Sunday, February 04, 2007 - 08:59 pm, by: Wayne Llewellyn(Ozaristov300)
On a previously owned Euro-trash car the stealership supplied iPod integration kit was simply a matter of unplugging the boot mounted stacker, plugging those plugs into the supplied box and running the supplied lead to the iPod. All of the standard car CD controls worked (and charged) the iPod and the album/track data even appeared on the screen. Therefore the iPod just replaced the stacker unit. Apparently that is: I never got around to buying it. Is there a kit to do this with the Soarer?
I ask because my stacker has gone to God. Jumping to the point of being useless and now refusing to load the cartridge after my amateurish attempt to fix it. I know I can send the unit to Mark to work his magic but I was thinking I could spend similar reddies and move into this century. CDs are just so yesterday, according to my daughter.
I've also read here that I can patch into the TV tuner leads under the back seat and will do this if there is no better solution. However I'd rather not be constantly putting on my glasses (yes, I'm old) while driving so I can read and operate the iPod.
Which leads me to another recent post here: Why buy an iPod when you can just buy a HDD MP3 player on ebay and play audio and video to your hard drive's content? Call me old fashioned (because I am) but do the D/A converters in those units really produce an audiophile level sound quality commensurate with the amazing stereo in the Soarer? The iPod output is OK quality but not great, and I suspect not as good as the standard CD stacker. Don't laugh, but I rip all my CDs into iTunes using loss-less compression for this very reason and playback through an Audigy 2 external sound card. Quality is excellent and at at 50 cents/GB, hard drives are cheap!
Sunday, February 04, 2007 - 09:39 pm, by: Tim Appleton(Timbo)
There are a few hard disk media players around that function similar to an iPod and their display could be sent through the EMV's TV input. Control for one of these devices would be through a remote. I think most of these are found on eBay for around $50 excluding a laptop HDD.
The only option for controlling an iPod through the EMV is by purchasing one of Vlad's fantastic mods which I don't think has been fully put through its paces yet.
I've patched my iPod through the cables under the back seat. Works a treat. The iPod sits in a bracket in the centre cup holder which is a convenient place for it. Unfortunately there is no option on my iPod to send its display through the video input unless it's displaying a slideshow (I have an iPod Picture). A large display of song/album title and cover art on the EMV would be ideal.
Have you thought about going for an incar PC? There are a few threads floating around devoted to these beasties.
I can't imagine the D/A converters of any of these units being of audiophile quality except perhaps an incar PC with a quality sound card. I reckon my iPod sounds alright though.
Monday, February 05, 2007 - 02:19 am, by: Luke Gomer(Luke)
Wayne, I fit the Vais IPod adaptor in the UK. It is not suitable for the Soarer, but will fit most Toyota/Lexus vehicle after 2001 using Mini Disc emulation. To convert for the Soarer would require the unit to emulate the OEM CD changer.
Like you say, all the track info and control is via the OEM hifi.
The pictures below are of a UK SC430 installation I did on Thursday.
Friday, February 09, 2007 - 08:03 pm, by: Damian Ware(Frozenpod)
Wayne, your CD stacker most likely could have been bought back to life.
Personally I think CD's will never get old as the quality/price and ease of them is exceptional. I suggest you start looking for another CD stacker or look into getting it repaired.
If you are interested there is a possible option for integrating the iPOD through other means but I am not in a position to do so yet and I am currently too busy with other jobs to investigate the finer points.
Friday, February 09, 2007 - 10:39 pm, by: Wayne Llewellyn(Ozaristov300)
Thanks Damian. I've been looking into the HDD Player option, tapped into the TV loom. While I can't control the unit through the EMV buttons or use the DSP function, the total installed cost is less than the likely laser replacement and I get a much more feature rich outcome than is possible with the stacker. If the audio quality doesn't cut it, I'll revisit the repair option.
Saturday, February 10, 2007 - 12:47 am, by: Luke Gomer(Luke)
If your not a cassette fan, then connecting the line level output from the I-Pod / Mp3 player into the cassette head inputs directly (not a cassette adaptor) is an option. This would enable you to use the DSP functions in that mode.
Monday, February 12, 2007 - 11:26 am, by: Benny Gammelmark(Oldfield)
Tim, if you use Apple Lossless on your IPod you will get a better sound. It's even better than Wave files. Must be something to do with the player software inside the Ipod.
Wednesday, February 14, 2007 - 09:06 pm, by: Tim Pike(Keydecoder)
Tom Dodgshun wrote on Sunday, February 11, 2007 - 07:45 pm:
Luke, how would i go about connecting a device to the cassete heads?
The wiring diagrams indicate a R+,R-,L+,L- wires which might be the audio left and right wires.
But even if thats the case, its not really like the TV tuner, you'd probably have to keep a cassette tape in their permantently (or at least do something to trick the system into thinking there is one in there).
Friday, February 16, 2007 - 08:40 am, by: Tim Appleton(Timbo)
It looks like you've got a wiring diagram from the whole unit there. I think Luke was referring to removing the heads and wiring directly into the connections left by the cassette head inside the tape player.
I was thinking that you'd: -remove the cassette heads and wire into the connections; -short the cassette-in-player microswitch so it thinks there is a tape in and is set to play all the time; -you could possibly remove or disconnect the tape player motor as long as it doesn't throw any codes.
Friday, February 16, 2007 - 12:29 pm, by: Tim Pike(Keydecoder)
Yeah, I imagine it would be the same then, just that you'd wire in the connections internally rather than into the loom.
Haha, now heres an idea, convert the Tape Player into a IPod holder. Solder a headphone connector into the tape player etc. and then you can just slot in the IPod.
The other problem is that I know on mine at the moment is that my tape player doesn't seem to work, so whenever I hit the tape button, it just gives a error message on the top of the EMV in Japanese. So I wonder if just shorting the cassette microswitch would actually be enough.
Thursday, December 13, 2007 - 12:48 pm, by: David Gough(Tasoarer)
I came across the below thread and it made me think of this thread, not sure if it's of any use to any one... Certainly worth a look at if any one has the know how
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