Alpine HU in LX450

[standfas]

Anyone know if Alpine HUs can control the CD changer in the LX? Alpine CDA-9847 has CD changer control capability but says it can control them in
like-brand and compatible changers.

 

[C6H12O6]

You would need an adapter that converts whatever the plug on the factory changer is to the AI-Net plug needed to plug into the Alpine. There are a few adapters available. I would contact Alpine.

 

[Boston Mangler]

People still use CD changers? Time for an iPod!

With the cost you will spend trying to get your setup working, you will be 1/2 to an ipod!

 

[C6H12O6]

Preach on, my iPod brother. CD changers are to iPods as AMC Eagle wagons are to Landcruisers.

Like I said above, you could probably do it, but I'm with Mangler. Why the hell would you want to mess with all that? CD changers are sooooooooo last millenium.

 

[Boston Mangler]

Amen!

 

[Erratic]

I'm all about the I pod too, but many still prefer the sound quality of a CD over an MP3 played on an I pod or similar device. The I pod is cool, but not for a true audiophile. I don't beleive there is a way to hook an aftermarket radio to a factory cd changer. You can go the other way and use an aftermarket changer on a factory deck, but I have not seen an adapter to use any factory changers. If you really want a changer for your alpine they are pretty cheap anyway.

 

[standfas]

I have an IPOD. I confiscated it from my 9 yo daughter. Originally gave it to her for her 9th b-day. It's one of those 30 gig jobs. Realized it's probably too fragile for her and replaced hers with a Shuffle so I could have hers.

One of the main reasons I'm lookng at the Alpine is for the ability to connect my IPOD (currently using an ITRIP) and XM.

While I have seen the light with the IPOD, I would like the ability to use the CD changer in a pinch.

Based on what I have experienced so far, the sound quality is much greater with cds. I'm sure it has a lot to do with the ITRIP.

 

[chip7238]

...but many still prefer the sound quality of a CD over an MP3 played on an I pod or similar device. The I pod is cool, but not for a true audiophile.

Hang on there. The iPod can be loaded with any "quality" of music, and MP3 is only one of the formats available (WAV, MP3, AIFF, AAC, Apple Lossless). You just set your preferences in iTunes. The MP3 format is really one of the lousiest for music quality, so I choose to use AAC and Apple Lossless - slightly smaller files than WAV, but still good quality. The iPod is really just a hard drive with a simple OS. In fact, many of my songs on the iPod are at or better than CD quality (which is 48kHz for a WAV file). The ones that are better than CD quality obviously didn't come from CDs, but were downloaded from Apple's music store.

In short, my iPod hardwired with the Pioneer interface sounds notably better on most songs than the CD player. This might not be true with another brand of "MP3" player. Not trying to pick a fight, just clearing up the information!

Of course, a true audiophile is going to have to spend some serious money to get a 'Cruiser up to par sound wise!

 

[C6H12O6]

I agree with Chip on most of that. You really do have quite a bit of control over the quality of the music on the iPod. You do notice a lack of depth to the music if you stick to the default 128kbps in iTunes, but if you rip your CDs at a higher bit rate, you will be hard pressed to notice much difference when played through a car stereo. You have to go quite a long ways with speakers, amps, noise deadening, etc. to truly get to anything remotely resembling "audiophile quality" in a Landcruiser.

I only disagree with his claim that iTunes Music Store downloads are better than CD quality. All the iTunes downloaded songs come into your computer as 128kbps bit-rate AAC files. Granted, these sound better than a slightly larger MP3 file and are a bit smaller in size, but they are NOT CD quality. I would be thrilled to be proven wrong on that, but I have yet to see anything in writing from Apple that says different.

My recommendation is that you rip a song from a CD into iTunes at several different sampling rates and maybe even as different file types. Apple Lossless is great, but huge compared to even the highest AAC rate available (320kbps in the latest version of iTunes). Play the different files through your car stereo on your iPod via the KCA-420i hookup when you get it installed. You will be able to hear the difference in quality, particularly in bass response and the crispness of the high frequencies. When you get to a bit rate where you can no longer tell the difference, rip your CDs at that rate. The Media Expander on the newer Alpines does a pretty good job of making AACs/MP3s sound a little better too.

 

[chip7238]

Steve,

You are right - I somehow had in my mind that the downloads were Apple Lossless. Sorry for the mixup.

Apple's link to download quality is http://www.apple.com/support/itunes/musicstore/songs/.

Either way, I definately prefer the iPod!

 

[C6H12O6]

Yeah, I wish they were lossless from iTunes. That would be sweet. The crappy bit-rate is really the only reason I don't use the Music Store more. I downloaded a bunch of stuff from EMUSIC.com and it was REALLY bad quality. Still 128kbps, but 128kbps MP3, which aren't nearly as high of quality.

I'm still with you on the iPod though. I have all my CDs imported into iTunes and on a removeable hard drive on my Mac at home. I just have the 20G iPod, but it is wonderful for road trippin'. I ripped all my CDs at 192kbps, since that was where I stopped noticing a difference on the system I had been playing it and with the cheap headphones they give you.

Now that I have the Alpine hook-up, I really can tell the difference in the Cruiser. I'm seriously considering re-importing all my CDs at either 256 or 320kbps. The bass response really improves at 256kbps and everything just sounds cleaner at 320kbps. Maybe even Apple Lossless, but I would have to really make some hard choices about what music I can't live without on a road trip. No room for all my music on a 20G iPod with the Lossless encoder files. I'll probably wait until I "finish" the stereo system in the Cruiser. I have no desire to import every CD I own one more time, let alone twice.

 

[Boston Mangler]

I have an IPOD. I confiscated it from my 9 yo daughter. Originally gave it to her for her 9th b-day. .

What a JERK!

 

[standfas]

What a JERK!

You know us Texas boys...Always looking out for ourselves.

The thing about my confiscation that made it easy was all I had to do was show her that she could wear the Shuffle like a necklace and put one of those rubber skins on it in her choice of color and she was cool with it.

I added about 35 songs to the playlist lastnight and I'm extremely underwhelmed with the sound quality I'm getting with the ITRIP. The hardwire connection HAS to be better.

 

[Boston Mangler]

I added about 35 songs to the playlist lastnight and I'm extremely underwhelmed with the sound quality I'm getting with the ITRIP. The hardwire connection HAS to be better.

Yes, in my opinion the iTrip is a big turd! I am not an audiophile by any means and the static and constant need to switch stations was a pain. Granted the iTrip is cool if your say bringing the ipod into a friends car of something, but for something used on a day to day basis, it is simply not up to it!

Direct connect is 200% better!

 

[KLF]

Ditch the CD changer. There is NO WAY you will convince me that anybody can tell the difference between a CD and an iPod in a Land Cruiser, travelling down the highway. No way. Changers are a total PITA too, and they take up too much room.

And those FM transmitter things SUCK.

I just upgraded the HU in my minitruck to an Alpine so I could use a hard-wired connection to my iPod. SOO much better than that POS FM transmitter thingy I had. Gawd I hated that thing.

 

[C6H12O6]

Well, there is one way...

Go buy nice speakers, a clean amp, sub, good wiring and try it for yourself.

Well, now that I think of it, there are two ways...

Fly to Portland and listen to my truck. I can tell the difference in sound quality between AAC iPod files at different bit rates, like I said in the above post. The difference in quality from a CD and a poorly compressed MP3 is VERY noticeable.

 

[standfas]

KLF -

Does the HU you installed require the KCA-420i adapter to connect the IPOD?

If not which model did you get?

 

[C6H12O6]

I just upgraded the HU in my minitruck to an Alpine so I could use a hard-wired connection to my

KLF,
What is that Monster wire you have there? Do you have it wired through the KCA-420 box, or do you have an AUX input on your head unit? If so, what model is that? I would have rather done that on mine, especially if it will charge the iPod. I am so used to the iPod that controlling the iPod through the HU is a pain.

 

[Boston Mangler]

Nice Install Ken!

I have the same head unit!

 

[Boston Mangler]

KLF -

Does the HU you installed require the KCA-420i adapter to connect the IPOD?

If not which model did you get?

yes, i have the same one