Well, I got the Samsung dock, and as much as I like the E4GT, the dock is terrible. Here's my experience:
1. There's a ton of line noise when the phone is docked but nothing is playing, just like with the Epic. I'm using the OEM charger, but that's not the problem--using the same charger, the Photon's car dock is absolutely silent. Samsung must be using some cheap electronics in this thing, and it's simply horrible. (Sorry for venting, but seriously...)
2. The software isn't nearly as seamless as the Photon's either. First, on the Photon, when you dock an app starts that essentially takes over the home button. That means you can move back and forth between the app and the home screens easily. On the Samsung, it seems like once you leave the Vlingo app to, say start a radio streaming app, you can't get back to the dock mode. At least, not without unplugging/replugging the dock connector, but that's extra wear and tear. If I'm wrong about this, please let me know.
Then, the Photon app allows for 4 custom apps to be assigned. That provides a great deal of flexibility, and again it's easy to go from one app to another and then back to dock mode.
Overall, the Samsung car dock experience is nowhere near the Photon's. Motorola really did a great job with this, and Samsung makes it look like they gave actually using the phone in the car zero thought.
What's everyone else doing to make this experience more usable? I'm still choosing between the Photon and the E4GT, and the car dock definitely is a mark in the Photon's favor.
1) Use bluetooth audio streaming for zero noise. Are you connected by the dock's audio out jack, or the GS2's headphone jack? I noticed better sound with the latter, but using BT is easier and sounds so much better.
2) Ditch Vlingo for CarHome Ultra. Extremely customizable and lots of great features, including up to 18 app shortcuts and auto-switching day/night themes. I love it.
You could make a profile in tasker that recognizes when the phone is plugged into a dock. Or you can make one for when it is rotated in landscape and plugged in. Then, you can enable an app to run, or have a list of apps that you can choose from. This is what I do with my phone and I don't even have a dock. It's awesome how much you can do with tasker!
fonseca898 said:
1) Use bluetooth audio streaming for zero noise. Are you connected by the dock's audio out jack, or the GS2's headphone jack? I noticed better sound with the latter, but using BT is easier and sounds so much better.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'd love to do that, unfortunately my car doesn't have Bluetooth audio. And I'm going from the dock's audio out to my car's AUX in. That's an idea, using the headphone jack, but I hate adding wear and tear.
2) Ditch Vlingo for CarHome Ultra. Extremely customizable and lots of great features, including up to 18 app shortcuts and auto-switching day/night themes. I love it.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Great, I'll give that a try, thanks!
Sholland91 said:
You could make a profile in tasker that recognizes when the phone is plugged into a dock. Or you can make one for when it is rotated in landscape and plugged in. Then, you can enable an app to run, or have a list of apps that you can choose from. This is what I do with my phone and I don't even have a dock. It's awesome how much you can do with tasker!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That's another idea. Thanks!
fonseca898 said:
2) Ditch Vlingo for CarHome Ultra. Extremely customizable and lots of great features, including up to 18 app shortcuts and auto-switching day/night themes. I love it.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks again for the tip, that app rocks. In fact, it's better than the Photon's car dock app.
Now all I need to do is find some way to clean up the line noise and I'll be a happy camper.
Go to radioshack. Ask them for a ferrite core. Should be a ring of "ferrite" or iron. Make sure it's big enough to put the plug on your audio cable through. Push it through and wrap it around a few times and see if that helps. Also, running a separate hot lead and ground from your car battery to the cigarette plug you use should help. But the ferrite core should be easier/cheaper
Sent from my SPH-D710 using XDA App
iamtheug said:
Go to radioshack. Ask them for a ferrite core. Should be a ring of "ferrite" or iron. Make sure it's big enough to put the plug on your audio cable through. Push it through and wrap it around a few times and see if that helps. Also, running a separate hot lead and ground from your car battery to the cigarette plug you use should help. But the ferrite core should be easier/cheaper
Sent from my SPH-D710 using XDA App
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'll give it a shot, thanks! I might even have one sitting around somewhere...
call audio routing
Has anyone else been able to get call audio to route to the output on the dock? media audio comes out the port so I can hear that on my cars speakers but when I make a call it comes out of the phone speaker....
So, I've tried a variety of power adapters, USB cables, and audio cables, and the line noise remains. I'm going to try the ferrite core around the audio cable, but I don't think that's the issue--if you unplug the unit from power, the line noise disappears. So, I think it's just bad circuitry in the dock.
One would think that Samsung would have received complaints about this with the Epic dock (at least) and would have fixed it. Motorola managed to make a dock with excellent sound quality and zero noise, so it's certainly possible.
Otherwise, the E4GT is decent in the car with that Carhome Ultra app. Although, that doesn't really help with my decision between the E4GT and Photon, because with the Photon I could have the same dock app but also outstanding audio quality.
I can only assume the noise you are hearing is due to a Ground Loop/Hum.
It has to do with the fact that your power source is grounded to a different point than the stereo/speakers. the hum you hear is the difference in voltage's between the 2 grounds being represented as noise in the line.
for instance. I recently installed a new head unit in my truck, the unit has an AUX in and a USB port. If i plug my E4GT aux cable into the stereo and plug the USB charger into the port on the stereo - NO Noise. However, if i plug the phone to charge in another outlet (say, the cig lighter) then there is Line Noise everytime. The same principle applies when plugging your phone audio jack into any electronics.
Hope this helps shed a little light on the noize.
ReFiLL said:
I can only assume the noise you are hearing is due to a Ground Loop/Hum.
It has to do with the fact that your power source is grounded to a different point than the stereo/speakers. the hum you hear is the difference in voltage's between the 2 grounds being represented as noise in the line.
for instance. I recently installed a new head unit in my truck, the unit has an AUX in and a USB port. If i plug my E4GT aux cable into the stereo and plug the USB charger into the port on the stereo - NO Noise. However, if i plug the phone to charge in another outlet (say, the cig lighter) then there is Line Noise everytime. The same principle applies when plugging your phone audio jack into any electronics.
Hope this helps shed a little light on the noize.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I hear you, except that I have two different docks that display entirely different behavior. Actually, I have two docks from the same manufacturer (Samsung, for the Epic and the Epic Touch) that have significant line noise, and one (Motorola) that does not. Note that these are all plugged into exactly the same power adapter and outlet and using the same USB and audio cables.
So, you'd need to account for the fact that the Motorola signal is perfectly clean in precisely the same circumstances while the Samsung's signal isn't.
I believe every word of it.
From what I know about Ground Loop Hum there are many weak links in the chain, and certainly some products behave better than others. The problem is still most likely the Ground.
One possibility would be that the manufacturer of the Moto Dock has included an isolator in the power supply line (or even in the audio supply line), and the manufacturer for the Sammys didnt.
My experience in this subject is with my Laptop/DJ setup making noise when plugged into audio equipment. when the power supply was plugged into the lappy, 60hz hum. Unplug it and it goes away. More than likely the problem was inside the computer or the power supply was just poorly manufactured as other models may not have the Hum. In my case i purchased a small isolater solved the problem. It may be possible to find one for a 12v car electrical system.
ReFiLL said:
I believe every word of it.
From what I know about Ground Loop Hum there are many weak links in the chain, and certainly some products behave better than others. The problem is still most likely the Ground.
One possibility would be that the manufacturer of the Moto Dock has included an isolator in the power supply line (or even in the audio supply line), and the manufacturer for the Sammys didnt.
My experience in this subject is with my Laptop/DJ setup making noise when plugged into audio equipment. when the power supply was plugged into the lappy, 60hz hum. Unplug it and it goes away. More than likely the problem was inside the computer or the power supply was just poorly manufactured as other models may not have the Hum. In my case i purchased a small isolater solved the problem. It may be possible to find one for a 12v car electrical system.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I actually hooked up an old RadioShack groundloop isolator to the AUX cable, and it got rid of the hum.
Something like this should work fine: http://www.amazon.com/GROUND-LOOP-I...QTRI/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1322958491&sr=8-2
ReFiLL said:
I believe every word of it.
From what I know about Ground Loop Hum there are many weak links in the chain, and certainly some products behave better than others. The problem is still most likely the Ground.
One possibility would be that the manufacturer of the Moto Dock has included an isolator in the power supply line (or even in the audio supply line), and the manufacturer for the Sammys didnt.
My experience in this subject is with my Laptop/DJ setup making noise when plugged into audio equipment. when the power supply was plugged into the lappy, 60hz hum. Unplug it and it goes away. More than likely the problem was inside the computer or the power supply was just poorly manufactured as other models may not have the Hum. In my case i purchased a small isolater solved the problem. It may be possible to find one for a 12v car electrical system.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Well, the salient point is that Samsung uses inferior components. It's possible to make a device that doesn't suffer from the problem, as Motorola has shown.
DevalB said:
I actually hooked up an old RadioShack groundloop isolator to the AUX cable, and it got rid of the hum.
Something like this should work fine: http://www.amazon.com/GROUND-LOOP-I...QTRI/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1322958491&sr=8-2
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks, I'll give that a try.
Sent from my SPH-D710 using Tapatalk
most times I've had line noise, be it from improper grounding or from cellular interference (namely from ground issues) the ferrite core fixed it. If it doesn't, the power isolation will. The reason the USB Ports on the head unit doesn't create line noiseis because it has isolation circuitry built in. The core is cheap. If that doesn't work, isolate power.
Sent from my SPH-D710 using XDA App
Okay, in the latest saga with the Samsung car dock, I noticed this morning that when I received a Bluetooth phone call, the TuneIn Radio audio I was playing didn't stop. Or, rather, it did stop once the stream buffer ran out, because I was on 3G and of course 3G data isn't available during calls.
Is this really how the Samsung dock works, that audio doesn't give way to Bluetooth calls? Or is that perhaps the CarHome Ultra app?
Still a bit frustrated with this aspect of the Epic Touch. The Photon's car dock works perfectly, including muting audio while on a Bluetooth call.
Grrr. I know, I know, if I like the Photon's car dock so much, why I don't I just stick with that phone... But seriously, Samsung, how hard is it to get this right?
wynand32 said:
Okay, in the latest saga with the Samsung car dock, I noticed this morning that when I received a Bluetooth phone call, the TuneIn Radio audio I was playing didn't stop. Or, rather, it did stop once the stream buffer ran out, because I was on 3G and of course 3G data isn't available during calls.
Is this really how the Samsung dock works, that audio doesn't give way to Bluetooth calls? Or is that perhaps the CarHome Ultra app?
Still a bit frustrated with this aspect of the Epic Touch. The Photon's car dock works perfectly, including muting audio while on a Bluetooth call.
Grrr. I know, I know, if I like the Photon's car dock so much, why I don't I just stick with that phone... But seriously, Samsung, how hard is it to get this right?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I wonder if it might be the phone or the application. When listening to Sirius/XM radio without a dock, and I get a phone call, the radio keeps blasting away.
You don't stick with that phone because this one is superior in every other way. Its a minor issue. Why would you even have the aux input selected when there is no music playing? I have the noise too so I get it but ...yeah I just change the input when I don't need it.
Sent from my SPH-D710 using XDA App
Related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qgLxM2bOtyM&feature=player_embedded#!
- Plugs directly into your vehicle's MP3/AUX input to allow handsfree phone conversations to play through your speakers
- Auto-paring makes initial set up hassle free
- One touch voice dialing with most Bluetooth cellular phones
- DSP echo cancellation ensures a crystal clear conversation even in noisy vehicles
- Includes switching audio splitter, AUX relocation cable, USB charging cable and car charger
- Support profiles: HFP and A2DP
SHIPPING LATE SEPTEMBER, PRE-ORDER NOW
scosche.com/products/sfID1/217/sfID2/219/productID/1919
This is EXACTLY what I've been waiting for. One less cable to attach to my evo
$80 is WAY too much for this. You can accomplish the same thing with a $20 BT3030 adapter, or any headphone adapter.
Here's a tip:
Grab one of these and one of these, and you'll never know the difference.
i just bought one on these and i'm liking it. Maybe it can be done cheaper but I know this works well.
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0...&pf_rd_t=101&pf_rd_p=470939291&pf_rd_i=507846
scl23enn4m3 said:
$80 is WAY too much for this. You can accomplish the same thing with a $20 BT3030 adapter, or any headphone adapter.
Here's a tip:
Grab one of these and one of these, and you'll never know the difference.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Does the first one allow you to stream bluetooth music to your cd player?
backdown said:
Does the first one allow you to stream bluetooth music to your cd player?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It will let you stream to anything with an audio input.
EDIT: I'll have a full blown write up on this method in a few weeks hopefully. I'm waiting on a bunch of parts to come in and I'm hooking mine and my father's car up.
That doesn't look like it charges and outputs at the same time. The scosche appears to do this.
Sent from my PC36100 using Tapatalk
pinoyxpryde said:
That doesn't look like it charges and outputs at the same time. The scosche appears to do this.
Sent from my PC36100 using Tapatalk
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I just used that as an example as how cheap you can go. Personally, I'm making a cable that does both.
If you want one that charges and plays at the same time out of the box, try this for 20 bucks:
http://cgi.ebay.com/New-Jabra-BT303...uetooth_Wireless_Products&hash=item4aa3833d38
It's the Jabra BT3030. One end is the audio output (which plugs into your audio input) and the mini USB port is on the other for charging.
Looks awesome but quality of sound is probably ****...
How is bluetooth sound quality now adays. I listen to flac, which is lossless audio, so if it isn't really good - great sound quality wise I will just keep using a 3.5mm cable.
I'm not an audio expert (nor is my ear sensitive enough to pick up subtle differences), but I definitely wouldn't call bluetooth audio ****. I can't tell the difference between the bluetooth connection and wired connection. I've heard accounts saying flac sounds beautiful through bluetooth, but then again audio is something that has always been subjective.
Thanks for your opinion, i appreciate you taking the time to respond
I got a motorocker or something like that yesterday at walmart. It was like 90 bucks regularly on clearance for 60, but i got an extra good deal on it.
When i get my evo back I'll post my opinion on it. I have audiophilistic ears lol. It also fm modulates, so i know frequency is going to limited on the upper end to 16kish. But much over 16k doesn't contain much musical content depending on what you are listening to anyways.
Not that great over FM, glad i didn't pay much for it. I am sure the device you listed would sound very good though as it goes through a regular aux port instead of fm modulation. There didn't appear to be any bluetooth related noise, just fm garbage.
I bought a new Sony desk (BT2800) with Bluetooth built-in, and the quality is near flawless. It seems like I actually have less distortion than when it was physically plugged in. There was a ground short or something when I had it plugged in to charge and to the aux input ( but you only could notice if u turn the volume up with nothing playing). I don't know if that's with all cars or just my older car.
scl23enn4m3, you don't know what you are talking about. I hope people don't follow your ****ty advice.
First of all, that BT thing you linked to on ebay does not charge and stream at the same time. It has been covered in the comments section on dealextreme.
Second, I have yet to find any bluetooth reciever that I can add to my stock stereo system that will auto-pair. Auto pairing is a huge deal. If you have to screw around with the bluetooth settings on your phone every time you turn your car on, you might as well plug in the damn aux cable.
I am excited to check this product out.
so mine came in i couldnt get out of my car lol
i think im going to buy one for my home surround sound so i can stream music from laying in bed from my phone (my best tunes are always on my phone even though i have a 2tb and home server running boxee setup on my tv)
But seriously this motormouth btaxs is amazign (for you cheapskates out there stick to your long wires or jerryrigged stuff and leave this toy for those who want it all done right without soldeign and running wires all over)
Yes it charges while in use (I have mine plugged in all the time now and i have it setup so once i put my evo in my dock it auto ons my bluetooth and connects automatically to it)
call quality is good i just tested in loud car on speakerphone and no reverb and works flawless with one button touch then speak the name u want to call
love the damn thing i cant wait to go to work i use my phone all day while driving around and havign to plug in two wires everytime i get in and out was askign too much
now only need one wire and thats if my battery is dead ill add pics in a bit
spyngamerman said:
But seriously this motormouth btaxs is amazign (for you cheapskates out there stick to your long wires or jerryrigged stuff and leave this toy for those who want it all done right without soldeign and running wires all over)
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Too bad my '07 Porsche 911 doesn't have a Aux/MP3 input jack.
Woo-Hoo!
Ordered mine from Hawk Electronics on Wednesday night - showed up on the front doorstep today (it helps that their warehouse is here in DFW).
This thing is amazing. Sound quality for music over BT far surpasses what I was getting via 3.5mm jack, and there's no 25% sound reduction just because you docked. In combination with my Sprint car dock, this is just exactly what I've been waiting for. Cool thing about car dock mode: it turns on BT, GPS, and 4G when you dock. It paired without issue, and it fires up the second I dock it in the car.
I used the extension thingy for the microphone, because my AUX port is over on the passenger side in my Element.
Road trip tomorrow.
Here'sa pic comes with charging cable too with car adapter
Sent from my PC36100 using XDA App
This device looks nice but too bad my aux input is in the glove compartment...
After the release of Froyo I picked up the desktop dock. However, I found that when both line out audio and the micro usb charger are connect to the back of the dock, electrical noise/static comes out from the speakers (connected to line out).
I have replicated this with two different micro usb chargers. The wall charger that came with the dock and a car usb charger. The audio is perfect when only the line out is connect to the dock. But, as soon as a charger cable is connected static/noise immediately starts up.
Has anyone here both charged and used line out audio without any issues? Suggesting that I may have a defective unit, terrible power, unshielded audio cable, etc.
Thanks for any insight you might have on this issue.
Have you tried connect to a different setup of speakers or use a different audio cable? It sounds like you are having a problem with poor shielding on the audio cable connected to the back of the desktop dock.
I have the same problem, and I'm using the ear buds at work. I'm highly disapointed with the quality of audio coming from this device. I waited all this time and I get static!
same static with my dock
try samsung support.
their products, their problem...
its obviously a hardware design flaw, where the internal wiring/ components are picking up interferance, from itself or the phone.
WARNING SIGHTLY EDUCATIONAL: i dont have a dock but i cant set my phone within 1.5 feet of my alarm otherwize the alarm will "chirp" every few minutes. This is due to the alarm having a transistor radio and capasitors inside, the radio picks up the waves from the phone, and that energy builds up in the capasitors until it reaches max capasity then discharges to the speaker, chirpping.
chances are that they built the guts of the dock too small and compact, probably running the 3.7V power wires right along the auido wires which use less than a Volt, millivolts actually, and all wires with flowing electricity create magnetic feilds, the power wire would have a much stronger feild than the audio wire and could interfere with it, because inversly, magnetic feilds can create electricity in other wires (known as induction).
or it could be a culmination of the two factors.
back to topic, If it is the phone causing interference with the dock, it should have been built to be sheilded, if its the internal components of the dock it should have been designed different, EITHER way it would be samsungs fault or cheap overseas labour. I would gladly pay an extra (5-10%) on an item if it were made in North America (Can/US). Not mexico they take enough of our manufacturing jobs down there and might as well be overseas labour for quality and price.
if you dont care about the warranty pop it open and take some pictures for us, might be able to see/ possibly fix the problem.
At the time I tried with two different auxilery input cables, one well shielded for car audio and the other for a logitech speaker set; they both produced static. However, after restarting the phone it has yet to produce static. This phone and it's accessories are temperamental.
Ground loop
You have a ground loop, You need one of these.
http://www.crutchfield.com/p_127SNI...e-Filter.html?tp=2653&tab=review&rvm=ShowAllt
that is actually EXACTLY whats needed to filter out the interferance! nice i never saw a headphone one before...
Can anyone confirm that this device (noise filter) in the link solves the problem?
Anyone know of any other solutions, other than returning the dock? Shame because it is a great idea and is nice when it is working properly.
knaufism said:
same static with my dock
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I just imported one of these docks, and the static on it really sucks, totally disapointed.
I haven't experienced static on mine due to the fact that I haven't gotten the headphone jack to even work in any capacity (media or calls). Has anyone had this problem at all?
I just picked up one and had the same issue. First few hours it worked great then all the sudden the volume went low and static started. 2 different power cords and 3 sets of headphones/audio cables later and still there.
Hi all.
Just took delivery of my dock kit, and it's very nice. Well built, but whether its worth £35 quid is another story.
Anyway, that aside...
When the default "Driving Menu" is enabled, is there a way to change it, especially to use CoPilot instead of Google navigation?
I have had a quick search in this section to see if anyone else asked the same question.
Im in the same boat. It would be nice if someone could do a workaround. Nice bit of kit for the price.
NatTheCat said:
Im in the same boat. It would be nice if someone could do a workaround. Nice bit of kit for the price.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
How do you get audio to come out of the rear connector. I plugged my 3.5mm cable into the socket and the sound still comes out the speaker!
Have you tried it?
Settings - dock settings
ALexander
alx37 said:
Settings - dock settings
ALexander
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yep! I should have read the booklet, it did tell me in there ;-)
RTFM!
I struggle to take the phone out cleanly using on hand - always hit the power button. Dock mode seems pretty poor to me, seems to get all voice activated with road noise - is the google one any better? (we have a samsung 'special', I think?)
Another thing I've noticed is the terrible engine whine from the loudspeakers when its charging.
Now I tried headphone out socket too, and the same problem occurs.
To me it's a lovely piece of kit, but if you have it connect via Aux then u need to listen to the whinning noise from the charging.
Anyone conquered the noise suppression from an in car charger? It's doing my head in!
stratplayer said:
Anyone conquered the noise suppression from an in car charger? It's doing my head in!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
have you checked it's not your car? Will try and remember to test if mine does this...
i also have the whining problem when charging. after some investigation, it appears to be caused by poor connections. in my case i suspect the head unit, as i didn't connect the rod at the back to the car frame with the bolt and nut.
you can get a ground loop isolator for about £15, but they just mask the problem - should really get it fixed if there is an electrical problem
Interesting. I have a 2008 Ford Mondeo from new. I'd hope that is electrically correct, but who knows.
I am awaiting delivery of a new car (Audi A3), so I will see if this has the same issue.
It's a real shame because the AUX out on the device increases the volume limit sent to the head unit and it makes a massive difference all round, this limit set by the poxy EU rules on the headphone out socket of the phone is really low (83% of max volume) and when you compare the two on the device its obvious the car kit is better.
BTW it makes the whining noise out of the headphone socket too, when plugged into cradle.
from what i've read, the noise when charging is usually from the alternator. do you notice the whine change when you speed up. if so, i'd get it checked out.
There is a method of basically powering the head unit direct from the battery, bypassing all the other connections and wires the juice has to go through to get to the head unit. probably what i will do if mine doesn't work after i've installed it properly.
I plugged mine into the radio today. From the headphone socket, no problem apart from a lack of volume (even on max gain, it is only just loud enough against the road noise). No background noise though.
Plugged into the connector on hte back of the dock is a completely different story. A ~10khz whine, which is present even with the 12V lead disconnected, and worse when it is connected. Sounds like breakthrough from a switch-mode power supply to me. Makes the audio-out on the dock not fit for purpose. Time to add my review on a fre sites selling them...
The other complaint I have is that it doesn't grip well enough to the windscreen.
tshoulihane said:
I plugged mine into the radio today. From the headphone socket, no problem apart from a lack of volume (even on max gain, it is only just loud enough against the road noise). No background noise though.
Plugged into the connector on hte back of the dock is a completely different story. A ~10khz whine, which is present even with the 12V lead disconnected, and worse when it is connected. Sounds like breakthrough from a switch-mode power supply to me. Makes the audio-out on the dock not fit for purpose. Time to add my review on a fre sites selling them...
The other complaint I have is that it doesn't grip well enough to the windscreen.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I agree, although I get noise from the headphone socket when in the cradle and charging.
I have raised a returns to send my unit back for a refund. It's a waste of time having it if you cant listen to music on it! Imagine listening to the SatNav with all that silence and "whine" on the speakers, it would drive you bonkers.
It's a real shame as the overall quality is pretty good, but it is not fit for purpose in my opinion.
Will update this thread if I get any more news.
Just posting a review on Amazon... found this review too
2.0 out of 5 stars Dissapointing, 28 July 2011
By
Sean Houlihane
This review is from: Samsung Vehicle Dock Kit for Galaxy S II (Electronics)
For the price, this does not do well enough. Yes it fits well, and holds the phone, with an integrated dock connector. However:
It is a push-fit corner grabbing design, and I find it almost impossible to release the phone with one hand.
The windscreen suction mount is feeble, so maybe 20% of the time rather than removing the phone, I end up with the whole thing coming un-stuck.
Dock mode on this phone is almost useless, so plan on replacing it if you think it is a good feature.
The audio-out functions, but there is a very poor electrical design - even if the charger is not plugged in, the signal picks up a constant high pitched whine (even with the car engine off)
Buy a cheaper one, and you'll feel less hard done by.
tshoulihane said:
I plugged mine into the radio today. From the headphone socket, no problem apart from a lack of volume (even on max gain, it is only just loud enough against the road noise). No background noise though.
Plugged into the connector on hte back of the dock is a completely different story. A ~10khz whine, which is present even with the 12V lead disconnected, and worse when it is connected. Sounds like breakthrough from a switch-mode power supply to me. Makes the audio-out on the dock not fit for purpose. Time to add my review on a fre sites selling them...
The other complaint I have is that it doesn't grip well enough to the windscreen.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hilarious, just posted your comment on here from Amazon, didnt realise it was you until after I posted it!
There's one more for you to find - and it's not a cut'n'paste... Maybe not live yet.
If you don't want to run a car Samsung's menu
If you don't want to run a car Samsung's menu install aps from the store :
Dock No-Op .
If you want to restore the default you have to uninstall the application.
Samsung Cars Menu and that sucks and this increased volume of system sounds, it's up scares. I think everybody can hear it in the around car
And what this menu is, and so one can make your own card to use in the car.
Personally, I mounted the Launcher 7 menu that conforms to the Windows Mobile 7 and has the icon in the system ankles. Cubes as they rotate with the vertical grip twist at the best level for navigation. This arrangement works well in the car, because after docking nothing changes and I can continue listening to your music on the equipment in the car, not a hundred times to click to activate the music listened to on headphones before
Sorry for bad english, but google translator
I was a bit apprehensive about buying this dock as I'd read a lot of reviews complaining about engine noise and sub-par audio quality when outputting sound through the line-out but since receiving it I've been really pleased with it. There is no engine noise or unwanted sounds so I guess this varies from car to car and depends on how your stereo is wired up. I've also run a few low frequency speaker test mp3s through the line-out and headphone-out it as I'd read reports of the line-out cutting off some of the low frequencies but to my ear I hear no different and I get a good response from my sub with both. My only gripe is that the call audio is not routed through the line out. Although I knew this was the case prior to buying, I just can't understand why Samsung would have left this feature out. I've read that this was the case with other Samsung phone's official docks previously and in most of the cases I've read about a solution has been found either through a OS/kernel tweak or an app which sorts the problem out. I'm just hopeful that a helpful dev is able to have a look at this and see if a solution can be found for the SGS2. Otherwise it's a great dock
I have to say I am disappointed with this dock. Coming from a Moto Atrix dock, this is poorly designed. Love my phone, hate the dock.
At first glance it seems extremely well made but after using for a while it is fustrating.
One, they use to many materials compared to the Atrix dock. This thing is huge.
Two, its hard to get out of the dock. The atrix dock had a nice flip up latch that secured the phone.
Three, you have to run two cables from the dock for changing and audio. The atrix dock had one cable coming from the dock with an audio out dongle near the end of the cable.
Last, the freaking background noise is terrible. Dont even try to listen to audio at a low volume.
I like the flip up charger adapter. Also it works with the official extended battery. But thats about it.
Sent from my GT-I9100 using xda premium
Can anyone recommend a good 3.5mm Bluetooth adapter for my car.
Sent from my SPH-D710 using xda premium
I got the scosche by adapter from walmart for $36. It plugs into the 3.5mm jack and works well for audio streaming. Calls not so much.
Dicho por el E4GT de Latinmaxima con Tapatalk.
All bluetooth adapters suck. I've tried 10+ different A2DP capable adapters over the course of 2 years and all simply ruin the high frequencies. Nothing beats hardwired Aux cable if you actually care about sound quality...
Google "tunelink"
A little pricey, but worth it for the audio quality. Plus, it is only for streaming audio.... No speakerphone function...
pojieps said:
Google "tunelink"
A little pricey, but worth it for the audio quality. Plus, it is only for streaming audio.... No speakerphone function...
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Click to collapse
Sorry, but this is just a gimmick for those without knowledge in my opinion. Other than the bluetooth function, which there are a million of those out there, a person could just plug a male to male 3.5mm stereo plug into the phone to the AUX port in the car if its available.
chrisnosleep said:
Sorry, but this is just a gimmick for those without knowledge in my opinion. Other than the bluetooth function, which there are a million of those out there, a person could just plug a male to male 3.5mm stereo plug into the phone to the AUX port in the car if its available.
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Click to collapse
I actually own it... I get WAY better quality over the bluetooth connection than I do with a direct line in. The headphone jack on your phone is designed for just that... headphones. Lining in directly reflects this. Wish there was a way for you to give it a try. I am kind of a sound snob, and I love mine. Plus, all you have to do is get in the car and once the bluetooth pairing happens, the app will open your music app and start playing.
Not trying to push this thing on ya. Just wanted you to know, I own one, and I am not "without knowledge"
Motorola Rokr T505 is small, does well with calls and music playing through blank FM stations to your car stereo. Best $40 investments plus NO CHORDS!
I had this one and used it with my EVO. Worked pretty well.
http://www.amazon.com/Miccus-BluBridge-Mini-Jack-Bluetooth-Bluetooth-Enabled/dp/B0038MA11U
I tried an AUX cable on three different phones. There was always a high pitched whine through my speakers. I started using a Samsung HM3500 plugged into the same AUX jack and got better quality music with no whine. Plus, no extra cable running through my car to the dash mount.
Did you guys all just have a car stereo that had bluetooth built in? I have an '05 Bonneville GXP but the stereo has neither a aux port or bluetooth capability...Major sad face...I really don't want to replace the stereo either because it's nice and fits the look of the car - would look stupid with anything other than a big touchscreen replacement and that's just too expensive.
Any suggestions?
You could get an FM modulator that would allow you to add a line in via your radio antenna, but they don't have great sound quality.
DutchDogg54 said:
Did you guys all just have a car stereo that had bluetooth built in? I have an '05 Bonneville GXP but the stereo has neither a aux port or bluetooth capability...Major sad face...I really don't want to replace the stereo either because it's nice and fits the look of the car - would look stupid with anything other than a big touchscreen replacement and that's just too expensive.
Any suggestions?
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Click to collapse
Yes, just swap out the headunit for one with bluetooth build-in. Just make sure it supports A2DP (music streaming over bluetooth). I got mine from Amazon for $140, Sony MEX-BT3900U, and it been simply great. A2DP for bluetooth streaming, Aux port for wired 3.5mm audio, and it has USB port for charging the phone.
High Pitched whine is a POWER ISSUE
unplug your phone and it should go away. IE change chargers.
nerys71 said:
High Pitched whine is a POWER ISSUE
unplug your phone and it should go away. IE change chargers.
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Click to collapse
Not all the time. My car had that problem and there were many other factors at fault.
Here are few things to look out for:
If your car has an amplifier in the rear, make sure that the headunit-to-amplifier audio cables are at least few feet away from power wires (aka, run them on the opposite side of the car than the power cables).
Make sure that the headunit is properly grounded. If that still doesn't help, run both headunit's + and - power wires directly to the car battery.
If problem still persists, repeat #2 but for the amp (if you have it).
If all above failed, it's time to invest in a better headunit. Your old one sucks and can't suppress the noise generated by the chassy/alternator.
I had crappy stock headunit and weaka$$ stock amp that would always make the static and constant whine problems. Ended up completely redoing the car audio system. Now, even with the headunit not grounded audio quality is PERFECT.
Here are the prices for my audio remodeling, all items bought brand new:
- Sony MEX-BT3900U. Headunit with CD, Aux, Handsfree Phone, Bluetooth A2DP audio, USB ($140)
- Hifonics ZXi80.4. Amplifier with 4 channels, 80W RMS per channel ($134)
- Alpine SPS-600 speakers. 6.5" 2-way speakers, 80W RMS ($50 ea)
- Stinger Pro 3 Series Snake. 6-channel, 20 feet RCA snake that goes from headunit to the amp in the rear ($35)
- 2x22' 8AWG battery-to-amp power wire
- 2x18' 12AWG amp-to-headunit power wire
- 4x18' 16AWG amp-to-front speaker wires
- 4x2' 16AWG amp-to-rear speaker wires
- 30A fuse in the engine bay
I ran the power cables on the left side of the car and ran the RCA snake on the right. everything was exactly $525 and I did all work myself (it's quite easy if you ask). now the sound quality in my used-to-be-audio-hell car is dam near perfect now and has absolutely no noise/static at all. you can jack the volume up crazy high without any distortions for like 80Hz+. 80Hz and below can be a problem when maxing out the volume as the speakers are only 6.5" and weren't meant to deliver bass. don't get me wrong, they do make nice bass but just don't handle it too well when playing it very loud.
after years of running this setup I'd say this was one of the best investments i've ever made. my car is built for drifting so it is setup very stiff and shakes/jumps like crazy when dailying (300mi/week) and when i do take it out for a spin the amount of stress it sees it crazy. after all this time you'd think at least some wires would come loose but nope, everything is still running perfect.
so yeah, if you actually care about sound quality in your car and would like it to last, just redo it from scratch. it's fun and is totally worth it
Not trying to pick a fight but lets be clear here
If your car has an amplifier in the rear, make sure that the headunit-to-amplifier audio cables are at least few feet away from power wires (aka, run them on the opposite side of the car than the power cables).
Which is a power issue
Make sure that the headunit is properly grounded.
Which is a power issue
If that still doesn't help, run both headunit's + and - power wires directly to the car battery.
Which is a power issue
If problem still persists, repeat #2 but for the amp (if you have it).
If all above failed, it's time to invest in a better headunit.
Which is a power issue
Your old one sucks and can't suppress the noise generated by the chassy/alternator.
Which is a power issue
See what I mean?
Cars make a lot of "NOISE" this noise is a power issue. it comes from your alternator and your coil and your spark plugs IE "POWER ISSUES"
if you have bad grounds or are lacking noise suppression (cheap equipment old equipment etc.. etc..) or an older car making a TON of extra noise etc.. etc..
Power inverters (especially cheap ones) are notorious for "dirty power" that lets in noise.
when I power my phone off the USB on the cheap inverter's USB port I get big time whine noises painful even.
use the USB port in the radio and I get no noise (but then it tries to "READ" the phone instead of just charging it and won't let me use aux hehe
Sometimes you can get a coil thing to add to power to reduce this noise but usually its just cheap equipment ($7 power inverter
plug a 110v to usb adapter into same inverter and no noise. The 110v adapter isolates and prevents the noise leakage.
nerys71 said:
Not trying to pick a fight but lets be clear here
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haha time to clear up a misunderstanding here. my reply was referring to the "unplug your phone and it should go away" statement and thus assuming that you, by saying "its a power issue", were referring only to the inverter that was powering the phone at times getting a better quality inverter (aka, one that has capacitor or capacitor-pack to smooth out the voltage spikes and noise) is sufficient and at times it is not. I've experienced both. it's also worth mentioning that after redoing my sound system even the crappiest of crap inverters works just fine
frifox said:
Yes, just swap out the headunit for one with bluetooth build-in. Just make sure it supports A2DP (music streaming over bluetooth). I got mine from Amazon for $140, Sony MEX-BT3900U, and it been simply great. A2DP for bluetooth streaming, Aux port for wired 3.5mm audio, and it has USB port for charging the phone.
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Click to collapse
Yeah, I've looked into those kind of replacements...plenty out there for reasonable prices but they would completely mar the aesthetic value of the nice interior of my Bonny. That's why I was saying that only the touchscreens that would fill the whole double (might be 1.5) din stereo spot in my car would do.
Thanks, both of you guys, for your responses...guess I'm stuck waiting till I get a much newer car
I'm not saying that you're wrong about it being a power issue, but the BT headset I mentioned came with an adapter for an AUX jack and that solved my problem. So, either solution works.
the issue is the radio is connected to the same "power source" that your "phone" is now connected to.
so if any component in that chain does not control the power noise (that is what the noise is coming from your power system)
you INJECT that noise into your audio stream the moment you "link" the devices together (power not audio)
this is why if you use a seperate battery pack to charge the phone you will not get this noise. your battery pack is "isolated" from the car's power system literally physically.
I am only talking about the typical whine pop crackle high pitched noise you get the moment you plug in your charger. IE clear no noise plug in chargers Head burster sounds start coming out of your speakers
that noise is a "power issue" you can't eliminate the power issues (except by eliminating your alternator??) but you can filter it. some devices (chargers) do this better than others
the BT unit works because you "broke" the chain. (no audio cable going from the PHONE to the RADIO)
Again, I'm not denying what you're saying. You're absolutely correct. However, OP was asking for the best BT unit to plug into the jack, not how to solve the issues with cables and power sources. I was simply providing my opinion and experience along the lines of what he was asking for.
Just got mine; ordered directly from their site on Saturday, received it today... $39.99, free shipping, no tax.
I was using a Logitech unit previously, and while it sounded fine, it had the disadvantage of not being very good at automatically reconnecting to the phone, and of course it had no hands free capabilities. As with pretty much all bluetooth units, there are a ton of reviews on the Kinivo; both good and terrible, so I thought I would offer this up strictly within the context of the Moto X.
Short story... I am thrilled with it!
Pros:
Amazing connectivity. It reconnects under every condition possible; moving out of range and then back in range, power off and then on, Bluetooth off and then on. My vehicle's power ports are always hot, except when cranking. This gave the Logitech fits, and I was concerned about the Kinivo as well. Bottom line... if bluetooth on the phone is on, it is always connected!
Reasonable audio quality, and contrary to a number of online reviews, both in call and media volume are good. See my cons below for more on audio.
Very positive buttons. While the thing looks a little cheap, it feels surprisingly good.
While not as good as a quality headset, I thought the in call quality was pretty good. Tried it in town on some bumpy roads, as well as on the freeway and intelligibility was good. I mounted it on the side of my center console so I can access it with my thumb when my arm is on the armrest.
Interoperability with voice commands works very well. Long press the main button and speak after the prompt. Bingo!
Cons:
In my Ford truck with Eclipse head unit, it requires a ground loop isolater, as has been the case with any 12v powered device in this vehicle. However this IS a 5v device. I suppose I could've cut the 12v adapter off and power it from my daqstuff isolated 5v supply to eliminate the need for the isolation transformer, but didn't want to mangle it before checking out how well it worked. Obviously, the audio will be much better without the transformer, but it is still bluetooth, and I primarily listen to podcasts while driving. Plus, all the music on my phone is from Google Play Music, which is notoriously poor quality anyway. I doubt I will be rewiring this to the 5v supply as I am happy enough with it as is. I can always pop in a CD when I really care about audio fidelity.
While in call quality seems completely acceptable to me (it sounds easily as good as my brother's fairly recent Sony unit), if you're doing business while driving, and expect it to sound like your not, this is not for you.
While voice commands work perfectly, the initial prompt to say a command is very low in volume; like 10db lower than anything else. The rest of the prompts / confirmations / responses are fine, so this is a mystery I have yet to figure out.
Wires are thin. While I suppose this makes it easy to route them, they will not stand up to a lot of stress. The interior of my truck is dark gray, and I felt it prudent to use some black gaffer's tap to secure all dangling wires to surfaces.
Bottom line... How well this works, and being able to locate this little button practically anywhere, makes this thing insanely convenient.
I have been using mine for over a year and am still loving it. Coming from the Belkin one, this one is much better since it auto-connects/disconnects with vehicle power. This can also be a con for some vehicles though, since some vehicles give the outlet constant power even when powered off, the unit won't know to disconnect and will keep your phone paired. This was a problem for me since my vehicle is close enough to my desk in my office that it would stay paired until I manually disconnected. What I ended up doing was hard wiring an outlet into my fuse panel that was switched on and off with vehicle power.
I've been using one in my work vehicle and my personal vehicle for a month or so and love it. I thought the audio quality of music was really good, as is hands free phone calls.
My phone does not auto connect on either device, but its not a big deal. I just push the main button on the BT and it connects immediately. This may be because I have my phone paired with more than one BT audio device, not sure.
Either way, I'm very happy with the Kinivio.
Mr. Orange 645 said:
My phone does not auto connect on either device, but its not a big deal. I just push the main button on the BT and it connects immediately. This may be because I have my phone paired with more than one BT audio device, not sure.
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Click to collapse
My Moto X is paired with no less than five devices with three of them both HF and A2DP protocols, so I doubt that is the issue.
The Kinivo however will only automatically reconnect to the last device that connected with it.
Solutions Etcetera said:
My Moto X is paired with no less than five devices with three of them both HF and A2DP protocols, so I doubt that is the issue.
The Kinivo however will only automatically reconnect to the last device that connected with it.
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Click to collapse
My Moto X is the only device that's ever been connected to the Kinivio. How long does it usually take to auto connect? Maybe I'm just impatient? And are you on stock 4.4.2?
Mr. Orange 645 said:
My Moto X is the only device that's ever been connected to the Kinivio. How long does it usually take to auto connect? Maybe I'm just impatient? And are you on stock 4.4.2?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It connects as soon as I get in range or almost immediately after it powers up, unless the Kinivo has dropped into standby mode (then I have to push the button). I am stock 4.4.2, unrooted xt1053.
My truck's power outlets are always hot, but cranking the starter shuts them down momentarily. The only time I have to press the button is if I don't start the truck and it's been a while with BT off or out of range.
Solutions Etcetera said:
It connects as soon as I get in range or almost immediately after it powers up, unless the Kinivo has dropped into standby mode (then I have to push the button). I am stock 4.4.2, unrooted xt1053.
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Click to collapse
I bet my Kinivio is going into stand by mode then.
I have had this for a while and mostly happy with it, but recently people have been telling me that its way too hard to understand what I am saying when I am on the phone with them using the kinivo, and every time I have had to switch to speakerphone for them to hear me right. Other than that I have been happy with it. I also am able to connect my moto x and nexus 7 2013 with it at the same time, using the nexus 7 on media and the moto x on phone. The key is I must connect the nexus 7 first and the moto x 2nd. If the moto x is connected first the nexus will not connect.
Just an update regarding how I was able to eliminate the need for a ground isolation transformer, and hence significantly increase the audio quality.
Last year I installed one of these in my center console to charge my mobile devices...
http://daqstuff.com/400116_5volt_switching_power_supply.htm
Since the Kinivo runs on 5v, I was planning on ripping apart the 12v power plug and wiring 5v from the DaqStuff supply to it. But the power plug HAS a 5v USB port on it. Surely that was in parallel to the 5v being supplied to the Kinivo.
I asked Kinivo whether I could just plug a 5v supply into it via the USB port rather than plugging it into a 12v power port. Their answer was that the USB port was an output. I understood that, but it is only an output when the thing is plugged into 12v. Rather than belabor the point with a CSR who most likely has no knowledge of electricity, I just decided to try it.
Success! After verifying the Kinivo operated normally with 5v plugged into its USB port, I removed the isolation transformer from the audio line. No noise, much better audio quality (sans transformer), and all without having to hack the power plug!
I too just picked one of these up from Amazon and am pretty happy with it. It so happens that this thing also supports apt-x codec in addition to standard SBC audio codec, so music should sound a little better too.
Question here: If a pare the device to a galaxy s4 and I push the middle button, what application opens to receive the voice command? google voice or s voice?
mnunez2 said:
Question here: If a pare the device to a galaxy s4 and I push the middle button, what application opens to receive the voice command? google voice or s voice?
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I believe it will pop up a window asking you which one you want to use and the option to set as default. When I press it with my Moto X connected it gives the option to select touchless control or google now as the voice command application, so I think any app that offers that functionality would show up.
alk195 said:
I believe it will pop up a window asking you which one you want to use and the option to set as default. When I press it with my Moto X connected it gives the option to select touchless control or google now as the voice command application, so I think any app that offers that functionality would show up.
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Click to collapse
Good.. Thanks...!
Solutions Etcetera said:
Just an update regarding how I was able to eliminate the need for a ground isolation transformer, and hence significantly increase the audio quality.
Last year I installed one of these in my center console to charge my mobile devices...
http://daqstuff.com/400116_5volt_switching_power_supply.htm
Since the Kinivo runs on 5v, I was planning on ripping apart the 12v power plug and wiring 5v from the DaqStuff supply to it. But the power plug HAS a 5v USB port on it. Surely that was in parallel to the 5v being supplied to the Kinivo.
I asked Kinivo whether I could just plug a 5v supply into it via the USB port rather than plugging it into a 12v power port. Their answer was that the USB port was an output. I understood that, but it is only an output when the thing is plugged into 12v. Rather than belabor the point with a CSR who most likely has no knowledge of electricity, I just decided to try it.
Success! After verifying the Kinivo operated normally with 5v plugged into its USB port, I removed the isolation transformer from the audio line. No noise, much better audio quality (sans transformer), and all without having to hack the power plug!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Did you just use a cable like https://www.computercableinc.com/ccinc/images/USB-A-A-Black-BestLink.jpg or something else to do this?
Yup, standard usb A, male to male.
Solutions Etcetera said:
Just an update regarding how I was able to eliminate the need for a ground isolation transformer, and hence significantly increase the audio quality.
Last year I installed one of these in my center console to charge my mobile devices...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
This is the very solution I've been searching for. The ground loop isolator I have connected introduces way too much noise for my liking. I checked out the site... I understand what the IN +12V and IN GND are for, but what's the OUT DGND connected to? The vehicle chassis?
waybeyond said:
This is the very solution I've been searching for. The ground loop isolator I have connected introduces way too much noise for my liking. I checked out the site... I understand what the IN +12V and IN GND are for, but what's the OUT DGND connected to? The vehicle chassis?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It's the negative(gnd) terminal for the wired 5V output. If you're using only the USB connected outputs, the wired OUTputs will not be used.
Solutions Etcetera said:
It's the negative(gnd) terminal for the wired 5V output. If you're using only the USB connected outputs, the wired OUTputs will not be used.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Ahhh. That makes a lot more sense. Okay, got it. Thank you!
Solutions Etcetera said:
Yup, standard usb A, male to male.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I just bought one of these but didn't realise the 12V adapter was hard wired. I want to use it in a centre console cubby hole on my car which has Aux-in and USB power - no 12v adapter.
So what you're saying is that with a simple USB A-A cable, I can take the USB power socket in my car, plug it into the USB output socket on the 12v adapter of the kinivo, and it'll power it? That'd be fantastic if true - save me returning it or hacking the cable. Especially as this sounds like a pretty great receiver too.
rplumb said:
So what you're saying is that with a simple USB A-A cable, I can take the USB power socket in my car, plug it into the USB output socket on the 12v adapter of the kinivo, and it'll power it?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yup. You may run into ground loop issues if your 5v supply is not isolated, but can't say for certain as mine is.