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The installation video says you plug it into your car's smart port, be it USB-C or USB-A, with the other USB-C end going into The Magic Box. It includes an 8-inch premium braided cloth USB-A to USB-C cable and a USB-C to USB-C cable. The Magic Box takes about 20 seconds to load and displays a fun animation screen. It warns you not to use the dongle while in motion, and then deposits you in a configuration screen. The Magic Box runs Android itself, and thus has its own settings you must use—like setting it up to use Wi-Fi from your home, or when parked by the coffee shop, or off of your phone’s mobile hotspot while you’re on the road. Note 1.3: Non-1st-Time Use: Merely powering on WILL NOT get it into pairing mode, you'll need to do so manually. Please either refer to the brand list below or refer to your Headphone/Speaker's user manual. You also can search on Google. E.g. “Bose QC35 Bluetooth Pairing Mode” Then I found out about wireless CarPlay dongles. They plug into your car's smart USB-A or USB-C port. Normally, whichever smartphone plugs into it will then display on the screen. The wireless dongle is a go-between; it connects your smartphone to the dashboard via Bluetooth and Wi-Fi. So you can get in the car and start rolling—no need to plug in. Ottocast says the U2-Air works with 600+ car models from 2016 on, except for some Sony aftermarket head units. Its boot time is rated at 18 seconds, and it defaults to 5GHz Wi-Fi. This model only works with iPhones running IOS 10 and up. Unlike some of the other vendors in this roundup, Ottocast has actual offices in the US, but that doesn’t mean the device arrives in the mail any faster.
It is an audio adapter and recognized as a USB sound card / USB speaker when plugged in. No Bluetooth icon will appear on PC.While you’ll find the BTD-400’s operating support fairly extensive, when it comes to consoles, things aren’t so impressive. Unlike other adapters in our selection, the Kinivo won’t work as a Bluetooth adapter to manage your wireless headset for PlayStation, Xbox, or Switch. You can, however, use any Bluetooth-enabled console controller with the BTD-400 if it is connected to a PC or laptop. The strongest selling point of the ZEXMTE Long Range USB Bluetooth 5.0 adapter is its incredible range. As a Class 1 Bluetooth 5.0 adapter, you can expect coverage of up to 328 feet (100m) at speeds of up to 3Mbps. ZEXMTE’s adapter employs an anti-interference ability that ignores the 2.4GHz frequency, avoiding any issues involving wireless traffic to ensure a stable connection. Thanks to its AptX Low Latency and EDR support, streaming audio to your devices should remain lag-free, even at distance. Time Use: It'll automatically enter pairing mode. The LED indicator will rapidly Flash BLUE and White alternatively ELIMINATE AUDIO DELAYS - Having your audio out-of-sync with your game or video is really frustrating. You can eliminate the issue with the C81, which is aptX Low Latency certified. Lag is reduced to less than 40ms, 5x shorter than standard Bluetooth and virtually unnoticeable. Now you can enjoy gaming or watching a movie with real-time audio synchronization.
Carlinkit’s U2W Plus, sometimes also called the Carlinkit 3.0, is one of the most advertised CarPlay-only dongles out there. The company also sells a combo CarPlay+Android Auto device called the 4.0, and the A2A for Android Auto-only use, among other devices. The 3.0 is rated to work with the iPhone 6 on up running iOS 10 on up, and in any car with factory-wired CarPlay except BMWs. Note 1.4: It is important to turn your cellphone, PC or any other previously paired-with devices' Bluetooth function off to avoid interference. The pairing / connection via Bluetooth is between the C81 and your Bluetooth headphones / speaker, not the PC. To stress the point, the DG80 is an audio-only Bluetooth adapter, which means it won’t connect with anything other than headsets, soundbars, or speakers. Specialized support for AptX Low Latency and FastStream work great with compatible devices to keep your audio lag-free and beyond CD quality, making the DG80 a brilliant go-to for wireless audio in the home. Headphone / Speaker 1st-Time Use: The Headphone/Speaker should enter pairing mode automatically when powered on.I say most, because I was told by the vendor upon requesting the device that “Magic Box doesn’t have 100% compatibility with Honda.” That could be a problem since I’m testing with a 2018 Honda CR-V. “But most of the time, it works,” they said. So why not try it? If you still can't get C81 pair with your bluetooth headphones/speakers, please try to Factory reset C81and your devices and then pair them again as above. With both devices in pairing mode, give them a few seconds. Once connected, the indicator on C81 will turn Solid Blue (in music mode) Most cars, if they support wired CarPlay, probably also support Android Auto (or vice versa, depending on how you roll). Obviously, not all dongles do that. The OttoCast U2-X does, and at a reasonable price. It's nice to have a dongle that supports both if you have a family that crosses the mobile OS streams. It includes a 12-inch USB-A to USB-C cable and a USB-C to USB-C cable. The U2-X is rated for any vehicle with wired CarPlay from 2016 on, but not for BMWs or Sony aftermarket head units.
Compatible with all major consoles, along with both Windows and Mac computers, the Avantree DG80 is an audio-only Bluetooth 5.0 adapter with good coverage for headsets and speakers. Able to reach devices at up to 65 feet (20 meters) indoors and 100 feet (30m) via line of sight, the Avantree DG80 is a fantastic wireless solution for your audio needs. From the Cplay2Air interface on the dash, you can choose between different iPhones if multiple people have them and are all vying for control. Then the screen switches over to CarPlay. Your iPhone treats this as a new instance of CarPlay, so if you have the icons pre-arranged, you’ll have to arrange them again in Settings > General > CarPlay. Note 1.2: Non-1st Time Use: Press & Hold the MFB button on C81 until the LED indicator starts flashing BLUE and White alternatively
Anker USB-C to 3.5mm Audio Adapter
A few caveats before you get started: Your phone can't be connected to other Bluetooth devices, not even the hands-free option for your car’s infotainment system—I had to delete my phone’s existing entry. It also can't be connected to another Wi-Fi network, which is difficult if you've got a strong signal from the house that reaches your driveway. The Cplay2Air works with the iPhone 6 and up, and you can plug it into a USB-C port if you buy your own converter cable.
One end has a USB-C port, and the other end has a USB-A port—but the latter is only for offline upgrades, so ignore it. The box contains two cables, one C-to-C and another C-to-A; to get started, plug the USB-C end into the Carlinkit 3.0 and the other end into whatever port you have on your dash or head unit. The Kinivo BTD-400 supports a wide number of platforms including Windows (Vista and later), macOS (10.3.9 or later), Linux (Ubuntu, Mint, and Fedora), and any Raspberry Pi running Raspbian. Using Bluetooth 4.0 LE, the BTD-400 has a range of 33 feet (10m) and can reach speeds of 1MBps. To use Android Auto, for once, you don’t need an app, but it does require phones to run Android 11 or higher. The Wireless Android Auto feature must be activated in the Android Auto app. Then when the interface for the U2-X appears on the dash, you must double-tap an icon on the lower left. That is not at all clear on the interface and I wouldn’t have copped to it had I not found it in the manual. We have tested eight devices, and the experience with each was similar. What they all share is that once you have your phone connected, you’ll appreciate the ease of wireless CarPlay or Android Auto. But you'll also notice a slight lag from hitting a button on the screen to when it responds (for example, when pausing a song) compared with using the direct wired connection.HASSLE-FREE SET UP - Get wireless Bluetooth audio streaming in no time with the C81. Simply plug it into your device’s USB-C port, set your headphones or speakers to pairing mode, and an automatic connection will be made. No driver or software installation is needed! A converter cable is included if you prefer to use the USB-A port instead.
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