I cant cope with a measly 10 albums fitting on a CD-MP3 player. Or, ok, 50 albums on a changer.
Why not just plug an ipod into the aux jack on the stereo? Does an aux come with the cd player of the 03/04 mr2s ? I doubt it.
Does anyone here just plug in an ipod?
Are there better solutions? I've seen a couple of harddisk based systems but they are very basic looking.
Is ipod the way forward?
w www.ssiamerica.com (http://www.ssiamerica.com) w
Well, for the alpine ...
m http://www.alpine-usa.com/products/lead ... a-420i.htm (http://www.alpine-usa.com/products/leading_technology/leading_tech_kca-420i.htm) m
This was supposed to be out in the summer but is now delayed to September.
In the meantime, If you have an alpine Ainet head unit, then you can hack the cdchanger cable and use the aux function for your ipod as well as the existing CD Changer.
The sony has seperate RCA inputs, which are not enabled if the head unit cannot detect the changer on the sony unilink bus, so you would need one of theese: m http://www.minidisc.org/part_Sony_XA-10 ... apter.html (http://www.minidisc.org/part_Sony_XA-107_Unilink_Adapter.html) m or there are also some after-market solutions available which may be cheaper !
I'm intending to go the iPod route using the Dension Ice Link. I've got a Kenwood mp3 H/U from an previous car, and need to get hold of the relevant spacers and bits first.
For now I've plugged my iPod into the RCA inputs on the back of the stock Sony, and left the multichanger attached to the "controller" bus. It plays quieter than the radio, and I find I need to turn the volume right up... but then it sounds very good... surprisingly so!! Maybe this is a poser for you ICE experts... given a stock Sony H/U and a set of Focals... could I be getting a better sound from the focals by playing a low signal at full volume from the H/U???
For all those with 2004 Alpine Headunits!
Head over to w www.alpine-usa.com (http://www.alpine-usa.com) w and you should see a link to a page describing the new Ipod interface that allows you full control of the Ipod with your headunit and even displays the song details on the screen. It's due to be released in September (USA) for $100.
Have a look s:wink: :wink: s:wink:
That looks way s8) 8) s8) !! I might have to live with my current bodge until September and buy an Alpine H/U and the interface. That interface has more control/features than the Dension ICE link, and is cheaper too... though maybe not once it's priced in £s rather than $s s:x :x s:x
just got my ipod this morning (gotta love it when parents go on holiday to the us when theres a great exchange rate) i bororowed my mother in laws casset / cd converter thing (one of those that goes in to the tape deck and plugs in to the cd / mp3 ) then went for a drifve to warrick and back (1.5 hours each way plus m25 rush hour s:roll: :roll: s:roll: )
any way ... the tape thingy was great .. i was really impressed with the quality, you still have to control it all via the ipod, but with the cup holder ipod convertor, i dont think this would be too much of a problem .... could be a trip to pc world tommorow !!
Quote from: "crankshaft"Well, for the alpine ...
This was supposed to be out in the summer but is now delayed to September.
That's interesting, as there are some major rumors flying around the Mac-rumor sites of there being an all new iPod update in time for Apple's Expo in Paris [starts 31st August]... the Alpine delay possibly corelates in some way!?
Kind of good if it does as I was tempted to go with the Mini - think I'll wait a while and see what comes of it all!!
well i bought the belkin cassett convertor yesterday and i am very impressed with the quality, sounds as good as cd to me. this is a good way to get the ipod in to the car cheeply and easily ....
my m8 has an MX5 s:oops: :oops: s:oops: i know i know but he has an IPOD that has an attachment kinda like bluetooth and sends signal that gets picked up by your car radio
works well and easily transferable between cars - dont know any other details bout it though
jus my 2p's worth
Quote from: "da monkey"my m8 has an MX5 s:oops: :oops: s:oops: i know i know but he has an IPOD that has an attachment kinda like bluetooth and sends signal that gets picked up by your car radio
He's probably got an iTrip. It's a mini FM transmitter, and strictly speaking it's illegal in this country. Apparently, you can't transmit FM signals without a license (between 88-ish and 108-ish FM)... not even if you only transmit the signal for 4 metres!! s:shock: :shock: s:shock:
I've had varying success with the iTrip. You have to find a frequency where no-one else is transmitting and then tune the iPod/iTrip to that frequency. It's a bit fiddly, and you can't drive far round Greater London without getting interference from a "real" station. Then you have to search for another "free" frequency on the radio and retune the IPod. I've given up in the car.
It was Ok when we went to Cornwall on holiday, and it works great on my boat where we travel at about 5mph and have an FM signal booster.
Quote from: "Bakey"That's interesting, as there are some major rumors flying around the Mac-rumor sites of there being an all new iPod update in time for Apple's Expo in Paris [starts 31st August]... the Alpine delay possibly corelates in some way!?
And there we go!! 4G iPod annonced today... bingo!! s:D :D s:D
Has anyone used the MP3 adaptor from SSIAmerica? I sent off for one on Friday received it yesterday. Dipswitches were set correctly. Everything was plugged in and nothing. No radio, no CD, no MP3 player. Fuses are OK. Will contact SSI today when they open, but just in case someone has used one and had to alter something I would be interested to know.
Should add that the car has the standard Toyota head unit and is a brand new (Thursday last week) 2004 MR2.
Thanks,
Rod
Which exact product have you purchased ???
Crankshaft
Crankshaft,
The product is a NEO AUX universal audio auxiliary adaptor, which on the SSI website is called a TOY-AUX 98 - 2004 Toyota All Models with 12 pin data port behind head unit.
Rod
Hi all,
Do I get a prize for finding this link?
http://www.caraudiodiscount.com/acatalog/apple_ipod_car_installation_kits.html
Adrian s:D :D s:D
(P.s. still haven't sold the Rover s:( :( s:( , and I can't wait to get a Roadster s:crazyeyes: :crazyeyes: s:crazyeyes: aaaaah!)
A bit off topic...
Hmm, that's the first non-alpine interface for the Ainet / Ipod interface i've seen, but reading the text it looks like it can play / ff etc the ipod, but does not display the song / track info from the ipod on the head unit ?!
I had a prototype running on the sony unilink bus where I could control the ipod but could not display track info and I could not crack the Ainet bus (the older Mbus is quite easy)
Back on topic...
I would expect to see the sony unilink round connector which would plug into the back of the sony head unit (if that's what's fitted to the 2004) as opposed to a connector plugging into the main harness as I don't believe that the CD Changer controller (Unilink) connect is routed through the main toyota harness ????
If the head unit is a sony, then you need this m http://www.discountcarstereo.com/detail.aspx?ID=361 (http://www.discountcarstereo.com/detail.aspx?ID=361) m
The vehicles listed on the site you bought from are US vehicles and they may fit different head units in the USA & UK
Crankshaft
Rod,
Your head unit is the stock UK TYoyota badged one, not te sony.
This however isn't teh same unit used in teh mr2 stateside.
As such I doubt the SSI america unit will work as it will be designed for a different headunit.
Interesting. I will see how I get on with SSI. As you say my head unit is a standard Toyota unit that can be fitted with a CD changer and sat nav I think. I have neither, but in the back of the unit is a 12 pin plug that the SSI unit connector fits in exactly.
The unit wasn't too expensive bearing in mind the exchange rate, particularly as I still have a US$ account, having just returned from living over there. It is worth a punt to see whether I can get it to work.
If I make any progress I will issue an update.
Rod
s:lol: :lol: s:lol: Well a little bit of jiggery-pokery and it works. It required piggybacking two wires from the 12 pin connector on the SSI unit to the original 12 pin plug. Now the radio works and when the disc button is pushed on the head unit the MP3 player works at the same volume as the radio, so there is full volume control.
The head unit shows that CD1 is being played. No read-out of the MP3 player, but I wasn't expecting that.
The technical guy at SSI was very helpful (he had seen the problem before) and responded quickly to my emails once the first one had been passed on by the sales guy. s:lol: :lol: s:lol:
Rod