Parrot 3200 LS-COLOR Bluetooth Hands-Free Car Kit

People are always asking why Bluetooth connectivity and iPod integration aren’t in every vehicle in 2007. The reason is the extreme lead time the OEM auto manufacturers have to adhere to. For something to show up in a car in 2007, a committee in an automaker probably discussed it back in 2004. Although it is true that lead times are getting shorter because of CAD technology and other cool manufacturing processes, sometimes a small electronic gadget in a car can get snagged because it hasn’t gotten crash-tested with the rest of the vehicle. As John Stossel would say on 20/20 “Give me a break!” I would be much more afraid of a scalding cup of coffee landing on me in a collision (all cars pretty much have cupholders now) than a properly-installed piece of mobile electronics equipment. But some manufacturers insist on crash-testing. So your ride did not have Bluetooth available on the checkoff sheet? Or the dealership wanted to charge you a small fortune for it? Parrot and the aftermarket to the rescue!

The Parrot 3200 LS-COLOR is a professional piece of mobile electronics equipment that really deserves a professional installation––this ain’t no Jabra headset––not that there is anything wrong with that when you are walking down the street. But if you are a road warrior that spends an average of two hours a day in the car (now typical for most Americans), you need an integrated Bluetooth solution. In a true integrated Bluetooth solution, when you receive an incoming phone call, the radio mutes automatically and the audio output comes right out of your car’s speakers.

The last iteration of cellular product I tested that integrated into the vehicle was from Alpine Electronics three years ago. Back then, you needed a specific cell phone to link the unit to a specific Alpine radio and then everything worked perfectly. Nowadays, Parrot has raised the bar by creating a solution that should work in most vehicles and nearly all Bluetooth-capable cellular phones. The elegant solution is a 2” LCD screen flanked by a button on either side. The two buttons are used to “Send” and “End” calls. Everything else is controlled by a clickwheel flanked underneath the screen. Parrot, a company based in France, intends the unit to be able to conform to different markets, but using it could not be easier. Just click and scroll through your phonebook and pick the proper person. It even gets more fun when you assign a photo to the person in your phonebook. Recognizing a photo over reading text may even prove to be less distracting when traveling at 70 MPH.

Sounds good, but can you set it up in your own ride? It is possible, but give yourself a good part of a day for the installation even if you are a relatively handy person. If you are not, definitely seek the help of an MECP-certified installer that Parrot will be happy to provide you with on their Web site––www.parrot.biz. I decided to rip into the dashboard of a new 2007 Audi A4 to install the unit. Interestingly enough, Audi does offer a Bluetooth option that costs upwards of $700 from the dealership, and most dealers will railroad you into purchasing a navigation system along with the Bluetooth––that really sends the sticker price into the stratosphere! To give credit where credit is due, Audi does provide a button on the steering wheel for operating the Bluetooth system with your cell phone. However, Audi, can you display a photo of the person calling on your Bluetooth system? I didn’t think so––take that slap from the aftermarket!

Once the radio is removed from the dashboard, you then plug in a very intimidating- looking series of wiring harnesses to integrate the factory radio to the ‘brain’ of the unit––the Universal Radio Mute. This blue box goes inline between the speaker outputs from the amplifier and the speakers. Luckily, Parrot offers a multitude of wiring harnesses that will plug into your vehicle’s receiver. If your vehicle does not have a harness available, a professional installer can help and manually splice the wires (don’t worry––it is easier than it sounds), but if a harness is available, buy it. The harness may cost a few more dollars but it makes it a cinch if you ever want to remove the unit at the end of a lease or want to get a new car and take the 3200LS with you.

Once hooked up correctly, you have to pair your phone with the Parrot 3200 LS. Once the data has been exchanged, ‘Pairing Successful’ appears on the 3200 LS-Color. Every phone is a little different, and some might display the battery and signal levels on the Parrot screen. To ultimately know exactly how your specific phone is going to work, your best bet is to find a retailer with a Parrot 3200 LS on display and try it out for yourself. But pretty much all phones are going to link up and allow voice communication. Using the unit could not be easier. Incoming and outgoing calls automatically mute the radio. I heard a soft click on my installation when the radio muted––which means that the Parrot engineers did their homework when designing the circuit as some speaker-level mute circuits can leave the end user with a nasty spike or volume pop. The only thing you have to remember is that you use the scroll wheel on the Parrot 3200 to adjust the volume while making a call rather than the knob on your radio (your radio is essentially muted during the phone call). You also have to remember not to crank up the knob on the radio to max hoping the call will get louder––when the call terminates you’ll be in for a rude surprise and a blast from Dr. Distortion. That will train you quickly to use the Parrot volume knob over the radio volume knob.

The Parrot 3200 LS is a great solution for those who want full-on Bluetooth integration in the automobile. If you are sick and tired of dealing with headsets and earbuds, this is really the way to fly. Sneak peak: Parrot’s next generation of the 3200 LS Color ‘Plus’ will feature a USB port on the bottom of the unit––we can’t wait to take a look at how Parrot uses the port to further the cause of convergence, Bluetooth, and your ride. yy