Hi everyone. The CD player in my 2001 Mazda Miata just died, so I am looking for an aftermarket headunit. I enjoy Pandora, and would like to play Pandora stations using bluetooth rather than a wired connection into the headunit. To my disappointment, I found that this is possible with Android phones but not iPhones. Why is this the case? Is this an example of Apple being inexcusably behind the competition?
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Bluetooth for Car Audio
- Thread starter MARobinson
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Not sure how damaged your head unit is. If you have an "aux in" and it still works, you get a bluetooth dongle. I have an anker one from Amazon that's been a great purchase. I use it for a lot of things not just in the car.
You can also find a lot of used car stereos on e-bay. Yes, some are probably not from good sourcing. That noted, there's plenty of guys that make make it their business to recycle car radios. I note this as this may be a good option for a 2001 convertible with a canvas top.
You can also find a lot of used car stereos on e-bay. Yes, some are probably not from good sourcing. That noted, there's plenty of guys that make make it their business to recycle car radios. I note this as this may be a good option for a 2001 convertible with a canvas top.
Thanks for your replies. Apparently I was wrong about not being able to stream Pandora stations with a bluetooth connection. I have read about quite a few headunits on the Crutchfield site, and I remember seeing instructions for a couple that implied only Android devices would stream Pandora radio through bluetooth. I also think a Crutchfield technician told me that, although I may have heard him wrong. At any rate, I am happy to know that is not the case. an-other, I think I am going to go the new aftermarket route. My OEM unit only has a CD player and basic FM/AM radio, and newer models offer a lot more for not much more money. Thanks again.
What's the audio quality like with bluetooth car stereos? We just got a new car, which has a bluetooth stereo, but after I paired my iPhone 6 to it and played music, it was so quiet it was almost inaudible. Not sure what I'm doing wrong, or whether this is how bluetooth audio is (as I have never used it before).
Ah, okay, I didn't realise that the actual phone volume was linked to the playback volume via Bluetooth. When plugged in via a cable, which is the only thing I have done in the past, the device volume is (or seems to be) irrelevant. Will check it out, thanks!
One last thought for you: Make sure the display is "convertible friendly." Bright sunlight can make a display unreadable. I know Alpine had some well clever OLED screen units at one time.
This is first hand guidance! My display is unreadable in the sun. I've considered a replacement from time to time, however I'm tied to a manufacturer that no longer makes consumer stuff.
This is first hand guidance! My display is unreadable in the sun. I've considered a replacement from time to time, however I'm tied to a manufacturer that no longer makes consumer stuff.