Parrot RK8200 Car Stereo Lacks CD Slot, Boasts Secret Slot

It looks like the Blaupunkt Melbourne SD27 isn't the only car stereo to say goodbye to the now obsolete CD format. The RK8200 head unit from Parrot does not have a CD slot of any kind, instead relying on its USB port, SD card reader, line-in jack, iPod connector and Bluetooth A2DP stereo connectivity to get its digital hands on some digital music. I personally don't think that the Parrot RK8200 is particularly attractive from an aesthetic point of the view -- with a giant knob in the middle, a half-lengthed display, and a boring phone keypad on the left -- but the features sound pretty darn nifty. I guess that's what you get from a company that normally specializes in Bluetooth gear rather than car stereos. One thing that is kind of cool, above and beyond the lack of a CD slot, is that you can actually stash a bunch of your gear inside the head unit. This is because it doesn't need that space for a CD slot or a disc-reading laser. They also mention that it has enough internal memory for "over 300 MP3s." The Parrot RK8200 car stereo is scheduled to ship to UK customers by the end of the year with an asking price of about $302.

CNET editors' review

• Reviewed by: Kevin Massy
• Reviewed on: 02/26/2008

We often talk about in-car Bluetooth hands-free systems that let you make calls without taking your hands off the wheel. In most cases, these systems still require the driver to initiate, answer, or end calls by pushing buttons on the car's steering wheel or on a central control panel. Browsing and selecting contacts on these systems usually requires scrolling through a list of names before making a call. The Parrot CK3000 Evolution lets you make calls, select contacts, and hang up all without lifting a finger. With a deceptively simple form factor and control interface, the CK3000 Evolution can also differentiate between cell, office, and home numbers, and can identify incoming callers by name. While it does take some time to initially set up, this simple device is one of the most effective aftermarket calling interfaces we have seen.

Design
Three buttons and dial. That's all there is to the main control module of the CK3000 Evolution. On first impressions, the device looks as if it is going to offer severely limited functionality or is going to require an arcane number of button sequences (a la the Anycom Solar Bluetooth car kit we tested recently) to make it work. Thankfully, neither of these preconceptions turned out to be true. Like many other speaker phones, the CK3000 Evolution has a dedicated (green) button for placing/answering calls and another (red) button for ending them. The control module is so small that it can be easily attached almost anywhere in the cabin as can its external microphone, which on our test we attached behind the rear-view mirror. We found the installation of this and other Parrot devices to be something of a challenge because of the requirement of a standard ISO harness/jack, which we had difficulty in locating from local 12-volt stores or resellers. The device can be hooked up without an ISO plug, but this requires the complex task of connecting each of the device's wires in turn to the stereo. In the end, we took our car to a Parrot-approved professional installer.

Features and performance
The CK3000 Evolution lets drivers make, receive, and end calls via a Bluetooth-connected cell phone either manually or using voice commands. Connecting a handset to the device is a simple matter of searching for the Parrot device on the phone and entering a passcode: for our test of the device, we connected a Samsung SGH-T619, as well as a Sony Ericsson S710a. (We did not connect the two phones simultaneously; however, there is the option to do this for up to five phones at a time). Like many Sony Ericsson models, the S710a has a built-in Parrot menu, making it easier to set up calling options and push contacts to the device.

When connected, drivers can dial out using the handset, after which the call is transferred to the CK3000 Evolution with the audio routed through the car's speakers and all outgoing sound transmitted via the system's external mic. Drivers can redial the last number by holding down the green button, but there appears to be no way to dial individual numbers using the device itself. This is less of a problem than it first appears however, as the CK3000 Evolution offers an excellent voice-command system for making calls without having to touch a button.

To activate the voice-command features, drivers have to go a time-consuming one-time programming process, which involves recording certain keywords (or "magic words" as Parrot calls them) including telephone", "hang-up," "office," "home," and "cellular." The process involves recording each of the words twice--and sometimes three or four times as the system tries to understand the command. With the keywords recorded, the CK3000 Evolution gets a whole new level of functionality, as users can initiate calls just by saying the word "telephone" and hang up by saying "hang up." The simplicity of placing and ending calls this takes some time to get used to even if you are used to using hands-free calling systems. In our testing period, the CK3000 Evolution's voice recognition system responded to voice commands with an impressive level of consistency.

To make the most of the CK3000 Evolution's voice-command feature, drivers need to record voice tags for each of the contacts in a connected cell phone. This is done by pushing the contacts' details to the device one at a time as V cards (.vcf files) and then voice tagging them individually. For owners of Sony Ericsson phones, this process is made easier by the phones' built-in Parrot menu, although there is still no way around assigning voice tags one by one (we have recently raised our hands-free calling expectations because of our experiences with the Ford Sync system, which automatically downloads the phone's contact book and indexes the entries, making them available by voice command). With contacts successfully voice tagged, the CK3000 Evolution also provides a very useful caller ID service for incoming calls, which are accompanied by the name of the caller.

For our test of the CK3000 Evolution, we installed it in our Chevy Aveo test car with stock speakers. Incoming audio quality was generally good, although at higher volumes, the system suffered from distortion. We do, however, like the way in which the device automatically overrides the currently playing car audio when a call comes in. From the other end of the line, we were comprehensible when we phoned a friend, but our test caller did notice some intermittent echoing.

In sum
The CK3000 Evolution is a very useful device for making hands-free calls on the road. Considering its price tag of about $100, it offers an attractive alternative to factory-installed systems for owners of new cars, as well as a cost-effective means of upgrading older cars with an increasingly necessary safety technology. Despite the challenges of nonprofessional installation, the CK3000 Evolution's intuitive control interface and impressive voice command options make it an excellent alternative to Bluetooth headsets and chunkier standalone speakerphones.

CNET editors' review

• Reviewed by: Kevin Massy
• Reviewed on: 02/26/2008

With legislation on the horizon banning the use of cell phones while driving, we decided to take a look at the options for those drivers with too much self respect to wear Bluetooth headsets. With an increasing number of hands-free speakerphones on the market, Parrot's CK3100 still manages to hold its own when it comes to features and usability.

Design
The CK3100 is a characteristically simply-designed device from Parrot. Like the more basic CK3000 Evolution, it features the usual call, answer, and hang-up buttons as well as a push button rotary dial for navigating menus. The big difference between the CK3100 and its baby brother is the former's three-line monochromatic LCD display, which adds another layer of functionality to what is already a very easy to use hands-free calling system. With a cell phone connected to the CK3100, the display shows a range of useful information, including signal strength, battery life, and current call volume. In our experience, installation of the CK3100 is best left to Parrot-approved dealers as the connectors needed are car-specific ISO harnesses, which are difficult to find in the aftermarket. With the device installed its two visible components (the screen module and the external microphone) take up very little room and can be easily mounted almost anywhere within sight of the driver.

Features and performance
As with the CK3000, the CK3100's simple design disguises an impressive number of features. With the hard work of installation done by someone else, connecting a cell phone to the CK3100 is a breeze: Simply search for the device using your cell phone and enter a passcode. The first time that a phone is connected to the CK3100, the entire phonebook as well as all call records (missed calls, outgoing calls, etc.) are transferred to the Parrot device giving drivers all the relevant information they need to use the device as a proxy for their phone. Those who so wish can still dial out using the phone handset, after which the call is routed through the Parrot device and the car's speakers.

Once a phone is paired to the CK3100, all call records are automatically copied over.

One thing that we noticed was that the system will copy contacts only from a connected phone's SIM card and not those stored on the phone's internal phonebook. On our Samsung SGH-T619 test phone, it was a simple procedure to move all the phone contacts to the SIM card in one go and then transfer all contacts at once. With the contacts transferred, to the CK3100, they are then searchable on the Parrot device either by browsing entries by name or by scrolling through a useful alphabetized letter list.

The CK3100 also gives drivers the option of making calls by entering numerical digits via the "Dial Number" menu. For safety purposes, the CK3100 has a spoken menu option that reads out numbers and other menu entries at the same time that they appear on the display. This can lead to the device being a little too chatty at times (it can, thankfully, be turned off) but the feature is useful when dialing by number while maintaining focus on the road. As the CK3100 has voice-recognition capabilities, we are a little disappointed that there is no way to dial numbers by voice command (as is the case with many high-end factory-installed Bluetooth hands-free calling systems)--perhaps this is something that Parrot can look into for future iterations in the CK series.

Contacts can be browsed either through the phonebook or via first letter using an alphabet list.

We found the available features of the CK3100's voice-command system to be easy to use. To activate the voice-command system, drivers must first go through the one-time set-up process of recording keywords ("phone," "hang-up," etc.) into the device's memory, as well as the more laborious process of voice-tagging all the contacts in their phone book. Each contact needs requires two voice tags--one to enter, one to confirm--to be stored in the system. This process is easier on the CK3100 than on the CK3000 thanks to the presence of the display, which lets drivers select individual contacts for voice tagging on the device itself rather than sending them one at a time from the phone as .vcf files, but it still takes a long time to transfer all the phonebook's contacts. The CK3100 also provides the option of storing up to three numbers (cellular, home, office) for each contact. With all the requisite information entered, the CK3100 is at its most useful, as drivers can place calls without even pressing a button. (Calling John at home, for example, simply requires the following commands: Phone > John > Home.) While we were consistently impressed with the CK3100's ability to understand our voice commands to place calls, we were less impressed with its ability to end them (via the "Hang up" command), especially when driving along at freeway speeds. Instead we often found ourselves having to the end the call manually by pressing the red button.

The CK3100's voice commands are very useful, but tagging contacts takes a while to set up.

When new contacts are added to the cell phone's phonebook, they are automatically copied over to the CK3100's phonebook each time the Bluetooth connection is renewed. In our testing, however, we found one occasion in which this automatic transfer did not happen. When the number entered in our cell phone's phonebook was tagged as a home number, the CK3100 failed to recognize it. It was only after entering a cell phone number that the contact was copied over to the Parrot device (bizarrely, both the cell and the home phone numbers were then available on the CK3100).

One of our favorite functions of the CK3100 is its caller ID feature that calls out the name of an incoming caller if the contact has already been voice tagged. When an incoming call comes in, the CK3100 mutes the stereo and resumes playback after the call is finished. Audio quality for calls through our test car's stock speakers was generally clear and echo-free, and from the other end of the line we sounded comprehensible, albeit with some noticeable background noise when driving along.

In sum
The Parrot CK3100 is a functional and feature-rich option for those who want to make hands-free calls on the road. Its LCD display differentiates it from the CK3000, making contacts and calling options more accessible, and Parrot's voice-command function sets it apart from many other stand-alone speakerphones. While the setup and responsiveness of its voice recognition function could do with some tweaking, the CK3100 still presents a cost-effective alternative to factory-installed Bluetooth calling systems.