[Veltliner]

My car CD player declines to play more and more CDs - sure sign it's on the way out.

Think of getting some kind of a port to plug in an iPod touch.

Any recommendations?

By the way: I'd prefer to keep my CDs as AIFF, and not put them into MP3. Still possible?

What's the price range of a car port for the iPod touch?

[richwig83]

What car?? What headunit??

[Veltliner]

Originally Posted by richwig83 

What car?? What headunit??

An old Mercedes.

Haven't decided yet what kind of iPod to get. The touch is nice, but has too little storage. The classic could store my whole iTunes library in AIFF format.

[turtle777]

Does your head unit offer line in ?
Or are you looking at a solution with an FM transmitter ?

If you can't use line in, here is absolutely no reason to use AIFF on your iPod.

-t

[richwig83]

Its possible to fit a line in adapter.... but would need exact details of your set up to be sure! Ive got a VW and i fitted a line in and it works perfectly, i sure it must be possible on Mercs

[tooki]

Originally Posted by Veltliner 

My car CD player declines to play more and more CDs - sure sign it's on the way out.
Think of getting some kind of a port to plug in an iPod touch.
Any recommendations?
By the way: I'd prefer to keep my CDs as AIFF, and not put them into MP3. Still possible?
What's the price range of a car port for the iPod touch?

Well what you need entirely depends on your car. If you can, replace the head unit with a good iPod-compatible one with dock connector. Pioneer and Alpine offer the best iPod integration as best I can tell.

Honestly, I don't recommend a Touch for car use. The touch screen requires FAR more concentration than the wheel-based iPods. I'd recommend a nano or classic. Of course, if you get a head unit with iPod integration, iPod control is shifted to the head unit.

Finally, you don't need to use AIFF, you can use Apple Lossless to achieve the same result in 1/2 the space.

[Veltliner]

Originally Posted by tooki 

Well what you need entirely depends on your car. If you can, replace the head unit with a good iPod-compatible one with dock connector. Pioneer and Alpine offer the best iPod integration as best I can tell.

Honestly, I don't recommend a Touch for car use. The touch screen requires FAR more concentration than the wheel-based iPods. I'd recommend a nano or classic. Of course, if you get a head unit with iPod integration, iPod control is shifted to the head unit.

Finally, you don't need to use AIFF, you can use Apple Lossless to achieve the same result in 1/2 the space.

Pioneer and Alpine. Good to know.

As I have to buy a new car hifi head unit, I can as well go with an iPod compatible.

As for AIFF: sure, Apple lossless is much better. But I still want to keep at least one copy in the original CD format. That would mean I'd have to keep two different libraries.

One in AIFF, one in Apple lossless.

How would they be linked? I have heard quite a few things now about the great integration of the iPod into the Mac system.

[Ryknow215]

I've got the Pioneer DEH-P500UB in my car, and I'd highly recommend it. The price was right and it works great with anything USB - iPod, usb powered hard drive, flash drive, etc. The best part is that the knob was designed to act like the iPod click wheel.

$180 at Best Buy.

[Laminar]

If you're looking to keep your current head unit, I'd recommend this charger/transmitter from Amazon. It charges the iPod, transmits to any radio station that you choose, and comes with a remote. The remote is great for my iPod Touch because it means I don't have to stare at the touchscreen to change songs, pause, or play.

[Veltliner]

Originally Posted by Ryknow215 

I've got the Pioneer DEH-P500UB in my car, and I'd highly recommend it. The price was right and it works great with anything USB - iPod, usb powered hard drive, flash drive, etc. The best part is that the knob was designed to act like the iPod click wheel.

$180 at Best Buy.

This looks really good!

I've added it to my research list to go through when I consider my options.

[Veltliner]

Originally Posted by Laminar 

If you're looking to keep your current head unit, I'd recommend this charger/transmitter from Amazon. It charges the iPod, transmits to any radio station that you choose, and comes with a remote. The remote is great for my iPod Touch because it means I don't have to stare at the touchscreen to change songs, pause, or play.

Sounds interesting. But to keep my current head unit I needed a way to plug in an iPod.

My car CD is 5 to 6 years old, and I don't think there's any way to connect an iPod.

[imitchellg5]

Certain companies make adapters that fit the input on the back of the head unit for the optional dealer installed CD changer. Your Benz will have that input.

[Ted L. Nancy]

Originally Posted by Veltliner 

An old Mercedes.

Haven't decided yet what kind of iPod to get. The touch is nice, but has too little storage. The classic could store my whole iTunes library in AIFF format.

I've got an "old Mercedes" with the original version of this headunit. Allows you to control the iPod form the headunit's screen using iPod-like controls. (Supposedly and apparently, Alpine "worked with" Apple in the software design to make it as iPod-like as possible in a car headunit application.) You can then keep your iPod in the glove box or elsewhere out-of-sight.

I went with the classic iPod. Basically functions as a mere hard drive for me that stores my entire library that I can access from my Alpine. Depending on your car audio setup, you may want to store larger media files to take advantage of the potential capability of your speakers.

Just note that that headunit is designed to function almost exclusively as an iPod controller. There is no CD Player. (Which is part of the reason why I like it.)

Good luck.

[Ted L. Nancy]

Originally Posted by Veltliner 

Sounds interesting. But to keep my current head unit I needed a way to plug in an iPod.

My car CD is 5 to 6 years old, and I don't think there's any way to connect an iPod.

There isn't. You need to get an aftermarket adapter or get a new headunit.

If it were me, I'd keep the current headunit... in the garage. You will be much happier controlling the iPod with an aftermarket like the Alpine I linked to above.

[tooki]

Originally Posted by Veltliner 

As for AIFF: sure, Apple lossless is much better. But I still want to keep at least one copy in the original CD format. That would mean I'd have to keep two different libraries.

One in AIFF, one in Apple lossless.

Why?

Lossless formats are formats that decompress back into the original data. It's not just "less loss than MP3" -- it's lossless. As in zero difference. Which is the whole point.

If you are gonna hassle yourself with two libraries, then one of the copies should be a compact AAC file.

[tooki]

Originally Posted by Ted L. Nancy 

If it were me, I'd keep the current headunit... in the garage. You will be much happier controlling the iPod with an aftermarket like the Alpine I linked to above.

Absolutely.

[Hg2491]

My friend has a Toyota SUV that is MP3/iPod ready, but the car won't read a Macintosh-formatted iPod. I don't understand why manufacturers will do this, accepting only a certain format and therefore benefitting a given operative system.

Hg+

[tooki]

Then it's probably not iPod ready, just USB for flash drives. I can't imagine that you can get your product certified by Apple if it can't work with a Mac-formatted iPod!!!

[zro]

Originally Posted by Veltliner 

Sounds interesting. But to keep my current head unit I needed a way to plug in an iPod.

My car CD is 5 to 6 years old, and I don't think there's any way to connect an iPod.

No, no, no. It's an FM transmitter & iPod charger that plugs into a cigarette lighter. No connection to the stereo is needed. It broadcasts the sound over the air.


In the end I recommend a new unit. We've got an Alpine and love it. Since we rarely (well, never) play CDs, now I wish we would've went for the iDA-X100, but at the time it was more expensive than the unit we bought. Now it isn't. :forehead-palm:

[Veltliner]

Originally Posted by zro 

No, no, no. It's an FM transmitter & iPod charger that plugs into a cigarette lighter. No connection to the stereo is needed. It broadcasts the sound over the air.


In the end I recommend a new unit. We've got an Alpine and love it. Since we rarely (well, never) play CDs, now I wish we would've went for the iDA-X100, but at the time it was more expensive than the unit we bought. Now it isn't. :forehead-palm:

That unit you recommended is a digital media receiver. Pretty great stuff, but still quite pricey.

http://www.crutchfield.com/p_500IDAX...0.html?tp=5684

I have never seen this plug into the cigarette lighter-units. Does it have its own speaker? Wouldn't be great for me, as I have quite good speakers in my car.

[turtle777]

Originally Posted by Hg2491 

My friend has a Toyota SUV that is MP3/iPod ready, but the car won't read a Macintosh-formatted iPod.

If you hear "iPod ready" from a car manufacturer, it often means a half-assed, pseudo implementation.

My brother's Honda Odyssey iPod integration takes the cake. It's such a piece os sh!tt, absolutely worthless.

-t

[ctt1wbw]

Originally Posted by tooki 

Well what you need entirely depends on your car. If you can, replace the head unit with a good iPod-compatible one with dock connector. Pioneer and Alpine offer the best iPod integration as best I can tell.

Honestly, I don't recommend a Touch for car use. The touch screen requires FAR more concentration than the wheel-based iPods. I'd recommend a nano or classic. Of course, if you get a head unit with iPod integration, iPod control is shifted to the head unit.

Finally, you don't need to use AIFF, you can use Apple Lossless to achieve the same result in 1/2 the space.

Nonsense. I used this one:

Kensington

until I gave my iPod Touch away as a Christmas present. The remote works great.

[ctt1wbw]

Originally Posted by Hg2491 

My friend has a Toyota SUV that is MP3/iPod ready, but the car won't read a Macintosh-formatted iPod. I don't understand why manufacturers will do this, accepting only a certain format and therefore benefitting a given operative system.

Hg+

Is there such a thing as a Windows formated iPod?

And if a car has an "aux" port, then the proper charger should work, like the Kensington I mentioned above.

[tooki]

Originally Posted by ctt1wbw 

Nonsense. I used this one:

Kensington

until I gave my iPod Touch away as a Christmas present. The remote works great.

Exactly what part of what I said is nonsense, thank you very much?

I said that the touch screen is harder to use while driving (true) and that devices with iPod integration remove the control from the iPod to the device (also true).

[tooki]

Originally Posted by ctt1wbw 

Is there such a thing as a Windows formated iPod?

Yep, for hard-drive based iPods (like iPod classic) and iPod nano. It's formatted as FAT32 when used on a Windows PC, it gets formatted as HFS+ when used on a Mac.
iPod touch and iPhone don't have a disk that's seen by the computer at all -- they communicate differently.
Finally, iPod shuffles are always FAT32, even on Macs.

Originally Posted by ctt1wbw 

And if a car has an "aux" port, then the proper charger should work, like the Kensington I mentioned above.

Yes, but an "old Mercedes" won't have an aux port. It wasn't until the 2007 model year that those became reasonably common, and I've never seen one before 2004 at all. (Obviously this is not counting aftermarket stereos, which have had auxiliary inputs for ages. But the original poster has indicated that the stereo is original.)

[Veltliner]

Originally Posted by tooki 

Yes, but an "old Mercedes" won't have an aux port. It wasn't until the 2007 model year that those became reasonably common, and I've never seen one before 2004 at all. (Obviously this is not counting aftermarket stereos, which have had auxiliary inputs for ages. But the original poster has indicated that the stereo is original.)

When my Mercedes was built, Apple was rather connected to the image on the Beatles records...

Well, not quite. But almost.

The stereo isn't the original, though (It was in the car when I bought it. Best radio ever. But who uses tapes any more...)

So, I guess it's either a media receiver or some unit that can take an iPOd plugged in.

[Veltliner]

Originally Posted by tooki 

Why?

Lossless formats are formats that decompress back into the original data. It's not just "less loss than MP3" -- it's lossless. As in zero difference. Which is the whole point.

If you are gonna hassle yourself with two libraries, then one of the copies should be a compact AAC file.

Yes, it is a hassle.

But I already have a 60gb library in iTunes in AIFF. I'm not sure if I should dare to convert all that to Apple lossless and if that's possible.

[turtle777]

Originally Posted by Veltliner 

I'm not sure if I should dare to convert all that to Apple lossless and if that's possible.

Of course it's possible, just change the import settings in iTunes to lossless, select your whole library and import. Give it a couple of days. Voila.

I don't see what's so daring about that.

-t

[Veltliner]

Originally Posted by turtle777 

Of course it's possible, just change the import settings in iTunes to lossless, select your whole library and import. Give it a couple of days. Voila.

I don't see what's so daring about that.

-t

A library that imports itself into itself?

Medieval philosophers would have loved that idea. (they also discussed matters like how many angels fit on top of the tip of a needle...)

[garretwd]

Originally Posted by Veltliner 

A library that imports itself into itself?

Medieval philosophers would have loved that idea. (they also discussed matters like how many angels fit on top of the tip of a needle...)

Export all the files to another place (Internal HD, external HD, whatever), then create a new library and re-import them in Lossless.