Touch cruise as car mp3 base ?

[X-Kent]

I read about that new A2DP functionality for music so I got some interesting idea about turning my TC to a car mp3 player. My TC has 8gb so it's cool to have such amount of music in car without need to change discs or something.
There are new car cd players that support bluetooth, my question is how all this stuff works together ? Has anyone tried ? Is it comfortable at it's current state ? I mean will it connect automatically and will the cd player controls work to browse the music stored on TC or will I need to use the TC to navigate songs(less comfort while driving)... What about sound quality, is A2DP provides good sound ? What should I expect from such a setup ?

I would answer half of the question myself only If I would already have the bluetooth supported cd player, but my one doesn't support it :-( so I am thinking about a replacement and will it be worth or not.

[alanwesty]

I use my Tytyn2 for this purpose with a pioneer B65 Head unit. The quality is good enough for a car considering the background noise and far superior to using a FM transmitter. You will have to use the TC to control the tracks and the display on the head unit does not show track info.

[X-Kent]

Doesn't seems to be comfortable solution then... There is no interface that will allow head unit to control it ? :-((... Anyone else tried this ?

[wonderiuy]

I use a Jabra BT320S to hear music in car using the line in of my head unit. Sound is good and obviously i have the TC to control the music. SOme programs have very finger friendly buttons. I'm very happy

[wywywywy]

This is the solution you are looking for.

Get a headunit with a USB port, such as this Kenwood. http://www.bassjunkies.com/index.php?pid=33470&show=expand_image
Install WM5torage on the PDA, and set it up so that the PDA appears as a mass storage device.
Plug the PDA into the headunit with a USB cable.
The headunit should now see the tracks in the memory card of the PDA.

Hope this helps.

[benzo8]

WM5torage is not (currently) compatible with the Touch Cruise.

[lavrador]

Hello,

since i'm an owner of an saxo vts, which is equal to say been roubed evey time. i just do not have normal player, i instead add amp. connected to the normal audio pre-installation.

Then a audio cable from the PDA to the input of the amp. this also means stereo no front back sound distribution.

i also thought about the bluetooth but then, i realize that with TomTom, phone call , plus blue streaming, the device was not power enough.

Ah since then no one broke in, why because there's actually nothing there to robe.

[jonboyuk]

X-Kent. I have been using bluetooth in my car for nearly a year now and it's definately the way forward. Forget plugging it in via USB!

My HU is a JVC BT-1.

First of all the quality of your A2DP can be configured using the 'Advance config' program (found on this forum). I also use a Sony bluetooth headphone receiver and at first my Orbit 2 sounded a bit...cheap! However by cranking up the sample rate to 48000, bit pool to 58 and the max bit pool to 80, it has increased the quality from a decent FM quality to CD quality. This is just in my experience and audio purists would argue otherwise. Nonetheless this applies to my reciever and my car BT.

Next is that if you use BT in your car you would change the tracks by using the phone NOT the head unit. But I think this is FAR better and safer. I have my phone mounted next to the wheel, and not only can I see what track is playing on my phone, I have big pause and next/back track buttons to press and I can even see the album art. Far better than the crappy text display you get on a head unit (unless you have a v.expensive one!) If you did use USB then it would put the track names on the HU and allow full control, but why when you can use the lovely phone touch functions.

Finally (this is where it comes into it's own). The BT-1 has a small mic that you can locate anywhere and you can make calls in the car without touching anything. The BT-1 allows voice dialling and you can speak to people thru your car. And because it's BT then you can have the phone in your pocket. The Headunit is intelligent enough to automatically pick up the phone when it's in range and link them together. No buttons required. If a call comes in and you're listening to music, the ring comes through the speakers of the car. You can then pick up and it pauses the music. When your conversation's done, the music starts up where you left off!

If you use Sat Nav, even if you're listening to music or having a convo, the voice instructions are also routed through your speakers.

Why use anything else other than bluetooth? Hope that helps

Jon