Bluetooth adapters for the Mac radio


PeteK

GT Owner
Mark II Lifetime
Apr 18, 2014
2,268
Kalama, Free part of WA State
I live in a densely populated area with very few open FM channels and agree about the sound quality. Bluetooth with AUX is the best transmission quality. Another tip: when playing music through Bluetooth, set your phone's volume around 90% and the music will be clearer than if it is set to 100%.

What he said. I discovered that a long time ago too. Setting the phone (at least the iPhones I've owned) to 100% overdrives the output circuits of the headphone amp, and causes distortion. I recall reading at some point several years ago that the iPhone uses some kind of dynamically adjusted equalization for the headphone amp to better match human hearing response as volume increases, so by definition, it "distorts" the output as volume increases. Based on my playing with the volume output through the Bluetooth connection, I'm pretty sure the same equalization is applied to that output too. In fact, I think 80% volume sounds more natural than 90%.
 

nautoncall

GT Owner
Mark II Lifetime
Apr 6, 2014
1,093
The one I referred to sounds great. Good as other cars I have with Aux and you can Bluetooth phone calls. I just bought 3 more for my other cars it sounds so good.


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roketman

GT Owner
Mark IV Lifetime
Oct 24, 2005
7,995
ma.
Im giving it a try! Thanks!
 

KJRGT

GT Owner
Mark II Lifetime
May 4, 2006
2,840
SoCal
Mine should arrive soon.
 

sdgt

Member
Aug 28, 2016
14
Friend of mine just installed the same bluetooth to his and now the passenger speakers do not work. Ordered a new JL module.
 

NorthwoodGT

GT Owner
Jun 12, 2009
1,215
Michigan
I bought this to try. Works great. Mutes the radio for calls, makes calls, and music sounds great. Very impressed. I just ordered 2 more for other vehicles! Yes I do like my Mac especially with pandora!

50373c32542693b7ef7a320b0b9f9cc8.png



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I purchased this one and it works great! let it come up to a frequency on it's screen and turn your radio to the same frequency. BAM! you have bluetooth Ford SYNC in your GT. you can listen and talk over the speakers in the car. when you hear your phone ring, just push the phone button on the unit. also will play your pre-recorded music from a flash drive that you use in your SYNC vehicle. cool beans for the cheap price.
 

PeteK

GT Owner
Mark II Lifetime
Apr 18, 2014
2,268
Kalama, Free part of WA State
Sheesh--amazing what you can get for $16.99.
 

NorthwoodGT

GT Owner
Jun 12, 2009
1,215
Michigan
Sheesh--amazing what you can get for $16.99.
leave it to our friends in Asia!
 

nautoncall

GT Owner
Mark II Lifetime
Apr 6, 2014
1,093
[emoji106][emoji106]


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bonehead

GT Owner
Mark II Lifetime
Aug 18, 2012
2,814
Houston, TX
I purchased this one and it works great! let it come up to a frequency on it's screen and turn your radio to the same frequency. BAM! you have bluetooth Ford SYNC in your GT. you can listen and talk over the speakers in the car. when you hear your phone ring, just push the phone button on the unit. also will play your pre-recorded music from a flash drive that you use in your SYNC vehicle. cool beans for the cheap price.

Main problem with these is finding a dead station. I have a similar unit. 9/10 times, I'll just give up because I can't find a frequency that will transmit the sound without a lot of background noise/static.
 

FGT899

GT Owner
Mark II Lifetime
Dec 10, 2013
300
Phoenix, AZ
I tried this one out last week. While it’s not perfectly static free at very low volume, it sounds pretty good otherwise. Well worth it if you want a cheap alternative.
fcf08e59ece9a0b00c922ac180f772b9.jpg
 

Special K

GT Owner
Mark IV Lifetime
Aug 23, 2016
1,775
Franklinton, LA
Main problem with these is finding a dead station. I have a similar unit. 9/10 times, I'll just give up because I can't find a frequency that will transmit the sound without a lot of background noise/static.

Totally agree, I gave up on fm modulators long ago. If the FCC would designate a “dead” frequency, the problem would be solved. We all know that won’t happen, so we’ll have to wait until radio stations go off the air.


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PeteK

GT Owner
Mark II Lifetime
Apr 18, 2014
2,268
Kalama, Free part of WA State
Update everyone. Because it makes logical sense to collect our information on this topic on this titled thread, I'll cross-post a reply I put on the thread "Updates to your 2005-2006 Ford GT--What have you done lately?"

My MBT-RX gave up yesterday. I got 5+ years use out of it, so I'm not disappointed. First I have to pull out the radio and make sure it was the MBT RX that failed, and not the connector or fuse. Now I just have to find those DIN removal keys that I put away "somewhere safe..."

Before I used the MBT RX, I had a twin-RCA-to-3.5-cable plugged in too (plus a 3.5-to-iphone adapter). I fed it out through the slot beside the radio on the passenger side, and when not in use, I just stuffed it back in there where you wouldn't see it. When I installed the MBT RX, I put it in the same place, so you could see the little blue power light on it if you were sitting on the passenger side.

I'll update again when I find the problem, and with any other changes I make.
 
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Vmax

Member
Oct 6, 2017
7
Tampa, FL
I just stumbled across this thread due to your update. Definitely something I need to do to the car, unless there's a better high quality bluetooth solution for present day?
 

PeteK

GT Owner
Mark II Lifetime
Apr 18, 2014
2,268
Kalama, Free part of WA State
Well, it's been 5 years, so there are probably other products out there now. I can only speak for the MBT-RX.
 

GT Venum

GT Owner
Mark II Lifetime
Dec 4, 2010
325
Wisconsin
Update everyone. Because it makes logical sense to collect our information on this topic on this titled thread, I'll cross-post a reply I put on the thread "Updates to your 2005-2006 Ford GT--What have you done lately?"

My MBT-RX gave up yesterday. I got 5+ years use out of it, so I'm not disappointed. First I have to pull out the radio and make sure it was the MBT RX that failed, and not the connector or fuse. Now I just have to find those DIN removal keys that I put away "somewhere safe..."

Before I used the MBT RX, I had a twin-RCA-to-3.5-cable plugged in too (plus a 3.5-to-iphone adapter). I fed it out through the slot beside the radio on the passenger side, and when not in use, I just stuffed it back in there where you wouldn't see it. When I installed the MBT RX, I put it in the same place, so you could see the little blue power light on it if you were sitting on the passenger side.

I'll update again when I find the problem, and with any other changes I make.
When you have it apart can you take a few photos on how it all gets connected?
 

roketman

GT Owner
Mark IV Lifetime
Oct 24, 2005
7,995
ma.
I bought this to try. Works great. Mutes the radio for calls, makes calls, and music sounds great. Very impressed. I just ordered 2 more for other vehicles! Yes I do like my Mac especially with pandora!

50373c32542693b7ef7a320b0b9f9cc8.png



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Been using this one for years! Works great
 

PeteK

GT Owner
Mark II Lifetime
Apr 18, 2014
2,268
Kalama, Free part of WA State
When you have it apart can you take a few photos on how it all gets connected?
I have to find my removal tools first. However, it's not complicated. the RCA plugs go into the RCA jacks on the back of the radio. The hardest part is finding the switched 12v wire to the radio, which is black, IIRC.
 
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intence

Member
Feb 27, 2009
20
i use this cheap fm bluetooth transmitter and its surprisingly better than i imagined. https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07F2RTN5Z/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1
 
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twobjshelbys

GT Owner
Jul 26, 2010
6,053
Las Vegas, NV
We had one of the fm adapter things and found on cross country trips that it would conflict with local broadcast stations and we were constantly changing it. Was fine for local use