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iPod: Car
Plugging the 'Pod into your car stero is easy, but there are some pitfalls
April 5, 2004
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Monster iCarPlay Wireless FM Transmitter for iPods
Send files to your head unit without extra cords |
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The cheapest and most dependable method to hook your iPod to a car stereo is using a cassette adapter. You can buy them anywhere for $20, and they vary little in quality. That's actually the problem — they're all cheap, and the wire connecting the adapter to the iPod can fray easily, causing a noise that sounds a lot like tape hiss. If you hear it, try jiggling the cord.
The second way is with an FM transmitter — you send music from the iPod to an unused frequency on your FM dial. Griffin's iTrip ($34.95) wins points for its compact size — it's a white cylinder that caps the iPod, drawing power from the player's lithium ion battery. To ensure maximum access to vacant stations, it tunes 100 different frequencies, receiving your instructions from the player using an innovative system of beeps. To charge the player, you'll need to get something extra, like Belkin's iPod Car Charger ($19.95). Monster's iCarPlay Wireless transmitter ($69) charges the iPod as it transmits, but it only gives you eight frequencies to choose from, all at the bottom of the dial.
A lot of the differences in FM transmitters are nitpicks, though. The real trouble is the technology itself. Surprise, surprise: music sent from iPod to FM receiver at best sounds like FM radio. It's easy for it to decay with hissing, static and outside interference.
A direct line-in to the car's receiver is ideal, but there's no guarantee that your receiver — especially a factory receiver on a digital-era car — has a stereo input for you to connect to. Most aftermarket receivers have something for this, though. In the late summer, Alpine plans to improve this situation by launching a true iPod interface. It joins the player directly to the receiver and gives you full control over the iPod from your player. We can hardly wait.
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