http://shop.brando.com.hk/htctytnmusicdock.php
i wonder if this is any good?
Looks like the same one I had for my Wizzard, they are a bit plasticy and lightweight, and the blue led was so bright I had to disable it, but it does what it says on the tin, audio performance is reasonable, it's no where near the ipod style kit in terms of audio performace or apperance though.
Will
I ordered one last week. I haven't received it yet but will report back when I do.
I received my music dock in the mail today, and I'm pleasantly surprised. I bought it to use in my office at work, and it will work just great. It sounds nice, my phone drops right in, and they include a 3.5mm line in, USB cable, and a [useless] .4A USB wall charger. However, I can use my HTC wall charger with it and it will charge while I stream or Sling
For the money, this is a great purchase IMHO. The blue LED is annoying though.
Does this music dock also relay a phone call when Speakerphone is selected?
Thanks.
Hi All,
Well now that I've bought one I know that it does. Has anyone managed to pair this up with a micraphone to create a more effective speaker phone for office group use? I bought the HTC Y-Cable for another purpose, and thought this might allow a mic to be plugged in, but alas it has a different plug shape to the socket in the dock.
Also I am experiencing the famous and annoying intermittent GSM buzz through the speakers, which like many must not be well shielded. Hs anyone found a solution for this?
Related
Anyone got one of these ?
How do you rate it?
Are they any good?
Seen them for sale on ebay at a very good price considering what you get with them.
Powered PDA Mount for XDA III
FOR
XDA III aka XDA 2S
imate PDA2K
Included in all packages:
1 Powered PDA Mount Cradle
1 9" Windshield Swivel Pedestal
1 XDA III charging and data serial cable
1 3' Bluetooth GPS charging cable
More info here http://www.arkon.com/bluetoothgps.html#xdaiii-bt
if you dont already have a seperate GPS receiver then this one is good:
http://www.totalpda.com/Holux-Powered-GPS-PDA-Mount-for-XDA-Series-I-Mate-Q-Tec-2020.aspx
a friend has one and it works great. everything in one unit.
However i have had warning from someone saying the GPS signal is interupted if you have a heated windscreen, due to the wires. my mates works great tho.
HPJ
(i should get commission for the amount of time i've recommended this unit!!!!!!!)
The link you posted doesnt appear to be compatible with the blue angel series.
http://www.globalpositioningsystems.co.uk/viewprod.php?product_id=2545&max_cat_id=14&vt=grid
This product does support the blue angel, however, I've heard mixed reports about how well it operates while the phone is changing nodes.
Cheers
numanoids said:
The link you posted doesnt appear to be compatible with the blue angel series.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes I thought that so i gave them a call to ask.......the person on the phone said it is compatible with blue angel.....however as in all similar situations always good to keep box and receipt if purchasing and advice is wrong..... :wink:
Fair enough!!
I stand happily corrected. they're in glasgow so might swing past today and pick one up!
cool...let us know how you get on if you do get one
HPJ
Anyone got one of these ?
How do you rate it?
Are they any good?
Seen them for sale on ebay at a very good price considering what you get with them.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I am biased but ....
Have a look at www.brodit.com - find this product '849612'
Then find a bracket to mount this in your car.
May be more expensive but won't look out of place!
You can use your existing cable to charge the PDA in the car.
When I've finished developing my car kit connection cable, you can then have full hands free car kit including wired GPS, power, mic, sound of phone and nav through the car speakers - just plug my cable into the bottom of this holder and connect it to the car kit!
...Spence
hi s93ncer,
how you planning on getting sound from phone and nav out of your car speakers?
yes I agree, brodit is an excellent choice for cradles
Best Buy in the US sells an RF modulator that will take a standard audio in and transmit to an FM car radio. All you have to do is wire it into the bottom connector of the phone.
how you planning on getting sound from phone and nav out of your car speakers?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'm nearly there, just 1 little thing to sort out this morning.
I have tested it and it does work with phone and nav audio - just used the pin outs for speakers and connect pin 19 to ground through a 10K resistor
I'll post more information when I have finished testing.
...Spence
paulmc said:
Best Buy in the US sells an RF modulator that will take a standard audio in and transmit to an FM car radio. All you have to do is wire it into the bottom connector of the phone.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
IMO, RF modulators are pretty crappy. The audio is mediocre at best and the frequency tends to drift so you're constantly needing to retune.
If you have a stereo that has a plug on the back for controlling a CD changer (most OEM stereos have this nowdays), you can most likely find an adapter that will let you add aux audio-in to your car stereo. I bought one from www.blitzsafe.com for my Toyota Celica. I used this to hook up the audio from a computer that I installed in the car.
This one is good, to ne honest the speaker on the XDA2s is loud enough and if using bluetooth (as most XDA 2 users do) then this mount may be better:
http://www.pdamods.com/products.asp?cat=23
Just ordered this:
http://www.totalpda.com/Holux-Powered-GPS-PDA-Mount-for-XDA-Series-I-Mate-Q-Tec-2020.aspx
Should be here next week......I'll let y'all know!
HPJ
There is so much wrong with this product I cant even begin..
1) The vent mounts are useless. They can barely support the weight of the unit on its own. Once the PDA is in it then you can forget trying to get it to face any direction other than down. It just rattles around. I have tried it in my merecedes, a VW golf and an Audi A4 so it's nothing to do with my vents either.
2) The speaker on the powered unit picks up all kinds of crackles and noise. If I make or receive a phone call the noise it makes is unbelievable. Basically I have to keep the speaker turned to the lowest voulme (there is no off switch) the whole time and even then I can still hear a really annoying sound when I use the phone. (You know the sound I mean, it's the one you sometimes get if your phone is near unsheilded speakers just before it's about to ring).
3) The cable that connects the PDA headphone socket to the mount unit does not work. If is is fully plugged in there is no sound at all. If I pull it out slightly the sound works but then it cuts off the external microphone on my PDA so I cant use the voice command/voice dial options.
4) When I plug the charge cable into the bottom of the PDA the PDA tries to connect to a host via ActiveSync...there isn't one there of course so ActiveSync just hangs if I don't hit cancel in time. This does not happen if I use my normal charge cable.
Ozy...are you refering to the powered GPS mount that I have ordered (see above) from Holux, through Total PDA?? I hope not....
However it does sound as though maybe you've just got a faulty one...try sending it back...??
HPJ
No. I am refering to the original Arkon product in the title of the thread.
I suspect it may indeed be faulty but to an extent that ruins any confidence I may have had in Arkon's products. I will be sending it back and I will try to get a Brodit or something else instead.
Cheers.
Actually, I quite liked the look of that Holux but there is no indication if it works with the Blue Angel.
Looks like Holux do one for the Blue Angel available from HandNav :
http://www.handnav.co.uk/product_details.php?id=308
Only £99 inluding VAT and delivery.
Might give that a go.
The Arkon mount was never meant to be used with gsm phones, they just added a lead and hoped for the best when used with xda etc, it is an atrocious piece of kit, I launched mine out on the road when driving on the M5, if anybody in the factory had tested it they would have known right away that it wasnt fit for the purpose, regardless of that they are still selling it as compatable, it is also a great bulky lummox of a thing and looked much better bouncing down the hard shoulder.
ozymandias said:
Actually, I quite liked the look of that Holux but there is no indication if it works with the Blue Angel.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I thought that, and called them. It works fine apparently...I'll let u know when it arrives
HPJ
For anyone who wants to order their 3.5mm solution now, take a look at this one from HTC: http://www.expansys-usa.com/p.aspx?i=159613
It’s the page for one listed as being for a Touch Cruise, but there’s a page with one for every HTC phone. I’ve been using it for a few months on my HTC Touch Cruise and it’s great. The plug itself is compact, no different in size than a 3.5mm headphone plug -- and stays put (it isn't shown in the photo). It has 2 parts, the cord with the plug at one end, and a microphone with a 3.5mm jack at the other. The other part is the throwaway earbud headphones that you can toss and use your own. No bulky dongle, and makes any favorite pair of headphones into your microphone/stereo headset. Personally, I forget HTC forgot the 3.5mm jack with this one, as it's just a cable, not an annoying adapter.
The pinout of the mini-usb jack on the G1 is the same as all other HTC phones, so at the very least the microphone and stereo audio will work. Some features of the answer-button that may or may not work on the G1: push once to answer; pushing while on a call places the call on hold; 2 quick presses redials the last number; 1 long press activates voice dial. Most likely, the button will mimick whatever functionality is present with the headset that ships with the device.
It's made by HTC, and is very durable. Beware the adapters from Seidio -- they last a couple weeks and then start to give out, audio stutters, fades in/out -- they're not constructed well and within a month or so the ends start to get loose from the wire; and you can't exactly run to Best Buy for replacements.
The budget-shipping rate from MobilePlanet.com should have them to you well before your G1 arrives
Question. How far will the microphone be from my mouth? How good is the microphone...the problem is my regular headphones are kinda long like the wire is probably a good 20 inches.
So by the time its plugged into the adapter the mic is gonna be 20 inches from my mouth..and I want to be able to pic up without using the phone? will it work?
Probably -- the mic is in the end that your headphones plug into, I don't know how long it is, but I do hold the mic up a bit when I use it as that. Primarily, I like it as it's not a dongle and in use is no different than having a 3.5mm headphone plugged in. The plug itself isn't big, it stays put, and if I need to speak on it I can. The mic quality is OK, though it picks up all background noise, and a slight breeze can sound like a windstorm. Talking on it is just a convenience for me, I really wanted a standard type stereo headphone cable that I could pick up a call on. My devices tend to be music players first, and phones 2nd.
FearlessM said:
Question. How far will the microphone be from my mouth? How good is the microphone...the problem is my regular headphones are kinda long like the wire is probably a good 20 inches.
So by the time its plugged into the adapter the mic is gonna be 20 inches from my mouth..and I want to be able to pic up without using the phone? will it work?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Earbuds w/out Mic/Converter?
Hey all,
I've been looking for some earbuds that don't require an adapter and just plug into the G1's current plug, or have an annoying mic; just to listen to music with.
Something that would eliminate the need for this: http://cgi.ebay.com/2-5mm-Headset-H...14&_trkparms=72:1205|66:2|65:12|39:1|240:1318
Does anyone know where I can find some?
Thx
grim1234 said:
Hey all,
I've been looking for some earbuds that don't require an adapter and just plug into the G1's current plug, or have an annoying mic; just to listen to music with.
Something that would eliminate the need for this: http://cgi.ebay.com/2-5mm-Headset-H...14&_trkparms=72:1205|66:2|65:12|39:1|240:1318
Does anyone know where I can find some?
Thx
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
While I don't endorse this company, they seem to have quite a selection. http://onlyandroid.mobihand.com/homeAccessories.asp?hCategory=1022 Personally, I am inclinded to get http://onlyandroid.mobihand.com/productaccessories.asp?id=17085&n=HTC-3-in-1-USB-Adapter so I can charge the phone and use the headset of my choice. (This adapter looks like a beast though...)
G/L,
--M
PS that website has the adapter you are looking at on ebay for less... just fyi.
mini usb to rca adapter
is there a mini usb to rca adapter that can work with the g1?
Well, it's got 2 reviews, and a rating of 1 star on the company's site... There are tons of them on eBay, wonder if those are terrible... I suspect so.
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=280277868575
I ordered a few of those. I will let you guys know how long it takes to get to the US and how I like the adapter itself. I also need one for the car that lets me charge and then convert to 3.5 to go into my aux input in my car.
haitiankid4lyf said:
is there a mini usb to rca adapter that can work with the g1?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Might be easiest to go USB -> 3.5mm -> RCA. Not elegant but parts are available.
--M
yeah i was thinking about that, but two different adapters but i guess thats the only way for now
thanks
http://www.google.com/products?q=mini+usb+to+rca&btnG=Search+Products&hl=en&show=dd
found some but dont know if they will work
Here is a good 3.5 adapter that lets you charge at the same time.
http://www.expansys-usa.com/p.aspx?i=171920
benjimen said:
Probably -- the mic is in the end that your headphones plug into, I don't know how long it is, but I do hold the mic up a bit when I use it as that. Primarily, I like it as it's not a dongle and in use is no different than having a 3.5mm headphone plugged in. The plug itself isn't big, it stays put, and if I need to speak on it I can. The mic quality is OK, though it picks up all background noise, and a slight breeze can sound like a windstorm. Talking on it is just a convenience for me, I really wanted a standard type stereo headphone cable that I could pick up a call on. My devices tend to be music players first, and phones 2nd.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
how do you find the audio quality through headphones? little worried as i hear through its own speakers it can be a litte on the quiet side :/
bobby digital said:
how do you find the audio quality through headphones? little worried as i hear through its own speakers it can be a litte on the quiet side :/
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Same volume as the headset that ships with it. Try it and see.
sorry i wasnt clear, i didnt mean does an adaptor effect the sound, purely what is mp3 quality and sound like through headphones generally on g1 (standard headphones or not) compared to say i-phone,nokia,sony erricson etc
Sounds good to me.
i have one of those adapters, i got it for my wing way back, i think they were like 99 cents or something so i bought a bunch, they wear out pretty fast though, there nice to play music from my g1 in my car, i just wish there was a way to keep the microphone on the phone so i could talk on the phone and have the audio come through my cars speakers.
Headphone adapter
The newer G1s are shipping with a really nice official headphone adapter in the box, but I can't find it for sale anywhere. Are early adopters just left out in the cold with no headphone support? HTC has these ExtUSB ports on every one of their phones but they don't seem to sell any official adapters so I'm going to be stuck buying sub-par chinese adapters off of Ebay.
anyone have any pictures of what the headphone adapters look like?
wth, i want one official one! maybe calling t-mobile, they will send us one?
It looks the same as the standard headphones the only difference is that at the head phones them selves aren't attached to the remote (one end of the remote is the usb cable and the other is a 3.5mm port) they are 3.5mm head phones. I called t-mobile about it because my brother got one and they said they new nothing they said it wasn't on the packing list so I called HTC and they said they new nothing and since there was no bulletin they could not send me anything. I went to my local t-mobile store asked them about it and they gave me a new one out of a returned phone. The reason that tmobile says that they are not shipping them with a 3.5mm adapter is because its just a modified head phone and not an adapter and head phones in the box. I would recommend going to your local t-mobile store and asking about it.
Sorry about the picture quality I took them with my super G1 camera.
Has anyone found a good car dock for the 4g? I want to find something so I can position the phone on the lower console and use Google maps/navigate for my GPS, and have it charging as well. The dock needs to allow access to the headphone jack, as I also plan to connect to car stereo aux input. The beats audio sounds better than the car CD player.
Ideally, the dock should be really easy to put in/take out the phone (without risk of damaging the usb port). Also prefer to not need adhesive to mount it if possible
Sent from my Fireball using Xparent Blue Tapatalk 2
junkmail9 said:
Has anyone found a good car dock for the 4g? I want to find something so I can position the phone on the lower console and use Google maps/navigate for my GPS, and have it charging as well. The dock needs to allow access to the headphone jack, as I also plan to connect to car stereo aux input. The beats audio sounds better than the car CD player.
Ideally, the dock should be really easy to put in/take out the phone (without risk of damaging the usb port). Also prefer to not need adhesive to mount it if possible
Sent from my Fireball using Xparent Blue Tapatalk 2
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Verizon sells a car dock. http://www.verizonwireless.com/ibolt-car-mount.shtml $30
It's the only one I have seen available so far. Interestingly enough it is cheaper through Verizon then on any other site ($35).
blazingwolf said:
Verizon sells a car dock. http://www.verizonwireless.com/ibolt-car-mount.shtml $30
It's the only one I have seen available so far. Interestingly enough it is cheaper through Verizon then on any other site ($35).
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks. Since the price was actually less at the VZW store, I went in tonight to look at one to see if my phone would fit in the dock with my TPU case on the phone . The phone fit okay - well enough to dock properly without stressing the connector. Since the sales tax would be less than the $5 shipping on Amazon, I went for it. Much to my surprise, I got a $7 discount, making it $25 out the door. Very happy with the dock so far. Now to figure out best mounting location in car and run the cables.
junkmail9 said:
Thanks. Since the price was actually less at the VZW store, I went in tonight to look at one to see if my phone would fit in the dock with my TPU case on the phone . The phone fit okay - well enough to dock properly without stressing the connector. Since the sales tax would be less than the $5 shipping on Amazon, I went for it. Much to my surprise, I got a $7 discount, making it $25 out the door. Very happy with the dock so far. Now to figure out best mounting location in car and run the cables.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Cool. I've been thinking about getting one myself. Please let us know your thoughts after using it for a bit as I'm sure it could help others decide to get one or not. Will probably help me as well.
I've got the iBolt dock on the way, which I think is the same one you're talking about. Used one with my Rezound too and it worked well.
Sent from my ADR6410LVW using Tapatalk 2
The dock is the Verizon branded iBolt car dock.
My initial impression is still positive despite not finding the perfect spot for it in the car yet. Yesterday, I simply stuck it to the windshield, but I prefer it lower.
Pros
Made just for the Dinc4g. Fits fine with my TPU case, and it also has an insert for using without a case. Also works with the Seideo Active case.
Appears to be of good quality
Power plug in the back with same micro-usb connector
Phone immediately recognizes it is docked and switches to landscape for everything
Automatically switches to Car mode, All icons are big and driving friendly
Can use Google Navigation (I disabled VZNav app)
Google Navigation plays well with Google Music, automatically lowering the volume when turn directions are given
Car app can be set to automatically turn on and connect bluetooth devices when docked (works well)
Cons
Does not come with charger, you must supply your own
Blue power indicator LED is very bright
Car app display is always on (but if you exit the Car app, the screen will time out normally)
Car mode uses their Music app, which is oddly not GPS voice friendly. I have not found a setting to change which music app it will use
No lead in for the in-dock connector. Must be careful when inserting and removing to not bend it
Questions
The HTC Car app does not have a lot of useful settings, mostly bluetooth related
(I am not currently using any bluetooth devices, and am using a patch cord to stereo aux input)
Edit: I am now using the HTC A100 CarClip for streaming audio to stereo. Works great, but doesn't work for phone calls, which is truly annoying.
Gripes unrelated to dock
Google Maps/Navigate at some point removed the separate Nav volume control. With Google Music, the Nav app will automatically lower the volume while the GPS voice talks. However, listening at a normal volume in gMusic, the GPS voice is way too quiet. Using the HTC Car built-in music app, the music does not lower or pause, but the Nav voice is at about the same level. While testing GPS/Music, I got a call and the in-call volume is super quiet and the nav voice does not pause during the call and it's super loud compared to the in-call volume...
I will update the above lists as I find things
A short review...
I was very excited to purchase this and rid myself of the AUX cord in my Xterra!
I spent 60 or 70$ on this item at bestbuy.com.
Pairing works great, get in the car, scan my NFC that enables bluetooth and all that automated goodness. The sound quality is comparable to the AUX cable, I find.
That is about the extent of the PROS.
The CONS is the battery life and the design of the unit.
The battery life is quite disappointing. From what I can estimate, playback time may be near 1 hour with a full charge. Though, I keep the stereoclip constantly plugged in via cigarette lighter. Even though it is plugged in, it still dies! Though, plugged in and playing, the playtime is closer to an hour and a half.
I say that the design of the stereo clip is bad because the jack does not insert flush-ly against the AUX port. You can see what I mean in the picture attached. Also, my Xterra's AUX port doesn't help this because it TOO is also designed poorly as the AUX port is indented into the dash. In a good design, it should be 'indented' OUTWARD! So boo on both HTC and Nissan for their horrible designs! lol
I don't regret buying the stereo clip, but the battery life sucks and I am forced to keep an eye on its charge and with it being inserted only about 80% of the way, I believe the sound quality could possibly improve, but I may never know what it sounds like 100% inserted in my car.
I bought an extension jack so that it is able to be inserted fully, but it became a mono set once I plugged it into the extension.
I love this item and the concept, completely! But, for others that have this item, do you find the same flaws? How do you feel about the item?
What exactly does this do? Basically use the USB port to transmit audio?
↑ It's a Bluetooth receiver.
I have one and often use it 4+hours without a charge.
I did return one though because the battery completely failed.
I've had mine for about 2 mths now. Hardly ever charge it and use it for about 45mins each day. Plug it in, switch BT on in my phone and go. Does exactly what it's supposed to. Sounds amazing. It's def a good buy.
Sent from my EVO using Tapatalk 2
regalpimpin said:
↑ It's a Bluetooth receiver.
I have one and often use it 4+hours without a charge.
I did return one though because the battery completely failed.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Ahh, thanks buddy, was curious.
DevalB said:
What exactly does this do? Basically use the USB port to transmit audio?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It just plugs into the AUX port in your car and then uses Apt-X Bluetooth to receive the signal for the audio. Apt-X is better sound quality than the older A2DP, but there seems to be a slight delay in audio transfer(~1.5 seconds).
I have the Samsung one, which is half the price, but does the same thing. I like it quite well but don't use it as much as I thought I would.
tyler.durden said:
It just plugs into the AUX port in your car and then uses Apt-X Bluetooth to receive the signal for the audio. Apt-X is better sound quality than the older A2DP, but there seems to be a slight delay in audio transfer(~1.5 seconds).
I have the Samsung one, which is half the price, but does the same thing. I like it quite well but don't use it as much as I thought I would.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Ahh thanks buddy, I have BT already enabled with my car, so I wasn't sure what this did.
After using this for a few weeks I just wanted to report my experience using it with the Note 3.
My brother has the similar Belkin kit and it is absolutely TERRIBLE. It flashes red and refuses to connect to anything for days at a time then seemingly works for a month or two, the speakerphone is absolutely unusable, the precise timing required to use the ONE button for Play, Pause, and Next Track is maddeningly difficult (leaves you blindly wondering if it is paused, resumed, or skipped), and it is simply too expensive.
I am happy to say that I didn't have any of those issues with the Kinivo kit. It sticks with a double-sided sticky foam disc instead of the two-part magnetic base that the Belkin uses but I don't plan to move it around and it's not like Belkin included two bases anyway. With it stuck solidly on the dash, I kinda wish it had a twist to skip function but the dedicated buttons are certainly good enough for that! The wireless connection is solid and the controls feel/work great. I have no idea if it is using Apt-X or not but it supposedly supports it for higher-quality A2DP streaming over Bluetooth (as does the Note 3). The quality sounds much better but that could just be my car having better speakers compared to my brother (I am no audiophile).
Unlike the Belkin, it auto-connects when you start the car. That would be fine if it didn't cause the phone to also auto-answer! Further compounding it is the fact that it comes on even when your stereo is off so you may have no idea that it grabbed the call (you can't hear the caller without powering on and switching inputs). Obviously, there's no easy way for them to integrate with your OEM stereo to only operate when the stereo is on and AUX input is selected, which is the drawback to having an adapter kit. I don't know if the auto-answering is bad behavior on Samsung's part or if it does that with every phone so I'll have to test. There have been times leaving work with my ringer silenced when it would answer a call I didn't even know was incoming and then I drive around completely unaware that someone can hear everything going on in the car. Galaxy Charging Light reports 1800mAH charge rate through the built-in USB port, which is as fast a my phone charges from the stock 2-amp wall plug, but I do wish it had a second USB port or was de-coupled so that you could bring your own. The Belkin does have a smaller plug but they both occupy the whole power socket, they both only have one available USB port, and they both are permanently wired for their own power.
Speakerphone is a million times better than the crappy Belkin unit. I'd barely be exaggerating to say that the Belkin is completely unusable for phone calls while driving. This actually WORKS. I am somewhat hard of hearing which is why I'm no audiophile, but this was perfectly adequate.
There is no battery and thus no need to charge it. It really came down to the Belkin and Kinivo for me purely because I didn't want one of those rechargeable units. A significant number of users reported feedback issues when charging in many vehicles and I don't want to deal with worn batteries. While I can't confirm that wired units are immune to this, I didn't have that issue in my 2011 Corolla or my brother's 2009 Aveo. People act like you just have to suck it up and buy the fix (ground loop isolator) if you have this problem but I ask "why can't it be built-in?" If possible, I expect that.
I hope I can fix the auto-answer problem with an Xposed tweak or something. All in all, I am very happy with it and I want to make sure none of you waste your money on the terrible Belkin version! I decided on this back when it and the Belkin kit were the only two similar options but I see a new "iClever" Bluetooth 4.0 kit has showed up on the market. It costs less, includes a dual-port charger (occupies one port but at least it's de-coupled so you can BYO), doesn't mention Apt-X,
but I'd love to hear from anyone with experience with it.
Kinivo BTC450 kit:
http://www.amazon.com/Kinivo-BTC450...9545&sr=8-1&keywords=Kinivo+Bluetooth+car+kit
Belkin kit:
http://www.amazon.com/Bluetooth-Han...r=8-2-fkmr0&keywords=Kinivo+Bluetooth+car+kit
iClever Himbox HB01 kit:
http://www.amazon.com/iClever-Bluet...ncluded/dp/tech-data/B00GJFGDUQ/ref=de_a_smtd