head units and ipods

[brien4787]

are there any head units out there that you can plug your ipod into?

i mean directly connecting it? i have a fm tuner, and they suck

[Ateam311]

Basically anything with some form of an auxiliary connection will work. I personally use the Belkin car adapter and a Y cable to connect mine. All I had to do was pull out my Sony CDX-M630 (to give you an idea of the type of head unit that does have one), plug the red and white cables into the AUX in and run the other end into the Belkin device. From there, the Belkin device plugs right into the bottom of my iPod and I'm all set.

Here's some informative links for ya.

Sony CDX-M630
Belkin Car Kit w/ Dock Connector
Monster Y-Cable

Although I don't own the Monster cable at this time (will be buying it once I find a new vehicle and a head unit), it's definitely something to look into. If you still need a bit more information, just leave a note.

*Edit: Adding more information*

Here's another head unit with an aux connection on the back. I know that they no longer make mine, so I figured I'd show you something a bit more recent. This'll be part of the next system I build and it's a mighty fine choice if I do say so myself.

JVC Arsenal KD-AR7000 Tech Specs

[brien4787]

i am going to start looking into getting a new HU and trying to ipod my bmw... though i want to stick with sony hu since i have a cd changer made by sony....
i love the look of the ones with the little videos(the silver ones) but they only come in silver, and they dont have the input, at least i dont think they do...

[Ateam311]

I know just what you mean. You'll be happy to know that the series you're talking about does come with the AUX inputs on the back, as do the M series (which is slightly more expensive and has a black 'hidden' face like my CDX-M630).

Here's some links for you. Hopefully I guessed the right head unit you were talking about.

Crutchfield Comparison: Sony F & Sony M Series

Here's a picture of the Sony F7705X (their top-of-the-line F model).



If the silver just isn't doing it for you, then you may want to try the M series. Here's their CDX-M8805X (keep in mind that if money isn't an issue, you can check out the CDX-M9900 & the CDX-M9905X as seen in the Crutchfield comparison).

[jllphan]

Nice job A-team, good links...

The 7705 will stick out big time (color wise not literally) in an e36's dash. If you were to add some other silver/chrome trim elsewhere in the car(stick shift, e-brake, various trim pieces, etc.), it might go well. It's actually a good lookin HU, and it sounds decent as well. Lot's of features for the money.

Keep in mind the face (once folded down) on the 8805 is silver too. This year's Sony HU's are much better than previous years past. If you are wanting to stick with Sony, A-team provided a link to a comparison chart that lists several of their decks w/ aux inputs.

Crutchfield is an excellent online source for info and purchasing consumer electronics. I love it when a plan comes together. :wink

[Ateam311]

Thank ya.

Here's a picture of the fold down on the M8805X:



The primary change Sony really made on the flip down face was the movement of the LCD display to the right and changing the color illumination. Needless to say, it's a bit more 'clean' than it was a year ago.

Like jllphan said, it's great for the money. I personally chose mine last year based on the output levels since I had no plans of getting a 4-channel amp. You can probably find some better deals than Crutchfield, but their return policy is probably one of the best around.

[007ben]

Alpines with AI will hook to Ipods come fall. around $100 for the adapter.

[brien4787]

saw the alpine thing, but i am not all into alpine like all of you guys. i really just dont like the look of them... in my opinion, not the best looking things.

as for the sony ones, where is the input. what do you mean its on the back? back of the face plate? or back of the actuall deck/cd player itself? i think i hear some WESTCOAST BRIEN CUSTOMS modding! ... im not sure if thats a good thing...

example:

[Ateam311]

You haven't seen the back of a head unit before have you?

Basically what you have is 2 female connectors on the back (like you do for your 4 speakers). All you're doing is taking a y-cable with 2 male connectors and plugging them into 2 female connectors (which are marked with AUX somewhere on the back so as to not confuse you) and run the male end of that into the Belkin adapter.

If you still don't get what I mean, then hit up Google and have a look around. I was unable to find any backside pictures of any of the head units I listed above but will look again in the morning.