I use an FM transmitter to listen to my iPod. The sound quality is OK. Is the sound quality on the Aux input really good? I'm thinking of getting it (since it's cheap). I like the iPod adapter, but I think it is too pricey for the functionality.

Opinions?

 

Dump the transmitter, get the Aux. Yes it's better, yes it's more reliable, no it's not subject to interference like the FM transmitter is...

 

BIG difference. Go with the Aux

 

The Aux input is definitely a better option.

I am using a DLO Transdock Micro in conjunction with the Aux input. I used a 1/8" stereo plug right-angle adapter on the underside of the Transdock to be able to connect the Aux input cable from the Transdock to the Aux input, which I mounted in the OEM-recommended location on the upper left corner of the glovebox. I have the iPod in a jacket made of rubbery wetsuit-type material, so stays put on the carpet of the center tunnel, under the e-brake handle. (For those concerned, this perch still leaves sufficient room to grab the brake handle quickly in an emergency situation.)

Since the Transdock incorporates an FM transmitter in addition to dock, aux input, and aux output connections, it affords an easy manner to compare sound quality between FM and Aux. With a single press of the MSFW button, I can toggle between Aux and FM on the head unit of the stereo, and the difference is significant.

With this setup, the cabling that is not concealed is unbotrusive, and everything can easily be removed in seconds, so as not to be an attractive target to thieves.

I have also experimented with adapting a Griffin Roadtrip cradle to the Aux input. The sound quality was good, but the volume level this combination delivered was not sufficient. I can provide details and pix of how to duplicate either the McGuyvered Roadtrip or the Transdock setup, if anyone is interested.

 

I certainly would like a few pix of your setup, if it's not too much trouble. I just ordered the parcel shelf, so I was thinking of having the aux input jack located near the shelf. Does this sound like a solid plan?

 

There were several people that put the jack in the shelf a few years ago, and were happy with the location it's definately a workable solution. I haven't heard of anybody who's done it recently but I wouldn't let that deter you.

My Aux is mounted so that it comes out the bottom of the center console. I did this for several reasons... First convenience, no drilling and a short cable run, plus since the only patch cable I've been able to find is a 6 ft one, I can keep it coiled neatly in the area under the console... The reality is that I always have a patch cable connected to the jack, as long as I have access to the cable it doesn't matter where the jack itself is located...

 

You should get CD quality sound from the aux input (limited by the quality of the recording and the iPod). A few notes for getting the best sound:

• Connect the aux input to the iPod's dock connector (not the headphone jack). The audio line-out in the dock connector bypasses the headphone amplifier, which degrades the sound. You'll need a dock line-out cable or adapter.
• You may want to adjust the sound level of the aux input. On the head unit, click the note button several times until the display shows AUX LEV. Then you can turn the volume **** to set the level (0 to 5). I have mine set at 4 for my iPod.
• If you connect the iPod to the aux input, and at the same time also connect it to the cigarette lighter for charging, you might hear some noise or the aux input may cut out periodically. If this happens, the remedy is to use a ground loop isolator.

 

I have a cig lighter power source installed in my Euro Shelf, and use a Belkin TuneDok and Auto Kit. The former provides a place for the ipod to sit (in the cup holder) that is very convenient for pausing or fast forwarding. You can also just lift it out to dial up a given playlist or album, then put it back in the cradle. The latter connects at the dock connector, and lets you plug the Aux cable into the built in amp. I really like the setup.

 

This would explain why my iPod sounds like crap connected to my stereo! (I've always used the headphone jack.)

 

I guess I'll need to price all these options to make sure they are difinitely cheaper than a self-installed ICE-link etc.

Thanks for the advice, folks.

 

I've just ordered a FlexibleDock, which is yet another option. I'm still trying to sort out what will work best for me. The aux input options are cheaper than the integrated adapters, but trying to operate the iPod directly in busy traffic is not easy or safe. The adapters have their own limitations with the amount of control from the head unit and steering wheel, and display of the play track. DICE looks quite good and I'd get it except that there are some issues when combined with Nav.

 

Very true. Usually I just listen to a favorites playlist. I like that I have the option to 'throw on' an album when I feel like it though, which is not available with the OEM Ipod adapter.
The flexdock looks like a pretty cool setup - looks like it would plug right into my Euro shelf lighter socket...

 

Is there any sort of concensus about which iPod adapter is the best? This is the first I've heard about DICE.

 

You're not from around these parts are you? Concensus that's a good one...

The ones that are probably installed most are the AUX port and the Dension ICELink, I believe the DICE is essentially the same as the ICELink.

If you're looking for the best sound quality, it's probably a tie between the ICELink and the OEM iPod adapter. However, the OEM verision doesn't display ID3 tags and has play list limitations...

The ICELink displays ID3 tags on newer (post Jan '05) head units and doesn't have any play list limitations. On the other hand, it's not the most user friendly mainly due to the limitations of the MINI HU.

The AUX jack is the most flexible and cheapest of the bunch, as with it you're not limited to just iPods but you can connect anything an audio out to it. That means that if you have a Zen, Toshiba Gigabeat, or even Microsoft's upcoming Zune you can connect them up to the aux port. However, you can only adjust the volume on the HU with the Aux jack and don't get ID3 tag information... The AUX jack is the cheapest of the bunch, but doesn't have quite as high sound quality as the others...

 

DICE replaces ICELink in Dension USA's product line. I heard that it is a completely new, re-engineered product although the features seem to be almost identical. There is a long NAM thread on DICE. The product had some problems when it first came out, but they seem to be resolved.

All of the integrated iPod adapters (including Dension and the OEM versions) use the analog line-out in the iPod dock connector (iPod does not have an audio digital output, only the analog line-out). If you connect an aux input to the same line-out (using a cable or adapter), you will get the same quality sound as the integrated adapters.

 

Based on my own personal experiences with the ICELink, mainly due to the restrictions placed on the product by the layout and design of the MINI HU, I honestly wouldn't recommend it.

It's not a bad product (but Dension does have a history of releasing products for sale before they are truely ready) its just that the MINI HU wasn't designed to accomodate an iPod and the functions that go with it...

 

I will try to get pix of my curent setup sometime today, and post them this evening for you.

 

Thanks.

I've been reading reviews of the various iPod connectors, and I have to say, I like the aux port idea more and more.

Hey, I just noticed that the dock has a line out. I already own a car charger. I have to see if the charger will fit into the back of the dock. If so, I could just pop the iPod in the car in the dock!

 

It all started with installation of the OEM Aux jack in the location recommended by the installation instructions, since I wanted the installation to look as bone-stock as possible if I remove the iPod. However, there is plenty of cable to allow one to place the jack near anywhere in center stack area. As the following photo shows, a 1/8" stereo right-angle adapter (about $4 from Radio Shack) allows the cabling and iPod to sit comfortably in the top left cubby of the glovebox organizer:



The glovebox door allows plenty of clearance for the aux cable and Trandock's dock cable to pass out between the left edge of the door and glovebox door without pinching or binding.

On a side note, those Starburst are old enough that they are probably about as chewy as Now & Laters!

As with the glovebox, a right-angle adapter is used to allow for clearance for the cable linking the aux jack to the Transdock: (note: the camera flash washed out all detail on the underside of the Transdock, but there are actually 2 1/8" jacks on it. One is an aux input, to be used with other audio sources, and the other, marked with a "cassette adapter" logo, is the line out jack which is connected to the MINI's aux input.)



Installed, it looks like this:



Since I'm cheap, I used a stereo patch cable I had on hand from an old PC sound card. The install would look a little cleaner if the blue cable plugs were black; I may fix this in the furure with a Sharpie marker. The dock cable running over the console can be concealed under the edge of the RH front floor mat to get back to the center tunnel, but still be easily removable. Only a few inches of cable is visible once this is done.

Here is the view with the cabling tucked away, and the iPod sitting in its traveling location. The iPod is in a jacket that is made of a rubbery fabric, and it stays put during normal spirited driving. During serious motoring, it gets turned off and stowed in the glovebox.



As the next photo shows, the iPod still leaves adequate room for safe handbrake access:



There is one minor concern with the position and angle of the actual Transpod. In order to insert it into the lighter socket, the display must be rotated to the vertical position. Once in place, adjust the angle so the display is readable, but not far enough toward horizontal to pinch the dock cable against the underside of the switch cluster. Properly adjusted, the display is easy to ready, but there is an issue with using the cupholders for beverages:



Not that I much care, since this is where the loose change and co-pilot reside:



Small but powerful; often dismissed offhand by those who don't know better; quickly commands respect from those who get a firsthand demonstration of that power - there's no more appropriate mascot for a MINI! Sometimes I feel that Jet Black with white bonnet and roof stripes is the color combo I should have picked, but I'd never let our MINI know that.

Total cost for the setup: about $100.00. It can be removed in less than a minute without leaving any visible signs it was ever there-thus eliminating the invitation to theft that iPod accessories often seem to present.The cost of this setup could be even lower with another iPod charger/dock solution, such as the one offered by Belkin, which also offers an aux-out jack on the side of the charger portion that plugs in to the lighter socket. When I priced it, the Belkin charger was available for about $35.00, vs. the $65.00 I paid for the DLO TransDock Micro (got it on sale.) The Belkin would have been my first choice, as I don't need the FM transmitter in the MINI, but the DLO is what was on the store shelf that day, and I have the patience of a 3-year-old once I start into a project.

(Pix of the simple trick I used to adapt a Griffin RoadTrip's cradle to the aux input to follow in a later post.)

Hope this helps with your decision!
-Brian

(a little embarassed by the grassy/dirty floor mats)

 

Me too!