How to play iPod in car
ipod music, MP3 music from iPods and other players in a car can be cheap and simple or expensive integrated affairs and I would like to try and write the definitive guide document on the subject for you.
Before we start by asking a few questions to ascertain which iPod system you require for your car can I try to dissuade you from even trying?
MPEG-2 Audio Layer 3 (or III), more commonly referred to as MP3, is a patented digital audio encoding format using a form of lossy data compression. (From Wikipedia). This basically means that if you really enjoy and want Hi fidelity sounds in your car, the last thing you need is a compressed rubbishy source like MP3 or iPod. If I have convinced you then let me guide you to real Hi-Fi but I suspect like millions of others you crave the convenience and ease of use that Steve Jobs has built into the fantastic Apple iPod products and I have to admit to having iPhone music and video integration in my own car (Alpine INE-S900R). I pretend it’s only there to demonstrate the system to customers but I secretly love it.
So having established you have an iPod or some other MP3 player and that you want to hear it through the speakers in your vehicle there are a few questions you need to ask yourself.
Do I want cheapest easy i-Pod solution for my car?
Do I want to change the car radio head unit for -iPod compatible type?
Do I want the in-car factory Original Equipment head unit to control my i-Pod?
Would I like to get the very best sound possible from my Mp3 music in my car?
Cheap and easy iPod integration as you would suspect comes in myriad of forms and the very simplest is the aux-in which is just a cable connection from your i-Pod to your radio. Some car CD tuners have an aux in either on the front or rear of the unit and need no more than an iPod adapter or phono to phono cable. The downside is you need to adjust and control the Mp3 device on the iPod which is both fiddly and dangerous, however most people just stick it on shuffle and the cost outweighs the inconvenience.
One step up from a cable is the Dension Ice Link Lite its a simple connector between your i-Pod and the car. It takes the audio signal from the iPod and delivers that directly to the Aux in of your car radio. Additionally it also provides charging for the iPod, without the need of an extra cable or charger.
Next up the list is to get rid of the cable that would have to stretch across your dashboard with the simple Aux input by having an FM modulator to send the sound from the iPod to the radio. BUT there are FM modulators and cheap FM transmitters to be avoided. The ones that simply clip into the bottom of the iPod can be inexpensive but because they suck the battery power out of the i Pod and can have limited range and frequency accuracy, you will probably chuck it in the bin with frustration after a few days. The Dension Ice Link One FM transmitter converts your iPod music into an FM format that the radio reads in the same way as a radio station. It then broadcasts this signal down a cable, which connects into the aerial socket on your radio (the original antenna is kept active so you can still get all your radio stations as normal). You then tune the radio to the frequency selected, and you will have iPod music through the car speakers. If the chosen frequency clashes with an existing radio station, there are six alternatives that you can switch your iPod to at the push of a button. This charges the iPod plus can be easily changed from car to car (any car with an FM radio) the downside is you do need to remove the radio to gain access to the aerial socket, we can assist with Radio removal keys and help with instructions, and this is a simple DIY solution. The iPod sits on a charging cradle on the dash so control is easier but obviously controlling the device directly from the radio or steering wheel would be better.
Before we move on to a solution that lets you keep the factory head unit have you considered changing the unit for one that is iPod ready or i Pod inbuilt? The early models said iPod ready on the front which meant you needed another add on box to make the unit compatible. Now most new radio CD tuners can not only play MP3 CD’s but have USB, Aux etc but beware; because i Pod are a law unto themselves their software protocols can change and they don’t share their stuff with just anybody, the result can be some very clunky and buggy systems that claim to be I-Pod ready but are rubbish. Alpine and Parrot seem to have the best relationship with Apple and both produce some excellent products. The Alpine “Made for iPod” being the fastest working iPod integration I have ever seen plus if Apple change something Alpine and Parrot have frequent software upgrades that keep them working and at the forefront of this technology. The downside is sometimes it is difficult to change the factory unit for an aftermarket one and once again the staff at CarAudioStuff can help or advise as to which conversion panels, looms and adapters needed for the job.
If replacing the factory head unit is not an option Dension have a range of solutions for your vehicle.
First of the simple quality integration for i.Pod and USB is the Gateway Lite if your vehicle radio does not have text capability Gateway Lite emulates a CD changer (usually, sometimes it’s an auxiliary input), and the radio accepts the music signal sent into it by the iPod or USB and plays it back through the audio system speakers. You can control your Pod from the clickwheel in the normal way, and once you’ve selected the music you want, you can skip a track you don’t like by using the FFWD button on your radio or steering wheel. Again DIY installation is possible and Dension products are all designed so that there is no need to cut cables.
Probably the most popular in-car iPod solution is the Dension Gateway 100 i.Pod adapter Display track information on the screen, or information display, in your car. Hide your iPod away in the glove box and you can control its functions using the controls on your radio. Because of the complexity of vehicle types the Dension website states *<em>The ability to display text depends on the display capability of your car. As a rough guide, if your car displays radio station names, it is probably capable of displaying your i.Pod track information.</em> This is why I declare at this point that I personally feel the DIY options fade towards more of a pro fit solution and once more we are here to help.
Dension Gateway 300 adds USB MP3 compatibility and like the Gateway 100 replaces the CD changer functions on the radio controls, If you have a CD changer fitted and want to keep it you can fit the Dension CD retention kit. The iPod can be fitted on a Dock cable and popped into the glove-box or on an Active Cradle that fits neatly on the car dashboard. The Gateway 100 and 300 have a massive number of applications and fit most cars except MOST cars! What does that mean???
MOST and CanBus are both types of computerised car wiring or fibre optics and I don’t intend to bore you with all the details, suffice to say that Dension have an i-Pod solution for these vehicles like Porsche, some BMW and Jaguars etc. The installation to these vehicles can be very complex with the cars ECU computer needing to be programmed to accept and open ports for the iPod adapter, so definitely a Pro fit solution. The Dension Gateway 500 is the toy for this application.
The waters now become muddy. The makers of these devices realising that Pod integration into the vehicle sometimes crosses over with the Bluetooth requirement, why not incorporate Bluetooth with the iPod or in the case of Parrot, iPod with the Bluetooth? Ripping out the standard factory head unit and fitting an Alpine INE-S900R has got to be the best solution because not only do you get the best, fastest iPod integration but Bluetooth handsfree and the best car navigation system on the planet (just my humble opinion) But if you can’t stretch to the incredibly reasonable £999 for this fantastic car audio DVD unit to which you can add digital TV, Back screens and rear view camera etc (have I sold it yet?) No? Then try a Dension Gateway 5 there will almost certainly be one for your car and iPod with Bluetooth integration to your factory CD tuner can be yours. Alternatively an easier and cheaper solution could be a Parrot MKi9200 advanced IPod streaming hands free Bluetooth kit.
These are not the only products available however in my experience they are the best, you can see a Dension compatibility chart, Here….
Having made your decision and hopefully you are now enjoying all your tunes on your Pod on your cars speakers, bearing in mind what I said about the fidelity and quality of sound there are a few tricks we can apply to send you to audio heaven.
The main thing that is lacking in compressed MP3 music is depth of modulation and the tops and lows are usually weak and cranking up the bass and treble on the radio only makes it sound worse. AudioControl make a range of signal processing and filtering devices that when married to a decent amplifier and subwoofer/ speaker & tweeter setup can make your car into a concert hall. This would be the ultimate i-Pod solution and needn’t cost the earth, if you have taken the time to read the whole of this post and would like any more information or have questions I would love to help, please contact me.
Ray Smith.
