Parrot MKi9000 Advanced Bluetooth hands-free car kit for iPod

Short version: I'm a very happy user of the Parrot MKi9000 hands-free car kit. Long version: After trying cheaper bluetooth products based on FM radio transmitters and such for my older 2004 Honda Pilot, I finally needed to find a higher quality solution that would work correctly all the time. Looking at various hands-free kits, I settled on the Parrot MKi9000. As I was doing the installation myself, I also bought the Metra BT-1721-A Aftermarket Bluetooth Integration Harness for Honda/Acura 1998 and Up available from Amazon as well. Self installation was a bit of a challenge. First, loosening and removal of the headboard and dashboard panels on my Pilot to install the microphone and route it to the center console was not easy and probably outside the capabilities of most people. Without access to the service manual for the vehicle installation would have been too difficult for me. Second, the Parrot and the integration harness came with very sparse documentation. Clearly the manufacturer assumed most people would pursue professional installation. However, with the harness, it's not too difficult to figure out how things should connect to the existing radio. Everything just plugs together without a single wire needing to be cut. Wiring the Parrot was the easiest part of the job, messing with the dashboard panels without damaging them was the hardest. Also, in addition to the microphone, the auxiliary inputs to the Parrot need to be routed to a convenient location -- the center console in my case. Once installed, the Parrot unit works perfectly. It immediately sync'd with my iPhone's phonebook and speaks the names on incoming calls. People on the other end of a call can hear me loud and clear. The unit will properly silence my radio on incoming calls or when I'm listening to music or audiobooks on my iPhone. In addition to bluetooth connectivity which is great for short car trips, it does have three auxiliary ports: iPod/iPhone, USB and standard audio jack. The iPod/iPhone port will let me keep my phone charged on long trips and utilizes the full audio capabilities of the iPod interface. The USB interface is cool in that it lets you throw some MP3 audio files on a USB flash drive for listening while driving. The audio jack will plug into any headphone connector so any device will play audio through the Parrot on your car speakers. Overall, I'm very pleased with the Parrot MKi9000. With it, it's as if my older Pilot included Bluetooth as an OEM solution. I'm also happy I opted for the simpler Parrot model as I don't need the display on the higher end units. The voice based menu system is perfect for my needs.

I have a 2 year old low-end Japanese car. I primarily wanted a real (not Mickey Mouse) safe hands-free device to work with my iphone 4 - one that I don't have to remember to charge or plug in or switch on and off and with good sound quality. However, my kids and I also like to listen to ipod music. I didn't want to replace the simple factory radio (no aux, USB, bluetooth) with some gaudy, difficult to use or expensive after market radio; and then what would I do with the old radio? I was somewhat skeptical of the Parrot solution as it involves some added complexity over a simple change of radio. I decided on the Mki9000 because its the simplest for what I needed - I didn't need the added distraction of another LCD screen. I bought this directly from Amazon and a matching wiring harness from Crutchfield (they provide good tech support in case you need it). I did the installation myself with extensive internet research - you really have to have a technological bent and a lot of perseverance. It took even more research after installing it to learn how to best use it. The documentation is very minimal and there's 0 tech support. I was able to get some info from the Parrot UK forum where Parrot is more popular. At the end of the day I got a much more than I expected out of this solution - very good audio, low-noise hands-free calling with voice recognition, ipod music, streaming, turn-by-turn directions using the Navigon GPS app and Pandora radio streaming on bluetooth audio, iphone charger, etc. I even did a firmware upgrade to v1.91 by connecting a USB thumb drive. There are some modes of operation and features I haven't even got to trying or discovering. And I'm in control of all this from the remote on my steering wheel or from my iphone with voice commands. Its not 100% perfect and not for grandma's car or for the technically challenged but overall an amazing device! Doesn't seem like this product has sold a lot in the US but I see that the price went up $10 since I bought it and perhaps the downside of a positive review is that it may drive the price up further.

Installed this Parrot kit in my 2011 Mazda MX-5. Hands free calling and Bluetooth audio streaming works excellent with my iphone 4. When I get a phone call, the Parrot will speak the name of who is calling and ask if I want to Accept or not. I can take calls without ever touching a button or grabbing my phone. Audio quality for calls is good. My callers can hear me loud and clear. I drive a convertible with softtop so there is a good amount of background noise, yet this hands free kit works very well. I can control my music from the little remote which I mounted on the center console. Starting Bluetooth audio streaming is super easy: just turn the dail until you hear bluetooth audio, push the dial button in and audio streaming resumes playing whatever you had playing on your iphone last. What also works well is switching audio between hands free and private: this morning I was on a call while walking to my car, as I stepped into my car and turned the ignition on, the parrot kicked in and transferred the audio to my hands free without the need for me to hit any button. Also pleased with the voice recognition. Making a phone call requires me just to push the green call button, than I say the name of who I want to call and the Parrot recognized every name I have said. I opted for this model versus the ones with the display as I wanted this carkit to be as invisible as possible. I have not felt the need for the display as the Parrot tells me who is calling, and I can see songs playing on my iphone screen. The install was not easy! It took me about 5 hours to figure out how the open up the head unit in my Mazda. Obviously every car is different. If you are an engineer or have good technical/mechanical skills you can do this. If opening up a coffee maker and fixing it freaks you out, if you would not open up a laptop to replace the hard drive, than this is NOT FOR YOU to do yourselve! My install finished beautifully but unless I was careful I could have broken pieces of car interior, broken cables/plugs, permanently broken my car radio,... Also I used a quick connect harness which made the cabling plug and play. I would have never been able to do this myself without the harness. Harness models are listed on the US Parrot site under "support - installation diagrams".

This is V3 of the Parrot MKI9000 for iPod. For me, that is the key, for iPod. The Parrot web-site shows the unit coming with 3 connectors 1)iPod (<duh>), 2) USB, and 3) 3mm headset; plus it has Bluetooth. The Bluetooth works flawlessly. And the Bluetooth test calls with the vehicle stopped, engine off are fantastic. With the car running, sun-roof open, or air-conditioning running, the audio the other person hears has background noise (<duh>, given the microphone is 18"-24" from your head, and on the windshield getting pounded by air movement, I'm satisfied. The dis-satisfaction is the unit advertised for iPod doesn't connect to the iPod except by blue-tooth; is different than the one shown on the Parrot web-site. If the unit was advertised as Parrot MKI9000 - Bluetooth, then it is pretty good. If the unit was advertised as Parrott for Android, it would be pretty good. But its not. A reasonable person would expect an iPod connection. The software menu calls for it. As you press the center button, and turn the dial for menus: iPOD, USB, headset (as in 3 cable options.) So we have a miss-match, this unit doesn't connect to an iPod. To some of the other posters: Installation: for a GMC, very easy. Took 15-30 minutes. Suggest you buy the bose GMC cable for quick install. It is easy, it is fast. Bluetooth, works as advertised, sort of - Bluetooth phone, works every time. If there is a lag for the first time connection, it isn't much, and not an issue. - Bluetooth audio. Have not gotten this to work. Not on 3 androids nor 2 iPods. Wasn't important to me, but a real disappointment - Speakers: if I plug in via the 3mm headset to get audio, maybe it works with the front speakers, but it is fine. Not a problem for me. While it might be pushing some limit of the device/audio, it is fine quality. And yes, if the radio has been muted while your playing music, some of the GM notifications via audio might not come thru, like your blinkers. The real surprise to me was discovering GMC (a while ago) that I had a radio issue, and wasn't hearing blinkers because there is no blinker clicker, but the alerts are wav files played thru the radio. Took GM 3 months to diagnose the clicker issue was in the radio, and no clicker. - Support, you need to find the right Parrot phone number. A dealer gave me a number that rang busy for weeks. With the right number they were on it, but a miss-mash of opinions on where is the iPod connector you show as part of the kit, and why no direct connectivity to the iPod as a reasonable person would believe. - Remote, not sure I'm impressed with having a tiny battery in it, and if your car does turn into an oven, it might be a problem. But its cold where we are, so not sure I'll ever see such a concern till summer. Hopefully a helpful review. If this did indeed connect to an iPod vs being a generic Bluetooth, I wouldn't have returned it.

Bluetooth pairing works great. Phone call quality is excellent. One of the main reasons I order this unit was to do bluetooth music streaming. Only after having the product professionally installed by BestBuy, I learnt that I was able stream music from my smartphone with my factory car stereo turned off. The volume knob and bass setting on your car stereo have nothing to do with the Parrot. That's when I discovered the Parrot actually just taps into your speakers when it takes over. This means if you have a nice stereo or external amplifier, don't count on your bluetooth music going there. I'm not sure what's the amplifier rating but I can tell you for sure the output on the Parrot (designed for voice I presume) isn't going to provide much kick your speakers. I wish someone had told me this before ordering and having it professionally installed. I might have seriously considered the iSimple Tranzit Blu.