Connecting Ipod to car stereo - the best way?

EvilMonkey

I'm toying with getting an ipod with one of the main uses being in the car (used to have a CD changer, but getting it to work with the stereo in the new car requires a £100 adapter!)

What's the best way of connecting it to the cars stereo (cost vs quality vs convenience). Ways I've found so far are:-

• Using a tape adapter
• Using an itrip or similar
• Connecting it to the stereo's cd changer port using an aux-in adapter
• connecting it to the aerial port using an adapter (you can then switch between ipod and radio)

The only issue I have is with choice 3, the car's stereo is a Philips and no-one seems to do a cheap adapter allowing me to wire in my ipod.

Thoughts / idea's / experiences???

Thanks

E.M.

Darksun

I've heard that iTrips give awful quality and I don't think they're legal in the UK.

Another option would be to get one of those iPod docks with speakers, or just get some cheap passive speakers and stick them in your car and plug them into the iPod

urbanfrit

I use a tape adaptor and it works really well.
Although the one I got from Maplins for about £4 didn't work with my Pioneer autoreverse unit. (Pioneer kept trying to turn the "tape" over).Luckily managed to swap it for my mate's Panasonic one as my Maplin one worked fine in his car.

I also tried an iTrip copy which I bought from USA via ebay (they are illegal here) and it was absolutely useless and a total waste of money.

MrBen_4

Buy the ALPINE-CDE-9850RI (there might even be a newer model out now)
It has direct iPod connection and charges the iPod at the same time too. You can control the iPod through the stereo headunit interface too very quickly (compared to the usual headunit + iPod adapter combo)

The cheapest I found this for when I bought it was £170 from pixmania.co.uk It's a very neat way to do it as my iPod sits in the glove compartment out of view, and you don't have the adapters and wires all over the place.

mr_fishbulb

Darksun wrote:

I've heard that iTrips give awful quality and I don't think they're legal in the UK.

itrip is fine if you can find an empty frequency on the radio. It depends on how many stations are operating around you. Although my girlfriend can drive all the way into london with hers working.

KAD666

Just got one of these, works really well was`nt expecting it too as friends told me they dont work but this really does. Needs rechargable batteries though as it eats em fast.

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/CAR-RADIO-FM-TRANSMITTER-4-IPOD-MINI-NANO-2GB-6GB-CD-MD_W0QQitemZ9707480177QQcategoryZ58350QQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

xycom1

I had an iTrip in the past as well and it was useless. Got shot of it pretty quickly.

Changed the standard head unit in the car to a Pioneer one with the extra iPod charge/connection unit and now I have perfect CD-quality sound from the 'Pod in the car.

bring1t

I use one of these from ebay, charges as well as sends out via FM. I find it very good as you can change the frequency it outputs to.

ebay product ID = 9706635161

EvilMonkey

Unfortunately, changing the head unit is not a good option as:-

a.) the current one forms part of the dash
b.) I like using the stalk on the driving column to control it

Any other suggestions? Anyone else tracked down a solution for giving a philips radio Aux in???

fagun

Thanks for all the answers so far. I'm looking for the same solution, but haven't decided on which MP3 player to get. Does anyone know of solutions for Creative Zen or other MP3 players - or do I have to get an iPod?

EvilMonkey

Maplins sell a unit which plumbs into your aerial (I guess like the denison one) at £30, and there are others available around £20, but it seems quite an untidy solution, less flexible in terms of control than something like an itrip, but still succeptible to interference (I know the signal is stronger than an itrip, but it does state, if it clashes with an existing station it can't override it completely...).

AAAAHHHH, Why doesn't someone make a philips convertor!!!