Reddit mentions of iSimple Hands-Free Calling and Music Streaming Kit with Control Button for Smartphones - Frustration-Free Packaging - Black

For those of us without Bluetooth stereo and want a clean solution. https://www.amazon.com/iSimple-Hands-Free-Calling-Streaming-Smartphones/dp/B00FRU5UNA/ref=mp_s_a_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1535986815&sr=8-1&pi=AC_SX236_SY340_FMwebp_QL65&keywords=tranzit+blu&dpPl=1&dpID=41nW9mERuUL&ref=plSrch



I bought an FM/Bluetooth modulator that connects to the antenna port on the back of your head unit. You can turn it on (FM turns off so no static, but no FM stations) or you can leave it off (Use FM like normal). Comes with a button that functions as a skip track, answer/decline calls, activitate voice assistant, and a microphone. Highly recommend that thing.

Based on what they want, they don't need a parrot device. Could just get something like this. Could easily be hardwired in if they don't want to give up a plug.

Edit: This is an even better solution since it's meant to be hardwired and has an aux output so it doesn't need to be used as an FM modulator.

Non-mobile:

• this
  
• This
  
  ^That's ^why ^I'm ^here, ^I ^don't ^judge ^you. ^PM ^/u/xl0 ^if ^I'm ^causing ^any ^trouble. ^WUT?

FM transmitters will reduce sound quality. Bluetooth will reduce sound quality. You have both, so they're both reducing the quality of the sound.

Radio stations have huge towers to produce a strong signal, which you're picking up with the antenna of your car. The transmitter you're using produces a very weak signal, which is fine to produce a small "station" for your car, but isn't strong enough to transmit the bass and treble of audio.

So, there isn't any way to increase the quality of an FM transmitter (that I know of). Which leaves you two options.

1. Buy an aftermarket head unit for your car that has bluetooth or an auxiliary input.
   
   
2. Get an FM modulator. This is what I use in my car. It's sort of like your FM transmitter, but instead of producing a little bubble station to play audio over it you plug it in behind the radio and it takes over the stations. Instead of broadcasting a station, it's hardwired to play louder than other stations. It's CD quality audio. I'm not an audiophile, but I really like good quality sound and it sounds amazing.
   
   This is what I purchased. I've had it in my car for about 3 years and it's worked flawlessly the entire time.
   
   This one has bluetooth, but is a lot more expensive.
   
   Good luck!

I bought one of these for my older car and couldn't be happier. It wires directly into your factory head unit so the sound quality is better than any of the 12V plug in ones I've used in the past and I can still answer calls over bluetooth if I'm listening to the radio. Not to mention it comes with a microphone and a button to switch tracks, activate google assistant, and pickup/end a call. You might need to buy an adapter for your car's antenna but once it's set up it automatically connects to BT when I start up the car and works fantastically.

Yea i had a similar issue. I have an amazing integrated sound system so can change it out. I ended up getting this https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B00FRU5UNA

Works great. But totally understand you waiting for a proper setup

I bought this, it's a Bluetooth receiver that connects to the your stereo via the antenna connection. Works fine but not the greatest range in terms of audio quality, but a cheap option to get you by until you find an aftermarket stereo that you can't live without.

No contest winner is going to be the iSimple TranzitBlu. This is a hardwired FM modulator. Minimal installation and works on every head unit. Zero static, no FM bullshit. Autoconnects when you start the car. I've installed probably 100 of them.

https://www.amazon.com/iSimple-ISFM23-Universal-Bluetooh-Transmitter/dp/B00DHQ6K7Q/ref=sr_1_2?keywords=tranzit+blu&qid=1555077821&s=gateway&sr=8-2

If you want a version that does handsfree calling too, here ya go.

The ONLY issue/complaint I've had on them is switching between paired devices. It can be done, but folks don't understand the timing required (since there's no screen to guide them). But if you're just going to pair one phone to it and always use one phone, it's flawless.

Well, I'll update my own thread.

The best rated cord I could find on Amazon was this one, liked it because it was the higest rated cable of its type.

Head over to the car audio place, they said it would be $75 to replace the cable. After they tear out the current set up, found out that I had an original iPod interface box behind my stereo. Kinda looks like this

Downside is the 30-pin cable is a din interface, and not a USB like I thought. So either I could order the right cable and wait a week or have something else installed.

Ended up getting the Tranzit Blue HF kit installed for $200 total. Phone connects to the box via Bluetooth and then the box transmits on an FM station you select through the app. They also installed a button and a mike on the dash to control the app. If you have the transmitter on it drowns out most other FM stations, so a 4-second hold on the button will turn it on so I can stream from my phone or turn off to listen to AM/FM. The kit also auto-connects to my phone and Siri works great with it.

The last option would be to have an aftermarket stereo installed that has a bluetooth connection, but also a USB interface and an AUX interface. The downside here is the steering wheel controls wouldn't be operational with them and would require yet another aftermarket kit to have the volume/channel up/down buttons work. That cost was around $450.

So mildly more than what I wanted to pay, but it's been working well since I've gotten it. Nice to be able to listen to music/podcasts without a distracting hiss.

I've got a 2004 Mazda 6 Sport Wagon also.

Last January (Jan 2017 I think, but might have been 2016) I installed a Grom Audio "Mazda 02-08 USB Android iPod iPhone Bluetooth AUX car kit" - Model# MAZU3 device.

I also purchased and installed the Bluetooth dongle & Aux-In/USB Charging adapter cable.

Installation required me to remove the OEM stereo and make a minor modification to it (hardest part of that was actually opening the cage of the stereo itself, in order to get to the circuit board).

Then the Grom device plugs in to the socket on the back of the OEM stereo that would be used by the optional factory CD changer.

The Grom 'impersonates' the CD changer, so the stereo thinks it is playing a CD from the CD changer when you are listening to the Grom

PROS:

• Finally I have satisfactory Bluetooth hands-free phone capability in the car.
  
  
• I can wirelessly stream music (from any source) from my phone to the car stereo. I primarily use this for SiriusXM, but can also listen to music stored on the phone, or Spotify/Pandora/iHeartRadio, whatever.
  
  
• I've paired Windows Phones and an iPhone 7+ to the car, with no problems. I assume an Android phone would work equally well but haven't tried one myself.
  
  
• When I originally installed the Grom unit I loaded up a pretty large USB stick with music. LOTS of albums, lots of songs. I believe I stuck to Grom's documented requirements regarding directory structures and filenames. I can listen to the music from the USB.
  
  
• I've never actually used the Aux-In, but it exists and I assume it will work just fine.
  
  CONS:
  
• Due to the design of the system and how it interfaces to the car stereo there is no audible indication you are receiving a phone call if you aren't already listening to the Grom. I.e., if you're listening to a CD or the radio then you will only know you're receiving a phone call if you see the phone display that there is an incoming call. On my phone, at least, if the phone is in the car and paired to the Grom than the phone won't ring audibly (because it is ringing via the Grom), and so if you aren't listening to the Grom you don't know a call is coming in.
  
  
• No display other than the car's factory LED strip above the HVAC vents. So you can't see who is calling you other than by looking at your phone screen. You can't see any text description of whatever music is being played.
  
  
• Navigating the file structure of the USB stick is inconsistent & unpredictable. I've given up trying to figure it out, and just concluded that since I like all of the music I loaded on the stick (after all, if I didn't like it I wouldn't own it or have put it on the stick) I just listen to the music as it plays and don't worry about it too much. It makes it impossible to go find a particular song though.
  
  
• Occasionally the full system (phone - car stereo - Grom, don't know or care where to assign the blame) will effectively get confused and either I'll hear music coming from the USB stick and my phone, or the system won't be able to play a physical CD, or the system won't switch from the USB to the phone. When this happens the only solution is to force a reset by turning the car off and then restarting the car. This only happens rarely, but it does happen.
  
  **
  **
  I think Grom should:
  
  

• not charge extra for the additional cables/dongles I used. They add up, and feel like a lot of nickel-and-diming to get the full capabilities of the system.
  
  
• provide (and for this I'd accept it being an optional, extra cost upgrade) a small display that could be plugged in to the Grom unit, with a pass-through for the currently existing wires, that would be used to display song or incoming call information. I'd think this is something that could be done easily using something like a Raspberry Pi, but I'm not a software dev, don't know anything about writing device drivers, and wouldn't know how to fabricate the hardware necessary to plug in to the existing hardware plugs. But conceptually it seems reasonable, and it seems to me that Grom already has the engineers that would know how to do this. I wish it existed.
  
  ==============
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  Within the last week I learned of two competing products that I am seriously considering for another car I own.
  
  

1. the iSimple BluHF.
   https://www.amazon.com/iSimple-Hands-Free-Calling-Streaming-Smartphones/dp/B00FRU5UNA/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1521602988&sr=8-1&keywords=isimple+bluetooth&dpID=41nW9mERuUL&preST=_SY300_QL70_&dpSrc=srch
   
   This is a similar product to the Grom, but instead of plugging in to the CD port of the stereo and impersonating the CD changer it uses the FM antenna port and sends its output through the stereo's FM receiver. To use it you switch your radio to a predetermined FM frequency.
   
   I suspect this would be more reliable than Grom's method, at least with the 2004 Mazda stereo.
   
   
   
2. The Parrot MKI 9200.
   https://www.amazon.com/Parrot-MKi9200-Advanced-Bluetooth-Hands-Free/dp/B001IA3SZ0/ref=au_as_r?_encoding=UTF8&Make=Mazda%7C80&Model=Miata%7C1110&Year=1996%7C1996&ie=UTF8&n=1077068&s=car&vehicleId=2&vehicleType=automotive
   
   I like the Parrot unit a lot. It looks like it would be great, and I'm willing to shell out the $$$ for it. It actually inserts itself between the stereo and the speaker wires themselves, so it will work regardless of what source you're listening to - doesn't matter if you're listening to the radio, a CD, etc...
   
   My concern with the Parrot though is that I see many reviews that state it worked great for 6 months - 2 years, and then crapped out, and the company provided horrible service when that occurred. So I'm reluctant to get one of these.
   
   Hope the above helps you decide what you do going forward.
   
   

This unit connects to the antenna, interrupts a non-usable FM station and adds bluetooth (calls and audio streaming).

You can use this. Going to need to wire it up to 12v accessory and ground though.

https://www.amazon.com/iSimple-Hands-Free-Calling-Streaming-Smartphones/dp/B00FRU5UNA/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1495928906&sr=8-1&keywords=isimple+bluetooth

If you want the absolute easiest setup look into the isimple products. Tap into the power and ground from your factory head unit and plug in the fm signal interrupter, then run the wires where you want them to hang out.
With the proper tools and a little bit of background info you'll be done in 30 minutes or less

Link for device with bluetooth. Others are cheaper without.
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00FRU5UNA/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_BPQBxbV29A62T