Handsfree Microphone

[djwilk]

Hi guys,
Has anyone experienced rubbish microphone quality of handsfree in the VXR8?

Bot my current and previous one suffer from a lot of noise and distortions when trying to use BT phone. People I talk to can barely understand what I am saying. It is only slightly better with the engine switched off. Been pondering this for a while now (two years), but would changing the built-in microphone to an external one (similar to Parrot one) improve things? If am right, I think the BT mike is installed on the plastic panel underneath the steering wheel (towards the left, there are small cutout grooves) and I would imagine that transfers noise and vibration from the car and naturally amplifies it.

Has anyone tried connecting an external mike?

[mattcov]

Yes its not very good - I fitted a Parrot MKi9200 which is miles better. Also gives you usb/sd/Bluetooth streaming, although the amp that comes with it is a bit weak.

It wasn't just the sound/mic quality that made me install the parrot, you cant see the dial lists/caller id etc with the inbuilt one.

[FoxdieUK]

Before you go any further, check the mic itself is properly seated in its housing. It's located in the sunglasses holder, you can remove the assembly by pulling down on the lamp side (not the sunglasses side). The mic is located about halfway down the drivers side of the assembly (you can't miss it).

If you wanted to replace the mic for a better quality one, that'd be your first starting place. If you want the best audio quality, look for a stereo array microphone (such as the Andrea SoundMax Superbeam stereo array microphone), they are fantastic at cancelling background noise.

[djwilk]

Thanks Jason,
I will look into that. I have got a spare mike somewhere with a foam. I might site it elsewhere where it does not touch the plastic parts anywhere.

Matt, I thought about the parrot and likes, but as you said the amp in it is a bit of a letdown to me with a lot of distortion and very good quality overall. I might buy an BT audio transmitter and have it hardwired for my iphone music, but it will lack control from OE devices, i.e. Steering wheel and radio so also not ideal.

[mattcov]

Problem with the amp is I've put it inline to the speakers (as I couldn't get it working as desired with the sat nav), so effectively this amp drives the speakers - if you wired the output from the parrot box to the head unit aux in I think you would get far better sound.

You get the remote with the parrot that ive put next to the gear lever, so you can control it quite easy.

[djwilk]

Hi Matt,
The Parrot BT only comes with "high" (speaker level) output, whereas to go "line in" to the headnit you would need pre-amp output on the Parrot.

[mattcov]

If you get the Mki9200 you can technically do both (ie ISO interrupt or line in), I don't think the earlier or lower versions support it.

[mik_ok]

See This Thread for a vid showing how to pop the roof light panel out.

[djwilk]

Thanks chaps, I will check it all out on Friday as soon as I get the car back.