I will be purchasing a car soon, and it will have an older CD changer, with the CD stack in the trunk, that I will probably be switching out with a new model. I would like to listen to my iPod though my car speakers. I have an FM transmitter, but the quality sucks. I do not require any ability to play audio CDs, and unless there is a car MP3 CD player that can use playlists in an intuitive fashion, I’d rather not have to use MP3 CDs. Looks like my cheapest solution is to buy a cheap car deck with an AUX jack in the front. I am fine with controlling the music through my ipod, in fact I prefer it as I can hold my iPod up to eye level and keep an eye on the road, instead of having to look down to fuck with the controls. This will cost me ~$170. Any input from SDMB car mavens?
I think the AUX jack is your best bet, but you could also get an old fashioned stereo cassette deck and use a cassette adapter. The quality is somewhat higher than the FM transmitters I have experience with.
You are right that the FM modulator quality is horrible. The cheapest and easist way is to use an antenna cable that connects between the car antenna and the receiver. The problem is that sometimes it is difficult to gain access to that connection. It can require removing interior trim panels. If you don’t know how to do it you can risk damage. If you have access to a manufacturer’s shop manual you can get specific instructions. The connection cable may cost $25 tops but again, gaining access can be problematic.
If that doesn’t work, go to plan B.
I’d just like to add that I tried using a tape adapter and mounting my Nano on my dash. It’s not safe. Rather than having buttons for particular tasks, the Ipod uses a menu system that depends on you looking at the thing. The continuous scroll wheel is bad for moving a particular number of spaces. You don’t want to fiddle with it when you’re driving.
There are various types of remotes, and I think some stereos can connect digitally to it so that you can use the stereo controls instead. There’s also a tape adapter that is supposed to change tracks on the Ipod when you use the tape controls on the stereo, but some people said it isn’t reliable. In any case, look for some alternative controls.
Be aware of the head unit that you purchase. I have a US$100 Sony that I USED to be pretty happy with. It had everything I wanted, including the standard AUX IN input jacks.
I purchased an IPOD for an extended roadtrip and have discovered what an evil fuck corporation Sony is. The AUX In is only activated if you buy a $100 adaptor unit. Hell, I could’ve bought the unit that actually had a functional AUX IN for another $70 bucks or so.
In other words, Sony has deliberately disabled the functionality of the AUX IN via software in order to differentiate product, but they don’t clearly advertise that this is the case. Let me make it clear that electronically, the AUX IN works. Fuckers!
So, if you have active AUX IN inputs, you can just run your headphone jack into the RCA jacks.
You can get adapters from e.g. Dension that connect to the CD changer socket at the back of the head unit. Then, you can control the iPod with the standard controls as if it were a CD changer, and whats more it charges the iPod while it’s conected. With some head units you’ll get the song name on the stereo’s display too. The Dension adapter costs about 100 GBP here.
Good point, however I can’t concievably see how the dash mounted controls will be any better. After all, all the functions on the iPod are also single button pushes until you want to change playlists, but I doubt it is any easier to do that with the in dash controls, I rarely look at my iPod while using it during runing or biking so it won’t be much different in the car. However I will have to try it at ye olde car stereo shoppe to make sure.
Sorry to hear that, I heard Sony HUs are crap anyway, so I porbably won’t buy one.
I will have to look into this too, but I think the set up might look rather ungainly.
I actually installed the Dension system into my girlfriend’s car, and it’s pretty good. You run the docking cable through the arm rest (or through the glove compartment, or wherever you want). This way my girlfriend can just open up the arm rest, put the cable back in there, and you can’t tell that anything is there. She still gets full use of her CD player and can control it all through her steering wheel controls. Downside is that it doesn’t always work. I think that the iPod needs to be connected before the car is turned on or the car won’t recognize that the thing is there.