Anyone know anything about car stereos?

Matblack · 15-02-2010, 10:05

I am begining to get used to my new car, it's OK to drive, is more fuel economical then the MINI and I can take more than one passenger, however I have a niggle.

When I first went to see it the guy said it had an aux input for the stereo, so I could plug in my iPhone, but he was wrong and there was no way to get it to play music from the phone despite the fact it had Bluetooth phone capability which I liked. The unit is a double DIN with a multichanger built in so it has no changer prep and there really is no way to get a direct input. In the end the dealer agreed to put a hard wired radio frequency aux port in, which apparently would give me 'digital' quality sound.

Well quite frankly unless you listen to your ipod underwater and played though a piece of string and a paper cup then the sound quality isn't very good.

So I need to change the head unit; I want to keep mmy steering wheel controls and Bluetooth but I'm happy to have a single or double DIN replacement, doesn't need to be all singing and dancing but will ideally control my iphone from the deck and have Bluetooth phone capabilties.

What I've found is that unlike when I was in my 20s and actually interested in car stereos all the independant dealers seem to have disapeared and there isn't anyone around even in the chavy areas I work in who has walls and walls of stereos I can go and choose from.

I'm thinking Alpine or Clarion or Kenwood at the moment but does anyone have any recommendations?

Thanks

MB

Grandad · 15-02-2010, 12:13

I'm no expert but Alpine and Pioneer are generally the highest regarded

having said that I have had problems with Pioneer's service depts in past so would prob look towards Alpine myself

is there no option for one of the inline ISO things to create the aux in ?

Matblack · 15-02-2010, 12:21

The inline AUX ports rely on the head unit having CD changer prep and this dpesn't have it because it is itself a 6 disc changer. Major oversight on the part of the manufacturer tbh

MB

Burble · 15-02-2010, 12:39

Are you 100% sure there isn't an AUX input or similar on the back of the unit? The nav unit in my car has an inbuilt cd changer but it also has an AUX and cd changer port on the rear.

I know if a great independent but he's based in Chorley so not exactly local to you.

Matblack · 15-02-2010, 14:26

Hmmmm

I've just had a fiddle with it and I think I am going to persevere for a while. There seemed to be a problem with the jack plug, when its all the way in it the background noise increases quite a lot but it I stand it off by about a mm then everything is much clearer and crisper, not sure what the issue is, I still get full stereo when the plug is out slightly, I'm going to give it a go with my ipod rather than the iphone and see if that makes any difference

MB

Grandad · 15-02-2010, 14:52

does the internal unit play MP3s

if so I would just load 6 discs up, should be moe than plenty

Matblack · 15-02-2010, 15:12

Nasty to navigate using the CDs, I'm really happy with my iPod or iPhone. As I say it seems OK now, will try it for a while, if its not up to the job I'll replace the whole unit with an Alpine with a Bluetooth Module, I'd rather not if I don't have to, just just means the car is more likely to get broken into.

MB

Mark · 15-02-2010, 19:32

iPhone jack or a jack on the head unit/aux port? I recall problems with the headphone jack on the iPhone 2G (or was it the iPod Touch 1G), but that was mostly poor design and was fixed on the 3G and I can't say I've had any problems with mine.

Feek · 15-02-2010, 19:46

Not all 3.5mm jacks plugs are built equally. You could just have a slightly off spec plug on the cable which isn't seating correctly in your aux input.

A Place of Light · 20-02-2010, 13:49

Would an iTrip do the job?

15-02-2010, 10:05	#1
Matblack Baby Bore Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: Svalbard Posts: 9,770	Anyone know anything about car stereos? I am begining to get used to my new car, it's OK to drive, is more fuel economical then the MINI and I can take more than one passenger, however I have a niggle. When I first went to see it the guy said it had an aux input for the stereo, so I could plug in my iPhone, but he was wrong and there was no way to get it to play music from the phone despite the fact it had Bluetooth phone capability which I liked. The unit is a double DIN with a multichanger built in so it has no changer prep and there really is no way to get a direct input. In the end the dealer agreed to put a hard wired radio frequency aux port in, which apparently would give me 'digital' quality sound. Well quite frankly unless you listen to your ipod underwater and played though a piece of string and a paper cup then the sound quality isn't very good. So I need to change the head unit; I want to keep mmy steering wheel controls and Bluetooth but I'm happy to have a single or double DIN replacement, doesn't need to be all singing and dancing but will ideally control my iphone from the deck and have Bluetooth phone capabilties. What I've found is that unlike when I was in my 20s and actually interested in car stereos all the independant dealers seem to have disapeared and there isn't anyone around even in the chavy areas I work in who has walls and walls of stereos I can go and choose from. I'm thinking Alpine or Clarion or Kenwood at the moment but does anyone have any recommendations? Thanks MB __________________ "we had roots that grew towards each other underground, and when all the pretty blossom had fallen from our branches we found that we were one tree and not two"

15-02-2010, 12:13	#2
Grandad Old Git Join Date: Nov 2006 Posts: 2,016	I'm no expert but Alpine and Pioneer are generally the highest regarded having said that I have had problems with Pioneer's service depts in past so would prob look towards Alpine myself is there no option for one of the inline ISO things to create the aux in ? Last edited by Grandad; 15-02-2010 at 12:15.

15-02-2010, 12:21	#3
Matblack Baby Bore Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: Svalbard Posts: 9,770	The inline AUX ports rely on the head unit having CD changer prep and this dpesn't have it because it is itself a 6 disc changer. Major oversight on the part of the manufacturer tbh MB __________________ "we had roots that grew towards each other underground, and when all the pretty blossom had fallen from our branches we found that we were one tree and not two"

15-02-2010, 14:26	#5
Matblack Baby Bore Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: Svalbard Posts: 9,770	Hmmmm I've just had a fiddle with it and I think I am going to persevere for a while. There seemed to be a problem with the jack plug, when its all the way in it the background noise increases quite a lot but it I stand it off by about a mm then everything is much clearer and crisper, not sure what the issue is, I still get full stereo when the plug is out slightly, I'm going to give it a go with my ipod rather than the iphone and see if that makes any difference MB __________________ "we had roots that grew towards each other underground, and when all the pretty blossom had fallen from our branches we found that we were one tree and not two"

15-02-2010, 15:12	#7
Matblack Baby Bore Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: Svalbard Posts: 9,770	Nasty to navigate using the CDs, I'm really happy with my iPod or iPhone. As I say it seems OK now, will try it for a while, if its not up to the job I'll replace the whole unit with an Alpine with a Bluetooth Module, I'd rather not if I don't have to, just just means the car is more likely to get broken into. MB __________________ "we had roots that grew towards each other underground, and when all the pretty blossom had fallen from our branches we found that we were one tree and not two"

15-02-2010, 12:39	#4
Burble Rocket Fuel Join Date: Jul 2006 Posts: 7,826	Are you 100% sure there isn't an AUX input or similar on the back of the unit? The nav unit in my car has an inbuilt cd changer but it also has an AUX and cd changer port on the rear. I know if a great independent but he's based in Chorley so not exactly local to you.

15-02-2010, 14:52	#6
Grandad Old Git Join Date: Nov 2006 Posts: 2,016	does the internal unit play MP3s if so I would just load 6 discs up, should be moe than plenty

15-02-2010, 19:32	#8
Mark Screaming Orgasm Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: Newbury Posts: 15,194	iPhone jack or a jack on the head unit/aux port? I recall problems with the headphone jack on the iPhone 2G (or was it the iPod Touch 1G), but that was mostly poor design and was fixed on the 3G and I can't say I've had any problems with mine.

15-02-2010, 19:46	#9
Feek ex SAS Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: JO01ou Posts: 10,062	Not all 3.5mm jacks plugs are built equally. You could just have a slightly off spec plug on the cable which isn't seating correctly in your aux input. __________________

20-02-2010, 13:49	#10
A Place of Light Absinthe Join Date: Dec 2007 Posts: 1,247	Would an iTrip do the job?