Rep Power: 811

i am getting a 2001 DX stereo (no tape, no cd) receiver from a fellow member and want to hook up an external alpine DVD changer. the oem unit has a honda cd changer port in the back, but i need to find an adapter that converts the oem plug into the AI-NET alpine connection. so far all i was able to find was the converter into the old alpine M-BUS standard which sucks. well, it means i can use the alpine mp3 changer, but ofcourse i would much rather be able to use mp3 dvds instead i was gonna call crutchfield and see if they have anything, but if anyone has done this please post where you found the cable. thanks guys. i want stealth stock looks for the radio but still have mp3 capability. being able to play burnt mp3 dvds would rock, but i guess i can settle for just regular mp3 cds if i have to. im thinking of putting the changer in glove box or under passenger seat.

 
Rep Power: 811

actually it can be done, alpine has an ai-net to m-bus converter, but im scared of what the sound will be like after so many conversions lol. so im still looking for other options i guess. does anyone here have experience connecting some outside mp3 music source to the factory radio?

 
Rep Power: 290

my car had an alpine changer in it when I got it. I think the plug got tossed when I chucked my oem deck.

 
Rep Power: 0

CD is obsolete! Heck nowadays, even inexpensive units come with memory card/USB connection and u can have your entire MP3 collection in a tiny 32G USB dongle.

 
Rep Power: 207

^ Right. Soooooo, back to the question at hand: is there any way to hook up an MP3 source to the factory deck?

 
Rep Power: 811

im guessing my only option is the alpine M-BUS connector. there should be an oem cd changer plug converting to the M-BUS. and i believe alpine has an AINET to MBUS conversion as well. i need to research the sound quality tho. cause if i can fit the dvd changer, i can fit more music than i ever need on a few dvds. all 01+ honda decks (even the dx stereo receiver i have now without cd or tape) come with a cd changer port to add the honda cd changer. i would rather go with a changer instead of the single cd player accessory that goes on the bottom where the pocket is. i really need mp3 support at least. im gonna go see if any local shops have a conversion.

 
Rep Power: 811

okay guys, after talking a bit with crutchfield, i dont think the cd changers will be worth it. he said first there can be signal losses using too many conversion cables, and also the factory radio will not be able to control the apline cd changer. so i would have to use the small control panel that comes with the alpine changer (dvd version does not have this and cannot be used at all). i really dont want another control panel to figure out how to mount. and then not have factory radio control.

after more talking, he convinced me an ipod with direct honda changer to ipod connector would be the best solution. and there are many reasons: the hookup is a digital signal thru the ipod interface dock, not just a stereo headphone plug, so much cleaner sound and clarity. also, the factory radio has a button for CD/TAPE that will activate the ipod and let me control it from the deck! awesome. and the ipod is ofcourse much smaller than a ch changer and can be easily thrown in the dash somewhere or glove box. im off to see which ipod is right for me lol and just go with that. i really only have about 10-15 gig of music i would want to listen to anyway, so once i load it all up, i wont have to access it anymore. and i have stock deck so no theft problems, just a plain radio showing yay.

 
Rep Power: 811

im starting to see your point, and i hated carrying around a bunch of cds everywhere.

 
Rep Power: 207

@gearbox - Post up some sources/part numbers when you get your setup?
I'd like to keep my factory system and have MP3s too

 
Rep Power: 811

brand new black ipod nano 16GB black has been bought at best buy for around $200 after tax its nice, for an apple product lol. in the process of setting that up and loading tunes (all sorts of trance mixes by elucidate, etc should fill it up), but the conversion will have to wait til next week. nobody in town has anything. i also need to research different brands and see which is the better one. the ipod is nearly paper thin and should fit nicely in the center sliding console storage area.

 
Rep Power: 811

here is the adapter i ended up with. its the same as usa-spec, which seems to be the most popular and has great reviews on crutchfield. lets you charge the ipod while driving, control it from the stereo using the changer buttons (press cd/tape button, then use the disc + and - buttons to advance songs and control volume). the one below is just repackaged by a different company, but its the same unit except it looks nicer with black finish instead of white.

http://cgi.ebay.com/PA-11HON-USA-Spe...item19b6645ddb

 
Rep Power: 811

now i remember why i hate apple. ugh itunes SUCKS. spent so much time just to get the program to open. and now its so slow im throwing tantrums. and it invaded my computer with 10 other programs running. as soon as i upload enough music overnight, i am taking it off til next time. worst program ever made, and it forces you to use itunes to sync music otherwise it wont recognize anything you copy over.

 
Rep Power: 207

^ yuppers.

iTunes FTL.

 
Rep Power: 0

Careful guys. I've been out of the car-iPod thing for a few years so my knowledge is a bit outdated but... it used to be some car-iPod interfaces are sluggisly slow (serial interfacing or some rather), then Alpine came out with the first head with direct digital interfacing, the X01 model I believe, much quicker access and actually made it usable. Old interfacing not worth touching. I don't know how much$ nowadays to make one's head work reasonably well with an iPod.

Which come to my other point, for a cheapo solution, USB to memory dongle is your cheapest solution and straightforward, but folder/song access (finding the stuff u want quick) may take lots of scrolling.

 
Rep Power: 0

^more...

For an older car without an USB plug and ur unwillingness to replace the oem head will be tough, as the oem head will have to jump through hoops and does a couple of convertion steps in order to talk to the MP3 source, and that process will make the interface very sluggist and basically I don't recommend it. Third-party heads with USB plugs is been available for several years now so me thinks u don't have to spend mega-bucks to get one. With a scrolling interfacing and 1-4 lines of text u can see at one time.

Of course the ultimate setup is a flat screen with touch interface and you are able to find your tunes quick, but that's mega-bucks, and if you are using an iPod as your source, Apple often updates their firmware and the head/adapter hardware may not catch up right away and it has been known as pain.

I currently only have a 8.6 miles commute so not really worth it to spend lots on car stereo, but if I were to do this, I would just simply buy an iPhone/iTouch, keep all the interfacing with the portable device itself and let it talk to the car via stereo bluetooth, or the always work AUX plug. This bypasses any sluggistness and Apple can update their firmware whenever and it won't be any probs.

 
Rep Power: 811

thanks for the caution. for me its acceptable, i only have 100 songs being transferred and they are about an hour or two each. so very rarely will i be switching between songs lol. according to reviews, this new unit takes about 20-30 secs to "warm-up" and then only 1 second lag to switch songs. about the same as when i had alpine mp3 changer hooked to my alpine deck using their latest AINET connections.

my main reason for going with the ipod and adapter is the digital connection. i tried headphone jack type stuff with usb mp3 player before and it sounded terrible. people say the ipod and interface sounds like cd quality which is exactly what i want.

 
Rep Power: 811

some quick reviews

http://www.amazon.com/USA-SPEC-PA11-...owViewpoints=1

http://reviews.cnet.com/car-audio/us...-31966477.html