connecting MP3 player to CD/radio without aux socket

[DHFiS]

Has anyone ever opened up a radio/CD and wired in a cable to the amplifier so an MP3 player can play through the car speakers?

I have the original Pioneer unit that came with the car and dont want to change it.

[bss325i]

It is possible.

There are ways of soldering on the appropriate lead onto the PCB inside the radio.

Search the web as there is info out there.

[tim_s]

A bit unnecessary int it though, surely a proper wired in FM modulator would do the trick and save a load of arsing around?

[bss325i]

FM modulators always sound cack in my experience.

[harry_p]

yep, they don't sound great and need constant retuning on a long drive to avoid picking up stations, right ballache tbh.

[tim_s]

I had a proper kenwood job in the 330ci and it was spot on - as it was a proper inline modulator (plugged into the aerial port on the back of the HU) rather than a little transmitter thing, you never got any interference, and it never needed retuning - when you switched it on it shut out all radio noise, I thought sound quality through it was plenty good enough on the e46 standard system, so would imagine on an old pioneer you'd be hard pushed to tell the difference between that and an aux in. It also displayed track info via RDS etc and could take a USB input etc, was quite funky really.

[bss325i]

Model number?

[tim_s]

good question dude. A200 I think? Don't quote me though.

[pac1982]

FM modulators always sound cack in my experience.

So do 20 year old head units

[bss325i]

FM modulators always sound cack in my experience.

Neither do 20 year old head units

Do you realize what you have just typed?

Any how mr ICE expert, the Alpine 7909 is 20+ years old and sounds far from cack.

[pac1982]

FM modulators always sound cack in my experience.

Neither do 20 year old head units

Do you realize what you have just typed?

Any how mr ICE expert, the Alpine 7909 is 20+ years old and sounds far from cack.

Yes it was easy for a head unit to stand out from the crowd in them days seeing as most were cack, besides I’m not talking about alpine 7909's I’m talking about the crappy original units that all the OEM homo's love so much.

[bss325i]

Neither do 20 year old head units

Do you realize what you have just typed?

Any how mr ICE expert, the Alpine 7909 is 20+ years old and sounds far from cack.

Yes it was easy for a head unit to stand out from the crowd in them days seeing as most were cack, besides I’m not talking about alpine 7909's I’m talking about the crappy original units that all the OEM homo's love so much.

The Blaupunkts and pioneers ar not cack now f*ck off and spam some other thread!

[B7]

Neither do 20 year old head units

Do you realize what you have just typed?

Any how mr ICE expert, the Alpine 7909 is 20+ years old and sounds far from cack.

Yes it was easy for a head unit to stand out from the crowd in them days seeing as most were cack, besides I’m not talking about alpine 7909's I’m talking about the crappy original units that all the OEM homo's love so much.

I can honestly state now, thats the biggest load of shite i've heard in ages. Older units are a lot like older BMW's. There were built using much higher quality components than the crap on sale today. Plus no stupid gimics like scrolling horses (remember the Sony's) or hideous mixed colour schemes. I'd rather run an elderly quality Pioneer or Blaupunkt (that looks half OEM)in my car than an 89 quid JVC "iPod ready" peice of scrap from Halfrauds any day of the week.

[pac1982]

Do you realize what you have just typed?

Any how mr ICE expert, the Alpine 7909 is 20+ years old and sounds far from cack.

Yes it was easy for a head unit to stand out from the crowd in them days seeing as most were cack, besides I’m not talking about alpine 7909's I’m talking about the crappy original units that all the OEM homo's love so much.

I can honestly state now, thats the biggest load of shite i've heard in ages. Older units are a lot like older BMW's. There were built using much higher quality components than the crap on sale today. Plus no stupid gimics like scrolling horses (remember the Sony's) or hideous mixed colour schemes. I'd rather run an elderly quality Pioneer or Blaupunkt (that looks half OEM)in my car than an 89 quid JVC "iPod ready" peice of scrap from Halfrauds any day of the week.

This is not strictly true, modern day top end audio equipment knocks the socks of the old stuff, but you are right in one sense low end modern audio equipment is all about saving costs and is pretty poor.

Problem is these days manufactures try to squeeze to much tech in to one unit which jeopardises over all sound quality look at some of the all singing all dancing Beckers they do everything but sound quality is poor as a result.

This is why I choose to have a dead head with no internal amplification my 7998R is one of the best sounding units I’ve ever heard and this is because the head unit does nothing else but process sound.

Certain things from back in the day may be built better but the technology around then aint a patch on modern day sound processing.

[B7]

One of the best sounding systems I have ever heard was a mates original Pioneer Centrate component system in his Volvo in 1983. It blew me away and at no time since, has any system with subs and crossovers and any such crap, come anywhere near it.

All this "vibrating numberplate" brigade are missing the point I reckon.

[beemerbird]

http://donn.dyndns.org/projects/carstereoinput/

One for the OP

[DHFiS]

http://donn.dyndns.org/projects/carstereoinput/

One for the OP

That looks interesting. Thank you.

[bss325i]

http://donn.dyndns.org/projects/carstereoinput/

One for the OP

Thats the one i've seen before!