a full computer screen, which sure beats fuddling through tiny menus on a small controller. The excellent parametric eq in this has allowed me to reinforce any frequencies lacking and turn down high ones. The crossover is accurate and very tunable. I was able to group the speakers and work with the groups in isolation to tune more precisely simply done with checking the groups mute box. You sit in the car and you stay there tuning, not having to jump out continuously and run to the back for gains, or crossovers. In my case where my stock navigation system/multimedia center thing built into the dash seriously lacks tuning wise this unit really shines. The built in bluetooth audio is a nice feature although it's already built into my car, I'm sure someone will find that handy. I did not use the built in oem integration so I don't know how good that is. I'm using an audiocontrol lc6i with summing mode I already had it in there, it's probably the best loc that I have every used, so why change what's worked perfect. The controller they provide with this allows me to select different eq tunes for different genres which is a real nice feature and if using any of the other inputs allows you to toggle in between them. The knobs are assignable I use one for sub volume to turn it up and down and the other for punch eq. No additional bass knob needed. I used to work in car audio for years and I can say most processors are a pain to tune and something your backyard mechanic would be able to use effectively. A novice can use this device, the wizard makes setup a snap and the way they laid out the controls on the main screen it's very intuitive. Call them if you need help they aren't the nicest people but they sure are knowledgeable. All processors of decent quality are not cheap and this is no exception, although I will note when compared to my other choice I sure did save a bunch, and feel I have lost nothing, probably even gained.

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The ONE to Rule Them All

HTC One Factory Unlocked International

I got this app back when I had my Droid Incredible 1 on Verizon, a long time ago and it's always been great. Since then I've replaced my car and changed phones 3 times, and all the while the only thing that stayed constant is this app; it keeps good records of everything I do to my car. It's simple, no bull and straightforward and adding fill up records is surprisingly easy. I have bought a Nexus 10 tablet and downloaded it to my tablet as well, but found that the interface stretches and looks pixelated so I was wondering if they could update the app for tablets and allow syncing across devices (to be fair the Nexus 10's high dpi adds to the pixelation). Currently I save my database to dropbox and download it to my tablet and this keeps me updated but it could be easier. Also wish they could make a Windows 8 app or a web interface but I understand that's a very tall order.

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Niiice.

Cooloy com Car Maintenance Reminder Pro

I got this app back when I had my Droid Incredible 1 on Verizon, a long time ago and it's always been great. Since then I've replaced my car and changed phones 3 times, and all the while the only thing that stayed constant is this app; it keeps good records of everything I do to my car. It's simple, no bull and straightforward and adding fill up records is surprisingly easy. I have bought a Nexus 10 tablet and downloaded it to my tablet as well, but found that the interface stretches and looks pixelated so I was wondering if they could update the app for tablets and allow syncing across devices (to be fair the Nexus 10's high dpi adds to the pixelation). Currently I save my database to dropbox and download it to my tablet and this keeps me updated but it could be easier. Also wish they could make a Windows 8 app or a web interface but I understand that's a very tall order.

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WOW

Rocketfish Mobile Car Charger Rf m657d

I have a consulting business which I am routinely on the phone for a couple of hours a day and I am always looking for a better speakerphone. With that being said, I use this device as a speakerphone and not as a speaker for listening to music. I have owned the previous Jabra 410 version which was good but the newer 510 I believe has better sound quality and connectivity. The 510 connects seamlessly with my iPhone via Bluetooth and I have had no problems with any interruptions. What is great about this speakerphone is the sound quality and clarity. When I call others, they always mention how it sounds like I'm not even on a speakerphone. The battery life on the speakerphone is also very good in that I have spoken for 2 days about 4 hours each day and didn't need to charge it. Finally the speakerphone has a very small footprint so it is very portable and comes with a soft neoprene case. Anyways, I would highly recommend this product if you own a small business or just need a speakerphone for daily use!

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Portable, Long Life, Many Uses

Jabra SPEAK 510 Internet Speakerphone

I have a consulting business which I am routinely on the phone for a couple of hours a day and I am always looking for a better speakerphone. With that being said, I use this device as a speakerphone and not as a speaker for listening to music. I have owned the previous Jabra 410 version which was good but the newer 510 I believe has better sound quality and connectivity. The 510 connects seamlessly with my iPhone via Bluetooth and I have had no problems with any interruptions. What is great about this speakerphone is the sound quality and clarity. When I call others, they always mention how it sounds like I'm not even on a speakerphone. The battery life on the speakerphone is also very good in that I have spoken for 2 days about 4 hours each day and didn't need to charge it. Finally the speakerphone has a very small footprint so it is very portable and comes with a soft neoprene case. Anyways, I would highly recommend this product if you own a small business or just need a speakerphone for daily use!

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Perfect

Axion LMD 7970 7 Inch Screen Portable

I don't know what more you could expect. I am totally pleased with this purchase. I read reviews from every product out there and considered purchasing the larger 9" screen model for 3x the cost, but worked perfectly. We took a vacation and the drive time, round trip, turned out to be around 20 hours. The two DVD players never missed a beat. When we would stop and turn off the car the DVD player would remember the spot where the movie stopped at and start right back up at that location, rather than having to start the movie from the beginning which is a problem with some other models out there. We LOVED!!! that this player included a remote. Talk about making life easy, however, the remotes only work when pointed at the front of the player. It's a lot easier to lean back and push the play button on a remote than it is to get out of your seat belt and climb over the center console to push the play button on the DVD player. Our 5 year old understood how to work the unit very quickly - in fact, we only had to change the movie two times before she figured out where the play and pause button were on the front of the unit. I would say that the audio was a bit quiet, but our kids never complained that they couldn't hear the movie and that was my observation from the front seat. Plus, my kids would occasionally put their head phones on and listen to a movie that way. Overall, I would buy this product again and I would refer other people to it. These things weight next to nothing, but they seem to have some quality to them. They do feel like you are holding piece of plastic. The screen quality was very good, I have no complaints with anything. They also strapped to the backs of the head rests very easily and were solidly in place. I think the three wires that connected the two DVD players together measured about 4' long so if you are thinking of having one player in the middle row and another in the back row I don't think that will work unless you purchase some new wires. The player can only play one DVD at a times well. You do not have the option of playing say Car's on one player and Cinderella on the other. Hope that answers all your questions and concerns.

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Excelent

Nokia Lumia White Factory Unlocked

This product is an FM transmitter that connects to your Phone via bluetooth, and then transmits the audio to your car stereo through an FM signal. Just the same as other FM transmitters, but using bluetooth connection to your phone rather than a cord.

I use this with my HTC Rezound. After plugging the X3 in and turning it on, you have to get into pairing mode by holding the blue call button for a couple seconds, and then the lights start to flash. Then you go into your bluetooth settings on whatever phone you have and search for "FLEXSMART X3" from the list. It usually connects in about 5 seconds. Then, you adjust the FM station by pressing and holding arrow buttons down. Just match the FM station on the X3 and your car FM radio. There is also an AUTO Find feature which is used by pressing and holding the center button down.

The sound quality for music seems to be very good. It's way less interference than other FM transmitters I have tried. One thing I did notice was a difference in my sound levels with the bass and treble. I just tweaked the bass and treble levels and got it sounding good. Call quality is good. Though I have to make sure when talking to someone that my radio volume is not too high, otherwise the caller will hear their voice echo on their end.

The play, forward and back buttons control your music and I can answer and end calls by the controls on X3 too. I can even hold down the call button to call the same person you last talked to. It seems like the best sound comes when you turn the X3 volume all the way up (it has an internal amplifier), and then my car radio at about mid level. I've noticed by turning up the volume on X3 first, adjusting my phone volume to about 95% the sound quality is really great.

I noticed that when leaving my phone bluetooth on the X3 automatically re-pairs it when I get back in the car. Thats pretty cool. Another handy feature is the USB port on the side of it which allows me to charge my phone while using the X3. Next to the USB port is also a line in port you can use this just like any other FM transmitter. An old mp3 player like my iPod video that does not have bluetooth capability can be plugged into it, and I can use the FM transmitter that way too.

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Great little FM transmitter

FlexSMART Bluetooth Transmitter Technology Handsfree

This product is an FM transmitter that connects to your Phone via bluetooth, and then transmits the audio to your car stereo through an FM signal. Just the same as other FM transmitters, but using bluetooth connection to your phone rather than a cord.

I use this with my HTC Rezound. After plugging the X3 in and turning it on, you have to get into pairing mode by holding the blue call button for a couple seconds, and then the lights start to flash. Then you go into your bluetooth settings on whatever phone you have and search for "FLEXSMART X3" from the list. It usually connects in about 5 seconds. Then, you adjust the FM station by pressing and holding arrow buttons down. Just match the FM station on the X3 and your car FM radio. There is also an AUTO Find feature which is used by pressing and holding the center button down.

The sound quality for music seems to be very good. It's way less interference than other FM transmitters I have tried. One thing I did notice was a difference in my sound levels with the bass and treble. I just tweaked the bass and treble levels and got it sounding good. Call quality is good. Though I have to make sure when talking to someone that my radio volume is not too high, otherwise the caller will hear their voice echo on their end.

The play, forward and back buttons control your music and I can answer and end calls by the controls on X3 too. I can even hold down the call button to call the same person you last talked to. It seems like the best sound comes when you turn the X3 volume all the way up (it has an internal amplifier), and then my car radio at about mid level. I've noticed by turning up the volume on X3 first, adjusting my phone volume to about 95% the sound quality is really great.

I noticed that when leaving my phone bluetooth on the X3 automatically re-pairs it when I get back in the car. Thats pretty cool. Another handy feature is the USB port on the side of it which allows me to charge my phone while using the X3. Next to the USB port is also a line in port you can use this just like any other FM transmitter. An old mp3 player like my iPod video that does not have bluetooth capability can be plugged into it, and I can use the FM transmitter that way too.

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Exceeded expectations

Sony MEXBT3100P Receiver Bluetooth Pandora

Absolutely nothing wrong with these stands. They are 3-footed, which is easy to level but not as stable as 4-footed stands (ever, it's simple physics). If stability is a huge thing for you, don't get a 3-footed stand, but if you get a 4-footed stand and want to use the spikes it will take some work to get all four spikes piercing the carpet and touching the floor at the same time. The single support tube is certainly fillable with sand... I did that with mine. There are holes in the back of the tube to allow you to run your speaker wire through the stand... into the tube at the bottom and out of the tube at the top. Obviously, you'll have to cover those holes with black tape, black racer tape works fine (it's not duct tape because it was never intended to be used on heating/cooling ducts, but it is used a lot in car and motorcycle racing to make temporary repairs, though high-speed racing may require helicopter tape that's thinner and sticks even better). The stand does look like the picture which clearly shows a 3-footed base and a single tube... though if multiple sellers offer this product, one of them might be showing an incorrect photo... the listing I am looking at was for Adorama. The top plate is a bit on the small side for larger bookshelf speakers, but it will hold them securely if you use Fun-Tak or Blu-tak or Blue Tac or Blue Tack or any of the many other similar products (one branded Elmer's is brick-red in color instead of the blue or yellow I see often... flexible and removable adhesive that is sort of like clay but is non-greasy - sold at Staples, Office Max, Office Depot and probably Amazon, possibly some home improvement stores also. 4 blobs at the corners of the top plate, center the speaker, and press it down snugly. Adhesive releases easily enough if you heed to separate speakers and stands and can even be re-used. Note that if you decide to fill the center tube with sand, you should forget about trying to run the speaker cables through the tube also... pick one or the other. The rating for this product applies to it's value as a sub-$50 all metal speaker stand that can be used with or without spikes and has screw holes in the top plate that can be used to more permanently attach speakers to the stands with screws if desired. If you don't use screws, I strongly recommend the flexible adhesive described above.

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Perfectly good speaker stands

Sanus Systems EF24 Foundations Black

Absolutely nothing wrong with these stands. They are 3-footed, which is easy to level but not as stable as 4-footed stands (ever, it's simple physics). If stability is a huge thing for you, don't get a 3-footed stand, but if you get a 4-footed stand and want to use the spikes it will take some work to get all four spikes piercing the carpet and touching the floor at the same time. The single support tube is certainly fillable with sand... I did that with mine. There are holes in the back of the tube to allow you to run your speaker wire through the stand... into the tube at the bottom and out of the tube at the top. Obviously, you'll have to cover those holes with black tape, black racer tape works fine (it's not duct tape because it was never intended to be used on heating/cooling ducts, but it is used a lot in car and motorcycle racing to make temporary repairs, though high-speed racing may require helicopter tape that's thinner and sticks even better). The stand does look like the picture which clearly shows a 3-footed base and a single tube... though if multiple sellers offer this product, one of them might be showing an incorrect photo... the listing I am looking at was for Adorama. The top plate is a bit on the small side for larger bookshelf speakers, but it will hold them securely if you use Fun-Tak or Blu-tak or Blue Tac or Blue Tack or any of the many other similar products (one branded Elmer's is brick-red in color instead of the blue or yellow I see often... flexible and removable adhesive that is sort of like clay but is non-greasy - sold at Staples, Office Max, Office Depot and probably Amazon, possibly some home improvement stores also. 4 blobs at the corners of the top plate, center the speaker, and press it down snugly. Adhesive releases easily enough if you heed to separate speakers and stands and can even be re-used. Note that if you decide to fill the center tube with sand, you should forget about trying to run the speaker cables through the tube also... pick one or the other. The rating for this product applies to it's value as a sub-$50 all metal speaker stand that can be used with or without spikes and has screw holes in the top plate that can be used to more permanently attach speakers to the stands with screws if desired. If you don't use screws, I strongly recommend the flexible adhesive described above.

Get your Sanus Systems EF24 Foundations Black Now!

Great Buy

Polk Audio 6 5 Inch Coaxial Speakers

I had some very good speakers in my car years ago but they had paper cones and were destroyed by water. Polk was one of the few companies that offered a marine grade speaker for the car and based on Polk's audio history I went with it.

They sound great.

I would have only said "very good" until I removed a piece of wood that I had over the door port (a long story!). Once this speaker had room to breathe the sound is fantastic - very rich, open and detailed. The bass is amazing. It really shakes the car without distorting - and I don't have a subwoofer anymore.

I am a car stereo enthusiast without a budget so my "system" is a:

'96 Honda civic stock radio (Alpine, with cassette)
75 WPC mtx amp with .75f capacitor (picked up at electronics shop for $15)
These Polk speakers mounted in the front doors (regular position).
About 300lbs. of sound deadening material including roofing tar and shingles.

The sheer stupidity of putting the tar in my car is pointed out to me regularly by my wife and I have to agree - don't do this at home! However - it was dirt cheap and provides incredible bass response.
I used to have an 8" sub but these speakers go down so low that it would not make any sense to put it back. I have all 75w going to the Polks. I listen to stuff on the radio and prefer metal but the Polks make any radio mix sound very nice.

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A film you'll probably either love or loath...just look at the reviews here

Drive UltraViolet Digital Copy Blu ray

`Drive' really surprised me. I was never really interested in seeing this, I'd read the articles and seen the posters and ended up dismissing it, I only watched it because there wasn't anything else and didn't have high expectations. But, as it turns out, the film really blew my first impressions away. Instead of being bored, I found myself drawn into the film and caring for its characters, the acting was spot-on and Refn's direction made this movie a real gem.

Ryan Gosling is Driver, a solitary guy who works as a mechanic and stunt car driver by day and getaway driver-for-hire at night, that is until he meets his neighbour, Irene (Carey Mulligan), and her son. The more time he spends with them, he falls for Irene in a somewhat romantic fairy tale....until it all comes crashing down when Irene's ex-con husband (Oscar Isaac) returns, bringing with him trouble and compelling Driver to protect Irene and her son from gangsters.

What really stops this movie from becoming a cookie-cutter action-drama film is the fact that director Nicolas Winding Refn concentrates on giving us well-rounded characters. It's the characters that drive `Drive', not the action or the story and Refn's stylistic way of shooting it - with slow-motion and lingering shots of characters and still camera work - makes sure that what's unspoken speaks the loudest as he leaves it up to you to interpret their feelings and thoughts. It's not what happens when they speak, but more what goes unspoken through looks and body language. I don't know what you call it - noir or artistic or whatever - it's an approach that's been used by many directors before, but it makes `Drive' absorbing to watch.

Of course, it wouldn't work without the actors giving top-notch performances and nobody lets the movie down here. Gosling is magnetic as Driver, conveying layers of emotion without uttering a word in some scenes. Albert Brooks and Ron Perlman also give stellar performances that make them more than one-dimensional villains. The one surprise for me was Bryan Cranston, I don't watch `Breaking Bad', but he proves he can stretch his acting chops far beyond quirky sit-com comedy characters. Carey Mulligan, Oscar Isaac, the criminally underused Christina Hendricks, all did admirably and were very believable in their roles.

There are scenes of action throughout the film as well and they can be shockingly brutal, especially when compared to the mostly quiet tone of the film, one particular character's demise from a shot gun through a window will stick with me for a while and the car chases are tight and well executed.

But this isn't an action film first, if I had to call it something, I'd say it's more like an artsy, character-driven drama. Whether you'll enjoy it or not probably depends on whether you think long, quiet, reflective scenes with lingering shots of characters staring at each other are thought-provoking and beautiful, or a director being self-indulgent and pretentious. Personally, I loved it because it engaged me emotionally and the cinematography work was stunning, this is one that stayed with me long after the credits rolled.

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Walkman

Sony WMFS420 Cassette Walkman

I haven't had a portable tape player in probably 20 years. I only have one tape. I just picked up the Sony WM-FS420 Sports Walkman from a local thrift store for $5.95. I bought it as nostalgia, as it's appearance looks practically new. I put two new AA batteries in it and plugged into my modern computer speakers and was amazed! It works great. The sound boost to "normal" and Mega Bass give it an impressive sound. It is constructed extremely durable, as I mentioned it was found at thrift store. The design is better than any I would have ever owned. The case opens from the side and flips back the top to put the tape in. The batteries go under tape. Genious design. The radio works great too. There are at least 5 presets, easy to do. I just wanted throw in my two cents about this product. If you are in need of a quality tape player, than I have to recommend this one, but good luck finding another for $6. ;)

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Great Price for a Great Product

Audiovox DS9521PK 9 inch Portable Player

I can't find a bad thing to say about this! It was super simple to connect, and it's very easy to use. It pretty much just connected itself to my phone and always pairs up without any problem. It works great, just the way it is supposed to, and the design is small and inconspicuous so it doesn't stand out yelling "Break the window and steal me!" I do think I'd have liked it better if it were black though - it's silver. I had a black one and it was harder to see. It's very easy to slip onto and off of the visor.
It lets me play music over my stereo, which was great because my CD player died, and now I can use my iphone's music library so that in itself was a bit plus for me. I love that it prompts me what frequency to tune too. The reception is great - so much better than those adapters I tried. It's a really neat feature to have built into a speaker phone.
Some people complain about the prompt voice but I like it. It sounds techy, and I like that, and also, there are little touches like the cool little blue light on the charger. The controls are easy to use and intuitive too.
I had a Kyrocera that wasn't a smart phone, and it worked great on that too, then I got an i-Phone 3GS. I haven't had any problems with pairing or using the two of these together.

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Good sound quality, auto on/off when you walk in/out of your car, and find where you park your car with app

Motorola Roadster Universal Bluetooth Speakerphone

I can't find a bad thing to say about this! It was super simple to connect, and it's very easy to use. It pretty much just connected itself to my phone and always pairs up without any problem. It works great, just the way it is supposed to, and the design is small and inconspicuous so it doesn't stand out yelling "Break the window and steal me!" I do think I'd have liked it better if it were black though - it's silver. I had a black one and it was harder to see. It's very easy to slip onto and off of the visor.
It lets me play music over my stereo, which was great because my CD player died, and now I can use my iphone's music library so that in itself was a bit plus for me. I love that it prompts me what frequency to tune too. The reception is great - so much better than those adapters I tried. It's a really neat feature to have built into a speaker phone.
Some people complain about the prompt voice but I like it. It sounds techy, and I like that, and also, there are little touches like the cool little blue light on the charger. The controls are easy to use and intuitive too.
I had a Kyrocera that wasn't a smart phone, and it worked great on that too, then I got an i-Phone 3GS. I haven't had any problems with pairing or using the two of these together.

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Powerful!

Pyle PFA300 Stereo Amplifier Adapter

As others have noted, there is a YT video that shows how to install this in a Mazda MX5 (Miata). If you Google for "gta Miata" you'll find it -- it's entitled "GTA Car Kits - Mazda MX-5 Miata 2006-2008 iPod, iPhone, iPad, mp3 and AUX adapter installation". However, I found some differences/ problem when installing on my car (2008 GT, with the Bose audio system factory-installed).

1. The video states that you must remove a plastic part from under the steering wheel, then remove a metal plate, then remove a 10mm bolt to release the unit. That bolt wasn't on my car, so none of that was necessary.

2. So all I had to do was remove the plastic side panels then remove 2 Phillips screws (as shown on the video).

3. Then I could pull the whole unit out. BUT when I did that, the antenna cable - which (unknown to me) was tightly tied down behind the unit, with almost no "free" cable -- got disconnected from the back of the radio, so I lost the radio signal. And there was no way I could have re-inserted the cable into the back of the radio -- the cable was tied down, no way to pull it forward to put it into the radio before sliding the unit back in. LUCKILY I had a spare male to female 3.5mm extender cable, so I was able to use that.....snapped the female end onto the antenna cable, and then I had a lot of free cable to play with, so I could put the male part of the extender into the radio. Then I tucked the rest of the extender, as neatly as I could, way back under the dash, and slid the unit back in. Works perfectly. But my advice is - if you have a factory-installed unit, consider having an extender cable on hand before you begin !!!

OK, that said: the aux cable works perfectly. I snapped it into the back of the radio, and ran the excess cable under the unit as I slid it back in. Turned out that there was a little space under the front edge of the unit after it was back in place, so there was no need to cut anything in order to make room for the cable. Plugged the jack into my phone's headset socket, and when I pressed the Aux button on the Bose audio unit, I get great-quality audio through my car audio system. Terrific.

One small downside (not the fault of the cable, I don't think) - as others have noted, if you simultaneously charge the phone via a USB cable from the "cigar outlet", it works but you get a nasty interference noise coming from the speakers. Not a problem for general audio (which doesn't burn up the battery too much) but it'll be a problem if you want to use navigation with voice directions, because that requires GPS, and that will eat the battery.

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Very nice

For Focus 2012 CANBUS Analog

As others have noted, there is a YT video that shows how to install this in a Mazda MX5 (Miata). If you Google for "gta Miata" you'll find it -- it's entitled "GTA Car Kits - Mazda MX-5 Miata 2006-2008 iPod, iPhone, iPad, mp3 and AUX adapter installation". However, I found some differences/ problem when installing on my car (2008 GT, with the Bose audio system factory-installed).

1. The video states that you must remove a plastic part from under the steering wheel, then remove a metal plate, then remove a 10mm bolt to release the unit. That bolt wasn't on my car, so none of that was necessary.

2. So all I had to do was remove the plastic side panels then remove 2 Phillips screws (as shown on the video).

3. Then I could pull the whole unit out. BUT when I did that, the antenna cable - which (unknown to me) was tightly tied down behind the unit, with almost no "free" cable -- got disconnected from the back of the radio, so I lost the radio signal. And there was no way I could have re-inserted the cable into the back of the radio -- the cable was tied down, no way to pull it forward to put it into the radio before sliding the unit back in. LUCKILY I had a spare male to female 3.5mm extender cable, so I was able to use that.....snapped the female end onto the antenna cable, and then I had a lot of free cable to play with, so I could put the male part of the extender into the radio. Then I tucked the rest of the extender, as neatly as I could, way back under the dash, and slid the unit back in. Works perfectly. But my advice is - if you have a factory-installed unit, consider having an extender cable on hand before you begin !!!

OK, that said: the aux cable works perfectly. I snapped it into the back of the radio, and ran the excess cable under the unit as I slid it back in. Turned out that there was a little space under the front edge of the unit after it was back in place, so there was no need to cut anything in order to make room for the cable. Plugged the jack into my phone's headset socket, and when I pressed the Aux button on the Bose audio unit, I get great-quality audio through my car audio system. Terrific.

One small downside (not the fault of the cable, I don't think) - as others have noted, if you simultaneously charge the phone via a USB cable from the "cigar outlet", it works but you get a nasty interference noise coming from the speakers. Not a problem for general audio (which doesn't burn up the battery too much) but it'll be a problem if you want to use navigation with voice directions, because that requires GPS, and that will eat the battery.

Get your For Focus 2012 CANBUS Analog Now!

Just Plain Awesome

Powerbass S352 3 5 Inch Coxial Speakers

As others have noted, there is a YT video that shows how to install this in a Mazda MX5 (Miata). If you Google for "gta Miata" you'll find it -- it's entitled "GTA Car Kits - Mazda MX-5 Miata 2006-2008 iPod, iPhone, iPad, mp3 and AUX adapter installation". However, I found some differences/ problem when installing on my car (2008 GT, with the Bose audio system factory-installed).

1. The video states that you must remove a plastic part from under the steering wheel, then remove a metal plate, then remove a 10mm bolt to release the unit. That bolt wasn't on my car, so none of that was necessary.

2. So all I had to do was remove the plastic side panels then remove 2 Phillips screws (as shown on the video).

3. Then I could pull the whole unit out. BUT when I did that, the antenna cable - which (unknown to me) was tightly tied down behind the unit, with almost no "free" cable -- got disconnected from the back of the radio, so I lost the radio signal. And there was no way I could have re-inserted the cable into the back of the radio -- the cable was tied down, no way to pull it forward to put it into the radio before sliding the unit back in. LUCKILY I had a spare male to female 3.5mm extender cable, so I was able to use that.....snapped the female end onto the antenna cable, and then I had a lot of free cable to play with, so I could put the male part of the extender into the radio. Then I tucked the rest of the extender, as neatly as I could, way back under the dash, and slid the unit back in. Works perfectly. But my advice is - if you have a factory-installed unit, consider having an extender cable on hand before you begin !!!

OK, that said: the aux cable works perfectly. I snapped it into the back of the radio, and ran the excess cable under the unit as I slid it back in. Turned out that there was a little space under the front edge of the unit after it was back in place, so there was no need to cut anything in order to make room for the cable. Plugged the jack into my phone's headset socket, and when I pressed the Aux button on the Bose audio unit, I get great-quality audio through my car audio system. Terrific.

One small downside (not the fault of the cable, I don't think) - as others have noted, if you simultaneously charge the phone via a USB cable from the "cigar outlet", it works but you get a nasty interference noise coming from the speakers. Not a problem for general audio (which doesn't burn up the battery too much) but it'll be a problem if you want to use navigation with voice directions, because that requires GPS, and that will eat the battery.

Get your Powerbass S352 3 5 Inch Coxial Speakers Now!

Perfect!

3 5mm Cable Connect iPhone Player

As others have noted, there is a YT video that shows how to install this in a Mazda MX5 (Miata). If you Google for "gta Miata" you'll find it -- it's entitled "GTA Car Kits - Mazda MX-5 Miata 2006-2008 iPod, iPhone, iPad, mp3 and AUX adapter installation". However, I found some differences/ problem when installing on my car (2008 GT, with the Bose audio system factory-installed).

1. The video states that you must remove a plastic part from under the steering wheel, then remove a metal plate, then remove a 10mm bolt to release the unit. That bolt wasn't on my car, so none of that was necessary.

2. So all I had to do was remove the plastic side panels then remove 2 Phillips screws (as shown on the video).

3. Then I could pull the whole unit out. BUT when I did that, the antenna cable - which (unknown to me) was tightly tied down behind the unit, with almost no "free" cable -- got disconnected from the back of the radio, so I lost the radio signal. And there was no way I could have re-inserted the cable into the back of the radio -- the cable was tied down, no way to pull it forward to put it into the radio before sliding the unit back in. LUCKILY I had a spare male to female 3.5mm extender cable, so I was able to use that.....snapped the female end onto the antenna cable, and then I had a lot of free cable to play with, so I could put the male part of the extender into the radio. Then I tucked the rest of the extender, as neatly as I could, way back under the dash, and slid the unit back in. Works perfectly. But my advice is - if you have a factory-installed unit, consider having an extender cable on hand before you begin !!!

OK, that said: the aux cable works perfectly. I snapped it into the back of the radio, and ran the excess cable under the unit as I slid it back in. Turned out that there was a little space under the front edge of the unit after it was back in place, so there was no need to cut anything in order to make room for the cable. Plugged the jack into my phone's headset socket, and when I pressed the Aux button on the Bose audio unit, I get great-quality audio through my car audio system. Terrific.

One small downside (not the fault of the cable, I don't think) - as others have noted, if you simultaneously charge the phone via a USB cable from the "cigar outlet", it works but you get a nasty interference noise coming from the speakers. Not a problem for general audio (which doesn't burn up the battery too much) but it'll be a problem if you want to use navigation with voice directions, because that requires GPS, and that will eat the battery.

Get your 3 5mm Cable Connect iPhone Player Now!

No problems

SWS 12D2 Alpine 2 Ohm Type S Subwoofer

These speakers sound amazing, and now that they released the LSIm series are ridiculously priced for the sound quality. You can get a set of speakers for a grand that sound like speakers Hi-Fi experts pay 10 grand for! They make acoustic guitar sound like the player is in the room, and vocalists sound like an intimate live performance.

As long as you have a high end receiver or amp that is 4-ohm capable and has enough power to feed these beasts, you can't get a better deal. They are even full range with the side firing woofer, so technically, you don't even need a sub. (although using a sub for the ultralows and crossing them over with a HPF gives them more room to make the other frequencies stand out).

Buy them now, and you won't regret it. You can get 10 years worth of Hi-Fi listening on a Big-Box speaker budget at these prices.

Get your SWS 12D2 Alpine 2 Ohm Type S Subwoofer Now!

At this price? No brainer!

Polk Audio Channel Speaker Single

These speakers sound amazing, and now that they released the LSIm series are ridiculously priced for the sound quality. You can get a set of speakers for a grand that sound like speakers Hi-Fi experts pay 10 grand for! They make acoustic guitar sound like the player is in the room, and vocalists sound like an intimate live performance.

As long as you have a high end receiver or amp that is 4-ohm capable and has enough power to feed these beasts, you can't get a better deal. They are even full range with the side firing woofer, so technically, you don't even need a sub. (although using a sub for the ultralows and crossing them over with a HPF gives them more room to make the other frequencies stand out).

Buy them now, and you won't regret it. You can get 10 years worth of Hi-Fi listening on a Big-Box speaker budget at these prices.

Get your Polk Audio Channel Speaker Single Now!

Pro Gay and Pro Christian!!!

Freedom Glorious Spiritual Fullness Everybody

Installed in my 2003 Chevy Avalanche. Every feature works like a charm and though there is no installation instructions it was rather easy to install but not by using the standard dash kit or the metra wiring harness sold here on Amazon. If you have a more modern vehicle (including most early 2000 models) that you are planning to install this unit to do yourself a favor and get the dash kit with wiring harness by Scosche (it costs more but you will be glad you did) it will make the install much easier and you wont lose your factory warnings from your cars ECM plus it provides a much better wiring harness/diagram and tech support for help and questions.
I have had this unit installed for a few days and thus far I have absolutely no issues with anything, not even the volume issue that some speak of in the reviews I have read around on the net. Sound quality is awesome as well. I have mine powering Pyle gear 4 way speakers front and back, even the sound quality watching a movie is mind blowing. Oh and by the way if your watching a movie and need to stop for a road break and turn the unit off, it will start back up where you left off when you turn the unit back on.
I love this unit and would highly recommend it.

Get your Freedom Glorious Spiritual Fullness Everybody Now!

worth every penny

Jensen MOD6 15 Watt Guitar Speaker

Installed in my 2003 Chevy Avalanche. Every feature works like a charm and though there is no installation instructions it was rather easy to install but not by using the standard dash kit or the metra wiring harness sold here on Amazon. If you have a more modern vehicle (including most early 2000 models) that you are planning to install this unit to do yourself a favor and get the dash kit with wiring harness by Scosche (it costs more but you will be glad you did) it will make the install much easier and you wont lose your factory warnings from your cars ECM plus it provides a much better wiring harness/diagram and tech support for help and questions.
I have had this unit installed for a few days and thus far I have absolutely no issues with anything, not even the volume issue that some speak of in the reviews I have read around on the net. Sound quality is awesome as well. I have mine powering Pyle gear 4 way speakers front and back, even the sound quality watching a movie is mind blowing. Oh and by the way if your watching a movie and need to stop for a road break and turn the unit off, it will start back up where you left off when you turn the unit back on.
I love this unit and would highly recommend it.

Get your Jensen MOD6 15 Watt Guitar Speaker Now!

worth every penny

Pyle PLDNV78I Double DIN Touchscreen Bluetooth

Installed in my 2003 Chevy Avalanche. Every feature works like a charm and though there is no installation instructions it was rather easy to install but not by using the standard dash kit or the metra wiring harness sold here on Amazon. If you have a more modern vehicle (including most early 2000 models) that you are planning to install this unit to do yourself a favor and get the dash kit with wiring harness by Scosche (it costs more but you will be glad you did) it will make the install much easier and you wont lose your factory warnings from your cars ECM plus it provides a much better wiring harness/diagram and tech support for help and questions.
I have had this unit installed for a few days and thus far I have absolutely no issues with anything, not even the volume issue that some speak of in the reviews I have read around on the net. Sound quality is awesome as well. I have mine powering Pyle gear 4 way speakers front and back, even the sound quality watching a movie is mind blowing. Oh and by the way if your watching a movie and need to stop for a road break and turn the unit off, it will start back up where you left off when you turn the unit back on.
I love this unit and would highly recommend it.

Get your Pyle PLDNV78I Double DIN Touchscreen Bluetooth Now!

Awesome

Satechi Wireless Bluetooth Portable Speaker

PROs...Fits in pocket, better than average sound, only needs to pair once, and surprisingly loud volume(for it's size)..
CONs...Takes about 30 minutes to figure out how to get ANYTHING to work. After that, there are no flaws!!
After reading dozens of reviews saying how hard this speaker was to operate, my mind was made up on a cheaper make...until I saw this thing in action on Youtube. The person played music from his iPhone, then switched this speaker on, and the difference was AMAZING!
Within 5 minutes of my package arriving, I paired the phone audio from my HTC Thunderbolt to this speaker. The problem was that I could not get the media audio to pair also. After retrying twice, I decided to power the speaker off.
After powering the speaker back on, I was delighted to find it syncing to my phone automatically, only needing to be connected ONCE...(something that my $100 Motorola Bluetooth Headphones couldn't do with my Motorola Droid)! Selecting tracks worked perfectly on the speaker, or phone, also.
Once I listened to a couple songs, I was ok with my purchase, but not blown away...like I was when watching the video of this product. That is, until I realized that I was not holding the volume button down on this speaker long enough to actually increase it. (Until this point, I assumed that I was at max volume).
At full volume, music can pleasantly fill a SMALL room, but 80-90% volume seems to avoid distortion. All and all, this speaker is a technical marvel!!!! 10 Stars!!

UPDATE: After linking 2 of these speakers together, I was a little disappointed to discover very little, if any, increase in volume. Its as if the volume is divided in half! Strange...but not a deal breaker if you are purchasing one.
Attempting this was not covered in detail in the manual provided, so maybe there was a step I missed....

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durable and sounds great

Monster iCarPlay Cassette Adapter iPhone

Before I bought this product, I read all the reviews. I'll admit that I had some reservations about buying the adapter with all that had been written about it. I am writing because I am concerned that the Monster Cassette adapter may have gotten a bad rap. When I finally received my iPod, I attached it to the adapter and loaded the cassette. I had no difficulty with its operation and was especially impressed by the quality of sound. I did not have to remove any gears or monkey with the adapter in any way. It worked as advertised from the beginning even though my player has automatic reverse. I will add that I bought the iPod to listen to audiobooks so my requirements about sound quality are not as rigorous as they might be if I were listening to music. Still the sound I have been getting from the Monster adapter in my 15 year old cassette player is better than I got from either tape or CD, music or spoken word. There is no background noise. I would highly recommend the equipment for non-audiophiles and audiophiles who bought an iPod to play in an old vehicle to listen to books.

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Fantastic dock for the Samsung Galaxy S3

In Vehicle Charging Dock Galaxy III

After seeing the youtube video, I pre-ordered this from smartphonepedia since Samsung didn't have a dedicated GSIII charging car dock. It replaced the Infuse 4G dock I was using for my GSIII.

I have to disagree John's review. First off, the directions are clear on how the supplied pads are to be used. The power button never gets pressed. The dock allows for a very good fit with or without a case thanks to the removable insert (nice design). The same is true of the, I think, brilliantly simplistic charging solution, which again allows for use with or without a case. The other benefit of this design decision is that if the cord gets tugged on it doesn't pull on the handset's micro usb socket.

The flip latch is much easier to use than locking the handset into the Infuse 4G dock. The single cable which terminates in both a USB plug and aux audio plug reduces clutter. I use the spigen Kuel P12Q/C car charger because my car doesn't have a USB socket.

My only gripe is that when the phone is in the dock the volume rocker is partially covered by the latch, so I can increase but not decrease the volume without using the software UI controls.

It's not a perfect solution, but grading on a curve it's a 5 based on my experience with numerous other docks. Highly Recommended.

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Great price!

NEEWER%C2%AE Auxiliary Retractable Samsung Stereos

First let me say that I almost never review products. However I was so pleased with this unit I felt it necessary to write something. Prior to installing this unit I had gone thru TWO Boss Audio 8" powered subs in about 3 days. The first one lasted about 2 minutes and went into protect mode and that was it. I though, ok maybe I just got a bad unit, so I sent it back and got my second one a couple days later. (Amazon service was great). I quickly wired up the second unit and it was working fine for about 2 days, then it just quit. Strike two, there was no way I was going to buy ANYTHING with the name BOSS Audio on it again. After a little searching I found this unit. I have a 2009 Ford F150 super cab and was just looking for something to give me a little extra low end thump and didn't have a lot of room to play with.(it fit perfect under the rear seat) I'm using the factory radio cuz it has Sirius, but I put a pair of Boston Acoustic speakers in front and it made a HUGE difference. Yet it was still missing that low end thump that I was used to from having a factory sub in my prior truck. As others have said, this will not blow your windows out, but in my opinion it does a great job. My friends couldn't believe the difference in sound with this unit hooked up. I especially LOVE the remote control. I listen to mostly Classic Rock from the late 60's and early heavy metal like Black Sabbath. The phase control on the remote is AWESOME. Depending on the song, the phase needs to be adjusted quite a bit sometimes. If you have a sub without a remote you would always be pulling over to adjust the phase level because one setting is not going to be optimal for all songs. I payed about $120 for this unit and it is worth every penny. Also, it was easy to wire and comes with a good quality wiring kit. My friend is going to go buy 2 for his car he liked mine so much.

Get your NEEWER%C2%AE Auxiliary Retractable Samsung Stereos Now!