Ipod Music in the Car?

[AP_piano295]

So I want to get the music on my ipod mini into the car stereo system but I have no idea what I need to do this. The tape player addapter wont work because the car only has a CD player.

Any help would be appreciated

 

[stevep]

Use a Griffin iTrip or search eBay for 'white fm transmitter' - assuming you have a radio in the car that is.

 

[kingcrowing]

you have 3 options
1) FM transmitter, ex. iTrip
2) your stereo might be able to get an iPod adapter (Alpine, Pioneer and i think Kenwood all have this, it's like $100 and you have a dock connector cable that plugs into your ipod and you control it from you stereo) and you can get kits that work with certian cars, like the VW and Honda stock stereos have a thing you can add to them.
3) Line-in, some stereos have a 3.5" jack on them, you get a 3.5" male-male adaptor and you go from the headphone jack on the iPod to the car stereo, my 93 VW stock stereo has this and it's what i use, but most cars dont have this.

 

[killmoms]

I'd recommend you go to a reputable car audio place of some sort and tell them you would like a way to feed your iPod's signal directly into your car's stereo. They'll be able to identify what options are available to you based on which car and stereo you have.

 

[erickkoch]

I have a Kenwood that has a line-in adapter and the iPod kit that works with iPods using the dock connector. If your iPod has the dock connector you can change the playlists from your stereo dial. The connectors are routed into the glove compartment. The iPod kits also charge your iPod so you won't need a separate charger. Line-in adapters are great for other types of MP3 players.

I don't recommend the iTrip or any other FM type transmitter. I've been through 3 different kinds and they never worked very well in cars. They work OK when you are stationary, like transmitting through a home stereo. I live in Southern CA and there is too much interference between stations, as soon as you drive a block or two you get static, hissing, and other noises. That may be different for you if you live in a rural area.

 

[mrdeep]

My stereo was stolen so I just put an amp in the trunk that I connect to my ipod. I have nothing but ipod driven car audio. Sometimes, I miss NPR.

 

[VanMac]

Stay away from the FM transmitter. Sound quality is poor.

Get inline as suggested. If you have a bmw, icelink makes a decent adapter...

 

[fayans]

My stereo was stolen so I just put an amp in the trunk that I connect to my ipod. I have nothing but ipod driven car audio. Sometimes, I miss NPR.

I'm actually toying with the idea of connecting my iPod to my amp. (My stereo not stolen anyway ) How do you connect?

 

[joystik]

my brother bought this cable thing..dont know what it was but he connected his ipod strait to his stock deck..its awsome..great sound quality...and you play thousands of songs.

 

[sigamy]

As the others have said, skip the FM modulators. If you are in a large city they may not work well.

Here is a great site. http://www.logjamelectronics.com/

You can get either an Aux Input Adapter or one of the newer iPod interfaces. The Aux input adapter will change your HU's cd changer port to a standard RCA type port. The sound will go thru your factor stereo but you can't control the iPod thru the car. I have done this in my VW and it is awesome. I just use the iPod to control, I usually just hit Shuffle Songs or listen to podcasts. Great sound quality. These are around $70, well worth it over an iTrip or something like that.

The newer iPod adapters allow for some level of iPod control right from your HU's CD changer controls. These are a bit more at $150-$200.

 

[stevep]

Stay away from the FM transmitter. Sound quality is poor.

Get inline as suggested. If you have a bmw, icelink makes a decent adapter...

The first bit isn't true - at least not for everyone. In the UK everyone I know with an fm transmitter is very happy with the quality, and its better than you get from a tape adaptor - probably because we have fewer local radio stations. From what I've read in this and similar threads there are a million local radio stations in the US, all competing for wavelengths, so you're bound to get competition. However, with a decent radio that is able to screen out marginal broadcasts, and with the tramsmitter fairly close to your aerial, you should minimise the interference.
Also, an fm transmitter is a cheap solution. Much cheaper than any sort of ICE link setup.
However, Kingcrowing and VanMac had it right with the suggestion of using a line-in connector - IF you've got one its the best and the cheapest.

 

[hookahco]

if you want a pro setup with great sound quality, you could buy a head unit from alpine or kenwood (i like alpine...) that has an optional iPod connector. you can control your ipod from the actual stereos head unit.
if, however, you just want something simple and inexpensive, like me, see if your stereo has a line in option or buy an fm transmitter.. the tape adapters sound horrible imho

 

[mrdeep]

I'm actually toying with the idea of connecting my iPod to my amp. (My stereo not stolen anyway ) How do you connect?

My amp has rca inputs (something I looked for when shopping for one) and I just plugged in a 1/8" -> rca cable.

If you don't have rca inputs, it's easy enough to splice open a cable and ghetto it up.

 

[Alex Duggan]

if you want a pro setup with great sound quality, you could buy a head unit from alpine or kenwood (i like alpine...) that has an optional iPod connector. you can control your ipod from the actual stereos head unit.
if, however, you just want something simple and inexpensive, like me, see if your stereo has a line in option or buy an fm transmitter.. the tape adapters sound horrible imho

http://www.halfords.com/webapp/wcs/...logId=10151&productId=224328&categoryId=31445

That's the head-unit and adaptor that I bought, can control the iPod direct from the head unit/steering wheel controls (needed an additional adaptor for that however) - works a treat!

 

[Whistleway]

Also, do check and see if your car has an auxillary port.