Alpine iPod Integration: Review

[V8BoatBuilder]

I just tried the new Alpine iPod integration unit tonight with a friend on her car. At only $100, it seemed pretty hot to be able to control the iPod from the headunit.

We ripped it out 10 minutes after installation. It was that bad.

Upon installation, everything seemed very cool. The unit has an Ai-Net connector on one side, and a cable that terminates in an iPod dock connector. When the iPod is plugged in, the Apline logo appears in the display. You can't control the iPod manually.

The volume wheel attempts to immitate the iPod scroll wheel. However, it is "single speed," meaning each "click" is one artist/track/etc. To scroll through the artist list takes forever.

Then, the unit tops out at 512 songs/artists/whatever. For my freind's 40GB iPod, we couldn't access past Madonna on the artist list. Foget about songs. The only acceptible navigation was for playlists.

Tomorrow we're going to install an Ai-Net to line-in converter, behind the dash cigarette lighter, and belkin car iPod cord.



:thumbdwn: :thumbdwn: :thumbdwn: :thumbdwn: :thumbdwn:

 

[BeauJ]

Thanks for the info. I was thinking of buying the Pioneer hookup, but I'm glad I read this before I wasted $120. Don't know if it's much different, but I've got all my music sorted by SONGS in my iPod.

 

[V8BoatBuilder]

After being so frustrated trying to get the device to work, we started searching the net for reviews. I could not find out if the Pioneer device has a numerical limiation, but some reviewers said it truncated the song titles to 8 charachters.

I did find out that the Pioneer hookup will only work with thier 2005 models. I have a recent DEH-7300MP, and I was told it would not work with the older P-Bus units.

These car audio manufactures can put useless screen savers of clock pendulums on thier screens, but can't get a simple iPod interface to work!!!!!!!! :fire:

 

[minime122]

Wow thanks for the info i was also about to buy this interface but now HA! I can think of a few things i could spend 120 bucks on other than this.

 

[Glowin97x]

yeah the line in is always the best option in my opinion. Check out the other ipod thread for some other options as well

 

[ntrpriz]

Ive got the pioneer unit in my truck. While its not as easy to use as the ipod itself, it does ROCK. It is not slow like some people have indicated of the alpine unit. I have not figured out if you can pick a certain song, but I usually use random play anyway. It will only show 8 characters of a song title, but when the song starts, it scrolls the whole title and then shows the first 8 characters. You can set it to scroll the title, artist, album or track number. Pioneer definitely did a better job of implementing it.

 

[V8BoatBuilder]

Ntrprize:

Please let us know about individual song search via artist search. Is there a limit to the number of songs it will read?

 

[ntrpriz]

I would have to say no. There is no mention of a limit in the limited instructions they sent. With that said, I only have 500 songs on my ipod. I just checked and it went all the way to the end. I only have 205 different artists though. There is no way to search the entire song list by song title. You have to go through a playlist or one of the other categories such as artist, genre, or album.

 

[TTG]

I'd imagine it's the same limits as you get on an MP3 CD. Most players have limits on levels, folders, and songs you can put on a CD and they'll recognize. Since most MP3 CDs are only around 180 songs it's not a big deal to not show after 500 or so.