We often have conversations with people about Bluetooth technology and find that there are many misconceptions about this exciting technology. This article will help demystify some of the common questions. Let’s get right into it.
HFP vs A2DP (OMG right?!)
My cellphone will make hands free calls in my vehicle but I can’t stream music from my device into the car. This is a popular topic in our store. Bluetooth in a vehicle is divided into two popular technologies, HFP and A2DP. HFP, in simple terms, is the Hands Free profile of Bluetooth that allows you to talk wirelessly on your phone. Many of the early Bluetooth kits that came installed on vehicles can only do this type of Bluetooth.
A2DP is the technology where we can stream music wirelessly and is integrated into some newer vehicles. On vehicles that did not come with the A2DP technology, we may have a solution to add that to your vehicle if you are interested. Just call us or Contact Us for more details.
My New Mobile Phone Will Not Pair With My Car
I bought a new cellphone and it will not pair with my car. My old phone pairs fine. I do not understand. Bluetooth is Bluetooth, right? We surely get this one a lot. Bluetooth is a technology that allows the wireless streaming of data between two devices. The variable here is that just because something has Bluetooth does NOT mean it is going to work with your phone.
Some vehicles and/or equipment have the capability of software upgrades being done to solve any issues like that. But that is NOT always the case. If you have a factory installed Bluetooth system, the dealer is your best resource for that. You may need to be patient with them. Dealers specialize in selling vehicles, not Bluetooth, so they are trying had to get their people up to speed on these new technologies.
If you have an aftermarket installed system, you may be able to have a software update done by the folks that did your system. Here at WSS Westminster Speed & Sound we pride ourselves on staying current with this issue as we feel your pain. In the end a person may have to switch phones or go to some different equipment if the compatibility issue cannot be resolved.
My Bluetooth Sounds Horrible!
How do I fix it? This is probably one of the topics that can truly get people fired up. Let’s see if we can address this one eloquently. Sometimes it can be as simple as changing a setting like the volume level on your phone. Sometimes it can be over driving the input stage on the Bluetooth system. I will explain.
You are on a call. The person says they can’t hear you. You talk louder. They still can’t hear you. You get frustrated. What may be happening is the volume that you are speaking is over driving the input stage of the Bluetooth microphone and speaking SOFTER might actually solve the problem. You can also make sure the windows are rolled up and the fan on your heating system is turned down if it does not do that automatically. If you have a car that has a lot of road noise at speed, slow down or pull over. This may help.
Sometimes there is not a problem with you or your equipment, it is the person’s equipment on the other end. We have had many people who complained of this issue that would call us. I would ask them if they were speaking to us on the Bluetooth kit that had issues. They would say yes. I was hearing them just fine. I would ask them if they thought we were communicating effectively and they would respond yes. Then I would ask this question: “is it possible it may be the people you are talking to or their choice in electronics”? They would realize that we just had a normal conversation using their “bad” system. I would offer for them to come by the store and call me from the parking lot. I would then trade places with them and they would use my store phone and listen to how I sounded on their Bluetooth kit. The vast majority of the time there was no real issue.
I will say that some phones and some Bluetooth kits when used in tandem, to put it simply, do not sound good. You switch to a different brand of phone and it sounds fine. So if you are having issues, try a buddies phone that is different from yours and see how it does. It may be possible that you own a car that has a Bluetooth kit that does not have good clarity. Some car manufacturers make some bad sounding systems. And some sound great.
My Phone Does Not Pair All The Time
Welcome to the world of Bluetooth. We all love it when it works well, but this single thing can be so aggravating! I personally own a Chevy with factory Bluetooth, a Pioneer navigation system with Bluetooth, and a Sony Navigation system with Bluetooth. I own a very, very popular smartphone. And this smartphone company had a software update in the fall that caused the phone to start exhibiting this issue much more often. The Pioneer has issues now every single time. The Chevy maybe once every 10 days. The Sony seems to work all the time. Before the last software update all of them worked well. So the issue may not lie with your Bluetooth kit as much as your cell phone being finicky. Please do not read into this that going out and buying a Sony will solve all of your issues, because if you have a different phone than me, the Sony will respond differently.
Here at WSS Westminster Speed & Sound we pride ourselves on being Bluetooth experts. We do not have every answer to every question, but we spend hundreds of hours every year focusing our attention on these new, exciting categories so we can help you enjoy them better.
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