Which handsfree kit do you use?

Forums › Transport (cars, bikes and boats) › Which handsfree kit do you use?

1eStar

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#145418 17-May-2014 10:30

A quote in today's Herald about handsfree for me thinking, which handsfree kit is the best? I guess built-in will usually trump the after market. So tell us what you use, in what type of vehicle, and why you like or dislike it.

The quote was:

"Yesterday, his boss, Peter McInally of Trilect Electrical Services, said his employee was doing nothing he himself wouldn't do.

"It's pretty much the same I will do in my car every day. I will take a [small] fine every time, rather than miss a call and turn away business.

"I have had tickets and I will get more, and that doesn't discourage me, to stop answering my phone."

There were no suitable hands-free kits for vans available that didn't echo, he said, or he would buy them."

From article: [url=]http://m.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=11256529[url\]

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#1046915 17-May-2014 12:13

I use a Parrot MKi9100 which I've had for a year or two now. There's probably a later model now.

It's hard wired and connected to my car stereo. If the stereo's not one it fires the stereo up when there's a call. I installed it myself, and as I have some experience in similar work I found it a relatively straight forward job.

It works very well. It's easy to pair up a phone, once paired, the phone automatically connects each time you start the car.

The MKi9100 also comes with physical connections for MP3 players to run these through the car stereo. You can alo play music to the stereo theuogh the Bluetooth connection.

It has voice recognition, i.e. you can answer or reject calls with voice commands and also call people by saying their name. I find the voice recognition a bit flakey at times.

I've tried portable Bluetooth units which also seem to work well, though I think think some are much better than others.

One draw back with portable ones is you very often need to switch them off or switch off Bluetooth on your phone when you don't need the handsfree function. E.G when at home or at work. If you don't turn the unit off and you are within Bluetooth coverage of the unit when a call comes in the call will be routed to the handsfree unit which obviously is not all that useful if your'e not beside the handsfree unit. Having to remember to switch ON/OFF the handsfree unit or bluetooth every time you get into/out of the car significantly impacts the value of the handsfree unit in my opinion.

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kiwiharry

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#1046919 17-May-2014 12:19

We started off using the BlueAnt Supertooth 3 which I found quite good. It was a portable unit, but as mentioned above, we had issues where if we were in the house and the unit was still switched on in the car, then calls would connect to the Bluetooth unit. I did find an app that switched off Bluetooth anytime I was connected to wifi and this helped immensely.

Last year I installed a new car radio, which had inbuilt Bluetooth, so am now using that.

With the Blueant Supertooth unit, I never experienced any echo problems.

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alasta

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#1046967 17-May-2014 13:32

The factory standard bluetooth solution in my Kia Rio works great. However, when taking a call I tend to pull over at the first safe opportunity as I think handsfree calling can still be a bit distracting.

Technofreak

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#1046973 17-May-2014 13:57

One problem with some OEM Bluetooth kits is they don't have all Bluetooth protocols equipped or if equipped they don't work properly. My wifes 920 will announce the turn by turn directions from Nokia Maps through my Parrot i9100 to the car stereo but nothing is heard from the phone or the stereo in her car which has Bluetooth built into the factory stereo, when using Nokia Maps.

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1eStar

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#1047128 17-May-2014 18:04

I bought a Jabra freeway handsfree portable unit earlier this year, it has great audio quality, I rarely use the FM transmitter function as the audio quality is worse. It has an auto on/off function with a motion sensor which works if you leave the car and drop out of bluetooth range, but a bit hit and miss if you park nearby. Connects up nicely when it senses the first motion, ie opening door or sitting in. It only seems to need charging after more than a month, so pretty impressive on that count. People I talk to on it seem to have no gripes with the audio quality, occasionally they ask, are you out driving?

If I'm out cycling I tend to wear my Plantronics back beat headphones which double as handsfree if required. They don't block much external noise so don't cause loss of awareness.

I think the argument of echoing in a van is a pathetic smokescreen, there's no real excuse for people to be holding a handset when bluetooth handsfree are so readily available and work so well. If our Police spent more time dealing with safety hazards like handheld phones rather than speeding then the world (of nz) would be a safer place (imo)

afe66

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#1047136 17-May-2014 18:36

I thought it was naive of that fellow to say he essential condones the breaking of the law by his employee.
That attitude will possibly annoy a lot of readers... pretty sure they wont be calling his business if they need an electrician.

Another thought was catching 42 people breaking the law in a hour seems like a very good return of time vs crime for the police to do an a regular basis...

A.

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#1047137 17-May-2014 18:38

I had the BlueAnt Supertooth 3 a few years ago as well. Lately I'm using a cheap Jabra I picked up from Noel Leeming. Does the trick just fine, with the added bonus of being able to play audio through it for my podcasts.

I'd love a head unit with built in BT though....

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#1050776 21-May-2014 23:39

I use a Plantronics Voyager Legend on my iPhone.

I use it all day too - barely know it is there.

I find it transforms the use of the phone to have both hands free when working (and obviously when driving!) and it also works really well for voice controlling Siri too. You get calls announced too (e.g. "Incoming call from The Boss: answer or ignore?") which is nice.

7 hour battery life helps get through the day, too.

coffeebaron

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#1050825 22-May-2014 07:34

One of these: http://www.ultimatemobile.co.nz/bury-24w-car-phone.html

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#1050834 22-May-2014 08:08

I don't rate the Bury Bluetooth Handsfree, being that I talk to field staff who use it and it picks up far too much background noise to be able to make out the caller clearly. In saying that I'm comparing it to them upgrading their vehicles to new Mazda BT50's where its built-in Hands Free is a major step up.

trig42

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#1050875 22-May-2014 09:39

I used to have the Blueant ST3, it worked fine - there was the issue of it answering calls if I was close to the car, but it wasn't bad and I could hear it clearly.

I now have a Pioneer MVH-355BT headunit which has Parrot handsfree built in. Works really well. I don't know what call quality is like on the other end, but I can hear callers just fine, and they seem to be able to hear me. Bonus of the BT is wireless connection of the phone to play music.

The 'excuse' of echoing in a van is BS IMO, why would it be any different in a van as a car? I think he is just trying cheap and nasty HF devices.

jonherries

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#1050883 22-May-2014 10:08

http://www.kinivo.com/Kinivo-BTC450-Bluetooth-Hands-Free-Input/dp/B009NLTW60

This one works well, also have the Belkin equivalent which is twice the price for the same thing.

Jon

Wade

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#1050954 22-May-2014 11:33

jonherries: http://www.kinivo.com/Kinivo-BTC450-Bluetooth-Hands-Free-Input/dp/B009NLTW60

This one works well, also have the Belkin equivalent which is twice the price for the same thing.

Jon

Thanks just what i am looking for, was looking for something to just stream phone to stereo in Apt-X but this will give me handsfree as well, can't ask for much more than that!

ajobbins

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#1051033 22-May-2014 13:02

The built in Bluetooth in our VE Commodore is OK at best. It's nice having it integrated into the car with the steering wheel controls, and the fact the audio is routed through the car speakers means it's very clear inside the car. The problem is what the person hears on the other end. As my partner often calls me from the car, I find it hard to hear her sometimes, especially if she's at highway speeds or if it's say raining heavily. I think the noise cancelling it a bit over zealous.

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Geektastic

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#1051119 22-May-2014 14:59

ajobbins: The built in Bluetooth in our VE Commodore is OK at best. It's nice having it integrated into the car with the steering wheel controls, and the fact the audio is routed through the car speakers means it's very clear inside the car. The problem is what the person hears on the other end. As my partner often calls me from the car, I find it hard to hear her sometimes, especially if she's at highway speeds or if it's say raining heavily. I think the noise cancelling it a bit over zealous.

One thing I can say about the Plantronics earpiece that I use is that since I got it, not a single person has ever said they couldn't hear me. No one has even noticed I am not actually using the phone to my ear.

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