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I assume there are some cars where the BT works well but I've never owned one yet. My Mini actually works better than a Kia I had but I do get complaints about the quality.
I don't even try to use it anymore. Wish I could as it's a definite plus on the safety side but I always end up nearly yelling to be heard. On the other side I can hear the caller great. It's do annoying I just gave up on it.
Hmmm...I have BT in both the wife's Camry and my MINI Coupe, never seem to have a problem. Then again, I used the case/carrier that came with my BB. I read somewhere that some of the cases for the smart phones can interfere with the BT connection (it is, after all, a very low wattage connection; doesn't take much to interfere/disrupt it).
I also have an '11 Infiniti FX, the bluetooth works perfectly fine with the same phone. I think it's all a matter of cabin noise -- it's very high in the Coupe while cruising on the highway and rather low in the Infiniti.
I just traded a Chevy cruze for the mini and the Cruzes Bluetooth was phenomenal. Nobody complained and I can hear them perfectly. I think mini needs to step up and and offer some kind of fix because mine is just about useless the way it is.
Almost similarly (and please excuse if this is irrelevant), has anyone experienced difficulty/interference of any kind after switching to the CravenSpeed stubby antenna? I just ordered one, car gets here in 2 weeks, just curious. Thanks
I'll let you know in a week. I'm having a mod done that requires the stubby ant, but then again, I hardly ever use the radio (mainly USB stick with tunes).
The stubby antenna BTW, shouldn't have anything to do with the bluetooth.
Thanks Marine--I'm embarrassed to say that that's what I was wondering--how many things the antenna actually involves. Good to know it won't interfere with listening to music or humans via iPhone. I do listen to the radio, but that might only be because I don't have any kind of BT setup in my current car. Very excited to have more control of these things, and not have to wear a wire!
Yeah, I've discovered that I get lots of complaints when I'm at Freeway speeds. It works well when you're driving through streets or low speeds, but on the freeway it's just too much wind causing distortion.
My bluetooth works well, but the cabin noise is definitely an issue for the other person. A bit of sound deadening in the wheel wells, as well as running new Michelin tires (10dB drop in noise - I tested it), definitely helped the matter. It's nowhere near perfect, but the road drone is way more tolerable!
Does anyone know where specifically where on the steering column the mic is? I end up having to sit up and almost yell at my speedo which rarely helps the quality. It's pretty annoying simply because it's almost pointless to even have if you can't even use it due to the sound quality.
i agree with the comments above. In my coupe, freeway speeds make the bluetooth pretty useless. you also want to be careful, however, with where the vents on the driver's side are pointing. Letting them blow across the steering column could make the noise worse. I have an '11 Cayenne and talking on the bluetooth at highway speed is as good as sitting on my couch at home using the handset. Mic position and road noise are definitely big factors. Having the mic sewn into the seatbelt like the R8 convertible would be ideal.
I've got the old mike in the overhead. People can understand me, but it's not clear. I hear them fine. It is what it is with this noisy car. I hardly ever use it.
Re-appearing to report that sound reception for the caller is apparently horrible. On 795 (Reisterstown MD) I need to terminate the call, they whine that much. On other highways/beltways they whine a little less. Suburbs/slower speeds = totally fine. Maybe they should just talk non-stop and we can cough or beep the horn, once for yes and twice for no.