portable MP3 player to HU? Please help

[Tsi_User]

I know this question might seem lame to some of you, but how exactly does an MP3 player in a car work?
Do you upload songs onto a HD within the HU so it stores the songs or do you plug a portable MP3 player into the HU so it reads the songs and then plays them through the car's speakers or both? I'm pretty confused on this subject so any info or examples would be cool.

 

[Defiant]

Depends on the head unit. Later 1Gs have an auxilary input on the face you can plug anything into- CD player, MP3 player, cop scanner, laptop w/GPS and voice output, cell phone output, etc.
Newer head units will read MP3s off a CD, and some newer newer ones are accepting various memory sticks and the like. I've not heard of one with onboard memory, yet.
If you want to feed MP3s to an older radio, just get one of the FM broadcasters that'll send it to your radio through the antenna.

 

[TrystanGST]

There are head units out there that have hard drives built in, but they are still rather expensive. My solution was to buy a head unit that takes aux in, and plug my portable mp3 player into it. Now I have access to 60 gigs of music without carrying a single CD.

 

[Tsi_User]

There are head units out there that have hard drives built in, but they are still rather expensive. My solution was to buy a head unit that takes aux in, and plug my portable mp3 player into it. Now I have access to 60 gigs of music without carrying a single CD.

that's exactly what I'm aiming for. I dont' really wanna store MP3s onto my HU. I just wanna be able to hook up my portable MP3 into the HU and pretty much have the MP3s play hrough the car's speakers.

 

[93greentsi]

If you're buying a new deck just get one that has an auxillary input (usually a rca hookup in the back, but sometimes it is on the front.) If the input is on the back you just need to get an rca cable that adapts into a headphone jack like this:

http://www.circuitcity.com/ssm/Belk...sem/rpsm/oid/109298/rpem/ccd/productDetail.do

(But get it at radioshack because its cheaper.)

If its a front input you probably just need a headphone-headphone jack.

You can try using a wireless fm adapter which plugs into your mp3 player headphone jack and broadcasts a low level fm signal you can tune into on your deck. That is what I use right now but I hate it. There's just too much static.

I believe there is no way to input the audio using a stock deck unless you have the deck w/a front input that Defiant mentioned.

 

[Dr3wStx]

If your anything like me, and cant possibly think of more then 700 megs worth of songs that you even like at the same time. Get a HU with the ability to read an MP3 disk, grab a re-writable disk then keep a playlist on your computer. Then when you fee the need to add/subrtact songs just erase the disk, update the playlist and burn it again.

Thats just my 2 cents.

 

[TrystanGST]

that's exactly what I'm aiming for. I dont' really wanna store MP3s onto my HU. I just wanna be able to hook up my portable MP3 into the HU and pretty much have the MP3s play hrough the car's speakers.

Here's what I did:
I bought this head unit -
Sony CDMX9905X - which has an aux in (red/white/s-video), and then I plugged some stereo cables into it to run it to the passenger footwell, plugged those cables into a switch box (like you use to plug several consoles into 1 TV), then just got a cable that goes from the headphone jack to red/white audio jacks, pluge that into the switcher and the MP3 player, boom you have your MP3 player running thru your stock stereo. And as a bonus, I could plug any video source (like a portable dvd player, ps2, etc) into the switch box and have it display on the HU. I don't know why I would, since it's not a dvd player, and the screen is rather small and strangely shaped for video playback (and the deck is tied into the parking brake cable - video doesn't play without the parking brake on.) I can post pics if you want.

 

[Tsi_User]

sweet guys thanks for the info it relaly helped me out

 

[ZooMAiRDmX]

Is there any way to hook up an iPod or whatever else through the stock Infinity Head Unit on a 2G Eclipse? I see that there's the "disc changer" buttons on it, but those are single disc players right? let me know, please!

 

[Corbic]

RioCar is a deck that was avalible for a while ago. They are kind of rare now. Bassicly it has two lab-top hard drives on it, factory you either got 20, 40 or 60gigs, you can also just buy regular lab-top drives and install and format them you self. The music is then saved on these drives and plays from the unit. Really nice.

Currently my Golf have a straight up Ipod, the new Iriver wasnt out yet, but if I had to do it again I would get the Iriver 340 I think it was. Damn think can hold up to 80gigs and play videos.. HOT.

I just run a RC cable through the CD changer which then lets the music be played on the stock head. I hate aftermarket crap with the cheap chessy silver plastic and tinny buttons. Damn things just scream "Break into my car". And if its detachable they you have that whole mess to deal about. With a portable MP3 player it goes with ya!


My plane for my DSM (if I ever get one running) is to relocate a good quality aftermarket system in the trunk. Then placing gauges in the spot where the factory head was installed. Sound controls would be installed in the former ash-tray. The portable mp3 would have a mounth to sit on while cruising up fornt and would be thus the controls for music. When I park, the MP3 unit just clicks on my belt and off I go, still listing to my tunes and nothign anyone can see to steal.

 

[talontsiawd]

With many aftermarket headunit's you can get an adapter that changes the CD changer imput to rca cables. Then just get a balance 1/4in jack to RCA splitter and your good. The one i bought for my Kenwood actually fit a stock infinity headunit. I think it's a 14 pin connector. It should work if you have a stock headunit but i didn't actually hook it up. I just had a broken headunit in my room and just happened to look at it when i opened the packaging. I can link the connector of crutchfield if anyone wants to give it a shot.