The Clarion BLT370 Bluetooth® Receiver is perhaps the best option for anyone who is considering upgrading an upgrade to their car stereo. Essentially, it is a Bluetooth transceiver (transmitter-receiver) which connects to the Auxilliary input of your exsiting car stereo. It supports 3 Bluetooth profiles, namely Handset (or Handsfree), A2DP and AVRCP.

The handsfree profile allows it to pair with your mobile phone so that you can make and receive calls wirelessly in your car. A built-in microphone picks up your voice, while the voice of the other party is played over your car speakers. At the same time, the BLT 370 can also pair with a music device which supports the high-quality Bluetooth audio protocol, A2DP. Many mobile phones today also support this which means you can use your mobile phone for phone calls and music streaming with the BLT 370. The AVRCP profile allows the device to intelligently pause your music and switch to Handsfree mode when you place or receive a call while listening to music.

I have paired mine with my Motorola V3XX mobile phone and 4th generation Apple iPod Photo. I had to purchase a Sony Bluetooth Wireless Transmitter for iPod dongle to allow my music to be streamed via Bluetooth from my iPod. While there are many Bluetooth dongles available the small size of the dongle appealed to me. Plus, it does not need to be charged separately as it draws what little power it needs from the iPod battery itself.

If you are comfortable with messing with the electronics in your car, you can probably hook this device up yourself. I got mine installed from Quest Audio in Subang Jaya, for a mere RM 380 including installation. The sound quality is as good as what my in-dash 6-disc CD changer produces. Another plus point is that I can easily pass my iPod to a passenger sitting in the rear seat and they can wirelessly control the music in the car right from the iPod.

So if you are thinking of upgrading your car sound system, give the Clarion BLT 370 a serious thought. You will be glad you did.