Hama Bluetooth speakerphone with AUX output

Modern cars have a serious multimedia system, but it is not too common for older vehicles that the head unit in them is Bluetooth-capable. Replacing the radio/MP3 player is not necessarily a cost-effective solution, but there is also a cheap way to connect the mobile phone and the head unit with a Bluetooth connection. Hama’s Bluetooth speakerphone with item number 14167 is one of the best solutions for this purpose.

External

Although the product is officially called a hands-free speaker, this time we feel that the name is a baroque exaggeration, since the gadget actually only functions as a connecting element between the phone and the car system: it appears to the mobile as a Bluetooth speaker, and the incoming digital signal comes via the AUX output (jack output). reaches the head unit of the car.
The structure itself is a small box that can be placed almost anywhere in the car with the help of the included self-adhesive Velcro. Care must be taken to ensure that the two-ended cable sticking out of it reaches its destination: the USB connector – which is responsible for the power supply – must, not surprisingly, be plugged into a USB port, and the jack connector must be logically connected to the car radio. Old cars don’t even have a USB connector, but that’s not an obstacle: the gadget comes with an adapter that, when plugged into the cigarette lighter, immediately equips the car with two USB-A connectors. The speakerphone only uses one of these, so you can safely use the other connector to charge your phone. The only disadvantage of the adapter is that it only supports the normal voltage of 5 volts, so fast charging is not possible. However, there is nothing wrong with using the speakerphone with another USB charger, if you already have one at home.

The speakerphone has two buttons on the front and on the right side. The larger button on the front panel is used to manage calls and change the connection settings, while the smaller ones can be used to enhance the bass. If the latter function is active, the button’s LED lights up. The two smaller buttons on the side are used to adjust the volume and to move between tracks – however, it is definitely more convenient to control the volume using the car radio. There is also a microphone on the front panel, which, due to its greater sensitivity, offers better quality than the built-in microphones of most phones.

During use

Installing the widget is not complicated; if we have found a place for it in the car and connected the cables, the LED of the call management button on the front panel will flash to indicate that the device is ready for pairing. All we have to do is to connect to it with the mobile – in the usual way (BT61 is the name of the device in the list). If we are satisfied with this, from now on the sound of the phone will be heard through the car system, and incoming calls can be recorded not only with the mobile phone, but also with the help of the speakerphone. In the optimal case, the car’s cigarette lighter receives power only after ignition; in this case, the gadget is of course always automatically connected to the phone. Alternatively, if the car radio has a USB port, we can also use it – so it is absolutely certain that the device only receives power when the radio is also switched on.

During the test, Hama’s device worked perfectly without any problems. The fact that the movement of the buttons is not very sophisticated, there is also dead play, but considering the price, we can turn a blind eye. The self-adhesive solution is also sufficiently strong, there is no need to fear that the speakerphone might fall out of its place due to a lot of pressure.

However, the volume was low by default – at least compared to what the same head unit provided with radio broadcasts or music played from a USB stick. However, when adjusting the (head unit), it was two moves to compensate. The hands-free speaker’s bass enhancement function gives average quality – however, be careful not to use this function of the car radio and the hands-free speaker at the same time.