Squidward

What do you think of this... Instead of purchasing the RX-8 OEM MP3 player for $400, why not get an iPod and an FM Modulator.. There are obvious advantages and disadvantages of using an iPod versus the built-in MP3 player made specifically for the car. My concern is sound quality.. I'm sure the MP3 player will sound great, but will the iPod via an FM Modulator? How good are these fm modulators, or does it depend on brand also? I know alot of aftermarket CD players use FM Modulators, so it couldn't be that bad, right? It should sound very decent, I think, but I haven't never heard what music sounds like through an FM Modulator.... Anyone ????

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Kev

I've tried the iPod with the Belkin FM Modulator and it's crap. (personal opinion).

I've purchased a JVC FM modulator that installs in line of the antenna and I'm assuming this will provide less external interference. (But I haven't got round to installing it.

With the cheaper external jobs on a trip, ypu will be swapping frequencies often, drives you batty.

Regardless, the quality of FM broadcasting is the limiting factor. The next limiting factor is the quality of the system itself.

I can see a major refit down the track...

You know, I'd really like my iPods to be black. :D

Squidward

I was speaking primarily of direct antenna installed FM Modulators.. the type commonly used with cd changers...

Kev

As soon as I find the time to install the JVC FM Mod unit, I'll post results.

There's been a lot of talk of iTrips, etc on the forum in relation to iPods - I ASSumed

I got a belkin power supply that has a minijack out - all of which could be adapted for a incar iPod mount. Everything I've seen has been pretty ugly too date and I don't want to take my eyes too far off the road to glimpse the iPod.

Tamas

FM modulators are BAD.

I mean this from the sound quality perspective, of course. Otherwise they are probably the most convenient solution to the issue on hand.

I had one in my car earlier, and it was painful... didn't even reach the sound quality of the FM radio. Even if it would have, that's still not enough IMO.
I heard another one in a friend's car and that was equally bad (with an otherwise decent stereo system).

So, even though it means more pain to do, I'll go with either the hack OverLOAD posted on this forum to attach my MP3 player, or will get the stock head unit professionally modified to get a real AUX in. I'll probably try to do the OverLOAD hack :D

Kev

Hey Tamas,

Not doubting your experience, but it'd be good if you could clarify on BAD. Are we talking wired into the antenna ones are BAD, or the Radioshack(ish) portable jobs are BAD and the wired in jobs are SO,SO.

I've been advised that the wired in JVC and Clarion units are "pretty good", but still good FM broadcast quality and not CD quality. (The JVC featuring auto on, Clarion need a switch toggled for on). Most others being not so good and the portables (on which I can agree) BAD.

Specific brand/model experience?

RotorMotor

Yes, there is a HUGE difference between FM MODULATORS and FM TRANSMITTERS. The cheap, battery powered, dongle-like FM transmitters (i.e. Belkin) that you plug into the headphone jack for your iPod (or Pocket PC in my case) are total crap. Hardwired FM modulators that put out a decently strong signal are a solid solution to a lot of install issues. As far as them being FM broadcast quality vs. CD quality, the signal is analog, not digital, so it's pretty safe to say that it's not quite as perfect as a CD, but you are also broadcasting that signal inches from your antenna so the signal is generally MUCH better than standard FM radio. It goes back to the same old 340kb vs. 160kb MP3 debate.... There are very few people that can really tell the difference...

Speed Racer

I've been using an Alpine FM modulator with my iPod for the past couple of months and I have to say that it does work resonably well. Sound quality is better than any FM radio station that you can pull in because the signal to the antenna is stronger and clearer than a broadcasted signal but your sound quality is still limited by the FM tuner. To be honest the only time I notice the difference in sound quality is when I play the same CD in the car but that almost never happens because I have everything on my iPod.

If you have the necessary skills and the time I would suggest that you add a direct line in to the radio like OverLoaded has done with his converted tape module. That is going to give you the best sound quality possible. If your not able to do that I feel that the FM modulator is the next best thing.

Tamas

Heh, I'm very far from being an audio expert. My personal experience comes from the Sony CD changer I had which originally used a wired-in FM modulator. It connected to the antenna cable and fed the CD changer signal to the radio as an FM station. This was the setup with the quite miserable sound quality. Then, the same head unit was modified to open a direct AUX input, and the same changer was attached via regular RCA plugs (the ones that were plugged into the FM modulator before). The sound quality was night and day.
Honestly, I don't know how good that Sony FM modulator was so I can not tell whether the JVC, Clarion or Alpine modules are better. They probably are.
The only other modulator I personally experienced was a similarly wired-in one in a friend's car, with equally bad sound.
So there isn't gonna be any FM modulator for me unless I find absolutely no other way to hook up my MP3 player