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Accessories Looking for Splitter to split mic from external speakers

OK...I'm looking for an accessory that is so simple I can't believe I can't find it.

1: I hate my bluetooth earpiece. My ear always comes away from a long drive chafed and sore. Tried lots of different ones, ranging from $30 to $150 ... didn't change much (some, but not much).

2: I LOVE listening to Pandora over my radio in the car during my commute. I use a tape adapter, and I'm good to go!

So, what I'd like is a splitter that had a full iPhone headset plug (ie, headphones and mic) and then separated the mic from the headphones ... so I could plug my tape adapter into the headphones and a separate, decent mic into the mic. That way when someone calls while I'm driving, I can answer and just talk, and their voice will come out over the speakers ... and when I'm done, it goes right back to Pandora.

Anyone know where to find such a beast? I've tried stores, google, etc and I'm bombing out.

Hell, I'd solder my own together except I can't even find the CONNECTOR ... grr!

Thanks!
 
WOW ... stumped the experts.

Well, as always, it was just a matter of finding the right search term. After looking for the connector with "3.5mm 4 pole", I finally found the term "TRRS", which stands for Tip, Ring, Ring, Sleeve. Searching using that, I found this link:

Computer PC Headset Smartphone Adapter, Dual 3.5mm to Single 3.5mm

Which is EXACTLY what I was looking for. They sell a 2.5mm and a 3.5mm version, as well as one that comes with an adapter. They also sell adapters to go the other way (ie, use your phone headset on your computer) if you desire. It's listed as compatible with the iPhone and the Hero, so I don't think there should be much problem using it.

I hate it when I can only find one product on the market ... no competition can lead to bad quality assurance, but the reviews seem to be primarily positive.

I'm going to order one. I'll report back on how it works!
 
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Now I'm really confused. When I answer a call with my tape adapter in, my phone switches to pure speaker phone (ie, uses its own speaker rather than the attached tape adapter). Normally this means I can BARELY hear it over the road noise, and I have a tendancy to reach for it to try and hear better (totally illegal here in OR). Thus my desire for the aforementioned adapter.

I wonder how yours is configured differently than mine, and how to reconfigure mine to behave like yours?
 
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This is just a thought on my part, but couldn't you just take a tape adapter and a headset with a microphone and combine them? Take a headset, cut it just after the microphone and splice those wires to a tape adapter. Wouldn't this do what you are trying to do? You could go a few steps further and run extra line to get the microphone up closer to your head if you wanted as well. Hide all the wires and you would basically have a home made installed car kit.
 
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Now I'm really confused. When I answer a call with my tape adapter in, my phone switches to pure speaker phone (ie, uses its own speaker rather than the attached tape adapter). Normally this means I can BARELY hear it over the road noise, and I have a tendancy to reach for it to try and hear better (totally illegal here in OR). Thus my desire for the aforementioned adapter.

I wonder how yours is configured differently than mine, and how to reconfigure mine to behave like yours?

Wow really, I'm not sure how it works it just does . I'll go thru and look at some of my setting sometime this weekend and report back if I see anything .

My tape adapter wont work for pandora. It just doesn't play.
That's really odd , so does it work if you're just listening to your regular music player?

Cause I dont' see how it would matter what audio is coming out of the phone
 
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This is just a thought on my part, but couldn't you just take a tape adapter and a headset with a microphone and combine them? Take a headset, cut it just after the microphone and splice those wires to a tape adapter. Wouldn't this do what you are trying to do? You could go a few steps further and run extra line to get the microphone up closer to your head if you wanted as well. Hide all the wires and you would basically have a home made installed car kit.

Well ... that's basically what I'm doing. That's why, in the OP, I said I could solder it together myself if I could find the connector. I was hoping to have connectors, rather thas splice the wires, for a couple reasons. First, I haven't had much luck over the years splicing headset style speaker wires. They're 2 and 3 core wires, and splices can get messy and short out really easy with those, and a car is not the most friendly environment for that. I also wanted it disconnectable, as my son uses the same tape adapter with his MP3 player. Neither of these was insurmountable, and I was looking into this very solution when I found the Headset Buddy.

Having found the Headset Buddy, though, I'm (hopefully) good to go. I have all the wiring I need, will mount my Eris on my dash, run the wires to it, run the mic somewhere convenient (visor? dashboard, by gauges? not sure yet) and be good to go.
 
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Cause I dont' see how it would matter what audio is coming out of the phone

Well ... I know "media" audio is treated differently than "phone" audio. My Dare was the same way, so that distinction is pretty common ...

But if he's seeing a difference between playing MP3's and Pandora ... I'm stumped.
 
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Sorry no answer for the splitter, but Pandora (lastFm, whatever) is great through the car stereo. My Subaru has a standard 3.5 jack which works perfect, but for my Toyota I use a RF adapater to play over a radio station, I jsut find a station with no signal and it sounds great. I haven't had a tape deck in years, but I have used one, the quality wa pretty solid.
 
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Oh well, just a thought on my part.


Another option you might consider is the T505 from Motorola. It is a bluetooth speaker with FM modulation. It will let you listen to music through the radio and talk through the radio too. It does what you want to do and no wires required. About $100 in stores and $50 - $75 online. I have one and it works really well.
 
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Oh well, just a thought on my part.


Another option you might consider is the T505 from Motorola. It is a bluetooth speaker with FM modulation. It will let you listen to music through the radio and talk through the radio too. It does what you want to do and no wires required. About $100 in stores and $50 - $75 online. I have one and it works really well.

+1
 
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Well ... I know "media" audio is treated differently than "phone" audio. My Dare was the same way, so that distinction is pretty common ...

But if he's seeing a difference between playing MP3's and Pandora ... I'm stumped.

Yeah my Dare would disable the mic if I was conect to headphones or anything else . I was very plesently surprised to see the Eris doesn't do this. I use my Eris for music a lot , so even when I have head phones I can answer the phone with out taking my headphones off
 
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This might also be an option. $1.51 at amazon.

Amazon.com: HTC Multifunction Audio Adapter for HTC Touch T-Mobile G1 Shadow II Wing Sprint Mogul AT&T Tilt: Cell Phones & Service

youtube vid about it.

YouTube - HTC 4 in 1 Micro USB Audio Adapter-Review

312IIaOpplL._SL500_AA280_.jpg
 
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Well...my Headset Buddy arrived yesterday. Used it in the car on the way in this morning. My wife said she could hear me better than with the built-in mic, so I'd say it's definately worth the whopping $13 I spent on it!

Goofdad,

We're glad to hear your found our Headset Buddy line of adapters useful. For anyone else reading this thread that might want an adapter, use the coupon code LUVTHEBUDDY to get 10% off your purchase at our Headset Adapter store.

If you have any idea on how to make our adapters easier to find on google let us know!

Bryan

The Headset Buddy Team
 
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Goofdad,

We're glad to hear your found our Headset Buddy line of adapters useful. For anyone else reading this thread that might want an adapter, use the coupon code LUVTHEBUDDY to get 10% off your purchase at our Headset Adapter store.

If you have any idea on how to make our adapters easier to find on google let us know!

Bryan

The Headset Buddy Team

I picked up one of your headset adapters to use with my Eris but only the audio works, no one can hear me talking through the headset mic. The adapter is model 01-PC35-PH35 and I ordered it through Amazon. I'm using a Sennheiser gaming headset and my Eris is running the leaked 2.1v1 firmware update.

Any ideas?

:(
 
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Sure. It should work the the Droid Eris because most smartphones all use the same wiring (thank goodness). We even have a specific Sound Troubleshotting FAQ on our help site where you can find some troubleshooting steps. Here are a few common solutions:
1. Sometimes when you plug in the headset it will mute the mic. So check to make sure the mic isn't muted on the phone.
2. Check to make sure the headset isn't muted.
3. Try turning the phone off and back on.

Those will solve the issue 95% of the time. If they don't we offer a 1 year warranty on Headset Buddy Adapters and would be happy to replace it free of charge.

Thanks,

Bryan

The Headset Buddy Team
 
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Sure. It should work the the Droid Eris because most smartphones all use the same wiring (thank goodness). We even have a specific Sound Troubleshotting FAQ on our help site where you can find some troubleshooting steps. Here are a few common solutions:
1. Sometimes when you plug in the headset it will mute the mic. So check to make sure the mic isn't muted on the phone.
2. Check to make sure the headset isn't muted.
3. Try turning the phone off and back on.

Those will solve the issue 95% of the time. If they don't we offer a 1 year warranty on Headset Buddy Adapters and would be happy to replace it free of charge.

Thanks,

Bryan

The Headset Buddy Team

Worked it out... culprit was the old reversed on off mic switch on the headset. All is well now, great product! :)
 
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