Is A2DP backwards-compatible to regular bluetooth?
- Thread starter Leskid
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johnny80s
Turtle Gears
If it connects it will do it based on the older protocol. I think that means no stereo sound.
ffejtable
Well-known member
No. Bluetooth is fairly complicated, but the key here is that A2DP is a specific Bluetooth "Profile" type. If the new GPS _only_ does A2DP then the device you are pairing it with must also support that profile. If I am not mistaken, A2DP is only one way transmission of sound, typically for the purpose of music streaming. To the best of my knowledge it can not be used for pairing with a cellphone for the purpose of hands free calling. That would reqiure supporting the Headset Profile or Hands-Free Profile.
Wikipedia actually has a great article about Bluetooth Profiles, and I would highly recommend reading that page (or at least part of it). Just search for "Bluetooth profiles". I am new here and unsure of the linking policy so I haven't included a direct link.
Bluetooth profiles are independent of the Bluetooth version (1.1, 1.2, 2.0) being used.
Checkswrecks
Well-known member
Agreed. The Chatterbox XBi2 is A2DP to get stereo and intercom range (we use it bike-bike) and pretty cool but it won't talk to Chatterbox's own XBi or with any other non-A2DP devices.
ffejtable
Well-known member
A2DP was for the Stereo streaming. The increased range is achieved by becoming a class 1 device, rather than class 2. The classes dictate how much transmit power the device is capable of. A2DP did not increase the range. As for why the XBi and XBi2 wont talk with one another, I am not sure. Class 1 may not be "backwards" compatible with class 2 devices, I am not sure. A2DP is stereo one-way streaming, so the intercom is likely using a different Bluetooth profile for that functionality.
johnny80s
Turtle Gears
Just because the GPS has the A2DP standard does not mean it won't do regular bluetooth too. In this case since the gps has good chance of getting hooked up to an older device it might be backward compatible too. Leskid what GPS and helmet are we talking about?
Still confused. 4 or 5 very nice & helpful tech support guys at Garmin coulnd't figure out why the my NUVI 765T will pair-up to an A2DP device for MP3s and spoken directions from the nuvi but the phone will only play via the built-in speaker, which is useless for riding, of course. So back to the Zumo.
The Zumo 550 doesn't use A2DP and you can talk on the phone in your helmet, obviously. So the explanation that A2DP will only transmit and not receive kind of made sense.....
Except that newer Zumo 660 DOES use A2DP like my Nuvi765T and it says you can pair phone / Zumo / helmet and the phone calls will come through to your helmet, as they should. Whether or not this is accomplished via A2DP, I have no idea, which is what started me on this post.
funny though - the email below from Garmin tech support says they don't understand this themselves, lol
-Thank you for contacting Garmin International. I would be happy to assist you.
I was able to pair another headset with the device and my cellphone properly. It didn’t even try to send the audio from the phone call to the headset at all, at this point I do not think this is just your device. I will pass this on to my Senior Automotive Support specialists to make sure the software is supposed to be doing this but at this point it looks like it is going to stay that way. I do apologize for the inconvenience but it does look like its not just you with this issue. Let me know if you have any further questions.
Best Regards,
Dennis L.
Product Support Specialist
GARMIN International
+ 2001 NE 46th St Kansas City, MO 64116
) 1-800-800-1020
7 913-440-8280 Attn: Dennis L. KCNCC
8 [email protected]
The Zumo 550 doesn't use A2DP and you can talk on the phone in your helmet, obviously. So the explanation that A2DP will only transmit and not receive kind of made sense.....
Except that newer Zumo 660 DOES use A2DP like my Nuvi765T and it says you can pair phone / Zumo / helmet and the phone calls will come through to your helmet, as they should. Whether or not this is accomplished via A2DP, I have no idea, which is what started me on this post.
funny though - the email below from Garmin tech support says they don't understand this themselves, lol
-Thank you for contacting Garmin International. I would be happy to assist you.
I was able to pair another headset with the device and my cellphone properly. It didn’t even try to send the audio from the phone call to the headset at all, at this point I do not think this is just your device. I will pass this on to my Senior Automotive Support specialists to make sure the software is supposed to be doing this but at this point it looks like it is going to stay that way. I do apologize for the inconvenience but it does look like its not just you with this issue. Let me know if you have any further questions.
Best Regards,
Dennis L.
Product Support Specialist
GARMIN International
+ 2001 NE 46th St Kansas City, MO 64116
) 1-800-800-1020
7 913-440-8280 Attn: Dennis L. KCNCC
8 [email protected]
The GPS is a Nuvi 765T with A2DP.
My 'helmet' isn't a helmet (I actually have the Scala Q2 but given the history of issues with this unit, it's not part of my testing)
So to simulate the helmet, I used my motorola T505, which is an automotive hands-free speakerphone thingy (which is an A2DP audio device, so I believe the test results above are relevant)
squeezer
Squirrelly Geezer
The important thing there is that the 660 supports A2DP but not only A2DP. As ffejtable was saying, there are several Bluetooth profiles and Bluetooth devices may support some and not others. In fact, they can apparently support parts of some. I'm not too surprised (tho' amused) that Garmin was confused because, well, it's confusing.
And I can't still can't answer the Nuvi question.
ffejtable
Well-known member
Well a single device can support multiple profiles, simultaneously, so your Garmin should use A2DP for stereo streaming and either the hands free or headset profile for talking on the phone. Bluetooth is still plagues with interoperability issues between some devices, even when they support the right profiles, and this might be part of the problem you are having.
I myself have issues pairing my TomTom 720 (which will stream via A2DP) to my car stereo often, as I need to repair the two all the time for whatever reason, and pairing doesn't always work.
The motorola may or may not support the same profiles as the Scala Q2, so its not a safe assumption to say the test is relevant. I am not sure what the capabilities are of the Garmin are either, and honestly it doesn't surprise me that they don't either.
The garmin reps answer doesnt make sense to me. He says it paired but then didnt send audio. Chances are that you are speaking to one of several dozen support techs who provide support on dozens of devices. You may want to open a new ticket and simply ask what bluetooth profiles does the Garmin support. Chances are a google search will get you better results, as you likely aren't the first person that wanted to know the information. Sometimes its just knowing the right way to ask the question.
I know the Scala isnt stereo, so it might not even be A2DP. Although it might use A2DP and downmix it to mono, I am not sure. I have been researching intercom systems for a while now and they are getting better, none of them meet my needs. One key feature they need to add is the ability to expand the device to support FRS and/or CB radio. There are ways of doing this with the existing units, but its not cheap.
Will England
Member
If it only has the A2DP profile, then no.
It has to support the same profile as the helmet speakers. Mono is usually called HSP (Handsfree Speaker Phone). I certainly can see Garmin fouling that up and failing to support HSP.
Garmin is a complete fu**ing pain the ass about their Bluetooth profiles supported. I work for Sprint, trying to help customers with their phones and they won't tell me what profiles are supported so we can see if the phone would work with the GPS. "Proprietary Company Info". What fu**ing language your hardware talks is company proprietary? bullpickles.
Their suggestion? Buy one and see if it works. Asshats.
It has to support the same profile as the helmet speakers. Mono is usually called HSP (Handsfree Speaker Phone). I certainly can see Garmin fouling that up and failing to support HSP.
Garmin is a complete fu**ing pain the ass about their Bluetooth profiles supported. I work for Sprint, trying to help customers with their phones and they won't tell me what profiles are supported so we can see if the phone would work with the GPS. "Proprietary Company Info". What fu**ing language your hardware talks is company proprietary? bullpickles.
Their suggestion? Buy one and see if it works. Asshats.
ffejtable
Well-known member
BTW, after reading the other thread and a quick search, the answer is pretty simple. Your Garmin wants to stream music via A2DP and the Scala Q2 does not support this profile.
You comments about replacing the Scala with the Motorola being relevant, is in fact not, since one device supports A2DP and the other does not.
The new BlueAnt Interphone F4 is looking very appealing to me right about now, but it lacks 1 or 2 features I would really like to have that I expect will be available eventually.
You comments about replacing the Scala with the Motorola being relevant, is in fact not, since one device supports A2DP and the other does not.
The new BlueAnt Interphone F4 is looking very appealing to me right about now, but it lacks 1 or 2 features I would really like to have that I expect will be available eventually.
by relevant, I was referring only to the motorola* to get those results which Garmin reproduced. ie Nuvi sends out MP3s and spoken directions but no phone
The motorola T505 is A2DP with an FM tramsmitter. In the car, my blackberry pairs to it for handsfree speaker phone and stereo MP3s, then sends both to the car stereo via FM, pretty muss-free, I might add.
Since the motorola is supporting both those 'profiles' properly & simultaneously with my blackberry, the issue is that the Nuvi doesn't send the phone calls out to bluetooth. It pairs to your phone and the call stops there. What if someone calls you in your car and the window is down? You just can't use your phone with it via a bluetooth device, which I think is pretty stupid.
* I gave up on the Scala
