Ipod in Car

xirokx · 16 Apr 2008 at 19:13

Hi,

I have a 5th gen IPOD I was using in the car by plugging a cassette type adapter which looks like a cassette and goes into my car stero whilst the other end of it is connected to the headphones socket on my IPOD

My current one broke i.e. the sound kept appearing and disappearing due to probably a break somewhere in the wire..

I purchased a new one and it keeps spinning around in my car stero player sometimes playing sometimes not, its automatically auto reversing..

Can anyone recommend a decent cassette adaptor for me to use in the car?

I go through like 4 a year..

please help

thanks

paradigm · 16 Apr 2008 at 19:17

Idea:

Buy a headunit that doesn't need a cassette adapter and can control the ipod from the HU directly. Saves buying 4-5 adapters a year.

Jez · 16 Apr 2008 at 19:18

Failing the above, i use a cheapy tesco value one as it was the first one i saw when i thought about giving it a go, was around £2 or something. Works flawlessly with my mercedes system.

xirokx · 16 Apr 2008 at 19:37

a headunit? meaning a new stereo?

surely theres a cheaper way and one that will work continuously

"reaches out to all the ppl who use IPOD's in their cars"

paradigm · 16 Apr 2008 at 19:40

Oh yeah, cheaper ways are there, they just suck for integration, functions, and quality. I'd rather have a stereo that I can take with me to the next car, and the next car, and the next car, rather than put up with dire audio quality and usability.

Kappa · 16 Apr 2008 at 19:42

My solution was to buy a bluetooth head unit (my Sony being £100), that way you have a full car kit for your phone and i have a little A2DP adaptor on the bottom of my ipod which will stream music and you can control it from your head unit

Phate · 16 Apr 2008 at 19:46

Tried an iTrip?

Providing you can find a good frequency it should be fine

Or do what El said, buy a HU so you can connect and control the iPod via the HU.

Lashout_UK · 16 Apr 2008 at 19:47

The sole radio device that I've even had mild success with was one of the original iTrips - I haven't tried a later one.

It even worked in a few cars that had the antenna integrated with the rear windscreen, although it could be a bit finikity at best in those.

Avoid the Belkin one at all cost, it's garbage

xirokx · 16 Apr 2008 at 19:50

so whats the most cheapest head unit I can get, how much will it cost to fit

Phate · 16 Apr 2008 at 19:51

xirokx said:
so whats the most cheapest head unit I can get, how much will it cost to fit

What car do you have? need to make sure you can swap out the head unit first.

And it's relatively easy to do as well

paradigm · 16 Apr 2008 at 19:52

You can get an iPod compatible headunit for under £100, and you can fit them yourself in less than 30 mins.

xirokx · 16 Apr 2008 at 20:13

i drive a honda accord W plate 5 door,

can I get a hu under £40?

Tom|Nbk · 16 Apr 2008 at 20:18

which Ipod is it.

I have a spare Itrip for Ipod Mini lying around here.

Redrum · 16 Apr 2008 at 20:21

The other option not mentioned which is cheaper that a proper ipod head unit but just as good quality (and better quality than a tape adapter or iTrip), would be a head unit with an stereo input. For example:

http://www.easy-caraudio.co.uk/shop/car-head-units/kenwood-kdc-241sa-head-unit-517563.html

peterattheboro · 16 Apr 2008 at 20:23

xirokx said:
i drive a honda accord W plate 5 door,

can I get a hu under £40?

I can highly recommend this headunit for £60.

http://www.motor-world.co.uk/show_prod.php?prod_id=13017

I've just fitted it and it's a huge improvement over my last Sony HU.

xirokx · 16 Apr 2008 at 21:01

ipod 5th gen...

how about cheaper then £40 lets say around £30??

How would you connect the IPOD to those HU's you guys suggested? via the aux?

Firestar_3x · 16 Apr 2008 at 22:51

So instead of using a tape adapter we've gone to an aux lead, well done, it will have exactly the same issue he was having in the first place (broken lead).

Any HU for £50 or less will be naff, infact anything sub £140 is pants.

You don't want to buy new, look on e-bay for a proper Ipod HU or don't bother (IMHO).

paradigm · 16 Apr 2008 at 22:58

xirokx said:
ipod 5th gen...

how about cheaper then £40 lets say around £30??

How would you connect the IPOD to those HU's you guys suggested? via the aux?

Through ones I'd suggest? Well they'd be considerably more than £30!!! But they would have a dock connector, so charging, controlling, playback, all through the actual dock connector on the iPod. Bypasses the iPod's internal amp (which isn't great), and plays just the data through the stereo.

If I had £30-40, I'd get a stack of blank CD's.

Redrum · 16 Apr 2008 at 23:07

Firestar_3x said:
So instead of using a tape adapter we've gone to an aux lead, well done, it will have exactly the same issue he was having in the first place (broken lead).

Any HU for £50 or less will be naff, infact anything sub £140 is pants.

You don't want to buy new, look on e-bay for a proper Ipod HU or don't bother (IMHO).

We don't know it was the lead. In my opinion, it is much more likely to be the actual tape device. Even if the lead does break, a 3.5mm audio cable costs about £2 to replace, as opposed to at least £10 for a replacement iPod to head unit lead. He is on a very tight budget, and iPod head units cost twice as much as normal ones, and on top of that all but a few high end ones don't do iPods out of the box, so you have to buy a costly adapter or lead separately.

Obviously a £50 head unit won't be great in comparison to a £140 one, but its still going to be vastly better than a standard cassette player, especially a standard cassette player using a cassette adapter.

nomad · 16 Apr 2008 at 23:10

Firestar_3x said:
So instead of using a tape adapter we've gone to an aux lead, well done, it will have exactly the same issue he was having in the first place (broken lead).

Any HU for £50 or less will be naff, infact anything sub £140 is pants.

You don't want to buy new, look on e-bay for a proper Ipod HU or don't bother (IMHO).

why would a aux lead cable break so easily?

i just used a mini iso off the headunit to rcas, cut and soldered them into a jack from ****** and mounted the jack into a button blank trim, then i can plug my ipod, or any 3.5 cable into there and run off aux. works a treat, looks neat and tidy and cost £5.