When you click on links to various merchants on this site and make a purchase, this can result in this site earning a commission. Affiliate programs and affiliations include, but are not limited to, the eBay Partner Network.
Found a Cheap and Easy Way to connect smartphone to factory stereo
I know this is not going to be an option for the audiophiles but I found an external FM transmitter that actually works incredibly well.
I've tried an FM transmitter once before and had just written them off because it was so bad, but this model got a lot of positive reviews and it actually does work really well. It has BlueTooth along with a headphone jack.
The mini model I got blends in pretty well with the car
I would compare the sound quality to whatever the "strongest" FM station you get on your radio. Not perfect, but good enough for me. I would bet most people would think it was wired in.
I went with this because I bought my wife a Grom unit for her Lexus GX and put it in, and honestly it was junk. In the BluTooth mode, this FM transmitter sounds better than the Grom if you can believe it.
The "phone" option on it for BluTooth is just so-so, mainly because I think the location and where the microphone is.
It's called a GoGroove Flexsmart mini and was under $60. Pretty cheap way to link up your smartphone.
Very cool, I personally wont use this but I have a couple friends who are looking for a good FM transmitter so I will sent thing their way. Thanks for the review
I have a GoGrove Flexsmart, not the mini, and just absolutely love it. I think great sound.
I didn't mention it before because of the perceived ridicule.
Just saw this post. Mine is actually on the way and while I'm making up my mind if I want to install the Parrot MKi9200, I'd be using this and sharing it with my 99 Ford Explorer.
Thanks for sharing!
Really good actually. I bought the Monster brand one at Target and had them price match Amazon for $12. I mostly listen to Pandora so I enabled high quality audio on the app.
Originally Posted by htan
How's the sound quality with the cassette adapter, rustednail?
Seems like the use of music from the player via bluetooth to an open frequency on the FM dial is reasonable, but what about using it for hands free cell phone calls?
Is the volume and clarity where it needs to be? Is microphone placement an issue? Noise cancelling work OK. Clarity at both sender and receiver of phone call?
Been looking for a replacement to my cassette adapter since it always had static in the background and the quality sound was not good at all.. How is the clarity and quality on this product? Do I need anything else, or just buy this and plug and play?
Been looking for a replacement to my cassette adapter since it always had static in the background and the quality sound was not good at all.. How is the clarity and quality on this product? Do I need anything else, or just buy this and plug and play?
All that's needed is the single unit. It takes a BluTooth signal and turns it into an FM station that your stereo picks up.
It only takes a few minutes to set up, but then you're done and the settings stay there.
You set the radio station you want to use on your factory stereo, then set that same station on the unit. Experiment around with different stations, you want to find a frequency that's not being used by a radio station in your area.
You then go to the blutooth option on your cell phone and link it to the GoGroove. Once you've done this, its automatic when you start the car and it links in. The station will also stay on the unit. It also has an analog jack that you can connect directly to the transmitter unit if you don't want to use BluTooth.
The unit itself also has a built in wireless controller that works through the BluTooth, so you can pause it, or go to the next track, etc.
I would say the quality is a lot better than you would think, whatever the strongest FM radio station you get currently, that's really close to what the sound quality will be. I had tried one of these in the past and it was junk, static all the time, etc. Not sure how the technology is different, but I rarely encounter that anymore.
What I don't like about the unit is:
1) It doesn't have a power off button (I just pull it slightly up when I don't want it on, and it goes off anyway when the car is off)
2)The Phone blutooth option just doesn't work well, I think it's mainly because of the microphone being far away. I can hear people clearly, but they can't hear me. So if that's the main reason for getting it, I would pass.
3)It automatically synchs in, this can sometimes be an issue as it will just start playing where you left off, so I often times just pull it up slightly when I want it to power off
4) On road trips outside your usual area, you may run into an area that uses your same FM station that you've set up, in which case it helps the sound quality by changing the station.
To me, the negatives are pretty small for how most are going to use it.
But if money is not an option, I would go with something like a Vais unit, this is more a "good enough" option for many that's cheap and only takes a few minutes to set up.
Been looking for a replacement to my cassette adapter since it always had static in the background and the quality sound was not good at all.. How is the clarity and quality on this product? Do I need anything else, or just buy this and plug and play?
I just purchased this unit and installed it today. Plug and play. 20 minutes total time. I now have an aux input that has cd quality sound using the factory stereo.
Seems like I will be giving this a try! Now should I go with the X3 or X2?! I won't be using it for bluetooth at all. I am just tired of making CDs when new songs come out and it would be so much more convenient if I could just play them from my iPhone. Anyone have any feedback on which one to get? It seems there are a couple of GOgroove to choose from (X2, X3, X2 Mini, etc..).
I haven't tried this unit but I've tried 3 or 4 others throughout the years. One of them was from Monster i recall and it wasn't cheap, and none of them worked good at all in my area (40 miles NW of Chicago). I drive 50 miles to work (Towards Chicago) and I would have to try to tune in a clean station a number of times on the way. I ended up with a cassette adapter as an easy cheap good sounding alternative and it works great. I use it to work and back every day. I'm on my 3rd one in about 3 1/2 years but at $5 - $10 each, its worth it to me. I just cant justify the $200 + cost to integrate just yet but I think it may be in my future...........
I hope your FM solution works out for you in your area because mine definitely did not.
05-06-15, 10:37 AM
Found a Cheap and Easy Way to connect smartphone to factory stereo
