Best Android Phone setup?

Buy a small ipod, leave it in center console. a 8 gig nano is about $140 at Amazon. Or you could run wires...

 

But then you have to own an iPod! Yuck!

 

I'm not sure I understand what you want - you're not happy with using an aux cable through the center console and resting your phone in the cupholder? That's what I do.

Why not? The iPod doesn't have to be in the center console. As I said, an aux cord can sneak out the top of the center console and you can put your phone in the cupholder.

 

I've gone through many different setups for accessing and changing music through a few different cars. Like you, I find a phone the most convenient because I always have it with me and it's easiest to add music to on a whim. With an iPod left in the car, you would have to go out and retrieve it every time you wanted music. I'm way to lazy for that.

If you want to keep the stock system, I'd recommend getting an aux extension cord and routing it to the dash, tucking it under whatever trim pieces you can.

As for actually holding the phone, look up the Scosche DashDock Universal Dash Mount on Amazon. I can't post links yet, but it has a blue sticky gel that holds the phone. The mount itself sucks, but the part that holds the phone works incredibly well. The sticky back works much better than the vice type holders I've used before. I just took off the part that actually holds the phone and used double sided tape to secure it to the dash. The sticky dries out now and then, but a bit of saliva fixes that real quick.

The best setup I've found is with an aftermarket head unit that supports the A2DP bluetooth protocol. I have an Alpine cda-105, and I can't imagine an easier way to get music to play from my phone. You can literally plop the phone on the dash and it will automatically launch a music player when the car starts and bluetooth connects. You can run wires any way you want, but nothing beats of everything starting automatically. The phone call integration is also just as seamless. If you want a clean looking connection, an aftermarket head unit is the way to go.

 

It's too bad you have the JBL system otherwise i'd say ditch the factory headunit and god aftermarket stealth....

 

I put on of these in the center console connected to the power and the aux input:
Amazon.com: BlackBerry Bluetooth Stereo Gateway (In RIM Retail Packaging with Travel Charger Included) for 8100, 8300, 8800, 9000 Series Phones: Cell Phones & Accessories

My Samsung Vibrant connects to the Bluetooth Gateway and the sound comes out of the car stereo wirelessly. Works pretty good for me.

 

I used a PAC SWI-JACK module to integrate the steering wheel controls with the new head unit. It works very well. By doing this you can totally circumvent the stock head unit. You may have to do the resister mod to retain your climate control system, see F8L's stealth install thread for more information on that.

SWI-JACK:
http://www.amazon.com/PAC-SWI-JACK-Steering-Designed-Blaupunkt/dp/B001EAQTBE

 

I've been thinking about going this route. How's the sound quality compared to plugging in via the phone's headphone jack? Can the phone connect to the RIM device and the car's bluetooth simultaneously?

 

I find the sound quality to be very comperable to hard wireing using the headphone jack on the phone.

Yes, my phone automatically connects to the BlackBerry Gateway and also the Prius hands free at the same time. That is one of the things I really like about the BlackBerry Gateway; it doesn't try to be a Bluetooth speakerphone.

Before I got the BlackBerry Gateway, I had one of these: Amazon.com: Kensington LiquidAUX Bluetooth Car Kit with Remote for Music Phones: Cell Phones & Accessories
It constantly battled with the Prius hands free system.