nene
March 28th, 2004, 23:15
One thing I happen to dislike is wires everywhere. I already have them around my computers, so I don't like to pollute the RS6 with them.
Wanting to use the iPod on my RS6, I decided that getting my hands on the iTrip was the way to go. Please see images below.
http://www.griffinserver.com/images/products/prod_itrip_a.jpg
http://www.griffintechnology.com/images/products/prod_iTrip_tilt_sml.jpg
This product is made by Griffin Technology (http://www.griffintechnology.com/products/itrip/) , and it's pretty small in fact. It fits on top of the iPod quite nicely.
Once you attach it to the iPod, set your radio to the 87.9FM station, press play on the iPod and you within 1-2 seconds you will get your music.
The sound quality is not quite like a CD nor XM Radio. However, there is no static at all, like regular radio. I would consider it between a tape and CD. The sound itself is a little muffed, but all you need to do is re-arrange your 'treble' and 'bass' settings a bit, and you should be happy enough.
Best setting for iPod volume is about 50-60%. Anything higher, and you start to hear distortion on the music. Sort of like a cheap pair of speakers with volume too loud. So, iPod volume at 55% and car radio volume between 15-18 (actual numbers), should give you a good listening volume. Moving the volume on the car radio does not affect distortion of sound as bad as modifying on the iPod.
The actual FM transmitter uses power from the iPod. The signal is pretty strong too. I hid the iPod in the globe box, the center console, the trunk, cubby hole below the center console, and the sound was crisp all the time, and continously.
I hid the iPod about 20 feet away, and behind 1 van and 3 cars away, and I could still hear the music as if the iPod was in the palm of my hand inside the car. So range is pretty good too.
I encrypt my CD music into MP3 at 192Kbps non variable bit rate. This allows you to get decent sounding music, unlike lower bit rates. I suppose if you like to save some space on song size, you could use 192Kbps variable bit rate, where it raises the bit rate during complex portions of music, but lowers the bit rate during quiet or simple portions.
In order to control the music selection you would want the iPod somewhere close of course. Or, you can set it up in the car such that it uses the iPod remote, instead of having to look at the iPod each time you want to manually forward to another song. The iPod remote does not have large number of functions, but not bad. Here's the pic:
http://img.shopping.com/cctool/PrdImg/images/pr/177X150/00/01/42/45/42/21120322.JPG
You can also have the iPod connected to the car's 12V output. But that would mean that you would have wires visible, with the current stock 12V sockets. Defeats the purpose a little bit.
Overall, I thought it was a good buy, and plan on keeping it.
Wanting to use the iPod on my RS6, I decided that getting my hands on the iTrip was the way to go. Please see images below.
http://www.griffinserver.com/images/products/prod_itrip_a.jpg
http://www.griffintechnology.com/images/products/prod_iTrip_tilt_sml.jpg
This product is made by Griffin Technology (http://www.griffintechnology.com/products/itrip/) , and it's pretty small in fact. It fits on top of the iPod quite nicely.
Once you attach it to the iPod, set your radio to the 87.9FM station, press play on the iPod and you within 1-2 seconds you will get your music.
The sound quality is not quite like a CD nor XM Radio. However, there is no static at all, like regular radio. I would consider it between a tape and CD. The sound itself is a little muffed, but all you need to do is re-arrange your 'treble' and 'bass' settings a bit, and you should be happy enough.
Best setting for iPod volume is about 50-60%. Anything higher, and you start to hear distortion on the music. Sort of like a cheap pair of speakers with volume too loud. So, iPod volume at 55% and car radio volume between 15-18 (actual numbers), should give you a good listening volume. Moving the volume on the car radio does not affect distortion of sound as bad as modifying on the iPod.
The actual FM transmitter uses power from the iPod. The signal is pretty strong too. I hid the iPod in the globe box, the center console, the trunk, cubby hole below the center console, and the sound was crisp all the time, and continously.
I hid the iPod about 20 feet away, and behind 1 van and 3 cars away, and I could still hear the music as if the iPod was in the palm of my hand inside the car. So range is pretty good too.
I encrypt my CD music into MP3 at 192Kbps non variable bit rate. This allows you to get decent sounding music, unlike lower bit rates. I suppose if you like to save some space on song size, you could use 192Kbps variable bit rate, where it raises the bit rate during complex portions of music, but lowers the bit rate during quiet or simple portions.
In order to control the music selection you would want the iPod somewhere close of course. Or, you can set it up in the car such that it uses the iPod remote, instead of having to look at the iPod each time you want to manually forward to another song. The iPod remote does not have large number of functions, but not bad. Here's the pic:
http://img.shopping.com/cctool/PrdImg/images/pr/177X150/00/01/42/45/42/21120322.JPG
You can also have the iPod connected to the car's 12V output. But that would mean that you would have wires visible, with the current stock 12V sockets. Defeats the purpose a little bit.
Overall, I thought it was a good buy, and plan on keeping it.