Clarion CMD-5 (bluetooth)

I see the New Clarion CMD-5 has Bluetooth.
I was talking to a friend and he said he wanted to try out a "Bluetooth Digital Transmitter/Reciever"
It worked like a FM transmitter but sent and recieved a digital bluetooth signal. This signal could suposedly be recieved by 4 diffrent transmitter's/reciever's I.E 4 diffrent boat's.

Does anyone know about this Bluetooth Transmitter/Reciever.

I don't know anything about the Bluetooth but I also have a question about this headunit.

Will my older style Clarion remotes (oval) work with this headunit? The mp3 would be a nice upgrade over my old XMD3.

Evil1: Bluetooth is wireless transmission device that most new cell phones and cars have. Its new for Car Audio. Im sure the orignal intent for the Bluetooth for Car audio would be Example:
you cell phone ring's while your in your car and the Bluetooth device in your headunit reconizes your phone has recieved a phone call it and mute's you car stereo and uses the cars audio system to complete you phone call.
Bluetooh has the ability to transmit and recieve.
My intent would be to us the Bluetooth to broadcast a Digital signal. I have heard Motorola has a device that will do exactley what im talking about

I know what bluetooth is but I don't have any experience with what you're trying to do. Like you said it should work but getting working is something different. The PS3 uses bluetooth for its controllers and the remote. Because of that people with expensive universal remotes from Harmony, etc. were left out in the cold.

Is it used to stream audio? I would think it would have the same bandwidth/compression issues that an rf modulated input has.

G,

Bluetooth is a real digital transmission protocol. This means unlike that clunky FM transmission that is hit or miss, this is spread spectrum. The signal will be a lot more clear. However, my only concern is the range. The best part with Bluetooth is that even if the transmit signal is weak, you can pick it up with a good receive antenna.

That said, depending on configuration, Bluetooth is generally designed NOT to be picked up for security reasons. But, you would have to ask Clarion if this head unit can share, etc.

About the 5th paragraph down >> http://snipurl.com/blutoof

Cory: The Bluetooth is a add on that clarion sell's so you plug it into the cd changer port. Im guessing they made it to go with the Motorola Blue tooth devices like the parrot. The Extra device im talking about would be a transmitter designed to share up to 4 diffrent sources. I.E other headunits with the same bluetooh ability.
I to wonder about range and signal quality 50 feet range would be about all I would need.

G, from what I understand, you're only going to get 15 to 25 feet range with Bluetooth. Bluetooth is a standard, personal networking, type technology, so you should be able to network with other Bluetooth enabled devices.

That and it is a based on frequency hopping, so trying to "tune into it" might prove difficult. But that is speculation on my part...

The nice thing about Bluetooth, is that you actually "pair" the devices to each other, meaning you can't just pick up someone else's signal, it needs to be "registered."

I think Clarion is staying up with leading edge. It makes me happy to see them improving their marine gear. I understand the wired remotes will work with their new units too. I also like the MP3 built in-- hmm when is a DVD coming?

Clarion is staying up with leading edge"
Yea thats funny. But so un true. I would be alot more happy if Clarion left out the Bluetooth (that no body's gonna use) and other gatets that no body uses and boosted the line voltage to 4 volts That everyone could enjoy that would make more sence.

Yes, higher line voltage would be better, but thats just one of the many reasons to use a line driver/eq in your stereo set up. Do you just use the head unit straight to the amps??

All in all, Clarion makes a good head unit that works. Yes, there are better HU's and features that make more sense for the upper audio crowd. My point was to show they are not making new models without being backwards compatible like they used to do. Example, their first wired remotes will not work on the models from the XMD3 forward. I used to be a non clarion fan anyway and would put them in the league of Kraco, Pyle, Pyramid and I still am in certain ways, but my boat came with a xmd3 and that helped change my opinion a little I am also using their 12 disc changer and two wired remotes and am happy with it for now.

"Clarion is staying up with leading edge"

Yep, IMO just another thing to add on the spec sheet that will be done half-assed...

Dave: I have played with many Line driver's and Powerd EQ's. What I have found is that the less things (line driver's) Or other Line processers that you connect to your signal before they go into the amp the more chance of noise or distortion your amp's will Re Produce. Your amp dosent make a dirty signal clean. It only amplifys a dirty signal louder. The better system's you play with the more apparent it become's. Your smaller systems are not gonna notice it as much. Line drivers work great but IMO if Clarion just boosted the Line voltage by a few volts it would open up a bunch more EQ's that were Passeve (not powerd) that one could use. Right now you need to run a powerd EQ with a clarion CMD or XMD no 2 ways about it. I like Clarion head units but there are Way better head units out there. Why do I run them. Because I need a water proof deck because of the mounting location in my boat. And #2 I like Clarions Remotes. Clarion will tell you flat out that the XMD or CMD is not a High end headunit ment to push high end systems. It a for the masses quality Marine
head unit. Asking Clarion to boost the line voltage on the XMD or CMD series units is like asking McDonalds to make Gormet food. Not gonna happpen

hey "g" what our the best head units for a boat if it didnt have to be water proof

Gabriel: Im looking into that right now. I have only used Clarion so I have no idea outside the Clarion family if Alpine is better than Pioneer or Eclipse. Car head units change every year so who's on top at this very moment I dont know. I do know that there is a handfull of car head units that have a USB port right on the front of the unit that would make plugging in a Video Ipod and charging it a snap.

Is Nakamichi still like it used to be? Or Harmon Kardon?

Nakamichi LOL thats a name from the past in car Audio

I will die by Nakamichi ADS and Zapco.



I still troll ebay for series VII HiFonics amps too. I'm guilty, I'm old school and way behind.

In the past 15 years, I have not had any issues with line or power noises on anything I installed myself. This includes electronic gear like line drivers, eq's, cross overs & amps. I source the ground and power from the same starting points- The Batteries. I am also careful not to introduce another grounding point when I mount the gear. <--lots of people miss this one!

I have seen issues with high output alternators putting noise into systems. Personally, I do not use them at all.

Unfortunately, there are LOTS of miswired systems that did not follow good basic wiring 101. If I owned one it would drive me crazy, even if it was a noise only heard when the volume was off. A noise in the system (power whine, ground loops, etc) is like running fingers across the chalk board to me. I can't stand that. I would rather listen to Country music on two tin cans and a string (not really)