adding bluetooth capability to stereo....

[CliffA]

i am the first to admit that i am not as 'up to speed' as i would like to be on modern electronics including bluetooth so please forgive my basic questions....

i still have the original Clarion XMD1 stereo head unit in my 340 and it is still playing fine....it does not have a AUX input jack and does not have any RCA outputs on the back....

my question is can some sort of an adapter be added to this head unit to make it broadcast wirelessly to a bluetooth portable speaker?.....

i know i can get a new head unit that has buetooth built in but i just want to see if i have any options regarding the current head unit...

thanks...
cliff

 

[bbwhitejr]

I am not very electronics savy either...I do know this....if your unit has a headphone jack, you can buy a Bluetooth transmitter and transmit to another Bluetooth receiver. I bought a transmitter for my TV headphone jack and a receiver for my CMD4 aux jack and can broadcast TV sound through my stereo.

Bennett

 

[estoltz]

So are you trying to have a bluetooth device play through the clarion or have the clarion transmit to a bluetooth speaker?

 

[CliffA]

I am not very electronics savy either...I do know this....if your unit has a headphone jack, you can buy a Bluetooth transmitter and transmit to another Bluetooth receiver. I bought a transmitter for my TV headphone jack and a receiver for my CMD4 aux jack and can broadcast TV sound through my stereo.

Bennett

thanks....but this old Clarion does not even have a headphone jack....

cliff

 

[CliffA]

So are you trying to have a bluetooth device play through the clarion or have the clarion transmit to a bluetooth speaker?

i would like to have the Clarion broadcast out to a bluetooth speaker....thanks...

cliff

 

[rcknecht]

they sell an FM transmitter that you can set your radio to, and it will adapt to Blue tooth feed... On my stereo I have an Aux input which connects to my TV for surround sound... We plug our phones/ipod into that feed, and don't need blue tooth... the above is $15 one e-bay

 

[estoltz]

So as far as I can tell on the clarion system on my boat there is an aux input but it is on the back. What you are asking for though is a line level output that can be attached to a bluetooth transmitter. That I am not so sure about. Plus you would have a limited distance for bluetooth with high possibility for signal degradation. Sorry I couldn't be of more help.

 

[Wylie_Tunes]

i am the first to admit that i am not as 'up to speed' as i would like to be on modern electronics including bluetooth so please forgive my basic questions....

i still have the original Clarion XMD1 stereo head unit in my 340 and it is still playing fine....it does not have a AUX input jack and does not have any RCA outputs on the back....

my question is can some sort of an adapter be added to this head unit to make it broadcast wirelessly to a bluetooth portable speaker?.....

i know i can get a new head unit that has buetooth built in but i just want to see if i have any options regarding the current head unit...

thanks...
cliff

A new head-unit with blue tooth built in is a receiver, not a transmitter unit. What is that you want your head-unit to broadcast, to a wireless speaker? Something like a Beats Pill or Kicker KPw and you can stream from your smart phone.

 

[Wylie_Tunes]

When the Wet sounds A-Link releases, you would be able to transmit from a device with an output, to a device with an RCA or 3.5mm input. Not 100% is ti will work using a head-units pre-amp RCA outputs though.

 

[CliffA]

A new head-unit with blue tooth built in is a receiver, not a transmitter unit. What is that you want your head-unit to broadcast, to a wireless speaker? Something like a Beats Pill or Kicker KPw and you can stream from your smart phone.

OK, i think i understand now....a head unit with bluetooth built in will only RECEIVE a signal from another bluetooth gadget such as a smartphone and play the music from the phone through the head unit....

i was thinking the opposite...i want a way to stream music FROM the head unit to a bluetooth speaker.....

this is not a big deal really...just taking the opportunity to learn something about wireless connectivity between various components....

cliff

 

[KnotEasy]

He doesn't mind posting ANYWHERE a marine audio question comes up.

Just buy a cheap HU with headphone jack, buy a $27 Bluetooth transmitter, plug that into the headphone jack, and that will do what you need.

 

[CliffA]

He doesn't mind posting ANYWHERE a marine audio question comes up.

Just buy a cheap HU with headphone jack, buy a $27 Bluetooth transmitter, plug that into the headphone jack, and that will do what you need.

thanks....that may be the easiest solution....

cliff

 

[chrishick]

He doesn't mind posting ANYWHERE a marine audio question comes up.

Just buy a cheap HU with headphone jack, buy a $27 Bluetooth transmitter, plug that into the headphone jack, and that will do what you need.

A headphone jack on any head unit is going to be an AUX IN, he needs a line out to transmit Bluetooth.

I believe the only way you are going to be able to do this is with a HU that has line out RCA jacks on the back for hooking up an amplifier.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

 

[KnotEasy]

A headphone jack on any head unit is going to be an AUX IN, he needs a line out to transmit Bluetooth.

I believe the only way you are going to be able to do this is with a HU that has line out RCA jacks on the back for hooking up an amplifier.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

If it is a headphone jack, or 3.5mm audio out, it will work
http://www.amazon.com/Azeca-BTT005-Stereo-Bluetooth-Transmitter/dp/B005LLBIJ0

Just attach our Stereo Bluetooth Transmitter to an MP3 player, iPod Nano, iPod Shuffle, or any other audio device with a 3.5 millimeter audio output jack and voila! You can now use any headphone or speaker featuring Bluetooth Wireless Technology to listen to your device.

And as mentioned an RCA to 3.5mm will work as well.
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0..._m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_r=1J5Q1F6F17QGFEKNKPZD

 

[Wylie_Tunes]

If it is a headphone jack, or 3.5mm audio out, it will work
http://www.amazon.com/Azeca-BTT005-Stereo-Bluetooth-Transmitter/dp/B005LLBIJ0

Just attach our Stereo Bluetooth Transmitter to an MP3 player, iPod Nano, iPod Shuffle, or any other audio device with a 3.5 millimeter audio output jack and voila! You can now use any headphone or speaker featuring Bluetooth Wireless Technology to listen to your device.

And as mentioned an RCA to 3.5mm will work as well.
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0..._m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_r=1J5Q1F6F17QGFEKNKPZD

Like Chris pointed out, a 3.5mm jack on a head-unit is likely an audio in, not an out. Audio outs are going to be the speaker leads or pre-amp RCAs.

 

[CliffA]

thanks again for all the input....i just bought two new wired remote controllers for this Clarion ($90 each) so i would like to be able to keep using them if i do a head unit swap....does anyone know what clarion models from past years can use these remotes and have either a headphone jack (audio out) or RCA pre-outs on the back?...also a AUX jack for audio in would be nice....

the older clarions head units can often be found on ebay.....

cliff

 

[BillK2632]

Cliff - if you want to play through a bluetooth speaker (those sound really good) your best bet is to just connect your smartphone and play it that way. Any receiver that has bluetooth is going to play music from a smartphone and allow you to have hands free phone calls, but usually won't transmitt to a bluetooth speaker. On a side note, I just put a new receiver in my boat and went with a Pioneer unit that does not even have a CD player, it can connect an iPod/iPhone directly to the usb, play music from a usb stick and bluetooth. I've been playing music from my iPhone via bluetooth and it's really nice.

 

[CliffA]

Cliff - if you want to play through a bluetooth speaker (those sound really good) your best bet is to just connect your smartphone and play it that way. Any receiver that has bluetooth is going to play music from a smartphone and allow you to have hands free phone calls, but usually won't transmitt to a bluetooth speaker. On a side note, I just put a new receiver in my boat and went with a Pioneer unit that does not even have a CD player, it can connect an iPod/iPhone directly to the usb, play music from a usb stick and bluetooth. I've been playing music from my iPhone via bluetooth and it's really nice.

thanks Bill....i think that is the way i am headed....

cliff

 

[KnotEasy]

Like Chris pointed out, a 3.5mm jack on a head-unit is likely an audio in, not an out. Audio outs are going to be the speaker leads or pre-amp RCAs.

Duh.