Audiophilepure

https://audiophilestyle.com/ca/reviews/spotify-car-thing-an-audiophile-perspective-r1064/

The real use case for Car Thing is for cars without CarPlay or Android Auto. There is a nice preset feature, enabling quick access to anything playable via Spotify as well. In my previous car with an Alpine head unit, installed before CarPlay or touchscreens were a thing, the Car Thing would have been a great add-on. Again, with the immanent release of lossless audio from Spotify and the data path that sends music from the cloud to the phone to the audio system (bypassing the Car Thing), this Bluetooth remote would be a welcomed addition to certain cars. 

I also thought about using Car Thing in my house as a remote control for Spotify. Yes, this is a kludge but I’m sure there could be a neat use for this at home. I connected the Usb C port of Car Thing to my Leviton T5835 30 watt / 6 amp power outlet with built-in USB C ports. The Car Thing wasn’t happy. It gave me the following message, “Use adapter – TO power Car Thing, use the adapter provided with your device.” 

I then connected Car Thing to my Apple Pro Display XDR’s USB ports and the unit powered up perfectly. Car Thing controlled my phone identically to how it had while in my car. Use cases will vary, but I’m sure there is a situation where one’s phone is in another room or physically connected to a stereo, and the little Car Thing mounted to a wall would be a nice way to control music. Keep in mind, there are no speakers or audio outputs on the Car Thing. It’s only a remote. Have I said that enough?

Red Here

“The collaboration is a great American comeback story — the return of the original premium SUV and the return of the McIntosh luxury audio brand to automobiles. The prestige of the Grand Wagoneer was the perfect stage to showcase McIntosh’s first-ever automotive Reference system. It has been meticulously designed to deliver world-class audio performance for life on the road. McIntosh Reference systems have long been the gold standard in luxury home audio with an uncanny ability to transport the listener onto the stage with the performer. The McIntosh Reference system found in the Grand Wagoneer concept will reset the bar for luxury car audio, challenging perceptions on just what’s possible. And with screens for the rear passengers, having a McIntosh system in the Grand Wagoneer Concept just might make this car the best place for a great night in.”

Read Here

That difference in spec comes down simply to space, with different styles of car requiring compromises. For example, the S-Class coupé, tested here, loses the height speakers you find in the rear roof panelling of the saloon. The rear centre speaker has also been moved to nestle between the rear seats.

While the coupé gets a ring radiator tweeter partnered with a midrange driver in each of the front doors, the saloon gets a fancy pair of rotating tweeters that spin out of the corners of the ‘A’ pillar, close to the wing mirror. The saloon also has extra woofers positioned in the rear doors, which isn’t possible in the three-door coupé.”