- AM/FM radio, CD, CD-R/RW, MP3/WMA/AAC receiver with Bluetooth
- 52 Watts x 4 peak power
- Detachable face with 1-line, 13-segment LCD display
- Front panel auxiliary input
- iPod control/SAT/HD Radio ready with Sony Bus
Product Description
Sony MEX-BT2800 In-Dash CD Receiver MP3/WMA Player with Bluetooth… More >>
Sony MEX-BT2800 In-Dash CD Receiver MP3/WMA Player with Bluetooth
Tags: Bluetooth, dash cd, fm radio, hd radio, InDash, MEXBT2800, mp3 wma, MP3/WMA, Player, r rw, radio cd, radio ready, Receiver, segment, Sony, sony mex, watts
#1 by K. McKirahan on May 18, 2010 - 10:46 am
PROS:
* Great radio reception
* Easy to use
* Equalizer makes my car speakers sound great
* PTY functionality (really cool)
* Remote control
CONS:
* Horrible Bluetooth mic
This is a cool radio and the features it has would easily make it a winner in my book EXCEPT the bluetooth microphone on the front of the receiver is absolutely terrible! Attempting to talk to people on the phone using the bluetooth is painful, if possible at all. Although I can hear people just fine and clearly, the opposite is not true. People say that they have a hard time understanding me or my wife. We have tried both high and low mic settings. Very little difference.
So I decided to perform a test. I left a message on our home answering machine using both mic settings while I was driving. Talking in a normal voice I could not understand a single word I said which was simply “Testing 1, 2, 3″. If I talked very LOUDLY then I could start to understand myself but two cans and a string would have sounded better. It’s not like I had the windows rolled down. I then parked the car in my driveway and repeated the test. My voice was now quite clear. So apparently this unit has a real problem with ANY background road noise which doesn’t make it a practical solution for me trying to talk and drive at the same time.
It’s hard to believe that Sony got so much right with this radio but the one key feature that this radio has going for it is so poor.
Rating: 3 / 5
#2 by D. Calhoun on May 18, 2010 - 11:05 am
I have a 2003 Hyundai Sonata and before this upgrade I had the factory stereo which only featured a CD player and a radio. I own an iPhone and rarely if ever choose to listen to anything else. I tried an FM Modulator / Transmitter for about $99 that could also handle Handsfree calling, but I live in Chicago where almost EVERY station is a radio station so the quality was terrible – especially downtown where I travel several times a week.
So, I wanted to get a stereo that would complement the iPhone nicely AND handle calls well. So I returned the FM Transmitter and was considering a cheaper stereo that would control an iPod or allow me to use the Axillary port. Then I thought about having multiple wires connected or still needing a device to handle handsfree calls and I decided upgrading to this would be a better idea. WELL, I WAS PLEASANTLY SURPRISED!
I was able to figure out most of the functions without reading the manual — including pairing the bluetooth with my iPhone before I pulled out of the installers garage. I was amazed at how great the audio sounded through the bluetooth streaming. (I’ve had other devices that degraded the sound and made it sound like a low-quality MP3). Then I answered my first call and was impressed by the fact that my friend didn’t notice that I was on speakerphone – while driving and with my rear windows down.
As other reviewers have mentioned, the system fades out one audio source before fading in the next. I have an iPhone 3G and the bluetooth in the stereo will control the Pause function of the iPhone it doesn’t seem to control anything else (like Skip and Back as some other BT devices are able to do). In any case, I primarily want to control music from the iPhone itself so that’s not a loss. It would also be nice if this unit supported Caller ID ( I think some of the higher-end systems do).
Overall, I think it’s a great system at a good price. I’ve only had it for less than a day now, so I’ll be sure to update this if needed.
Rating: 5 / 5
#3 by S. Chong on May 18, 2010 - 1:18 pm
Nice headunit…but the sony bt3700,bt3800,and bt5700 are better…not much to the added cost…plus this has no usb port…
Rating: 4 / 5
#4 by Ryan Boehning on May 18, 2010 - 2:04 pm
Wireless bluetooth audio streaming and calling are the killer feature for this deck. If you have a smartphone (I have an iPhone) you can beam your music and phone calls through the deck. Pairing was a simple one time process. Now, whenever I get in my car, my iPhone auto-pairs with the deck in 10-15 seconds. The iPhone beams my music to the deck. The quality is very good. I can’t tell the difference between bluetooth and my aux cable, and I have quality aftermarket speakers installed. Controlling the music is done through the phone itself, the way it should be (trying to control your iPod/iPhone music through the deck is a pain in the ass. I have yet to see a deck that accomplishes this in way that isn’t extremely clumsy, slow, and unintuitive). So, to be clear, I just scroll through my list of songs on the phone and when I press play (on the phone) I hear the sound through the car audio system.
If you get a call during a song (or podcast, or whatever), the music will fade out gracefully and you’ll hear a ring through your car speakers. One press of the volume knob answers the call. You don’t have to speak into your phone. There is a microphone in the faceplate of the deck. There are two settings for low and high sensitivity on the mic. The default is low, but I found that high sensitivity works better in my car, but it probably picks up more road noise. The call quality is good. My friends can’t tell the difference between a call through the stereo and a normal call. When you’re done with the call, the music will fade in gracefully right where you left off!
In conclusion, this really is the ideal solution for both hands-free calling and music in your car. It works better than I hoped. I haven’t used the radio, the CD player, or any other feature, so I can’t comment on those. But really, who cares about any of that stuff? All that matters is the quality of the bluetooth interface, and this deck has that. There’s no need to spend a small fortune on a fancy, flashy deck. The smartphones of the future will have better music streaming, podcasting, voice controls, navigation, hd radio, etc. than any deck. Companies like Apple, Microsoft, and Google have a massive technology lead over car deck manufacturers. My advice is to get a good phone and a cheap deck with good bluetooth like this.
Rating: 5 / 5