PopularMechanics082017

In the mid-2000s, standardised head units were replaced by integrated receivers. Then came USB and

Bluetooth connectivity. Yet, millions of vehicles out there predate these factory audio evolutions. How hard

is it to bring these beasts into the era of podcasts and streaming? I tested three approaches on three

audio systems, each from a distinct audio epoch, to find the best solutions. BY EZRA DYER

HOW TO

BLUETOOTH

AN OLD CAR

DRIVING

78 http://www.popularmechanics.co.za _ AUGUST 2017

THAT

BENTLEY

SOUND

In 2008, Bentley

recruited high-end

home-audio firm

Naim to design stu-

pendous automotive

audio systems.

Now, the relationship

comes full-circle

with the Mu-so Qb

home sound system,

Naim speakers that

carry the Bentley

logo. Why buy a

Bentley-branded Qb

sound system?

Because you want

to remember you’ve

got a Bentley, even

when you’re in your

sunken living room

sipping Cristal,

that’s why. The

exact same speakers

without the logo are

R1 300 cheaper, if

you’d rather spend

that money to fill up

the Bentayga.

CHALLENGE 1
Someone
stole my Alpine.
Dual XDM16BT receiver

• Okay, nobody stole my 1993
  SUV’s stereo. It just doesn’t work,
  and I’ve never bothered to replace
  it. Because then I’d worry about
  someone stealing it. Head units are
  around R5 000, right? They were
  when I last bought one in the ’90s.
  Well, deflation has hit the head-unit
  business same as TVs and solar
  panels. I bought a Dual XDM16BT
  Bluetooth receiver at Walmart for all
  of R250. After some light wire-strip-
  ping and crimping, it works. But
  only out of the right front speaker,
  because all the others are either
  shorted out or not hooked up. There
  are some fitment issues I need to
  take care of, and I should probably
  tidy up that rat’s nest of wires that I
  stuffed back inside the dash.


• Verdict: Installation is less intimi-
  dating than it sounds.

CHALLENGE 2

Add Bluetooth to

an AUX plug.

Anker SoundSync Drive

• The Clarion head unit in my boat
  dates to 2008, when auxiliary audio
  plugs were common, but Bluetooth
  was not. If I wanted to crank “I’m
  Shipping Up to Boston” from the
  captain’s chair, I’d have to physically
  plug in my phone, which meant
  removing the case and hoping it
  wouldn’t slide off the dash and into
  the sea’s merciless, icy clutches.
  Anker’s SoundSync Drive transmits
  Bluetooth audio into the AUX jack,
  so I can keep my phone pocketed.
  Excellent. But the Anker requires
  power, which is a problem, since a
  vehicle without Bluetooth almost
  certainly lacks a USB port. You can
  use a 12-volt USB adaptor plugged
  into your car’s lighter, or do what I
  did and Velcro a cheap USB battery
  nearby.


• Verdict: Power issue solved, and
  the old Clarion has new life.

CHALLENGE 3

You never had a

stereo in the first

place.

UE Wonderboom

• If you, too, have a vehicle with no
  stereo whatsoever, your best course
  of action is a battery-powered
  Bluetooth speaker. Better yet, two
  of them. The Ultimate Ears Wonder-
  boom is about the size of a grape-
  fruit and disproportionately loud. It
  lasts about ten hours between
  charges, and is waterproof, which
  makes it well suited to old Jeeps or
  other cars with hose-it-out interiors.
  Hanging one from the rearview mir-
  ror is a jaunty way to go, but I, once
  again, resorted to Velcro, mounting
  one on each side of the dash, no
  wiring required.


• Verdict: Just remember to put it
  in the boot when you park.

PHOTOGRAPH BY JEREMY LANGE