Audio Input

[nowers]

Does anyone know if my 2011 ES350 has an audio input jack for the radio/sound system?

Thanks in advance, Dave

[1990LS400]

It's inside the center console next to the power port - page 258 in the owners manual: http://drivers.lexus.com/t3Portal/document/om/OM33875U/pdf/sec_03_02.pdf

My understanding is that the 2011 ES350 with and without navigation also has Bluetooth A2DP for wireless streaming from compatible devices like phones and MP3 players. The sound quality of A2DP in your 2011 ES is probably as good as with aux-in - at least that is my opinion and I am very particular about music sound quality. I never connect to aux-in in our vehicles - only stream audio wirelessly.

[nowers]

Not sure I can stream from my laptop.

[1990LS400]

Not sure I can stream from my laptop.

Not sure I have ever encountered someone who wanted to stream audio from a laptop to a vehicle audio system. Most people move their audio files from their PC to a more portable device such as an MP3 player / iPod, a phone or simple USB flash memory such as a memory stick.

I copied my music library both to a micro SD card in my phone and to a memory stick. I thought I would stream it from the memory stick but found it much easier to stream it from an app on my Android phone since the phone app keeps the music better organized in albums and displays the album covers while I am streaming. Both my wife and I put our phones in inexpensive iOttie phone holders on the tops of our dashboards so that we don't have to divert our eyes from the road much while controlling the streaming.

If you use a similar method using a phone or MP3 player, you "should" be able to skip tracks by using the Channel Up or Down button on your steering wheel if you connect via Bluetooth but I don't know if this can be done if you connect to the aux-in.

USB Bluetooth dongles are available for PC's for around $10 if your laptop doesn't have Bluetooth built-in but I don't know anything PC applications that can stream wirelessly to vehicle audio systems. I have also run into people who have streamed audio from Android tablet computers and have mounted their tablets on brackets in their vehicles. A number of companies including iOttie sell tablet holders for vehicles.

I don't really stream my music library from my phone all that much anymore. I mainly stream from the Internet ... Pandora with a little Slacker and iHeart thrown in. We are traveling 200 miles this coming Saturday morning so I'll be streaming a local radio station all the way via the free Tunein Internet service so that my wife can listen to her favorite Saturday programs.