Parrot intros PMK5800 plug and play car kit

We love anything that comes a-packin' no muss, no fuss technology -- even more so when you can install it in a few seconds and don't need a toolkit to get the job done. Parrot's newest Bluetooth carkit, the PMK5800 consists of a single part which plugs directly into your car's 12V accessory socket or cigarette lighter. Using a built in FM transmitter (a la iTrip), the set will stream tunes via A2DP from your handset or your voice calls to your car's stereo deck to give you that auto-filling sound you love. When the phone rings, just hitting the FM preset you configure for the PMK5800 will automatically answer it and mute your music. While not an embedded kit, it packs all the goodies you would expect like DSP, echo and noise cancellation, full duplex sound, and voice recognition all in something that can go from car to car without effort. Look for these to land sometime this summer for about $120.

[Via PR Newswire]

[Erin Potter @ May 29th 2007 3:42PM]

This thing is F-U-G-L-Y!!!!

[Juan @ May 29th 2007 3:52PM]

"Using a built in FM transmitter (a la iTrip)"

Hopefully people don't need an "a la iTrip" to know what an FM transmitter is.

[teodoro @ May 29th 2007 4:26PM]

like most people don't need "ipod" to know that you're talking about an mp3 player, but then again peopole are morons.

[bethel03 @ May 29th 2007 3:54PM]

This is a great idea!!! I tried searching for a product like this about six months ago with no luck, knew it was only a matter of time before something came out. Those ear piece BT units just aren't loud enough for some car rides. Sign me up!!

[question @ May 29th 2007 4:40PM]

"When the phone rings, just hitting the FM preset you configure for the PMK5800 will automatically answer it and mute your music."


Is this saying that it can tell when you change radio stations to the one this is set to? How??

[Jonathon @ May 29th 2007 4:47PM]

Wonder how well it would work in my convertible (both top up and down).

While I thank Parrot for stepping up and making this available, I would much prefer most head units to begin offering integrated bluetooth (handsfree/headset and A2DP). I know, most likely a pipe-dream, but some of the higher end units are already doing it, so maybe its just a matter of time.

I'd really like to carry a mobile device (my phone) that carried a subset of my music (and possibly video as well) that would play on all of the different devices I come into contact with. Put on some wireless headphone and go for a run, then hop in my car and have it play over the stereo system, come home and it play over my home theater, etc. Again, dreaming...but since I'm dreaming. Have it do it in a standardized way too, so I'm not locked into a single companies products/services.

[Reginald @ May 29th 2007 5:59PM]

This is just what I was looking for -- a Bluetooth car kit that doesn't need to be installed in the dashboard -- until I learned the SPrint RAZR V3m doesn't support A2DP. Cool nonetheless.

[Matt O @ May 29th 2007 8:43PM]

I like the idea and would probably have purchased it if i didnt already have a bluetooth headset. However i dont like the idea of any of these speakerphone based handsfree devices because the whole car has to get quiet and can hear everything you say in the convo.