I never really thought of that. I was just thinking of the traditional use of an I pod as an MP3 player. But yeah, if you can put full quality music on it then no way. I don't think anyone could tell the difference either. But if it's an MP3 it doesn't matter if it's on a disc or an Ipod. You notice a difference. Could an I pod store DVD audio? In 5.1? If so how would you transfer the info digitally to a processor? That would be sick if it could do that. I doubt it though.
Alpine HU in LX450
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C6H12O6 said:
I have MB Quart speakers, a JL 300W amp, and all Monster Cable wiring in my pickup. Even sitting still, I can't tell the difference. Going down the road in a noisy 19-year old truck... pffft fugedabowdit.
But I still don't think I could tell the difference in my VERY quiet Lexus.
Gee, ya think? Of COURSE it's gonne be better on CD.
C6H12O6 said:
I have the Alpine CDA-9851 HU, and I just got the KCA-121B AUX input adapter, not the KCA-420 iPod interface. I tried several stores, nobody had the iPod interface setup on the showroom floor so I could try it first before buying, so I didn't want to take the chance that it might suck and I'd be stuck with it.
I just use the AUX input on the HU. The Monster Cable logo thingy you see in that pic is their "Ultra-Low Profile Charger" device, it keeps the battery charged in the iPod while I'm using it. The nice thing about this charger is that it also has a mini-jack on the side of the dock connector that is "low level" un-amplified, a much cleaner output from the iPod than the headphone jack. So, I have a cable with a mini-jack that connects here, and I ran the cable up the middle of the coiled cord of the MC charger, nice and neat. I hid another cig lighter socket under the dash for the MC charger to plug into.
Now I just need to find some sort of holder for the iPod, that I can attach to the dash somewhere.
Wish I could do the same setup in my car. I *absolutely hate* this crappy FM transmitter, but I really like the Lexus factory stereo system.
I control the iPod from the iPod, so it has to stay handy and reachable. Not really a big deal, I usually just play a whole album or a playlist. The guy in the store (Tweeter) that I bought the HU told me that the iPod interface was pretty crude and really slow, but unfortunately he had no way to demo it to me, so I took his advice and just went with the AUX input cable. I may also add a Sirius receiver in the future.
KLF said:
Hey Ken, He wasnt lying to ya! It is crude and yes, its slow! Those are two very accurate comments! I still love mine, but 1/2 of me wishes i had waited until they refined them a bit, oh well, i have ADD and needed it right away!
I am sure within the next year or so we are going to see head units that look and function like the actual iPod controls!
KLF,
I don't get you, man. In one line you say, "But I still don't think I could tell the difference in my VERY quiet Lexus," then in the very next line, you say that, "Gee, ya think? Of COURSE it's gonne be better on CD."
WTF? Pick a side, would ya!!
Since you seem to understand what I was saying on some level, I'll re-cap again for you. The point I was getting at was that with a good system in your nice quiet rig, you would be able to tell the difference from an iPod playing a compressed audio file (especially one of a relatively low 128kbps bit rate) from a CD. That's all. You really, really can. If you get the quality of the AAC/MP3 up, the differences are still there, but much more subtle. I guess you just don't have the trained ear that I do.
Thanks for the info on the MC connector. It's cool to see that there is another option. I sorta wish I had gone that way. So I'm guessing the AUX adapter plugs into the AI-Net plug? That would make sense. I would like the option to control the iPod through the iPod. The KCA-420 interface sounds great (compared to the FM modulators), but the controls suck. Slow and clumsy to be sure.
I don't know if that is the fault of the interface box, or the way the head units are tricked into thinking it is a CD changer. Hopefully, the future HUs will be designed to accomodate iPods, rather than making it work as an afterthought.
I don't get you, man. In one line you say, "But I still don't think I could tell the difference in my VERY quiet Lexus," then in the very next line, you say that, "Gee, ya think? Of COURSE it's gonne be better on CD."
WTF? Pick a side, would ya!!
Since you seem to understand what I was saying on some level, I'll re-cap again for you. The point I was getting at was that with a good system in your nice quiet rig, you would be able to tell the difference from an iPod playing a compressed audio file (especially one of a relatively low 128kbps bit rate) from a CD. That's all. You really, really can. If you get the quality of the AAC/MP3 up, the differences are still there, but much more subtle. I guess you just don't have the trained ear that I do.
Thanks for the info on the MC connector. It's cool to see that there is another option. I sorta wish I had gone that way. So I'm guessing the AUX adapter plugs into the AI-Net plug? That would make sense. I would like the option to control the iPod through the iPod. The KCA-420 interface sounds great (compared to the FM modulators), but the controls suck. Slow and clumsy to be sure.
I don't know if that is the fault of the interface box, or the way the head units are tricked into thinking it is a CD changer. Hopefully, the future HUs will be designed to accomodate iPods, rather than making it work as an afterthought.
iTrip
I've been fed up for a while with the FM x-mitter but we use the IPOD in a lot of different places/vehicles so I still use it. I found this mod for the x-mitter some time ago and just modded it recently. itrip mods I just split the case and drilled a hole for the antenna and glued it back together. This was a major (for the iTrip) improvement and it was free! It roughly doubled the range I could get reception with the LC's stock stereo.
I've been fed up for a while with the FM x-mitter but we use the IPOD in a lot of different places/vehicles so I still use it. I found this mod for the x-mitter some time ago and just modded it recently. itrip mods I just split the case and drilled a hole for the antenna and glued it back together. This was a major (for the iTrip) improvement and it was free! It roughly doubled the range I could get reception with the LC's stock stereo.
C6H12O6 said:
LOL!!! Sorry, ya after re-reading that, it came out wrong. I was at work, had to dash off to a meeting, prolly hit the "Submit" button too early.
My point was that yes, if you compare a CD to a "poorly compressed MP3", then of course it's gpnna be very different quality. But a good AAC, I just dont' think so. I guess my 47 YO ears aren't as keen as yours.
See, this is what I'm saying: "nice quiet 10 year old Land Cruiser" is an oxymoron, it just doesn't exist. Oh wait... this is the 80-series section. oops...
Yep! I also kinda like the iPod controls, although I have to admit that I often have trouble reading the iPod screen while driving. Kinda risky, so I try to avoid it, mess with it at stoplights and before I leave the driveway or parking lot.
Dunno how the KCA-420 works, but another nice thing about the MC device is I have the plug wired to the key, so when I shut off the engine the power to the iPod quits too. It seems to "know", and automatically pauses, and after a few minutes it goes to sleep.
Cool feature with the auto-off of the lighter plug set-up. The 420 box does the same thing and will even turn itself back on and pick up where it left off, so that's a nice feature. I think both set-ups have some advantages. I'm really hoping that future Alpine HUs will be a little more intuitive and faster with the 420 box. Man, you think the iPod is dangerous to mess with while driving... 
Cool hi-jack. should have started a new thread. tech geek threads are cool.
Cool hi-jack. should have started a new thread. tech geek threads are cool.
KLF said:
Have you seen the Ford commercial about the expanding foam sound deadener stuff in the pillars? I was thinking about squirting Great Stuff foam insulator in all my empty spaces. Think that would quiet things down?
Ok, checking out the Alpine site, they have new head units due out in March that have a new super-fast iPod connector. No adapter box, just a wire right into the back of the HU. Supposedly, the interface is more iPod-like ~ you can search like on the iPod, you can scroll through the selections quickly, and it has it's own input. No more fooling the HU into thinking the iPod is a CD changer. I guess I'll be ebaying my 9831 and iPod box in March. Just in time for my birthday!
C6H12O6 said:
Crutchfield is already selling them! Same price as what i paid for my 9851! Argg Oh well, i MIGHT consider selling what i got for a direct connect, but i would need to see an "In Person" demo first!
C6H12O6 said:
LOL... OK, I was hoping you were kidding about the Great Stuff. Most people don't realize that stuff is actually slighly corrosive, and it absorbs moisture too. Very bad combination inside a vehicle panel, it promotes rust like nothing else.
So, BTW, how do you like the Sirius add-on?
Boston Mangler said:
I'm fine with what I have now in my pickup, and I knew this was gonna happen anyway. iPod connections in vehicles was the hottest thing at CES, there was an article on CNN about it the other day. So it's only natural that all the aftermarket companies are scrambling to make this better and easier.
I just wish I could get something to work in my car. I'd even consider upgrading the HU, but nobody makes a dash kit for it. I'd have to make something myself. Ya, I got time for that.
I like the Sirius a lot. I am having a little glitch with the sat receiver updating itself every time I turn the truck on and resetting to the weather station (ch 184). It won't hold onto the presets when it powers down, so I think I'm going to re-wire the power wire for the sat receiver to have constant 12V, not switched.
Other than that, it is great. The sound quaility is just ok, but I can live with it for now. I'm hoping that the constant deluge of rain we're experiencing right now is contributing to the very "digital" sound. I know that crappy weather affects sat tv reception, so we'll see how it sounds when the weather gets better. At times it sounds great, other times, not so much. Howard Stern's voice is so boomy and full, I have to play with the EQ settings to make it sound right, but I'm about there.
If I had looked into the AUX input idea, I would probably prefer the Sportster I originally got for Christmas. That was pretty slick. Good display, easy to navigate, much faster than the Alpine interface. Both the iPod and the sat radio are still in their infancy, really. These little glitches are the price you pay for being a gotta-have-it-now tech geek. 'Tis a curse I must learn to live with.
Other than that, it is great. The sound quaility is just ok, but I can live with it for now. I'm hoping that the constant deluge of rain we're experiencing right now is contributing to the very "digital" sound. I know that crappy weather affects sat tv reception, so we'll see how it sounds when the weather gets better. At times it sounds great, other times, not so much. Howard Stern's voice is so boomy and full, I have to play with the EQ settings to make it sound right, but I'm about there.
If I had looked into the AUX input idea, I would probably prefer the Sportster I originally got for Christmas. That was pretty slick. Good display, easy to navigate, much faster than the Alpine interface. Both the iPod and the sat radio are still in their infancy, really. These little glitches are the price you pay for being a gotta-have-it-now tech geek. 'Tis a curse I must learn to live with.