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Apple Ipod Question (Car Stereo)

Neo iOn

toezter said:
the neo kit, does that plug into a rca or multi-disk input?
Click to expand...

The Neo iOn is supposed to plug into the CD-changer port. It too allows the user to skip tracks using the CD-player but instead of a dock it uses a cable to connect to the iPod. Recharges while plugged in too.

BMW use a similar interface for their new cars.
 
Why does anyone even need an iPod for their car when they can just download the music from iTunes and burn it to a CD and play in the radio CD player????????? It will sound much better won't it?? That would also save me $300.
 
Mac2004 said:
Why does anyone even need an iPod for their car when they can just download the music from iTunes and burn it to a CD and play in the radio CD player????????? It will sound much better won't it?? That would also save me $300.
Click to expand...

sure, that saves a lot and does sound better (although you'd have to be a real audiophile to tell in most cases). In my case I make a 24 hour round trip in the car every 3 weeks, and filipping through CDs (even having that many in the car) gets old. With the money I spent to have RCA inputs for the iPod to my car stereo I can now just jump in and have my road trip playlists do the rest of the work for me. Switching between the iPod and XM radio is much easier than chaning CDs every hour or so.

Although I don't use my iPod in town, I tried that and it wasn't pretty trying to drive and find "that one song I really want to hear".
 
Mac2004 said:
Why does anyone even need an iPod for their car when they can just download the music from iTunes and burn it to a CD and play in the radio CD player????????? It will sound much better won't it?? That would also save me $300.
Click to expand...

Hey, you're right... wait... I could save money on all those CDs and just listen to the radio... no... I'll just walk and hum a tune... brilliant :D
 
Mac2004 said:
Why does anyone even need an iPod for their car when they can just download the music from iTunes and burn it to a CD and play in the radio CD player????????? It will sound much better won't it?? That would also save me $300.
Click to expand...

I am trying to do this because i am tired of carrying around a case that hold 200 CDs (which is full by the way), or leaving it in my car to be stolen(again). Who wouldn't want to be able to carry all of there music with them when they leave their car?
 
CDs...
  1. Get scratched
  2. Take up space
  3. Are easier to see when you have a bunch in your car, and are more likely to get stolen (you can keep a cable hidden, and take the iPod with you)
  4. Aren't as portable when you want your music outside of your car
  5. Deteriorate over time (or at least cheap CD-R's, and some older CD's, especially in the heat of a car)
  6. Are more of an inconvenience, and a driving hazard if you have to be changing them more often for a variety of music...

iPod spells c-o-n-v-e-n-i-e-n-c-e when it comes to managing, and taking a large music collection with you.

Besides, why bother asking about iPods and car stereos if you're going to just use CDs anyways?
 
hey guys, just wanted to let you know that i bought the Neo kit. Turns out that mp3yourcar.com carry's the sony (or can specially order it). I had been emailing tis place fro a couple of days and they responded that they can get the adapter for my car, and that the total cost would $20.00 less if i bought it over the phone.

So, since i was unable to find a better deal, i went a head and bought it. I also thought it would be a good idea, because i can now plug my iPod into anyone's Sony after-market car stereo (my friends, cousins, or whoever's).

Anyway, the cables and adapter sould arrive Tues. I will post again after i get it hooked up, and let you know what i think.
 
I have a current model Alfa Romeo 147...
and would love to be able to hardwire my 3G 40GB iPod.

Alfa dealers don't seem very helpful (most of them don't understand what I'm trying to do - let alone know what an iPod is)...
and all of the car stereo places I have been to - said it can't be done.

I got one of them to pull my head unit out - as Alfa told me I could put a CD stacker into it... but alas there was no connection to put it into?

Couldn't see an AUX either...

then I even enquired about buying a new head unit - but as it is build into the dash - but no one makes a matching piee of the surrounding dash?!!!

Now whilst I don't believe Alfa's are in the States - are there any English or Europens in here who have a solution for Alfas?

I was hoping to be able to use a similar system to Audi, VW, and Mercedes as I've heard that they all contain the same brand of head unit?
 
I have never seen an Alfa, let alone its stereo head unit, but my younger sister has a Ford Escort and she had the same kind of all in one peice dash. The car stereo place that i got my subs, and amp, from told her she could put a aftermarket dash in that would give her the option of changing her factory stereo. So, she did. She ended up getting the dash, and a Sony Explod cd player. The dash doen't look that great, but now she has the cd player.

To answer your question, i am not sure however if your car has an aftermarket dash which could replace your existing one. If it does, in my mind it would just be too expensive to buy a dash, a cdplayer with audio outputs (for subs or whatever) and inputs (to use a monitor, a computer, cd changer, or above all things an iPod), the car adapter for the iPod, and an iPod if someone unlike you and i doesn't have one.

Do you have an Alfa Rameo by chance, if you do, this guys store might help you. He's in the UK. Scroll down till you see ice>Link:iPod Car Side Connection for Alfa Romeo, Fiat & Blaupunkt Stereos (Stock*Code*-1535).

http://www.ghc.co.uk/acatalog/ICE_Link_Car_Connectors_for_iPod.html
 
DJY said:
I have a current model Alfa Romeo 147...
and would love to be able to hardwire my 3G 40GB iPod.

Now whilst I don't believe Alfa's are in the States - are there any English or Europens in here who have a solution for Alfas?

I was hoping to be able to use a similar system to Audi, VW, and Mercedes as I've heard that they all contain the same brand of head unit?
Click to expand...

Might be a starting point...
http://www.ihavetohave.it/acatalog/ICE-Link_Alfa_Romeo.html
 
If only we all had new BMW's or if apple would say we are planning to make an option for it for these models....
 
Thanks for the links guys! Looks promising...
one guy at the Alfa dealer today who did seem to know what an iPod was - didn't think I'd have much luck.
Depsite the same basic stereo being in the the 147, 156, and 166 - he wasn't even sure I could put a CD Stacker in????

sigh
 
Use an FM transmitter for now

I just bought a TransPod FM and for many of you that would be the best option. Like the Neo iOn and Alpine it will recharge the iPod but more importantly, it will also get a line signal as it connects to the dock connector. You can choose any FM frequency so it can adapt to wherever you are. The signal is so strong that even my brother in the car behind mine could tune in to my iPod!

Adaptors that connect to the CD-changer port would be ideal if there were not so many different connectors for every different brand of car audio. The compatibility list on the MP3YourCar.com site refers to American vehicles and in other countries the same brand of car may use different brand of CD player. Having to use the correct dip-switch setting for the right CD player could also be a problem if you have to resort to adaptors for the adaptor.

My recommendation is to use the best FM transmitter you can (that would be the TransPod FM) until these iPod adaptors go into their 2nd generation and all the quirks get sorted out.
 
Wow. I just got the iOn today, and just installed it about a half an hour ago. I must say that it installed pretty easy, and sounds just as good as CD quality (at least to me).

Now, if i can only figure out away to get my CD player to fit back into my dash everything would be great.

So far i will give the iOn: ****.5 stars.
 
RubberChicken said:
I got the Ice-Link from Denison for my Clio Sport (Phillips Head Unit).
My headunit had no RCA ports, but did have the CD changer connection required by the Ice-Link. The major benefits are you get a non-damaging install which leaves a little cradle as the only visible thing, slide the ipod in and it connects through dock connection for crystal clear sound and charging in one. All the stalk controls work through the Ice-Link to pause/volume/next song etc.

I also wasted $90 on the iTrip before I found the Ice-Link, was not cheap, but worth every penny for me.

http://www.dension.com/main.php?pageid=50&topid=42
Click to expand...


Thanks for the heads up about the Ice-Link, that really looks sweet. Now all I have to do is convince the wife that we need one. hmmmm............ ;)
 
After attempting to install my adapter in my car, i soon relized that while plugged in that my cd player will no longer fit. My heater core is blocking it from fitting in my car's stereo car kit. But, the adapter works great, and sounds good.

Today, i decided to sell my adapter, since my cd player won't fit with it attached. So, i figured that i would offer my Adapter to anyone here that has a Sony cd player with a cd changer plug on the back of your receiver. Your cd player will also need the have audio in ports (RCA L+R). Mor info can be found at http://www.mp3yourcar.com/whatisit.html.

If intrested, send me a PM. I am thinking of selling it for $90.00+shipping. I originally bought it for $135.00 new. Also, it is only four days old.
 
I was in your same shoes.

I had an iPod and wanted the best quality I could get in my car. I bought an iTrip. That worked OK, at best. I had some extra cash, so I went to Best Buy to install a new head unit on my car, which was $250 for the cheapest one that had audio in (thats including the $100 for labor). I'd say go for it if you have some extra cash, like I did. But if you don't want to pay basically another iPods worth just to play it in your car with perfect sound, I'd just go with a $40 iTrip, or if I had done over, I would have tried one of those casette tape things. I've seen reviews of those and they seem to work. I've never tried one though.

Good luck and I hope I could help.

PS: I'm sort of a newbie here and I've asked a lot of questions before. It feels good to be able to help somone else, you know, to give back.
 
just got the itrip.. it works wonderfully. Just had to find a good station and with a little experimentation i found one that works well and sounds good. I love my little setup now.=)
 
Sweetfeld28 said:
After attempting to install my adapter in my car, i soon relized that while plugged in that my cd player will no longer fit. My heater core is blocking it from fitting in my car's stereo car kit. But, the adapter works great, and sounds good.

Today, i decided to sell my adapter, since my cd player won't fit with it attached. So, i figured that i would offer my Adapter to anyone here that has a Sony cd player with a cd changer plug on the back of your receiver. Your cd player will also need the have audio in ports (RCA L+R). Mor info can be found at http://www.mp3yourcar.com/whatisit.html.

If intrested, send me a PM. I am thinking of selling it for $90.00+shipping. I originally bought it for $135.00 new. Also, it is only four days old.
Click to expand...

i'd been following this thread since i'm looking for a way to hook up my ipod directly to my oem stereo in my pathfinder, and i'm bummed to hear that this won't work out for you. if i had a sony stereo, i'd buy your adapter! good luck selling it...

i had been thinking about getting one of the alpine head units with a cingle cd player and their new ipod adapter, but my husband doesn't want to give up the 6-disc changer already in the car. so, i'm down to getting an icelink or the mp3yourcar product. of course, i explained to him that having ALL of our songs on the ipod versus switching out cd's would be much easier, but he complained that he would have to borrow my ipod all the time or buy his own. 'cause buying an ipod is such a terrible thing, of course. :p i even offered to buy him one of the u2 edition ones as an early christmas present, and he didn't bite. i'm beginning to think there's something wrong with him... :D

marianne
 
iPod adaptors for CD-changer

macLC40 said:
i had been thinking about getting one of the alpine head units with a cingle cd player and their new ipod adapter, but my husband doesn't want to give up the 6-disc changer already in the car.
Click to expand...

I do not know about the Alpine, but the Neo iOn is supposed to connect to the CD-changer if you allready have one installed. If not, you can connect it to the CD-changer port at the back of the CD.
 
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