The GM Personal Audio Link (PAL) was designed to be used with an Apple iPod.  It is the best iPod interface available for the C6 Corvette, hands down.  But the simple iPod slowly developed into the iPhone, and the PAL still was the best interface available.  But then other smartphones began competing with the iPhone, and the iPhone itself became an iPhone 5, and these new smartphones won't directly connect to the PAL iPod cable with its 30 pin iPod connector.  So, for those owners who have Android smartphones and iPhone 5's, does that make the PAL obsolete?  Absolutely not, but it does make the choices owners have more confusing.  How should those owners listen to their music?  One alternative is a tiny inexpensive Bluetooth Audio Receiver.  

This website will review five models readily available to C6 owners.  After completing some online research to determine which models might work with the GM PAL, I contacted some manufacturers who kindly sent me samples of their products to test and review.  The models included in this review are as follows:

1.  The Aluratek AIS03 30-pin Bluetooth Audio Receiver

2.  The Coolstream Bluetooth Audio Receiver (also 30 pin)

3.  The SoundBot SB330 Bluetooth Music Receiver

4.  The Coolstream Duo Bluetooth Receiver

5.  The Aluratek AIS01 iStream Bluetooth Audio Receiver

I also contacted NAXA Electronics, but numerous emails went unanswered with no phone contact available, so I gave up on NAXA.

Most of these models will connect directly to the GM PAL 30 pin iPod cable, so they become a replacement for an iPod, allowing you to wirelessly stream your audio from most any smartphone with Bluetooth capabilities.  Since the smartphone is not directly connected, you can have your smartphone in your pocket or any convenient location of your choice.  You will have to independently charge your smartphone, but the Bluetooth receiver, being connected to the PAL iPod cable, will operate any time the car is running and shut down when the car is shut down.  This is a nice advantage over the Kinivo Bluetooth Receiver reviewed on another website (CLICK HERE for that review).  But it should be noted that these Bluetooth Audio Receiver are NOT handsfree phone devices like the Kinivo BTC450 - they only stream your music.  So they are ideal for C6s with other handsfree phone devices and a GM PAL, especially Version 2 PALs.

Now the Review:

Here are the five Bluetooth Audio Receivers I tested:

Compare their tiny size to the PAL module

1.  The Aluratek AIS03 30-pin Bluetooth Audio Receiver

Here it is up close:

On the bottom is a 30 pin female iPod cable connector, and on the left side is a pairing button, and a small Bluetooth LED on the top.  Connect it to the PAL iPod cable in your glove box or center console, wherever your cable is located:

Go into your Settings menu of your smartphone, turn on Bluetooth, and search for devices.  Pair the device using the button on the side.  Pairing was quick and simple.  Here is the AIS03 connected to my Motorola Android smartphone:

(Ignore the Motorola IHF1000 devices - they are Bluetooth Handsfree devices for three of my other GM cars.  EXCELLENT devices, by the way.)

Here's what the PAL Menu (Version 2 Menu shown) looks like with the Bluetooth Audio Receiver connected:

Note there is no song information shown - only "Loading" is displayed.  The PAL Menu buttons are not active either.  But your music chosen on your smartphone is heard with high quality and clarity.

If you have a Version 2 PAL (upgraded software), you have a significant bonus!  If you press the SOURCE button and choose the Direct Mode, you see this:

and not only do your steering wheel buttons work, but also the PAUSE button allows you to stop and start your music.  You can skip songs with the Previous or Next buttons which duplicate your steering wheel controls.  Since the original PAL software does not have Direct Mode, the steering wheel controls do not work - so you might consider upgrading the software to Version 2.

When you shut down the car, the Bluetooth receiver also shuts down.  When you start up later, the receiver will automatically connect to your phone and you're good to go.

2.  The Coolstream Bluetooth Audio Receiver

and up close:

This device also has a 30 pin female iPod cable connector on the bottom, and the pairing button and tiny LED are on the top.  Connected to the iPod cable, it looks like this:

I had a bit of trouble connecting the Coolstream and got this message:

But with some more button pushing on my smartphone and the receiver, it finally connected:

and once connected, it stayed connected just fine.  It also automatically connected after the car was shut down and later restarted.  Here is a photo of my smartphone wirelessly streaming audio through the Coolstream:

It sounds great.

But for some unknown reason, in PAL Direct mode, the Next, Previous, and Pause buttons would not function, nor would the steering wheel forward and back buttons work.  If you have an original PAL, these features are not available anyway.  But if you have the Version 2 software, this is a disadvantage when compared to the Aluratek AIS03.

3.  The SoundBot SB330 Bluetooth Music Receiver

and again, up close:

You may notice it looks very similar to the Aluratek AIS03.  In fact, other than the logo on the Aluratek, it appears to be identical.  The pairing button on the side is identical, as is the LED on the top.  Here it is connected to the PAL iPod cable:

It paired identically with the same pairing and connecting sounds as the Aluratek.

Here is the SB330 connected to my smartphone:

Like the Aluratek, the SB330 allows steering wheel control and the Previous and Next buttons in Direct mode if you have Version 2 PAL software.  The PAUSE button also works in Direct mode.

4.  The Coolstream Duo Bluetooth Receiver

and up close:

This Bluetooth receiver is interesting because it not only has a 30 pin female iPod connector, but it also has a 3.5mm (1/8") connector, allowing it to connect to an auxiliary input.

The Duo has a built in rechargable battery with a switch to allow it to stream music to the 3.5mm connector even if you disconnect it from the iPod cable:

The Duo will allow wireless streaming if you have an auxiliary input instead of a PAL with a 30 pin connector, but only for so long as the battery lasts.

Here it is connected to the 30 pin iPod cable:

Here it is connected to an auxiliary input:  

In either mode, it shows connected on the smartphone:

For this feature to be valuable, you do need an auxiliary input, which original GM PALs do not have. 

Version 2 PALs do have an auxiliary input, chosen by the user from the SOURCE button:

But if you have a Version 2 PAL, you likely would choose Direct mode and use the 30 pin connection because it also provides the power connection, rather than the limited power of the internal battery.

Like the other Coolstream receiver, the steering wheels controls and the previous, next, and pause buttons do not work in Direct mode.

Still, this is a nice receiver and some owners might like the additional connection feature.  The Duo paired easily and the sound quality was excellent - like all of the receivers reviewed here.

5.  The Aluratek AIS01 iStream Bluetooth Audio Receiver

Here's an up close shot:

The AIS01 is the only Bluetooth receiver that does not have a 30 pin iPod cable connector, so you may wonder why it is included.  But the Version 2 PALs have an auxiliary input connection on the PAL module with two RCA jacks on the module.  Included with the AIS01 is an adapter cable that will plug into the two RCA jacks and connect to the 3.5mm plug on the receiver, shown in the photo above.

Power must be provided to the receiver because it does not have a built in battery like the Coolstream Duo.  A power cable with a USB connector is provided in the package.  Here it is connected to the smartphone:

For vehicles without a GM PAL, but with an auxiliary input, such as '08 and later C6s with a non-Nav radio, or perhaps '11 and later C6s with a USB equipped Nav radio option, this receiver might be an interesting choice for music streaming.

The biggest drawback for the AIS01 is that a separate power supply must be provided.  And the C6 Corvette does not provide power connectors that shut down with the car shuts down.  So you must remember to unplug your unit when you shut down the car.

Pairing is easy, but because you cannot use this in Direct mode with a Version 2 PAL, steering wheel controls do not work.  It will only operate in Aux mode with a Version 2 PAL:

Conclusions:

All five of these Bluetooth Audio Receivers provide high quality wireless music streaming.  If you have a GM PAL, the receivers with the 30 pin iPod cable connection are the most useful, because you have a power source that shuts down when the car shuts down.  If you have an iPhone 5 or an Android smartphone, these receivers provide a convenient wireless connection for music streaming.  The iPhone 5 will connect to the 30 pin iPod cable if you have one of the Apple adapters for the new Lightning connector, but they are rather cumbersome, so this wireless alternative has some nice advantages.  Android smartphones will not connect to the 30 pin connector, so only a wired auxiliary input connection is available without one of these receivers.

The Aluratek AIS03 and the SoundBot SB330 are the only two receivers that will allow steering wheel controls and the previous, next, and pause buttons if you have a Version 2 PAL.  This is a very nice feature in my opinion.

If you are going to use a smartphone for your music storage and playing, these receivers are a very nice, as well as inexpensive, accessory for the PAL.

Do they compare to a wired connection of an iPod?  Sound quality wise, yes.  But feature wise, no.  Here is a Version 2 PAL Menu in iPod mode:

Here is the Music Menu of the PAL in iPod mode:

and the Settings Menu:

As you can see, the PAL with a wired connection to an iPod allows you to control your music from the Navigation screen instead of the music device (smartphone).  It also displays your music information (including song title and artist) on the Nav screen.  Song titles are also displayed on the HUD.  You lose these features with a wireless Bluetooth connection.  If you like your iPod, use it for your music storage and control it with your PAL.

But if you are like many new music lovers with the latest smartphone and all of their new and amazing features, you will like one of these new Bluetooth Audio Receivers.  Amazon.com has all of them, and you'll likely find at least some of them at stores like Best Buy.

If you have any questions, you can email me at ray@kawal.net