While I love my car (and its paid for, so there’s that) it’s always had a problem that I loathe.  When my car was made, bluetooth connectivity was limited, and so the HandsFree Link system in my Acura TL can only connect to my mobile phone for phone calls, not other audio.  Recently, while complaining about this very fact on an internet forum, someone mentioned to me they had a similar problem, and solved it with this product from Kinivo.  Being a forward thinking technology focused person, I ordered it to give it a try.

I spend a lot of time in my car each day on my commute, and streaming music and podcasts is vital for my sanity.  Because my car didn’t have bluetooth audio, I had to run a 3.5mm cable from my phones headphone jack to the aux in port in the center console of my car.  This works, but isn’t ideal as it 1) is one more thing to bend and break (the cable that is) and 2) it puts my audio for music and phone calls on different systems.  The Kinivo BT450 aims to change all that.

Hardware/Build

The device design is simple, but effective.  The kit includes the puck style remote, the connection for the aux in jack, and the plug for your cigarette lighter (do cars still have those? mine does) – the plastic cables that are used are a bit thin, but they get the job done.  The matte finish on the puck adator is likely to fit in with most car interiors, but if you want to keep it out of sight (as I did) the adhesive on the back will attach to any surface, be it your dash or the side thereof.

Features

The BT450 does one thing, but it does it well – it connects to your car via the aux connection and turns your previous wired connection into a wireless one.  This connection will work for both phone and audio connections, so you can be listening to music, receive a phone call, and resume your music when the call ends seamlessly.  Getting it set up was a breeze, and took me less than 10 minutes.  Your phone will see the BT450 as a new Bluetooh device, and once you are paired up, you’re done.  It’s powered by the lighter adaptor (mine is also in the center console, next to the aux jack) which makes it very convenient to use in my car, and likely in most.

It also claims to support the AptX Bluetooth protocol, for improved quality of the audio signal (if your smartphone supports it as well of course) – mine doesn’t at present, so I can’t say for sure if this works as its supposed to or not.

Value

Honestly, I’d have paid any sum you could name to add wireless connectively for all forms of audio to my car.  The fact that it was only about $35 was well worth it to me.  And the reviews of the device were very complementary, so I’m glad I dove in.  If this is a feature missing from your car, or if you don’t have Bluetooth in your car period – give the Kinivo BT450 a look.  There is a link to this product below on Amazon if you’re interested.

Kinivo BTC450 Bluetooth Hands-Free Car Kit for Cars with Aux Input Jack (3.5 mm) – Supports AptX