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New car stereo options...advice needed.
shmokes:
Don't get your panties in a twist. You'll get a smaller frequency range with FM transmitters than with a direct connection, which affects the quality of highs and lows. The FCC also regulates the maximum power that they can transmit at to ensure that there is no interference with commercial stations. The max power they are allowed to transmit is roughly equal to the power of the signal of a regular radio station at its fringe, just barely before you lose it entirely. They are also affected by regular radio stations, so when you've got a decent signal on a station it will cease to be decent when you drive within range of a real station that owns that band, at which point you have to go through the hassle of finding a different station with just static and then tuning your transmitter to that station.
Radio transmitters have their place (namely when there's no other option), but but this guy is talking about putting together a sound system from scratch. Suggesting an FM transmitter when a direct connection is an option is bad advice. The sound quality of a direct connection is superior to what you will, or even can get with an FM transmitter. You can call them "crazy facts according to shmokes", but they're still facts nonetheless.
shardian:
FWIW, insurance won't give you a dime on your stereo equipment unless you have receipts, pictures, or original boxes.
Dustin Mustangs:
--- Quote ---plus if i can make mp3 dvds
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You can't. MP3's on a DVD ok, but I have yet to see a DVD player that can read MP3's off a DVD. Even if you could, navigating through your music while driving your car would be quite a danrerous situation. I used to do this with CD's (~1/10 the amount of music per disc) and even that was a nightmare.
--- Quote ---Doesn't matter how clear your signal is, FM sounds like ---Cleveland steamer--- compared to a CD or plugging an iPod directly into an input. Most head units have RCA inputs on the back, I think. If it has this you could just run a cable with a 1/8" headphone plug on one end and stereo RCA plugs on the other end from the back of the head unit into your glove box.
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I will second this, and I have heard and personally tried a ton of them. I think it is worth mentioning though, that a high end FM transmitter will sound great, until you do a back to back comparison with a hard connection. So, maybe if you don't know what you're missing it isn't that big of a deal?
I am suprised no one has mentioned any of the numerous iPod interfaces you can buy nowadays. They make it possible to hook up an iPod to just about any car stereo. For example, I have an Auxpod hooked up to the stock stereo in my '01 buick. This paticular one will work with 99% of stock stereos that have the ability to control a factory CD changer. The thing is great. The sound is better then my factory Cd player, it turns the iPod on and off with the stereo (or if I change the source to radio or CD), and the controls for the factory deck will control the iPod (including the ones on my steering wheel). Car stereo wise, it was the best $125 I've ever spent.
--- Quote ---FWIW, insurance won't give you a dime on your stereo equipment unless you have receipts, pictures, or original boxes.
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My policy also requires the stereo equipment to be phisically mounted to the car. So if someone reaches in my window and grabs my ipod I'm screwed regardless of reciepts, boxes, or pictures. I'm not sure if this is standard or unique to my policy though.
billf:
--- Quote from: boykster on October 05, 2006, 01:25:49 am ---
http://www.crutchfield.com/S-4UxW8Nih4c4/cgi-bin/ProdView.asp?g=300&I=130DEHP980
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Check out the song on the display in this picture. The people at Pioneer must be fans of the TV show Lost.
Tiger-Heli:
--- Quote from: billf on October 05, 2006, 11:42:38 am ---Check out the song on the display in this picture. The people at Pioneer must be fans of the TV show Lost.
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Crutchfield programmed that into the unit, not Pioneer.