Blaupunkt Hamburg MP68

Blaupunkt Hamburg MP68
RRP: 229.99
Best of the web: 179.99 (bluespot.co.uk)

Overall
There are much better units for the money.

Click here for a larger photo of the Blaupunkt Hamburg MP68

Performance
The display is big and quick to respond to commands, but isn't that clear and the controls aren't intuitive. Sound quality is a plus point, but the Bluetooth handsfree function is better than the music side of things, with two big buttons for answering calls and hanging up.

Ease of operation
Fitting the headunit is simple, but you do need to wire in a separate microphone to use the Bluetooth handsfree feature and the USB lead. That's a pain if you plan to carry out the installation yourself, but not a worry if you're getting it done professionally. Once fitted, the menus aren't intuitive, which means some simple operations take longer than on other units.

Buying
The Blaupunkt is expensive, given that other units we tested offer more and cost less. There's no iPod-compatible connector as standard, and buying the optional iPod adapter bumps up the price by 80. Head to bluespot.co.uk for a saving of 50, and take advantage of free delivery.

Quality
This unit looks a bit different, but feels cheap and rather flimsy. The volume control feels cheap, and the display isn't as clear as those on many of the units we tested. It's a lot better built than the Parrot unit, but given the relatively lofty price tag, we expected better.

Special features
You can fork out for a separate iPod connector (which costs a whopping 79.99 from bluespot.co.uk), but our test unit wasn't fitted with one. There is a USB port fitted as standard, though, which works with USB memory sticks and some MP3 players (although not our test iPhone 3G). You also get a soft case for the removable fascia.