IO bluetooth 3.5mm adaptor

Big Nick

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After purchasing a Sena bluetooth helmet set which features stereo wireless music streaming the next hurdle was to get the music from the Zumo 550 transmitted in a stereo format as to swop to a Zumo 660 would cost me around £150.

I bought a IO bluetooth 3.5mm adaptor from Amazon for £28 which seemed quite cheap, my reason for picking this one over others was the fact it comes with a 12V socket and can be charged whilst in use and its very small and unobtrusive.

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This effectively means you're never without use of the device because the internal battery has run out (this is also a feature of the Sena).
I'd previously fitted a Touratwat instrument surround on my bikes dash with 12V and BMW sized accessory sockets linked direct to the battery so access to power is easy.

Pairing the IO is very easy, a 2 second press of the on/off button puts it in pairing mode and a 5 second press on the Sena means set up took all of 10 seconds!

Once paired I plugged the IO into the music/nav prompt output socket in the 550 mount and.............success!.
The music quality is top notch (for a bike set-up) and in full stereo and seems pretty loud so ok for earplug wearers. The Nav prompts also come through the Sena.

The only drawback is the lack of microphone thus the phone capability is lost if you have your phone bluetoothed to your 550.
To be honest this is no issue to me as I prefer not to take phonecalls whilst riding the bike but can have this facility by linking my iPhone direct to the Sena, this also gives you access to the iPhones Ipod music which is also crystal clear through the Sena. The trade off with this though is the loss of the Nav audio prompts.

The units not advertised as waterproof but I think a bit of sellophane and its shielded position behind the Zumo and screen should be fine.

Battery life is so far untested but I'm reckoning on around 5-6 hours which would cover a days ride for me.

Amazon don't seem to stock the device anymore but it can be picked up online for around £35

Definately a recommended product when used with a 550 for someone wanting wireless stereo music :thumb2
 


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