What's the best way to hook my new Creative Zen Micro to my car while preserving as much audio quality as possible?

[NFS4]

Just got a Zen Micro 6GB from BB for $199 - $50 instant GC, so I was wondering what's the best way to hook this up to my car while preserving as much audio quality as possible? FM transmitter?

My head unit

 

[tweakmm]

If your head unit doesn't have audio inputs then the best quality will be had from a tape adapter. A fair bit more bandwidth available with that versus the FM transmitter, it just sucks that it makes everything look so cluttered.

 

[NFS4]

Duh, just realized that my head unit is CD only. Guess that means Fm transmitter

 

[mzkhadir]

Originally posted by: NFS4
Duh, just realized that my head unit is CD only. Guess that means Fm transmitter

what about an aux input in the back of the cd

 

[tweakmm]

Originally posted by: NFS4
Duh, just realized that my head unit is CD only. Guess that means Fm transmitter

Yeah, I'm gonna make a crazy guess and say that the tape adapter is probably not your best option.

 

[NFS4]

Originally posted by: mzkhadir

Originally posted by: NFS4
Duh, just realized that my head unit is CD only. Guess that means Fm transmitter

what about an aux input in the back of the cd

Cha-Ching. That's right...I have an open bay below my head unit. Could run a wire under there.

I'll have to look into that

 

[mzkhadir]

my old aiwa used to have an aux input and I used my iriver cd player with that to play my wma files. With my new panasonic mp3/wma cd player, I dont have that option.

 

[NFS4]

Damnit, I don' have a diagram of what the back of my unit looks like. Guess I gotta go look in the garage for the box or crack open my dash again.

 

[Twista]

keep the receipt :/ mine broke and my sisters just broke =( Damn it we have to RMA them both in for service. Mine has the famous common earphone shortage problem and now its freezing up @ the intro part. My sisters just broke and its not freezing up @ the intro part also.

gl

 

[OREOSpeedwagon]

I agree with Twista. I had one 5gb micro die on me within 3 months of when i purchased it, then the one i exchanged it for died within 6 days. i then went iPod and haven't looked back

 

[vshah]

does the itrip work with non-ipod players?
there was a mod for the griffin itrip that supposedly increased the power/range and audio quality quite a bit..
http://www.chrisgunton.com/?page_id=19
there....

good luck

 

Line inputs would be your best possible connection.

 

[NFS4]

n/m

 

[vshah]

Originally posted by: NFS4
Well, looking at the instruction manual, it appears that my head unit has an auxillary input. So what kind of cable would I need to hook it up to my Zen?

would probably be just a standard 1/8" stereo audio cable to your zen's line out

 

[mzkhadir]

Originally posted by: NFS4
Damnit, I don' have a diagram of what the back of my unit looks like. Guess I gotta go look in the garage for the box or crack open my dash again.

ftp://docs.kenwoodusa.com/manuals/OM-KDC-MP225-2004-KUSA.pdf

here is the manual. Good ol google/kenwood

 

[ElFenix]

miniplug on one end, whatever the aux input is on the other

i'm guessing miniplug to miniplug

 

[mzkhadir]

Originally posted by: vshah

Originally posted by: NFS4
Well, looking at the instruction manual, it appears that my head unit has an auxillary input. So what kind of cable would I need to hook it up to my Zen?

would probably be just a standard 1/8" stereo audio cable to your zen's line out

you can get at bb ($6) or radioshack.

 

Originally posted by: NFS4
Well, looking at the instruction manual, it appears that my head unit has an auxillary input. So what kind of cable would I need to hook it up to my Zen?

Most likely your head unit has 1/4" L/R jacks in the back.

So you would probably need a 1/8" headphone -> 1/4" L/R RCA cable, or adapter + cable.

 

[NFS4]

I was wrong I guess. Looks like there's an option for the aux in the menu system, but I don't see anything on the back of the unit. I see an input for the antenna and one for the CD changer. Nothing else

Page 26 of the manual listed above

 

[tweakmm]

Originally posted by: NFS4
I was wrong I guess. Looks like there's an option for the aux in the menu system, but I don't see anything on the back of the unit. I see an input for the antenna and one for the CD changer. Nothing else

Page 26 of the manual listed above

There are CD changer adapters for I-pods, maybe there is one for the Zen.

 

[mzkhadir]

Originally posted by: NFS4
I was wrong I guess. Looks like there's an option for the aux in the menu system, but I don't see anything on the back of the unit. I see an input for the antenna and one for the CD changer. Nothing else

Page 26 of the manual listed above

if you unit plays wma/mp3, why worry about the zen ?

 

[NFS4]

Originally posted by: mzkhadir

Originally posted by: NFS4
I was wrong I guess. Looks like there's an option for the aux in the menu system, but I don't see anything on the back of the unit. I see an input for the antenna and one for the CD changer. Nothing else

Page 26 of the manual listed above

if you unit plays wma/mp3, why worry about the zen ?

You can never have too much space

 

Originally posted by: NFS4
I was wrong I guess. Looks like there's an option for the aux in the menu system, but I don't see anything on the back of the unit. I see an input for the antenna and one for the CD changer. Nothing else

Page 26 of the manual listed above

That sucks, then your best bet is a FM adapter, or buy a new head unit.

 

[fbrdphreak]

I dunno if your Kenwood has 'em, but most headunits have a proprietary connector on the back (if any) and you need to buy their adapter. Only a few cheapo decks (that I know of) have direct RCA inputs.

I think Kenwood makes an adapter for their higher end units that converts the Kenwood plug to a mini-stereo, I know Alpine does. I doubt it for your "low end" unit, but call them and ask. That's your best bet

 

[spacelord]

I have tried 2 different FM modulators hoping to get decent sound in my stock radio which has no inputs or tape deck. Both are unacceptable. I have a Belkin and an iRiver one.. something like that. The frequency range just isn't there.