Looking for a digital music player with line-out for my car

[Howard]

What holds a good amount of music (32GB+), has pretty good sound quality, a nice UI (both physical device and PC software), and isn't too expensive?

 

[zerocool84]

Any iPod will do as most cars have iPod connection rather than a general connection for MP3 players.

 

[Howard]

Any iPod will do as most cars have iPod connection rather than a general connection for MP3 players.

Mine doesn't, so no they won't.

 

[f4phantom2500]

ipods are great for this. i have a 4g nano, 5g video, and 6g classic, imo they all sound quite good through the line out, but to me the 5g sounds the best. they all seem to sound better through the line out than the headphone jack, especially the nano. i picked up my 5g (60gb) for $50 on craigslist and the 6g (80gb) for $75 on craigslist, so check there. ipods are everywhere and a lot of people don't realize how much they can get for them and/or really need money so they can be had for quite cheap if you look around. my car's head unit has a usb port with ipod synch, so it charges the ipod while it's in use.

EDIT: if your head unit only has a 3.5mm aux input, you can get an LOD (line out dock) cable for your ipod, which will allow you to connect your ipod via the dock port to the 3.5mm aux input. this gives you a true line out signal and will be functionally identical to using the ipod's docking cable, except that it won't charge the ipod while in use and you must use the ipod's controls.

alternatively, the sansa fuze sounds great through the headphone jack; it gets a lot of praise over at head-fi and has expandable memory via SDHC cards.

 

[EarthwormJim]

Mine doesn't, so no they won't.

You know you can just plug the headphone jack from your iPod into your head units aux input.

 

[zerocool84]

You know you can just plug the headphone jack from your iPod into your head units aux input.

That really sucks for sound quality doing that with any MP3 player.

 

[EarthwormJim]

That really sucks for sound quality doing that with any MP3 player.

How is it any different than using a dock? Isn't it the same signal?

 

[f4phantom2500]

How is it any different than using a dock? Isn't it the same signal?

no, the line out has a cleaner/shorter signal path and bypasses the ipod's internal amplifier.

 

[Spicedaddy]

iPod
+
http://www.sendstation.com/us/products/pocketdock/lineout-miniusb.html

 

[superccs]

Creative Zens came is 20, 30, and 60gb varieties and are very good at doing what you are asking.

This vid is hilarious, but has the info you need http://www.kewego.com/video/iLyROoafMBB9.html

 

[Howard]

How is it any different than using a dock? Isn't it the same signal?

You should probably educate yourself on this subject rather than listen to others. You might get sucked into much broader expanse of audio...

EDIT: On an unrelated note (edited because somebody cares), there isn't a built-in line-in in my car, I have to wire it up myself.

 

[EarthwormJim]

You should probably educate yourself on this subject rather than listen to others. You might get sucked into much broader expanse of audio...

Anyway, there isn't even a built-in line-in in my car, I have to wire it up myself.

K that post makes zero sense...

Why are you even bringing up that you have to wire in your own input...

I did not know that dock audio was just after the DAC though, I thought it would just split off with the headphone after the little amp. Learn something new. I'll have to cut up my spare Zune cable and make my own line-out cable and see if there's a nice difference.


I'm hoping you're playing uncompressed music though if line level output is such a big deal to you. Either way, I don't see you getting a player with a dedicated line jack without a dock. Just get an iPod and a dock, a Zune with a dock or a Creative player and a dock.

Hell with a pin-out diagram you could just make your own cable too.

 

[Howard]

nm

 

[EarthwormJim]

Why does it make zero sense? I'm telling you should do research, especially if you have any interest in this field whatsoever.

You said "...rather than listen to others." Rather odd response.

Regardless, it seems almost any major brand player can be setup to output a line-level signal (or close to it) with a dock/cable.

I like the UI on an iPod and I like the UI on my Zune HD and my old Zune 30. All three are easy to use without looking at the screen (important when driving ).


I apologize if I sounded hostile before, just wasn't quite sure what you were getting at.

 

[DivideBYZero]

What car?

 

[Howard]

What car?

first gen CTS

 

[DivideBYZero]

http://www.oemautosound.com/pc-244-146-usa-spec-pa11-vette-ipod-adapter-for-ctssrx-2004-2006.aspx

 

[pm]

http://www.oemautosound.com/pc-244-146-usa-spec-pa11-vette-ipod-adapter-for-ctssrx-2004-2006.aspx

This is close to what I did for my 2001 Honda Civic. Different brand of gizmo, different car, but fundamentally the same idea of going in through the CD-changer connection. I paid around USD$50 for it though. It works great for me, and sounds great. About the only problem is that it won't work to charge my iPhone - just plays music - there's a message that says that it's not compatible with my model of phone (thank you, Apple).

 

[DivideBYZero]

This is close to what I did for my 2001 Honda Civic. Different brand of gizmo, different car, but fundamentally the same idea of going in through the CD-changer connection. I paid around USD$50 for it though. It works great for me, and sounds great. About the only problem is that it won't work to charge my iPhone - just plays music - there's a message that says that it's not compatible with my model of phone (thank you, Apple).

Yep, it's what I did, too. I used the Intravee II system for BMW:

http://www.tfnn.net/forum/index.php?topic=49582.0

In fact, the official BMW system also uses the same method. Our 1 series has it and it too uses the CD input. The Intravee II has much better integration and software though, which is ironic as it's not OEM yet it looks more 'OEM' than BMW's own solution.