Kinivo Bluetooth Hands-Free Car Kit (BTC450)

I had been looking at a bluetooth hands-free option for my car and looked at many popular brands (Belkin). I was also concerned with the fact that bluetooth being a wireless technology, I will be loosing quality of the sound when streaming music over bluetooth. I zeroed in on this one after reading some excellent review on Amazon.com (US). Kinivo may not be a very popular brand but this product is well worth every penny. This product is an excellent fit for any car. I have been using this well over a month now and can say I am extremely satisfied with this purchase. Pros: 1. If you own an AptX supported device like the Xperia Z3 look no further, this bluetooth device is AptX compatible, and gives an extremely superb audio quality when streamed over bluetooth 2. Auto connects when the car is started 3. Good in-call voice quality 4. Supports voice commands with Google Now (Use the BTNow app to switch from voice dialler to Google Now) to speak commands to get directions, play music etc Cons: (Nothing major. Works perfect!!) 1. Wires are a quite thin & delicate, but if you install the kit with care, they shouldn't bother you much. You are not really going to wire on and off this thing every time. Its a car kit. It just stays there once you install.

I've been using a Bluetooth enabled head unit on my swift for about a year now and have gotten used to it. when I upgraded my car to one that had a company music player and lacked Bluetooth I knew I would have trouble but I was relying on after market accessories to bridge the gap. Here is a summary of some of the ones I tried out. I got a Blaupunkt BT Drive Free 311 unit with the car as it was part of the combo kit I purchased - it used its own speaker and had a lot of static, needed me to reach out to the sun visor to control it, would freeze often and needed to be charged every 2 days. It's found its place on a shelf and I'll never look back. I also explored a Leoxsys system that I got off another site for 1300, sounded good but again same problem frequent charging and did not snuck in neatly somewhere. Gave that to a friend. so i got this one then after reading rave reviews..i must say the build quality except for the cables are top notch. the cables seem too fragile. speedy set-up in less than 40 seconds to my nexus 5. I made a few calls and the person on the other side couldn't tell i was on a bluetooth car set-up. there was no echo and voice was crystal clear. Pros starts up with the car turns off with the car since it uses the cigarette lighter port it makes up by providing an usb point which is great if your Bluetooth is on when you enter the car and start up - boom it connects seamlessly and plays music if your media player supports that feature(power-amp on my nexus 5 does) comes with two 3M patches to stick the unit Cons cables are fragile cables are of predefined length 3.5 jack would have been better had it been flat head and L shaped I was able to snuck the extra cable and tie it alongside the charging port - got some images of the same on the following links. http://imgur.com/A9nmbhF http://imgur.com/SlEkm1v

Brilliant device. Very simple and easy to install. Just takes a few minutes to do so. All you have to do it pair the device with your smart phone, next insert the 3.5mm jack into the aux port of the car's audio system & plug the powering port into the lighter socket - and you are set! The sound quality is superb - both for voice calls and music. Pros: Made a few calls with the device and the voice clarity from what i understand is as good as speaking through the handset / phone. No disturbance was noticed during calls - even while driving in traffic. The music quality is equally brilliant. As good as connecting your phone through an aux port. You can change tracks and pause and play through the physical device. Very convenient, as you don't have to use your phone to change tracks all the time. It also pairs well with phones and remembers your device every time you get into the car and turn on the ignition. Cons: The only issue with the device is the quality of the wires used. They feel weak and poor in terms of build quality. Feels like they will rip of any time. So secure the wires properly while fixing it with the 3m tape. Ensure that no wires and passing through sharp sections or cutting into edges. But for the last point - great product. Surely worth the price - Go for it!

Bought this device more than a year back Installation is easy and takes barely 3-4 minutes ------------------------------------------------------------- PROS: 1) USB port included in the kit. 2) Bluetooth compatible with iPhone(including iPhone 7plus ) and android phones. 3) cute little device and sticks well on the dashboard. (Using it since 1 year but has never come out ). ------------------------------------------------------------- CONS: 1) aux input jack is weird and there is a constant disturbance in the background in low volume and at times even at high volume. Because of the faulty aux jacket using the device becomes difficult. 2) connecting to Bluetooth is troublesome and I had issues in connecting this to my iPhone a number of times. 3) talking to people via the device is not that great . 4) cheap quality for this price. 5) music sound quality is not good. ------------------------------------------------------------- CONCLUSION: I DO NOT recommend this Bluetooth device for your car because it is not worth the price you are paying for and much better devices are available on amazon for the same price.

One of the best items I bought in a long long time (electronics) All my money goes to waste, but this is perfect for anyone with an old stereo system in the car. It works perfectly. - Sticks perfectly - Easy setup - Bluetooth connectivity is smooth, as soon as the ignition is turned this device connects with my phone, a small beep and voila! - Phone conversations are smooth - Cheap (as compared to the wireless ones) - The buttons on the device help me to change my tracks and pickup my calls without any hassles and without looking for my phone while driving ~ The only negative thing is the wires (well I have carefully tied them up suing the wire clips ~ Really need to have a perfect space in the car, for the Aux and charge cables to be tangle free. Luckily my aux and the Power socket is merely 10 cms away, so no hassles. >>Overall its an amazing experience<<

I did a lot of research before finally buying this car kit for my vehicle which had an aux-in but no bluetooth, and am happy to say that this product does the job perfectly. The audio quality streamed from the phone is very good, and in stereo (checked using a test track). The quality of the microphone is also good and have had no complaints from callers with whom I am speaking. The interconnecting cables are thin, which some reviewers have commented negatively on, but I see no problem in that. If it gets violently pulled it could break off, but if installed properly and routed neatly that should not happen. In fact the thin cables are an advantage in that they look neat and non-obtrusive when routed in the car. The feel, fit, and finish of the remote is great though, and comes with a nice 3M double sided tape to fix to any car surface. One point to take care of is that the remote/microphone part is hardwired to the aux-in and cigarette lighter connection. It was not a problem in my case, but it could be for some. I would have preferred a separate cigarette lighter power supply and a usb plug on the remote/microphone part, to allow for some flexibility. All in all it is a great buy and has made listening to calls and talking on the phone while driving very very easy! Much much better then having to plug in the aux connector into the phone every time. I use Tasker on my Android phone, which automatically starts playing music overtime it connects to this device.

Just purchased and installed the BTC450 a day back. The installation was very simple and required just a glance through the manual. It took under thirty minutes to install and pair with my phone. The product seems to be pretty good quality wise, with the device being given a soft-touch feel, something that's to be appreciated at this price point. The standard package was pretty generous, with the device, the AUX jack, the charger unit, 2 mounting strips(an extra one,just in case,very thoughtful) and an extension unit, in case the default cord length proved inadequate. The BTC450 supports voice commands, music streaming etc. and is easy and intuitive to use. You might want to spend some time beforehand deciding where you want to place it on the dashboard, as very often there might be surfaces that are too slippery or may not be completely flat. Some sort of protection from sunlight might help, as that would help you read the LED indicator light better. Voice quality through my cars speakers was satisfactory, and people on the other end could hear just fine, with no need to speak louder to be heard over the road noise or ambient cabin noise. My other option was the Belkin, which promised better specs, but at a different price point.The Kinivo comes with a limited 1 year hardware warranty. Definitely would recommend a buy, based on first impressions.

Well I must really appreciate this product. This is exactly what I was looking for. Streaming music via bluetooth with basic music controls, and call answering feature. Now I don't have to operate my cell just to change song while driving. If u think this product is expensive, think in a way where u might crash ur car while changing song from cell phone. That might burst your wallet more. So I think this is a wiser Expense. You can play, pause, play previous and next song with this small device. Installation was not at all a hassle, I just paired my cell with this tiny device and it worked fab without any problems. Trust me, this is worth ur hard earned pennies. The only draw back is, it works only through direct power source and doesn't have a battery in it, otherwise I could have used it while riding bike as well. Never the less, it's definitely not a bad option to go for compared to other twice or thrice expensive bluetooth kits available of different brands on net. And yeah, last but not the least, if you think streaming music through bluetooth will impact the sound quality, you are wrong my friend. I had same misconception before buying this, but soon, this device proved it to be a myth.

Dieses Teil ist einfach genial! Die Sprachqualität ist perfekt, kein Mensch merkt, dass man über eine Freisprecheinrichtung telefoniert: die Lautstärke ist uneingeschränkt so, als hielte man das Handy direkt am Ohr. Das Streaming von Musik oder Hörbuch er funktioniert problemlos und ohne Aufwand! Das Pairing funktioniert problemlos und ohne lange Installation; auch mit mehreren unterschiedlichen Handys (bei mir: iphone 4s, samsung galaxy s4 und BlackBerry Z10). Auf eine Nachfrage beim Herstellers erhielt ich umgehend eine freundliche Antwort, die das Problem sofort löste. Unfassbar praktisch ist auch der zusätzliche USB Ausgang an der Buchse für den Zigarettenanzünder, der gleichzeitiges aufladen bzw. Eine Stromversorgung des Handys sicherstellt! Kombiniert mit einer Kabelführung (s.u.) schafft man sich so gut weniger als 50 Euro eine funktionale Multimedia Anlage im auto, dir qualitativ mit einbausystemen lecker mithalten kann!! Uneingeschränkte Kaufempfehlung für jeden, der eine günstige, hochwertige und unauffällige Freisprecheinrichtung sucht!! Was ich dazu sagen muss, ist, dass ich die Anlage in einem skoda roomster betreibe, bei dem Zigarettenanzünder und AUX Eingang unmittelbar nebeneinander an der Mittelkonsole hinter der Handbremse angebracht sind, was für die Inbetriebnahme natürlich optimale Bedingungen schafft. Noch einige Tipps: Ich betreibe das Gerät mit einer Magnethalterung, die an der Lüftung angebracht ist. Das kann ich schwer empfehlen, weil es super praktisch und kostengünstig ist (man findet bereits Lösungen für ca. 10 Euro bei Amazon, die ihren Zweck wunderbar erfüllen. Wenn man sich dazu entscheidet ist allerdings anzumerken, dass man die Lüftung beim telefonieren runter drehen oder abschalten sollte, da es sonst unangenehme Nebengeräusche produziert... Ein weiterer Tipp: um den Kabelsalat zu vermeiden habe ich mich für klebbare Kabelführungshilfen entschieden, die es ebenfalls für wenig Geld bei amazon gibt. Hier würde ich allerdings nicht sparen: ich hatte zunächst eine sehr günstige Lösung gewählt, die dann jedoch immer wieder ab fielen und wahnsinnig unpraktisch waren. Ich habe sie nun zusätzlich mit Power strips befestigt, was auch geht, aber wenn ich es nochmal zu tun hätte würde ich dafür einfach etwas mehr Geld in die Hand nehmen; das lohnt sich auf alle fälle, da die herumliegenden Kabel ansonsten das einzige sind, was an dieser Einrichtung stört! Volle Punktzahl!!

Ottimo il mio feedback sul servizio e tempi di spedizione di questo articolo. Il prodotto corrisponde appieno alla descrizione, di seguito una breve descrizione dei pro e dei contro cominciando proprio da questi ultimi: Contro: 1. Il cavetto che congiunge il corpo del vivavoce è saldato e non è scollegabile dalla presa accendi sigari (il cavetto uscente dal vivavoce conduce il segnale audio + alimentazione 5V e 10cm verso la fine si sdoppia. Sarebbe stato bello avere un jak anche sulla presa accendisigari; sia per prolungare il filo di alimentazione senza dover ricorrere ad taglio + giunta a mano, sia per semplificare il passaggio dei fili all' interno dei pannelli dell' auto durante l' installazione. Tuttavia, sono riuscito ad installarlo in 10 minuti sulla mia BMW 320 E93 senza dover far alcun taglio o prolunga, alzando soltanto la cuffia del freno a mano e svitando 3 viti sotto lo sterzo. 2: La presa accendisigari ha il cavetto che esce lateralmente verso il vivavoce lasciando in alto una presa libera USB da 1A. La presa USB è utilizzabile solo per uscita alimentazione e non gestisce memorie USB con files audio. 3. L' audio delle chiamate telefoniche sulle casse della macchina ha un volume leggermente piu' basso rispetto a quello della radio. Non è regolabile e finisco sempre per dover alzare il volume durante le telefonate per poi riabbassarlo quando commuto nuovamente sull' ingresso musicale. 4. Se chiudo la chiamata dal telefonino spesso si scollega il bluetooth. Consiglio di terminare tutte le chiamate premendo il tasto rotondo del corpo del vivavole, lo stesso che si preme per aprire la telefonata. PRO: 1. Dimensioni ultra compatte, tutto il dispositivo e l' elettronica sono racchiusi nel corpo rotondo del microfono, bottone, tasti avanti/indietro. 2. Audio di ottima qualità. Riproduce benissimo i files musicali dal telefonino quando esso è collegato in bluetooth. I tasti di avanzamento ed arretramento funzionano ed agiscono sull' avanzamento della playlist sul telefonino. Durante le telefonate, il microfono capta bene la voce anche se posizionato non vicinissimo rispetto all' autista. Io l' ho messo piuttosto in basso per semplicità di installazione. 3. Questa la mia sequenza di utilizzo su BMW E93. Entrando in auto con il bluetooth acceso il telefono si aggancia automaticamente, non c'e' bisogno di toglierlo dalla tasca. a) Ascoltando lo stereo --> Sento lo squillo di una chiamata entrante soltanto sul telefono che ho in tasca. Commuto l' ingresso dello stereo su aux-in e posso farlo direttamente dal bottone sullo sterzo della macchina. Premo il tasto rotondo del corpo vivavoce ed inizio la conversazione. b) Se ho già la radio impostata sull' ingresso aux --> Sento lo squillo sulle casse auto. Premo il tasto rotondo del corpo vivavoce ed inizio la conversazione.

Can't fault this product. It was really easy to set up and the sound quality from my iphone to my car speakers is as good as connecting it via a cable. It plays music from my iPhone library or straight from the spotify app. I can also make and receive phone calls which are clear for both the caller and receiver. When the call is finished it starts playing the music again. Not all bluetooth products allow you to both make calls and play music but this one does. My Tom Tom sat nav app on the iPhone also plays over bluetooth to the car speakers. It also works whilst charging and the iPhone pairs automatically as soon as you turn on the ignition so you can almost forget it is there. I have a separate charger for my phone for long journeys but it will work if your phone is on charge or not. I spent a long time looking at suitable products and this is perfect and great value for money. It just proves you don't have to spend a fortune.

Lo dicho, casi perfecto si se sabe lo que se pide y para que se pide. Ha cumplido con creces mis necesidades, la verdad que es un aparato asombroso, no por lo que es ni por lo hace, sino por como lo hace. Instalacion rapidisima incluso habiendolo semi-intstalado, ocultando los cablecillos. Ademas el emparejamiento con el movil bien rapido y sencillo, como tienen que ser estas cosas para que no se conviertan en un problema para nadie. Calidad de audio estupenda, aunque debo reconocer que no soy ningun sibarita de la musica, y en cuanto al manos libres funciona bien y se oye y me oyen de forma correcta. Una unica pega, es que tube que comprar un antiparasitario porque me hacia un ruido de acople algo desagradable, pero fue colocarlo y se acabo los problemas de ruidos. Resumiendo, recomendadisimo.

I bought this to use in my 2006 Prius, with my Galaxy Note 3 phone (Android). I have 64 gig of mp3's that I stream directly from my phone. It works beautifully, set-up was a snap. I climb into my car and the connection happens automatically, and it starts playing right from where it left off when I got out of the car. Incoming calls pause the music, one touch of the button and I'm on speaker phone, which is very clear from both ends. Touch the button to hang up and the music fades back in, flawless. The only drawback is that (like all the others) there is no way to extend the length of the button cord. The assumption (apparently from every manufacturer) is that the button goes on you dash, the power plug is somewhere below your car stereo, and the stereo has an auxiliary input on it's face. However, in the Prius the power jack and aux input are hidden away in the center arm rest (which is nice), so the button can't be easily placed on the dash as the cord gets in the way. I'll either have to find a place on the arm rest, or try to run the button wire under the carpet. No points off, because it seems all the other manufacturers make the same assumption. By the way, there is a slight hum from ground loops in the Prius, but a cheap isolator fixed that. AND NOW FOR THE FUN PART. I have a workshop at home. I have an old stereo tuner/amp wired to ceiling speakers in my shop. But I have several problems. 1) Reception is terrible even with an external antenna. 2) When my phone rings I seldom hear it over the machines and stereo. 3) I don't want the phone in my pocket, if I run into the corner of a workbench it might shatter the display. 4) If I do hear the phone ring, I have to turn off the stereo, the tool, then wipe the oil off my hands before trying to answer it. So here is the solution: Even though the power adapter is designed to plug into a 12 volt outlet, it can also be run by plugging a USB cord into it, then into a USB wall-wart (transformer) adapter. So I found an extra USB wall-wart, plugged it into the switched outlet on the back of the stereo (or you could just plug it into the wall outlet), and connected it to the car kit USB port. I plugged the audio jack into a stereo mini headphone to RCA adapter cable, and plugged that into the RCA jacks on the back of the stereo. To keep the exposed prongs on the 12 volt adapter from shorting out, I just plugged it into a 1/2" pvc (slip on) end cap. It fits snugly and is dirt cheap. So now when I walk into my shop I just turn on my stereo, and lay my phone on top of it (with the cover closed). It connects automatically and starts playing. I can skip forward or back using the car-kit buttons. If the phone rings, the music fades out, I hear the phone ringing, I push the car-kit button with my oily finger and I have an instant speaker phone, without ever touching my cell phone. And for my s@#$y FM reception, I subscribed to the Sirius internet radio, and now I can also stream hundreds of ad-free radio stations through my phone into my stereo using my free wifi. Heaven!