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I HATE the fucking iTrip

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I hate this goddam thing. Is there any alternative to the iTrip and that equally shitty tape-deck adaptor thing?

― iTrip Destroyer (Roger Fidelity), Monday, 22 January 2007 17:56 (nineteen years ago)

direct line-in

― Jordan (Jordan), Monday, 22 January 2007 18:00 (nineteen years ago)

I got the RoadTrip for Christmas and I'm still torn on what I think of it. Its worked great for long road trips to Wisconsin and Michigan, but its completely useless for my daily commuting in the Chicago area.

― jonviachicago (jonviachicago), Monday, 22 January 2007 18:01 (nineteen years ago)

I have the Belkin equivalent and I absolutely love it.

I even took it to a business trip to Montreal and Ottawa, and no static or interference really.

― Viz (Viz), Monday, 22 January 2007 18:03 (nineteen years ago)

direct line-in

-- Jordan (jordan...), January 22nd, 2007.

otm

or just one of those cd-player-to-tapedeck-things

― feed latebloomer (latebloomer), Monday, 22 January 2007 18:04 (nineteen years ago)

equally shitty tape-deck adaptor thing?

How is this shitty? I love it.

― jaymc (jaymc), Monday, 22 January 2007 18:05 (nineteen years ago)

Yeah, I loved the tape adaptor until my tape deck got fried, then I sprung for the line-in.

― Jordan (Jordan), Monday, 22 January 2007 18:08 (nineteen years ago)

Well, they're not shitty, but our tape deck is broken, just keeps reversing the sides over and over again. So it's shitty for us.

So wait, direct line in? From the iPod? How? Obviously theres no USB port in my car...

― Spine Swine (Roger Fidelity), Monday, 22 January 2007 18:12 (nineteen years ago)

I loved my iTrip — it sounded perfect in my Honda Civic here in DC. I took it on a road trip to the West Coast and it worked fine there — I only had to change the channel one or two times in 9 days of driving. But it does depend on the car—more specifically, the car radio—based on me trying it in a few friends' cars.

― Naive Teen Idol (Naive Teen Idol), Monday, 22 January 2007 18:12 (nineteen years ago)

I find the whole car audio thing confusing -- car stereos should have a radio, amplifier, and 1/8" jack, that's it. No need to mess with radio signals for transmission. We consumers can take care of the CD players (can get a good one for $30) and MP3 players, thanks. Am I right or am I right?

― Mark (MarkR), Monday, 22 January 2007 18:20 (nineteen years ago)

So wait, direct line in? From the iPod? How? Obviously theres no USB port in my car...

There are kits that'll put a connection in your glove cpt. E.g.,

http://www.carplayer.com/whatisit.html

There are significant drawbacks to many of these, so read the spex carefully.

― A knife to his wife Eve and his credibility. (goodbra), Monday, 22 January 2007 18:21 (nineteen years ago)

Some car stereos come with it these days. I had one installed, my friend hacked his in by himself, etc.

― Jordan (Jordan), Monday, 22 January 2007 18:23 (nineteen years ago)

What's wrong with using the headphone jack?

― Mark (MarkR), Monday, 22 January 2007 18:23 (nineteen years ago)

What's wrong with using the headphone jack?

You can't hear what's going on around you. Not to mention that driving with headphones is illegal most places.

― A knife to his wife Eve and his credibility. (goodbra), Monday, 22 January 2007 18:26 (nineteen years ago)

dude.
http://www.ethnicdance.net/minidisc/Analog_Mini_Plug.jpg

― Dr. Alicia D. Titsovich (sexyDancer), Monday, 22 January 2007 18:29 (nineteen years ago)

Yeah, I meant the headphone jack plugged into the car stereo, whatever the device. Def. say no to driving with headphones.

― Mark (MarkR), Monday, 22 January 2007 18:35 (nineteen years ago)

yes, that only works if you have an input jack, which most stereos don't (xpost)

― kyle (akmonday), Monday, 22 January 2007 18:36 (nineteen years ago)

if you don't have a tape deck, or inputs, then I guess it's time for a mod or new car streo far ya.

― Dr. Alicia D. Titsovich (sexyDancer), Monday, 22 January 2007 18:39 (nineteen years ago)

Yeah, I meant the headphone jack plugged into the car stereo, whatever the device.

Lots of car stereos don't have an 1/8" audio out. Mine, for instance. I don't wanna buy a better car stereo, either, 'cause my car has been broken into about 10 times since I moved to SF in 2003.

And yea, the iTrip is a waste of money.

― A knife to his wife Eve and his credibility. (goodbra), Monday, 22 January 2007 18:39 (nineteen years ago)

Er, I meant audio IN.

― A knife to his wife Eve and his credibility. (goodbra), Monday, 22 January 2007 18:40 (nineteen years ago)

That's what I'm saying though: Every car stereo should have an 1/8" in and nothing else, it's so simple and so obvious. Are they just trying to rip people off or something?

― Mark (MarkR), Monday, 22 January 2007 18:43 (nineteen years ago)

If you have a CD deck or changer on your factory car stereo, you can probably get one of these:

http://www.usaspec.com

I installed one in the gf's '98 VW. Took all of 15 minutes. Sounds fabulous. But I would not use the line out from the headphone jack on the iPod. Much, much better to spend another $50 on the Belkin Tunebase (which plugs into the cig lighter, charges the iPod, and provides a line-out from the dock connector--which sounds way better than the headphone out--and also gives you a nice upright view of the iPod. Monster and some other joints also make a cig lighter thing with a line out from the dock. That's key, really.

― Roy Kasten (Roy Kasten), Monday, 22 January 2007 18:43 (nineteen years ago)

That's what I'm saying though: Every car stereo should have an 1/8" in and nothing else, it's so simple and so obvious. Are they just trying to rip people off or something?

You forgot the </sarcasm> tag.

― A knife to his wife Eve and his credibility. (goodbra), Monday, 22 January 2007 18:43 (nineteen years ago)

I would say all those ipoddy excessories what use the USB jacks are big rip-offs. Mini-plugs are cheap, replaceable, and universal. Sound signal has to go analog eventually...

― Dr. Alicia D. Titsovich (sexyDancer), Monday, 22 January 2007 18:46 (nineteen years ago)

I would say all those ipoddy excessories what use the USB jacks are big rip-offs.

The iPod DAC isn't really the highest quality, but if your system is just as shitty, then just use the 1/8" out, sure.

― A knife to his wife Eve and his credibility. (goodbra), Monday, 22 January 2007 18:48 (nineteen years ago)

Yeah, well depends on what you're using to convert the digital to analog. The headphone D-to-A sucks in comparison to the dock.

― Roy Kasten (Roy Kasten), Monday, 22 January 2007 18:49 (nineteen years ago)

speakers, dog.

― Dr. Alicia D. Titsovich (sexyDancer), Monday, 22 January 2007 18:53 (nineteen years ago)

speakers, dog.

Hahahahaha! I love the Internets!

― A knife to his wife Eve and his credibility. (goodbra), Monday, 22 January 2007 18:54 (nineteen years ago)

Doesn't any car stereo set-up pale next to decent headphones? Which use the D/A conversion on the headphone jack.

― Mark (MarkR), Monday, 22 January 2007 18:57 (nineteen years ago)

Doesn't any car stereo set-up pale next to decent headphones?

Good headphones are much more affordable than good speakers, yes. However, the weak link here is the iPod DAC, which may or may not be inferior to an outboard DAC. Plus, if you are going headphone out -> line in, you're getting an impedence mismatch, which definitely degrades audio quality.

― A knife to his wife Eve and his credibility. (goodbra), Monday, 22 January 2007 19:02 (nineteen years ago)

Uh no.

A-B the sound out from the headphone jack plugged into a stereo vs. the sound out from a decent dock out plugged into a stereo. If you can't hear the difference, then, yeah, save yourself $50 (as your iPod battery dies a slow death). xpost

― Roy Kasten (Roy Kasten), Monday, 22 January 2007 19:04 (nineteen years ago)

only engineers hear that shit

― Dr. Alicia D. Titsovich (sexyDancer), Monday, 22 January 2007 19:05 (nineteen years ago)

Ears, dog.

― Roy Kasten (Roy Kasten), Monday, 22 January 2007 19:06 (nineteen years ago)

Who cares, YOU ARE IN A CAR. DRIVING ON A FREEWAY. BACKGROUND NOISE GALORE.

― Jordan (Jordan), Monday, 22 January 2007 19:07 (nineteen years ago)

The outside world is supposed to stay away in those situations, Jordan.

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Monday, 22 January 2007 19:07 (nineteen years ago)

THEN USE THE SHIT ITRIP WHO CARES.

― Roy Kasten (Roy Kasten), Monday, 22 January 2007 19:08 (nineteen years ago)

only engineers hear see that shit on their wave-o-scope-o-meters.

If you've never heard good audio hardware, then there's no reason you'd be able to tell the difference, dawg.

― A knife to his wife Eve and his credibility. (goodbra), Monday, 22 January 2007 19:09 (nineteen years ago)

When I used the iTrip it would cut out all the time, static and shit. That's in a different world from headphone jack vs. dock sound quality.

― Jordan (Jordan), Monday, 22 January 2007 19:10 (nineteen years ago)

fuck uou guys I'm wearing headphones on freeway

― Dr. Alicia D. Titsovich (sexyDancer), Monday, 22 January 2007 19:10 (nineteen years ago)

Jordan OTM.

― A knife to his wife Eve and his credibility. (goodbra), Monday, 22 January 2007 19:14 (nineteen years ago)

xpost yeah, I know. I heard better sound from the dock out than the headphone out; maybe no one else would (might actually try it on your vehicle to know). but then the VW had a pretty good system to start with, so the extra $50 was worth it for that and for the charging.

― Roy Kasten (Roy Kasten), Monday, 22 January 2007 19:18 (nineteen years ago)

if you don't have a tape deck then I guess it's time for a mod or new car streo


My stereo(a snazzy aftermarket thing the insurance co. bought after my first radio was ripped from the dash) appears to have RCA plugs, which I assume will work as well as the 8"(which I don't think it has). I don't know how to finagle the plug so it comes through the glove compartment though.

― tremendoid (tremendoid), Monday, 22 January 2007 20:22 (nineteen years ago)

http://www.imineo.com/imgs/mini-jack-rca.jpg

― Dr. Alicia D. Titsovich (sexyDancer), Monday, 22 January 2007 20:25 (nineteen years ago)

http://www.wellness-versandhandel.de/shop/images/wellness_small/lovely-steel-buttplug-edelstahlplug%20.jpg_140_140.jpg

― A knife to his wife Eve and his credibility. (goodbra), Monday, 22 January 2007 20:29 (nineteen years ago)

http://drivewerks.com/catalog/images/tools2003/CP-785QC-mini.jpg

― Roy Kasten (Roy Kasten), Monday, 22 January 2007 20:29 (nineteen years ago)

I have an old car that has a cassette deck so that is what I use but you can hear the accessory rattling around in there so you have to listen loud. I tried a couple of different brands too, but they are all rattly I guess. Interesting that the Belkin one works better than Griffin's. They were giving those away in goody bags at CMJ so I bet there are a bunch on ebay for cheap. I gave mine away already or i would give it to you. HTH.

― Saxby D. Elder (Saxby D. Elder), Monday, 22 January 2007 20:32 (nineteen years ago)

The iLounge iPod Your Car Section has some decent info on all this shit.

― Roy Kasten (Roy Kasten), Monday, 22 January 2007 21:00 (nineteen years ago)

my ipod just broke. a second time. ugh. fuck apple.

― Cameron Octigan (Cameron Octigan), Monday, 22 January 2007 21:03 (nineteen years ago)

last time i checked, the monster fm transmitter car adapter for ipod is the only one which is self-powered and hence has a much better signal than any of the other ones. i used one extensively throughout the bay area, and once i determined the most open frequencies to tune it to, i almost never had problems with interference, even on the bay bridge, which is basically a 2 mile long antenna.

― viborg (viborg), Tuesday, 23 January 2007 02:22 (nineteen years ago)

the itrip for the older ipod's were amazing. they didn't really use too much of the ipod's battery and there was little to no static. the one's they make for the ipod's with video are just all around bad. they use too much battery and don't have as strong of a signal. but they're still better thode belkin transmitters that hardly even do anything.

― Christopher Costello (CGC), Tuesday, 23 January 2007 02:37 (nineteen years ago)

My problem with my iTrip is that the signal is crappy and full of static unless I'm touching the iPod's back panel, grounding it.

― do i have to draw you a diaphragm (Rock Hardy), Tuesday, 23 January 2007 02:38 (nineteen years ago)

the itrip for the older ipod's were amazing.

I have an older iPod with an iTrip, and it sucks ass. There's no place I can put it in my car where I'll get half-decent reception, period.

― A knife to his wife Eve and his credibility. (goodbra), Tuesday, 23 January 2007 03:01 (nineteen years ago)

It amazes me that at least one manufacturer hasn't popped for an iLicense and made a true dockable iCar iStereo.

― M. V. (M.V.), Tuesday, 23 January 2007 03:01 (nineteen years ago)

I dunno what you mean by a true dockable iCar iStereo, but BMW and MiniCooper both have integrated docking cables in their glove box (which actually makes more sense than having a fixed dock in the dash or wherever): you can shuffle, skip and view tracks etc via standard stereo controls on the dash. Apparently you can also make special car only playlists from the dash, though I haven't seen this in action.

― Roy Kasten (Roy Kasten), Tuesday, 23 January 2007 03:19 (nineteen years ago)

http://caraudiosecurity.com/shop/product/products_id/4526.html

This is the best thing ever - Alpine CDE 9850Ri

A cable goes from this to your glove compartment. Connect to ipod and the "Alpine Full Speed" firmware in the stereo interacts perfectly with the ipod - track names, playlists the lot. It's all operated by a jog wheel on the stereo. You can even change the colour of the buttons from blue to red. I'm no gadget geek but this has revolutionised my commute to work!!

― Bagpiping for beginners (the_article_don), Thursday, 25 January 2007 21:27 (nineteen years ago)

I stand corrected.

― M. V. (M.V.), Thursday, 25 January 2007 22:54 (nineteen years ago)

Why the hell don't they make the Belken Tunebase for regular ipods?

― halo34 (Pearl Hooch), Friday, 26 January 2007 00:15 (nineteen years ago)

xpost

I have a Honda CRV and bought a $58 adapter on crutchfield.com. Then I pulled out the factory stereo and plugged in the adapter. Ran a Y-cord from Radio Shack ($18, c.f. Dr. Alicia) from the back of the adapter down through the dash and out the glove box. ipod plugs right in to the other side. Incidentally, so does the crappy XM device.

It's possible you need a certain kind of stereo for this, with an aux input and no CD changer business, but I dunno.

― Jake A. Brown (Jake Brown), Friday, 26 January 2007 02:35 (nineteen years ago)

xpost

dude: "The TuneBase FM for iPod comes with interchangeable trays for each model iPod, making it compatible with all iPod devices (except shuffle)."

― Roy Kasten (Roy Kasten), Friday, 26 January 2007 03:25 (nineteen years ago)

The Alpine: CDE-9850Ri looks cool but seems to only be in the UK. Anyone know anything about this?

― Saxby D. Elder (Saxby D. Elder), Friday, 26 January 2007 15:00 (nineteen years ago)

Crutchfield has the 9852, which looks to be pretty much the same.

― Roy Kasten (Roy Kasten), Friday, 26 January 2007 15:51 (nineteen years ago)

This looks cheap, dunno, just spotted in the paper today.:

Guardian read offer iPod Fm transmitter

― Major Alfonso (Major Alfonso), Friday, 26 January 2007 16:11 (nineteen years ago)

thx Roy!

― Saxby D. Elder (Saxby D. Elder), Friday, 26 January 2007 19:50 (nineteen years ago)


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