# Ipods



## NJE17 (Dec 27, 2005)

Hello all -

I just purchased an Apple Ipod and I am looking forward to using it in my car -- a 2005 Altima. However, when I began shopping for options of how to get my Ipod working through my car stereo, I've run into some negative feedback. FM transmitters produce below average soundquality, and the tape deck adapters only work if you have a tape deck - which I do not.

A friend told me about the "NEO" that he uses. You install it into your stereo and it produces excellent quality sound from your Ipod. The website that sells this asks for your car information to determine if they have made a NEO that fits your car. Turns out, they have not yet made one for the Nissan Altima.

My question is, are there any other options anyone knows of to produce flawless sound from your Ipod to the car stereo? In addition, has anyone heard of the "NEO", and if they plan on making one for the Altima?

Any details/suggestions are welcome. 

Thanks a lot.


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## NotAnotherHonda (Aug 7, 2003)

i have an fm transmitter by monster and its crystal clear


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## ga16freak (Dec 31, 2004)

NotAnotherHonda said:


> i have an fm transmitter by monster and its crystal clear


FM transmitters also varry in quality depending on where you live. I live very close to the city and we have tons of radio stations so there is interference with pretty much every transmitter.


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## NJE17 (Dec 27, 2005)

Yeah, in my area I am told that they are pretty much worthless unless you just surrender to poor audio quality - and I can't do it. I need CD quality sound and money is not an issue. It just seems as if options are limited.


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## jeff9nissan (Jan 9, 2004)

Go to a car stero store, The one here is called car toys, They make an adapter that takes a headphone jack and splices it into the auxilary spot on your deck. They are like 30 or 40 dollars and easy as pie.


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## sr20dem0n (Mar 19, 2003)

jeff9nissan said:


> Go to a car stero store, The one here is called car toys, They make an adapter that takes a headphone jack and splices it into the auxilary spot on your deck. They are like 30 or 40 dollars and easy as pie.


That only works if you have an aux input on your deck, most factory ones don't. There really isn't much you can do, other than moving to an aftermarket deck of course.


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## captain_shrapnel (Sep 10, 2004)

jeff9nissan said:


> Go to a car stero store, The one here is called car toys, They make an adapter that takes a headphone jack and splices it into the auxilary spot on your deck. They are like 30 or 40 dollars and easy as pie.


Yeah, Radio shack sells that same adaptor for like $5. Assuming he has an aux in, that is...


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## NJE17 (Dec 27, 2005)

My factory set doesn't have that input. So basically, the only way I can use an Ipod in my 2005 Nissan Altima is via FM transmitter. 

I'm amazed that there aren't other, better quality, options available.


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## ExiLeZX (Jul 21, 2005)

I bought a Monster FM transmitter today, but don't have time to try it out / set it up till probably Saturday night. I'm really hoping the sound quality doesn't suck, or its going back. I'll reply again after I try it out.


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## melhow44 (Dec 30, 2005)

I second the notion that there should be more options out there for Altima owners with MP3's.

I have an '05 3.5 SE with the standard CD/FM/AM, and it's pretty much no AUX, no SAT, NO OPTIONS. 

Had I at least had the SAT option that's on the BOSE package, I could have installed the AAI-NIS Auxilliary Input for around $100. 

All of the aftermarket decks that I've looked at that are MP3 compatible (Kenwood, Alpine, and Pioneer) don't fit the car.

About FM transmitters, I don't know if any of you all have had this problem, but I have a DLO TransPod, and the electrical interference coming through the cigarette lighter outlet is almost unbearable. I bought the TransPOd mainly for looks (it sits nearly flush on your cigarette lighter) and because it charges/powers the ipod and plays at the same time. I have gone though and tried _every _ single available FM frequency, and they are all the same. The interference transmits as a high, hissy whine, and it gets worse if I touch or move the transmitter in the cigarette lighter, and it exists with or without the ipod being docked. I have a feeling it is motor or spark plug intereference, because it is far worse when the car is turned on and/or accelerating.

I'm going to look into buying a Belkin transmitter because I've read that the whine is less noticable with that brand, but I may just have to resign to using a transmitter only and not a power source. That really bums me out because I do a lot of driving where I am going to be draining the ipod battery before I'm done the drive.

Also, and FYI, the '06 Altima's are all coming standard with SAT capability, so the AAI-NIS Auxilliary Input is going to be an option for folks with MP3 players.

You know, two more gripes, then I'm done. 

*Why couldn't Nissan have made the cigarette lighter an "always on" power source? I would have loved to charge my cell phone when the car isn't running. The 12v in the console is the same way. Does that make sense?

*Why did my husband's '05 Titan SE come with a better equipped stereo than my Altima? He has an AUX and gets to jam to his ipod interference-free. No fair. And he also has an "always on" 12v in his console. I feel totally jipped.

Well, if anyone has any solutions for MP3 integration out there that I haven't thought of, or a remedy to my whiny, hissy transmitter issue, I'd love to hear 'em.

Cheers!

Melissa in Tampa


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## ExiLeZX (Jul 21, 2005)

Alright, I tried it out. And I must say I'm VERY surprised at the quality. I was expecting sub-par performance, but like someone else said who has the Monster unit, it is crystal clear. At first I heard a bunch of static, but found out that's because my head unit's volume was high but the mp3 player's was low. When I turned up the mp3 player and balanced it with the car's volume, I didn't hear any static at all, and it sounded GREAT. I am very, very happy with this purchase, it works well beyond my expectations. You guys should try it out, and if it doesn't do the same for you, you can return it (at least at CompUSA you can, which is where I got mine).


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## sr20dem0n (Mar 19, 2003)

ExiLeZX said:


> Alright, I tried it out. And I must say I'm VERY surprised at the quality. I was expecting sub-par performance, but like someone else said who has the Monster unit, it is crystal clear. At first I heard a bunch of static, but found out that's because my head unit's volume was high but the mp3 player's was low. When I turned up the mp3 player and balanced it with the car's volume, I didn't hear any static at all, and it sounded GREAT. I am very, very happy with this purchase, it works well beyond my expectations. You guys should try it out, and if it doesn't do the same for you, you can return it (at least at CompUSA you can, which is where I got mine).


Good to know, but I'll never buy anything Monster; what a horrifically corrupt company that is...


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## WoW (Jan 2, 2006)

I use a Belkin fm transmitter for my Samsung MP3 player. I have a stock am/fm cd palyer in my 01 Dessert Runner. 

Its called an MP3 player but I use WMA file format. Its a smaller size file than MP3 and quality is a bit less. Its a noticible bit but the quality is not terrible. Its _pernt near_ cd quality without using the transmitter, as in if I listen to it on my home stereo... and jack with the eq a little. MP3 quality _is_ cd quality. Im going for max playlist size right now. I just got mine so Im no pro with it. The battery in it is rechargable.

The Belkin runs off of the cigarette lighter or 2 AAA batteries. I havent used the ciggy lighter or aux power outlet yet, only batteries. The unit didnt come with that adapter. Batteries last me 12+ hours so far. My radio antenna is on the passenger side fender. I hang the player and transmitter from the passenger side visor. The player is tucked between the visor and roof with the transmitter hanging out the back side. I aint sayin its pretty. It does work though. Usualy I use a station thats just white noise. Today though, for what ever reason, that station wasnt too good. So, I used one that was broadcasting. Worked fine. Ive noticed that if I tune it to a station that I know is broadcasting strong, I cant over ride it with the transmitter. The sound quality is usualy fine. As good as a strong radio station signal to near cd quality. I do get interference from high power CBs though. 

The Belkin will tune to each 10th starting at 88.1 fm; 88.1 88.2 88.3 88.4, like that, up to 107.9 fm. My stereo will only do odds; 88.1 88.3 88.5, like that.

My cuz has a stereo in his Buick thats made for MP3 players. I dont know what brand it is. He got it from Circuit City.


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## WoW (Jan 2, 2006)

> ExiLeZX: When I turned up the mp3 player and balanced it with the car's volume, I didn't hear any static at all, and it sounded GREAT.


Oh yeah, that too 

And also, I can jack with both the stereo eq (bass & treble) and MP3 player eq seperatly. Finding where the two jive helps a lot with sound quality.


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## Sentrixx (Apr 30, 2002)

Well I bought my iPod with the iTune. Used the iTune for about a week and had just about enough of it. Quality sucks. Peronally I would save up and buy an aftermarket headunit with the built in iPod tuner. You can basically plug the iPod into the headunit. Put it in the glove box and use the headunit to tune in your music.

But what I have right now is the AUX cable. I have a Pioneer headunit. And what I did have to buy was the AUX to RCA @ Best Buy for like $30-35. And then an RCA to headphone jack for like $10 at radio shack. I'm happy with it.


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