Any current Garmin units with good Bluetooth output volume?

on all the units ranges from very poor to dismal.

Having a BT problem now with my 2797. Low volume, poor sound quality, and connectivity problems (need to press the handset button several time to make connection). Garmin says it is problem with the phones, "too many for them to ensure all have good service..." I should use another phone, etc. Typical blow off ESP considering I had no problem with my 1490t and the Samsung convoy 660 phone, same one I use now with 2797. I have written several letters, not emails, to garmin president, only to get the same blow off from one of his lackeys. Strongly urge all here to also write letters, not emails, and keep up the pressure for them to fix problem. And after every firmware update, if problem not fixed, send another letter and so forth. That is what I do now.

I suspect garmin is not interested in spending $ on these problems as they are losing so much market share to smart phones and it will only get worse. In fact, I used a friends galaxy s4 nav the other day and it was easily better functionality than any garmin i have used and it still had a 5" screen.

Hate to say, but that is my next PND.

My 3490 is the loudest BT volume I have ever had in any of my Garmin devices.

It's been plenty adequate and easy to hear.

In fact, I keep it turned down sometimes as it's too distracting due to the high volume.

I have had a couple of units with blue-tooth and none has ever worked well... They are a GPS not a cell phone is what I have come to finally accept...

I realize that the question is directed specifically at Garmin units, but in case this is a really, really important feature to the OP, I will mention that I have been shocked at how good the BT speaker and microphone are on my TomTom. I had assumed that the performance would be poor at best, but it has been excellent.

Obviously, there are other features that will go into a choice of units, but I have been very satisfied with the BT performance of my TomTom GO LIVE 1535. (It's the only model I have with BT, so I cannot say from personal experience whether or not the same is true of other models - so YMMV.)

Most cars/trucks come with Bluetooth, GPS is for Nav, why add cost of BT?

My 1996 Ram did not. My 1490 BT works better than my friends new Mazda.

your 1996 Ram isn't new either.

He did not specify new and yes I did buy it new,still looks new also.

I have a 3790LMT that I use all the time as a hands free Bluetooth device for my phone. I have used it both on the freeway and in town it even is clear with the top down. It works great and I have no trouble hearing the caller or with them hearing me. The 3790 has the mount that has the larger speaker built into it that is used when the 3790 is attached to the mount and that may be why it works.

Photo of mount rear speaker side with the unit mounted:

http://asset0.cbsistatic.com/cnwk.1d/i/tim//2010/08/31/34079...

My personal feeling is this...

Garmin's BT implementation is poor at best. All blame made by Garmin is directed towards the cell phone or user error. While some have a great BT experience with Garmin units, most others do not. Garmin states that the problem lies with the phone and not their devices...they say to get a new phone to solve the issue. That is NOT the solution. What happens if the "new" phone has the same or even worse performance? Do we run out and get yet another new phone?

I feel the solution is to not fool with Garmin's numerous BT issues if you have them. Simply purchase a BT headset for ~$20 and use that instead.

I'm a newbie to the forum (first post), but this thread did answer my Garmin BT question. I have a nuvi 2497 and tried the BT before driving home one evening. The pairing was straight forward. Someone called while enroute to home. Answering was easy and the caller seemed to hear me, but I all I received was garble. I'll try Garmin BT again, but based on the texts in the post I am dubious of the function and will probably go back to the separate hands-free.

connected to bluetooth. ph contacts and everything works. have to have volume at 100 to hear the otherperson. Has anyone tried to change volume while listening to conversation. or do we have to have it at 100 to start???

Don't cars these days all have BT?

I have fiddled with the volume combinations in every possible way and the bottom line is: it doesn't work. If you adjust the phone volume to full and every setting on the 2595 to full, you get marginal volume out of the unit on a call. HOWEVER, if you forget to dial the phone volume back when you finish the call, the next Nav instruction from "Jill" will blast you right out of the car. I have been complaining to Garmin about this problem since I purchased the unit in February of 2012. They just say to use the mixer to adjust it. Yeah, right. Maybe if I was driving a Rolls it would be acceptable, otherwise forget it.

I would think that if you were driving a Rolls that you wouldn't have a GPS suction-cupped to it's windshield. IMO, seeing that wouldn't look quite right.

It would be on the dash using a bean bag mount.

I think this perfectly illustrates the issue here: how is it that you can have good BT performance with one PND and not another? Other readers have noted that BT is more or less a standard program and if the Mfer follows the BT providers guidelines for implementation, it should work right. Apparently Garmin chose early on to either not follow them or 'bought' a less costly and inferior product. I find it amusing that I can buy a $15 BT speaker for my Ipad and it works fine first time out of the box.

I spent the extra money so I could use my phone "hands free". I had a Ford with Microsoft Sync and it worked excellent with the same phone I currently have.

HAH! So true! I'd be napping in the back with "Geeves" at the wheel worrying about getting lost!

I have a 2495, the 4" little brother of 2595, BT to my good old Motorola CRZR. Maybe, I am just lucky. The BT connection works well, albeit no phone books. The volume is more than adequate too.

I do use the builte-in mixer function of the 2495. I set the master volume to 100%, phone and media also to 100% and the navigation to 40%. No need to readjust the volume between phone calls and navigation. Automatic volume is enabled so the volume increases with the driving speed.

I drive a recent model Honda Civic that has split-level dashboard. Speedometer on top and the tachometer at the bottom tier. I have a custom stand made out of a scrap piece of sheet aluminum, bent and with a few through holes drilled. This allows me to sit the 2495 right in front of the tachometer. I rarely pay attention to the tachometer reading in any case, since I do not race and I do use my ears to listen to the rev.

The volume of phone calls are quite adequate both ways, even at freeway driving. The BT connection works too with the volume muted. It mutes only the navigation volume.

One side benefit is that I can look at the GPS without having to turn my head and I could throw my driving cap on top of the dash to hide the GPS inconspicuously.