How best to listen to smartphone audio files while driving

[RunningBum]

How are your $10 speakers? If not good enough, I'd look at the Amazon Basics speaker for around $29. Not worth upgrading your car if you aren't planning to keep it long, IMO. I use that Amazon speaker to improve my laptop sound, music on the deck, and on the go.

 

[Jerry1]

Is it legal to drive with ear buds in? Of course, you don't want them to be so loud that you can't hear the outside noise for safety reasons, but playing your music loud is a problem no matter how it's transmitted. Until Bluetooth got good, I used to use ear buds when I had a conference call that I would take in the car. I could hear better and people could hear me better through the ear bud mic than the one in the car. Now, the quality is much better so I use Bluetooth or plug in to a USB port.

 

[omni550]

How are your $10 speakers? If not good enough, I'd look at the Amazon Basics speaker for around $29. Not worth upgrading your car if you aren't planning to keep it long, IMO. I use that Amazon speaker to improve my laptop sound, music on the deck, and on the go.

I'm wondering if I left them at my Florida condo? (I likely took them there planning on using them poolside or at the beach). A quick check here hasn't produced them. I'll give it a day or two, if they don't 'surface' I'll order a low-cost (<$30) bluetooth speaker from Amazon.

omni

 

[pb4uski]

Thanks, Senator.

I just found this #1 bestseller on Amazon (rated 4.5 stars with 22,179 reviews). https://www.amazon.com/dp/B010OYASRG/ref=psdc_7073956011_t2_B073BVWRSP

Sounds like it might fit the bill. When not in the vehicle (where I can even stick it in the cupholder), it can be used at home paired with the echo Dot, or I can take it poolside or beachside for tunes/podcasts/audiobooks. (It's sort of funny -- one of the very positive reviews was by a UPS driver. This unit has a 'big brother' for a few bucks more that got a very favorable review from a USPS driver.)

omni

I have an OontZ Angle and like it, but DD got me an Ecogear bluetooth speaker for Christmas last year and I prefer the Ecogear... smaller size and water-resistant... I also use it to listen to the news in the shower.

 

[omni550]

I have an OontZ Angle and like it, but DD got me an Ecogear bluetooth speaker for Christmas last year and I prefer the Ecogear... smaller size and water-resistant... I also use it to listen to the news in the shower.

Is it the Ecogear Pebble Lite model? Or another?

omni

 

[harley]

Well, I listened to about an hour's worth of a book with this setup. It sounded good (and loud enough) except there's a perceptible high-pitched hissing sound that got tiresome. I don't think this will work for me on a long drive.

omni

That's the same problem I've always had with those cassette adapters. Personally I'd go with earbuds. I can hear through them at least as well as I can when I'm blasting my music. Plus you're going to be on the interstate, so there's very little to be listening for. You'll hear the sirens or the air horns just fine. Especially if you're mostly listening to books and such. I don't know if it's legal or not, but that's usually pretty low on my list of deterrents. You can always pop them out quickly if it looks like a cop is paying attention to you.

Here, look up the states you'll be driving through. Don't worry about FL. Most drivers there are deaf and blind anyway. Some of them can't even see over the steering wheel.

 

[omni550]

That's the same problem I've always had with those cassette adapters. Personally I'd go with earbuds. I can hear through them at least as well as I can when I'm blasting my music. Plus you're going to be on the interstate, so there's very little to be listening for. You'll hear the sirens or the air horns just fine. Especially if you're mostly listening to books and such. I don't know if it's legal or not, but that's usually pretty low on my list of deterrents. You can always pop them out quickly if it looks like a cop is paying attention to you.

Here, look up the states you'll be driving through. Don't worry about FL. Most drivers there are deaf and blind anyway. Some of them can't even see over the steering wheel.

Thanks.

It figures, in the two skinny states I traverse (KY and TN) they are legal...in the two long states (OH and GA) they are illegal. I did learn they are legal in MI. News to me.

Hmmm...worth considering.

omni

 

[harley]

That GA law is weird, too.

Anything that diminishes hearing or sight while driving is prohibited. Though earpieces used for communication purposes are permitted.

To me that includes a radio, tinted windows, possibly sunglasses.

Another lower profile option would be wireless Bluetooth earbuds, like these highly rated, low cost ones.

Btw, have a nice and safe trip. We aren't sure when we're heading down, probably mid Nov. or so. Hope to see you at Bird Rookery this year.

 

[omni550]

I was quite intrigued by the bluetooth headphones. The lack of a wired connection seemed like a real plus. My thinking being, besides using them on my long drive, I could also use them on an upcoming plane flight to S. America as they are noise-cancelling too (the noise-cancelling is likely a liability while driving though ), on my 4-mile walks, at the gym, etc. I even had them in my amazon cart, ready to push the order button.

Right about then, I remembered my stash of several never-opened sets of nicer wired compact headphones (came with the cellphone, received as gift, etc.) along with multiple sets of those soft in-ear buds.. Just for yucks, I unwrapped a set and tried wearing them. It only took a few seconds before I realized I'd forgotten how much I can't stand things in my ears. (And that's why I have this never-used stash. ) SO glad I did this before I ordered.

I deleted the bluetooth earbuds from my cart and ordered a bluetooth speaker which will be here on Friday. That'll give me plenty of time to trial it before my long drive. As I stated earlier, I can see getting added use from the bluetooth speaker as well -- on my lanai, at the beach, pool, etc.

omni

 

[pb4uski]

Is it the Ecogear Pebble Lite model? Or another?

omni

EcoPebble by Ecogear. Model GDI-EGPB101BM

https://www.amazon.com/ECOXGEAR-Ecopebble-Waterproof-Wireless-Bluetooth/dp/B00PMIF5KK

but I guess that my main point was that if you buy a bluetooth speaker that you might as well get one that is waterproof as well.

 

[RunningBum]

I'd recommend against wearing ear phones. You may think you don't rely on hearing noises at all, but I think you'd be surprised at how much you really do use hearing as part of your situational awareness. I tried them in my Miata a time or two and didn't like losing the audio awareness. Maybe it's just me. But on a long drive like the one the OP has planned where you'll already be fatigued and perhaps lulled into complacency on an uneventful drive, you may not want to further impair yourself even if it's only a little bit.

 

[pb4uski]

+1 wearing ear phones while driving is a bad idea, which is why it is outlawed in some states.

 

[walkinwood]

We used the bluetooth speaker solution in our '06 Taurus for years. If you're leaving it on the dash,make sure it is well secured. Ours went flying a few times, but survived. Try out the speakers on a highway run. You'll be surprised how loud the sound needs to be to be able to hear it well over the road/wind noise. This is especially true if you're listening to someone talking on a podcast or audiobook.

We now have bluetooth in our new car. What a difference in technology over the 12 years since the '06 was manufactured!

Safe travels! Enjoy your trip.

 

[travelover]

.............Try out the speakers on a highway run. You'll be surprised how loud the sound needs to be to be able to hear it well over the road/wind noise. This is especially true if you're listening to someone talking on a podcast or audiobook................

I found the same thing, especially if you don't have an particularly quiet car.

 

[audreyh1]

I'm preparing for my 19-hour "cannonball run" from MI to FL in a few weeks. I downloaded some audio-books and music onto my Android Samsung S8 smartphone via Hoopla (a free app which works with the local public library). I am wondering how best to listen to these on the road? In an ideal world, I'd be able to somehow connect to the existing sound system in the vehicle -- thus listening to the nice built-in JBL speakers.

My car is 12 years old (2006 Toyota Highlander), so it doesn't have any nifty plug-in connections nor bluetooth.

I do have a Garmin nuvi 2589 (I think that's the model #) that has bluetooth connectivity to the phone (for hands-free calling), but I don't think it allows for playing audio files from the phone.

I'm concerned that the smartphone's volume might not be loud enough to hear easily/comfortably for hours on the road.

Somewhere around here I do have a cheap set of $10 speakers I bought 6-7 years to connect to an iPod. Maybe that would be the best and cheapest quick solution?

Or is there something else I could try? Suggestions?

I usually just listen to the radio or CDs as I'm tooling around town or on shorter 2-3 hour drives, so this set-up might only get used on my north-south migrations.

omni

We have a 2005 Jeep Liberty and a few years ago we replaced the built-in dash radio/media player with a more modern unit that included a USB port that we connect our iPhones or iPad. I actually have a tiny square iPod that I usually leave plugged in and has most of our music.

If we done it a year later, we would have Bluetooth instead which is nice with no cable required. But the USB port is nice for charging devices.

I'm sure a car audio shop can upgrade your car media player.