Our take on the Parrot MK6100

by Dominic Devito

We carry cell phone kit harnesses that allow plug-in connection of Parrot's Bluetooth car kits in a wide variety of vehicles.

Parrot's MK6100 car kit lets you talk hands-free on a compatible phone, receive visual information on calls, and listen to conversations directly through your car stereo. The kit also streams MP3 music from any stereo Bluetooth A2DP source, such as a phone or portable MP3 player. It works with nearly all Bluetooth cell phones on the market and installs with most factory and aftermarket car stereo systems.

The kit contains three components: a mute box that installs beneath the dashboard, a remote control keypad, and a display panel, plus hardware for mounting the keypad and display on your dash or steering wheel. Once your car's engine starts, the MK6100 connects automatically to your Bluetooth phone — just say a name and the MK6100 takes care of the dialing. The MK6100 can handle up to five Bluetooth devices at once.

Visual convenience and security
The MK6100's display panel features a high-contrast screen for showing phone numbers, caller names, and music information. Two built-in microphones on the display panel reduce noise and interference so you can hear the conversation clearly. The compact display panel detaches from its mounting base, so you can keep thieves from getting at the MK6100 when you're away.

User-friendly controls
The 6-button keypad and display screen guide you through phone functions from dialing to phonebook to voicemail, while you keep your eyes on the road. The scroll-knob on the keypad lets you control the volume and browse menus, plus you can rewind, fast-forward, and play the next or previous song.

Easy operation
With many phones, the voice recognition software remembers up to 150 names from your address book for dialing. You can talk in a normal tone — no need to shout, even in heavy traffic. Most importantly, the MK6100 mutes your car's radio at the onset of an incoming call, ensuring clear sound over your car's speakers.

Note: Compatibility of this device may vary, depending on your phone and service provider.

Highlights:

hard-wired Bluetooth car kit includes OLED display panel, two microphones, remote-control keypad, and mute box
compatible with all Bluetooth phones and A2DP stereo devices
hands-free phone calls and streaming MP3 music with most factory or aftermarket car stereo systems (may require vehicle-specific adapters for factory systems)
automatically mutes your car stereo for phone calls
works with up to 5 Bluetooth phones
removable, dash-mounted display panel lists caller, number and streaming music information when available
6-button, remote-control keypad controls all phone menu and music functions
voice-recognition software stores up to 150 names for hands-free dialing (only works with certain phones)
noise reduction and echo cancellation technology for clear voice transmission
dimensions: 3-1/4"W x 1-1/4"H x 9/16"D (display panel); 1-7/16"W x 2-1/16"H x 1-1/16"D (keypad); 5-3/8"W x 2-1/2"H x 1-1/16"D (mute box)
warranty: 1 year
Our 60-day money-back guarantee

Note: Crutchfield carries cell phone kit harnesses that allow easy, plug-in connection of Parrot's Bluetooth car kits in a wide variety of vehicles. You can also hard wire the MK6100 to your car's stereo system. You may have to drill one or more holes into the dash or remove and remount the dashboard face to make the component connections completely free from visible wires, but hiding the wires is not necessary to operate the system.

Hands-on research from the Crutchfield Labs (what are the Labs?)

What’s in the box? | In-depth notes

Product Research

What's in the box?

Download owner's manual

Bluebox electronic control unit
Control screen
Wireless remote control
5' Control screen cable
Installation harness
Control screen mounting bracket
Wireless remote control steering wheel mounting bracket
Self-adhesive plastic clip
Two-sided tape
Control screen carrying pouch
CR2032 3V battery
User Manual (English/Spanish/French)
PARROT Magazine (Issue #3)

Our Product Research Team

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Features

Overview: The Parrot MK6100 Hands-Free Car Kit features Bluetooth Technology which allows you to make phone calls from your car while keeping your hands on the wheel. The Hands-Free Car Kit combines a voice recognition feature with a text-to-speech function to give you direct access to your phonebook. The MK6100 also lets you receive calls on an optional Bluetooth compatible headset if you require privacy. In addition, you can use the unit's streaming audio function to listen to music files on your Bluetooth enabled phone, PDA or audio player over your vehicle's speakers. Up to 5 phones or devices, including one headset, can be paired to the MK6100 kit. Bluetooth devices operate up to a range of about 10 meters (approximately 33 feet).

Bluetooth Compatibility: The Parrot MK6100 is 100% Bluetooth compatible (Bluetooth version 1.2) and is compatible with nearly every brand of Bluetooth mobile phone including Asus, Audiovox, Ben-Q-Siemens, Blackberry, Eten, Grundig, HP, HTC, i-Mate, iPhone, iPhone 3G, LG, Motorola, NEC, Nokia, PalmOne, Panasonic, Q-Tek, Sagem, Sanyo, Sendo, Sharp, Sony Ericsson, SPV, and VK mobile. It supports the following profiles:

HSP 1.1 (Headset Profile)
HFP 1.0 & 1.5 (Hands-free Profile)
A2DP 1.0 (Advanced Audio Distribution)
AVRCP 1.0 (Audio Video Remote Control)
OPP 1.1 (Object Push Profile)
PBAP (Phone Book Access Profile)

Note: Specific Bluetooth mobile phone Compatibility listing: www.parrot.com/usa/support/onlinehelpfiles/parrotmk6100/compatibility

Control Screen: The Parrot MK6100 kit features a control screen with an OLED high definition 3-line display that indicates the following - Network level, Battery level, Forward/Reverse, Mode day/night or Play/Pause/Stop. The control screen also features integrated dual microphones. The control screen comes with an adjustable, self-adhesive mounting bracket. The control screen can also be easily removed from the vehicle when you are not in the car to prevent theft. The control screen features a soft carrying pouch for storage when not in use.

Dimensions: Width = 3.249", Height = 1.459", Depth = 0.721"

Wireless Remote: The Parrot MK6100 kit comes supplied with a wireless remote control for operation of the Hands-Free Car Kit. The remote features five buttons and one rotary knob. The remote operates off of a single CR2032 3V battery. The wireless remote control allows you to make, answer or end phone calls as well as control audio streaming.

Dimensions: Width = 1.424", Height = 2.065", Depth = 1.171"

Hide-Away Box: The MK6100 features a hide-away electronic box which is the central brain of the system. The supplied control screen cable and installation harness plugs into this hide-away electronic box.

Dimensions: Width = 6.879", Height = 1.085", Depth = 2.541"

Installation: The MK6100 connects to your aftermarket or factory stereo system so you can take calls from your Bluetooth phone through your car's speakers. The kit includes an electronic hide-away unit, a control screen with built-in dual microphones, wireless remote control, installation cable and harness, and mounting brackets. Installation requires a vehicle-specific adapter for factory systems. Please enter your vehicle into the "Outfit My Car" installation guide to see if there is a harness available for your vehicle.

Beamforming: Using the supplied twin microphones integrated into the Hands-Free Car Kit's control screen, the MK6100 incorporates Beamforming signal processing technology with noise reduction and echo cancellation. This processing helps to pick up the driver's voice more clearly while effectively reducing surrounding noise.

Text-to-Speech: The MK6100 uses TTS (Text-to-Speech) technology to automatically synchronize its phone book with the contacts on your mobile phone. When you are ready to make a call, you can go to the phone book and listen to the Parrot kit read out your contacts names. Up to 8000 contacts and 150 voice tags can be stored in this unit's memory.

Voice Recognition: The MK6100 will allow you to record "key" words and "magic" words in order to function solely on voice recognition. Key words include words like "general", "mobile", "work", "home", and "other" to help you search through contacts with multiple phone numbers. Magic words include such words as "phone" to answer a call and "hang up" to terminate a call.

Music Streaming: This feature allows you to play music tracks recorded on your Bluetooth audio player over the vehicle's speakers. Once your Bluetooth audio player is paired to the kit, you can use the controls on the supplied wireless remote to Play/Pause, Stop, Select music files, Fast forwarding/rewinding, or adjust the volume.

Note: The Apple iPhone does not support Bluetooth music audio streaming.

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1-3 of 3 items Sort Results By: Date Reviewed | Rating | Helpfulness

1 out of 5

Don't waste your money

Written By Doug13, Texas on Sunday, November 02, 2008

I installed the MK6100 in my Ford Explorer. After spending an additional $60 for a wiring harness to make it compatible with my radio, it installed easily.

Now the rest of the story. The wireless remote control only works occasionally. If it is not working, you will not be able to make a call. A new battery does not solve the problem. The mic is in the display. That mic is pretty much useless as you won't be heard even when shouting. They know that it is a problem because the kit comes with a separate mic that can be installed closer to your mouth. I installed it on the sun visor so that it is within 6 inches of my mouth. I still get complaints that the other party can't hear me. Talking loudly doesn't seem to help.

If you have an iPhone there are additional problems. First, the firmware must be downgraded to an earlier version to be compatible with the phone. In that downgrade you lose some of the functionality of the system. If the remote happens to be working and you touch the green "answer" button, the MK6100 will dial the last number that you called on the phone. If that is not what you intended to do, you cannot stop the call with the MK6100. You must stop the call with the phone itself. Since the remote is attached to the steering wheel, I occasionally touch it. I have had to make several apologies.

I consider this unit a waste of money. I will remove it from my car and search for something that is usable.

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4 out of 5

Parrot MK6100

Written By Ty, Boise, ID on Thursday, February 28, 2008

I gave it a 4/5 because while it's an impressive little unit, it just wasn't for me. I did not use the line level connections, but rather the inline speaker connections between my factory stereo and the speakers which means the MK6100 was driving the speakers while in use. The amplification was quite good and the distortion quite low for my modest needs. I love the RF wireless remote clipped to my steering wheel. I love the voice commands. I did not like having to change the dim setting manually instead of it being automatic with my headlights. Phonebook usage was good and the music files on my phone played great. It was difficult to use the factory stereo, almost impossible, which was the number reason I returned the unit. My Ford factory stereo does not have a mute input, so I felt I was better served by upgrading my stereo. If you want to add Bluetooth to a COMPATIBLE factory stereo then this unit is for you; otherwise, I recommend upgrading your stereo.

13 out of 14 people found this helpful

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4 out of 5

Nice unit. Lacks features with certain phones

Written By Chris, Lexington, KY on Wednesday, October 31, 2007

Pros:
1. Very nice display.
2. Excellent sound quality.
3. Built-in mike a plus.
4. Very easy install with Metra T-harness if available for your car.

Cons:
1. Features are dependent on phone software. No caller ID with AT&T KRZR K1
despite what is advertised on Parrot website. Tech support used T-Mobile KRZR
and they said caller ID worked fine.
2. The bracket that is supplied with the kit does not provide much flexibility. You
cannot have much of an angle when installing, although there surely are other
options for the display.

I returned the kit due to the lack of caller ID. If I had ID, I would have kept the unit.

44 out of 55 people found this helpful

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1-3 of 3 items

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Parrot MK6100

Car kit for Bluetooth® cell phones

Item# 333MK6100 offer details

Review Sumary

Our take on the Parrot MK6100

Highlights:

Hands-on research from the Crutchfield Labs (what are the Labs?)

Product Research

Our Product Research Team

Features

Product Reviews

Don't waste your money

Parrot MK6100

Nice unit. Lacks features with certain phones

Learn more about Bluetooth Adapters for Any Car Radio

Learn more about Bluetooth Adapters for Any Car Radio

Understanding Cell Phone Laws

How do I get Bluetooth® in my car?

Video: Bluetooth in Your Car

Introduction to Bluetooth

Friends don't let friends use a handheld cell phone while driving

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