Parrot EVO Bluetooth Review

[DaFlake]

Purchased:

• Parrot EVO (handsfree bluetooth solution)
• Cradle for phone
• Adapter for MFSW control

Purchased From:

Mikey (NewMINIStuff.com)

Installation:

The installation was done following New Mini Stuffs DIY instructions found here (NewMINIStuff.com DIY Guides)

This unit was installed in an 06 USA Spec MCS with OEM NAV, HK and Icelink Plus with OEM Radio.

The installation time took about 2 hours which included the cradle that I bought for my phone. This cradle allows me to see the text on my PDA phone as well as charge the phone. Installation time without cradle would be about 40 minuets. This allows time to tidy things up after installation.

As any normal procedure, you should always test the installation BEFORE you reassemble the dash.

My installation was also complicated by me having an Icelink Plus installed as well as the OEM NAV. I should point out that with the Parrot EVO, you will not be able to use the text feature of the Icelink Plus. However, us NAV folks are very used to this anyway as we can't run the feature with NAV.

Also, caution should be taken when running wires under the steering column as there are moving parts down there that the wires could get caught up in.

Review:

After installation I made several calls to simply test the functionality. The first call was to my wife at home in which she stated that I sounded "distant" meaning that she thought I was sitting away from the phone. Her voice was clear and played via the speakers. The radio was automatically muted during this timeline.

The second call was to a mate of mine on his cell phone. His comments were better stating that my voice was clear. Mind you, all of this was done from a standstill.

I wanted to run some moving tests and decided on three speeds. (40, 60 100 MPH).

Mind you, I live in Germany and have the Autobahn at my disposal for the high speeds. Please do not try this if it is against your laws. I should also mention that my MINI is NOT a stock MCS. I have a CAI (cold air intake) and a 15% reduction pulley on the super charger. This alone makes my car a little louder then most.

At 40, the system performed excellently. My mate stated that he could hear some background noise, but communicating was very easy. I bumped up to 60 and we had the same results. He noted the increase in background noise, but it was still audible. Running up to 100 MPH, I had to increase my voice volume but we were still able to communicate with little issue. That being said, if you are on the phone, I recommend that you back off the speed.

One little piece that I noticed as well is that the little microphone is very directional. This means that you really need to have it pointed at you as it tends to eliminate surronding noises. I re-adjusted my mike a little to get better clarity and my wife stated that the distance left with this adjustment. Point it at your mouth.

The MSFW controls worked flawlessly. Great job Mikey!

The only downside that I could find is that the voice dial on my phone does not seem to work well. This, however, is a limitation with my phone as it worked well with my wife's Razor.

Another little annoyance is the sound of the unit initializing during startup. When this occurs, you can hear the solenoid initializing and it cuts the radio sound off for just a second as the unit preps for use. However, I can live with that.

Pros:

• Cost is good
• Plug and Play Install
• Instructions are very good for DIY
• Support from Mikey is OUTSTANDING
• Clear and understandable communication via the system.
• Hidden away from thieves views

Cons:

• No NAV integration
• Voice dial via phone is hit and miss. (RESOLVED, I learned how to use my phone. )

Overall this is a super unit that can provide you a solid bluetooth solution for your cell phone. Because this is a "behind the dash" solution, you will not have to worry about thiefs trying to steal it out of your car. Mikey's MSFW solution really makes the system even better as you don't have to use the Parrot EVO control (other than for setup) that can with the original system. Some people have complained that they had issues with clarity but I must say that I simply did not find this as an issue. Remember that this is a two piece unit meaning that your phone may play a big part in the clarity as well. I would make sure that your phone firmware is up to date if you have problems as this could cause problems. Lastly, this solution is less than half the cost of the BMW bluetooth solution. Yes, the BMW solution does provide the NAV interface, but at over $500 USD this was not an option for me. One more nice feature is that this unit does have firmware that can be flashed. So, as Parrot gets more features, the unit can be upgraded. This solution gets a thumbs up from me.

You can get it here....

HTTP://HTTP.newministuff.com/new/shop.Phip?action=productshow&id=256

[DaFlake]

UPDATE

I was finally able to get my T-Mobile MDA Compact to use voice tags via the Parrot EVO. The parrot 3000 has the capability of adding 150 voice tags that allows voice dial capability. This was more straight forward with the Razor than my PDA type phone. However, a simple tutorial on my phone and it became clear that the fault was on my end. I now have the capability to simply press the phone button, speak a name and the system takes over. This keeps my eyes on the road and my hands on the wheel.

[mikeythemini]

Great

[DaFlake]

Here is a pic of the cradle installed. It is not that great, but it will give you an idea of what it will look like.



I also wanted to mention on the quality of these products.

First, the parrot EVO seems to be a well built product and once programmed it will function as advertised. The ability to upgrade the firmware is another great feature. That way when new phones come out, you don't have to buy a new unit. Although I would recommend that you consult the WEB site befoire buying a new phone to check for compliance. Mikey's MFSW switch is also well built.

Secondly is the probably the most important.

Mike at NewMINIStuff has the best support that I think that I have ever run across. So, for all of you people on the fence with him due to cost (let's face it, the exchange rate for some of us really sucks right now) should keep this in mind as Mike will work to ensure that you are satisfied with the product. It is very rare today to find a person that wants YOU to be satisfied. Keep up the great work Mike.

Lastly, here is a pic of the cradle that is installed. This cradle does nothing except charge the phone. I went with a hardwire solution in which I used the lighter as my source of power. The cradle was also essential as I wanted to see who was calling and have access to my phone and PDA (not while driving).

[cpark]

I'm thinking about installing this in my shared (an increasingly heavy footed girlfriend) Cooper S and was curious about how it handled two phones. I would assume that you set up each phone the recognize the system (please excuse my lack of bluetooth knowledge), but is the car able to handle two phones at once. If we are both in the car will the system be able to monitor either phone. Can the system accept phone calls from either phone (not simultaneously of course). The last question is that if the call becomes too confidential for my significant other person to be included in (getting screamed at by my boss for blogging to much for example) is there anyway to go from hands free back to talking into the phone direct.

[DaFlake]

Not sure on if it will handle two phones. What it would probably do is bond with the first phone that responded and the other would be ignored.

As for going back to teh phone, yes. You simply press the phone button and it goes back to the phone.

[mikeythemini]

You can program several phones to it. It will class the first phone paired as the primary phone & look for this first, if thats not found it will connect to the second one.
You cannot pair to 2 phones at once

[cpark]

Thanks for the replies my reasons for not parting with my paycheck are shrinking, which I guess is a good thing.

[DaFlake]

I really like the unit. In fact, I typically wait until I am in the car to talk now rather than walk through the parking lot on the phone. Just much easier.

[SiBradbury]

Installed my Parrot CK3100 today. WELL impressed.

It's exactly as you'd hope a car kit should be. Most are very disappointing.

I should have done it years ago and from now on i'll always have a Parrot kit in my car. That is, until i can get the hang of the whole telepathy thing.....

[DaFlake]

Installed another older Motorola E550 the other day and it performed flawlessly.



Gotta love it!

[l3ttx]

Does any one have any connection details for a parrot kit.

ie, where to pick up hte power and mute/external speakers

many thanks