Listening to MP3 player in your car (1 Viewer)

[Beanstalk]

So I got one of those i-trips (shortwave FM transmitter) for my i-pod so I could listen to it in the car...but the quality of audio is muck, no matter what frequency I use...it's noticeably worse than any of the other radio stations.

My old car had a tape deck so I used one of those dummy tapes with mini jack (plugged into i-pod headphone out) and the sound quality was top notch...but got a new car which has a CD player so can't use that anymore.

So am I resigned to replacing the CD player with an old tape deck, or is there so other solution to plug straight into car system...there's hardly a car stereo system with a line in input on it...any ideas?


Incidentally, my i-trip says US on the little LCD screen...I'm assuming this makes no difference to its functionality....maybe I'm wrong.

 

[Ciarán R]

I use an i-trip type thing and initially it was great but I've noticed that sometimes the quality can be mucky depending on how far the mp3 player is. Best bet is to leave the transmitter on the passenger seat not underneath the stereo, but you'll probably still have problems depending on how many radio stations actually have frequencies close to what frequency you use.

 

[pete]

So I got one of those i-trips (shortwave FM transmitter) for my i-pod so I could listen to it in the car...but the quality of audio is muck, no matter what frequency I use...it's noticeably worse than any of the other radio stations.

My old car had a tape deck so I used one of those dummy tapes with mini jack (plugged into i-pod headphone out) and the sound quality was top notch...but got a new car which has a CD player so can't use that anymore.

So am I resigned to replacing the CD player with an old tape deck, or is there so other solution to plug straight into car system...there's hardly a car stereo system with a line in input on it...any ideas?


Incidentally, my i-trip says US on the little LCD screen...I'm assuming this makes no difference to its functionality....maybe I'm wrong.

some new cars come with a line-in for mp3 players... like the BMW 1 series

did you buy a BMW?

 

[dudley]

old bought some kit on ebay, you wire it in to the back of your car stereo, then drill a tiny hole somewhere in the dash that you feed a line through.


perfect sound like

 

[Beanstalk]

did you buy a BMW?

Fraid not...too rich for my blood.

old bought some kit on ebay, you wire it in to the back of your car stereo, then drill a tiny hole somewhere in the dash that you feed a line through.

That sounds like the thing for me...I don't mind drilling a hole in the panel if it gives me direct access to a line in.

Must have a look on e-bay...gonna be fun trying to find it.

 

[Ciarán R]

Fraid not...too rich for my blood.




That sounds like the thing for me...I don't mind drilling a hole in the panel if it gives me direct access to a line in.

Must have a look on e-bay...gonna be fun trying to find it.

Check yer stereo first - I recently had to get a new cd player on account of some local friendly types deciding that I needed an upgrade by taking my old one away. When we were putting it in there was a phono input at the real back so maybe if you take out your stereo, you might find the same!

 

[dudley]

Must have a look on e-bay...gonna be fun trying to find it.

pm old!

 

[Goff]

Those I-Trips and their ilk can be dodgy as some countries use different frequencies and therefore can’t get great reception with “our” sets. (Jap radios are notorious and only pick up RTE1, etc.)

There should be some form of audio input or wire(!) on the back of the radio/cd player. But it can be a real mess to do if you don’t know what you’re doing. And you “might” need to solder. But usually the instructions take you thru it one step at a time. It’s a while since I did it.

Aldi did CD that plays MP3 cd’s a month or two back. As usual, ‘twas cheap. It also had a usb input. And I think maybe a mini-jack input on the front but I might have just imagined that. Check out the aldi on Santry Avenue. They sometimes have old offers there. Or the one in Finglas.

 

[c0De_n1NjA]

i have a tape thing, the sound is perfect. i have nearly crashed loads of times putting tunes on though.

 

[Jim A. Morrish]

i have a tape thing, the sound is perfect. .

me too, no probs with it, i'd be lost without it in fact


I imagine most new c ars will come mp3 ready, i know next time i buy a car it'll be one of the first questions asked "can i hook my mp3 player into it?"

 

[das funkinstein]

So I got one of those i-trips (shortwave FM transmitter) for my i-pod so I could listen to it in the car...but the quality of audio is muck, no matter what frequency I use...it's noticeably worse than any of the other radio stations.

My old car had a tape deck so I used one of those dummy tapes with mini jack (plugged into i-pod headphone out) and the sound quality was top notch...but got a new car which has a CD player so can't use that anymore.

So am I resigned to replacing the CD player with an old tape deck, or is there so other solution to plug straight into car system...there's hardly a car stereo system with a line in input on it...any ideas?


Incidentally, my i-trip says US on the little LCD screen...I'm assuming this makes no difference to its functionality....maybe I'm wrong.

i could be wrong but i think US fm radio uses dirrentent intervals for stations . my borther got a car radio over there i could not not tune in most radio staions in ireland. might be what your problem is.

you can get radios with line jacks now.

 

[roxy]

i could be wrong but i think US fm radio uses dirrentent intervals for stations . my borther got a car radio over there i could not not tune in most radio staions in ireland. might be what your problem is.

you can get radios with line jacks now.

I know where you could get a free tape-deck car radio.

*sniff*

Anyway, yeah I use one of the dummy tapes meself. Never loud enough, though.

 

[Anthony]

using one of those dummy tapes in my mrs's car. One major problem though is that during any silence the radio comes back on for a second untill the next song comes from the ipod. Does anyone know how to turn off this "feature". It's a VW.

 

[Beanstalk]

you can get radios with line jacks now.

Like this one...
http://www.caraudio.ie/view_product.php?partno=CQC1303


Still bit expensive just to use the ipod...might try a DIY solution first.

 

[Ciarán R]

Like this one...
http://www.caraudio.ie/view_product.php?partno=CQC1303


Still bit expensive just to use the ipod...might try a DIY solution first.

schmegeggin had a spare one he got from aldi that took a USB connection in the front - about €85. Maybe send him a pm about it, he might have more info