Installation, Testing and Comparison
The AP23 is easily installed on the iPhone or iPod by attaching it to the device’s dock connector. Pairing the device to the target Bluetooth device is necessary to get up and running. To do this, one needs to turn on the target Bluetooth device and place it into pairing mode, then plug the AP23 into the iPod/iPhone and play some form of music through the iPod/iPhone. The status light on the AP23 will blink rapidly while it is attempting to connect to the Bluetooth device, these two Bluetooth devices should pair within 20 seconds, the LED light on the AP will flash slowly when connected.
The Infinxx remembers the previously paired device, so as long as you continue using the same Bluetooth playback device, then the paring process does not need to be repeated. When seeking a previously paired device, the AP23’s LED blinks in a rapid two flash pattern until it pairs with the target Bluetooth device.
For testing, I used a iPhone 3G and a video 5th Generation iPod. For the Bluetooth playback device, I used the Genius BT-03A Bluetooth Headphones. I was able to use just the Genius Headphones and eschew the 3.5 mm audio dongle since the Infinxx AP23 takes over that function.
Simply follow the above directions, by holding down the center Play/Pause button on the Genius BT-03A to put it in discover mode and the AP23 easily pairs with it. Because the AP23 features the AVRCP protocol as well, the Genius BT-03A is able to control the playback of the iPhone or the iPod.
The first thing one notices on the iPhone 3G is the notorious – “This accessory is not made to work with iPhone” message. Choosing NO allows the phone to work but it may cause some audio interference.
During my tests, I did not notice any audio interference, phone calls would stop the music playback and the telephone audio was heard through the headphones, once the phone call was terminated the music would resume.
Besides the telephone functioning, the iPod and iPhone acted virtually the same with the AP23.
Music playback was crisp and sharp and the range was about 25 feet or so.
The Genius BT-03A headphones were able to pause, play, increase/decrease volume and skip tracks from the right ear piece.
The only drawback I found was the device seemed to feel loose while attached to the dock connector. If you wished to used the AP23 in a bumpy environment, there is the possibility that the connection may be jarred loose. When I kept the iPhone and AP23 in my backpack, there were a few moments when the sound was lost for a split second.