I-POD sound quality

OK I have a 2011 with the upgraded JBL unit. CD’s and Satellite sound great, the I-POD through the AUX port sounds awful. Earlier this year I thought about an integrated I-POD kit but they did not work for my radio, I see now that the bugs have been worked out and there is a kit that works. My question is, if I spend the $170 for the kit will I be able to tell the difference in the audio quality? Would it sound as good as say a CD/ Satellite radio? I never use my I-POD anymore because I can’t stand the sound through the AUX port. Thanks guys.

Cam

 

Is it all of your songs? Or just certain ones? Make sure the sound quality of the songs is up to par.

 

try it

if you dont like it, take it back

 

Sound quality will be quite a bit better using the proprietary ipod input instead of the aux jack. Auxillary jacks are in the past and most auto manufacturers are finally starting to go to a usb connection for external audio sources.

 

Also, have you set anything in the EQ on the I-pod? I noticied If I turned that off completely on the I-pod that it sounds alot better.

 

Try turning the volume lower on the Ipod and use the truck's deck to make it louder. I noticed that helped when I used to have an AUX jack. That being said, the Ipod plug ins have much better sound quality. I'm using the USA Spec Ipod interface and the sound quality is great!

 

quick tech lesson for you OP - when you run sound out of your headphone jack for anything, you are using the ipods Digital to Analog converter. That converter is made to make sound sound good through headphones, not big speakers.

when you use sound coming out of the port at the bottom of the ipod, the file stays digital until your stereos much more powerful Digital to Analog converter converts it before coming out your speakers at much better quality.

that being said, you'll always get the best sound by converting that digital file with your car converter, which requires you to go out the bottom. . . . but! for your situation there was a solution/ipod setting another guy came up with. let me see if i can find it......

 

Interesting... I have an old Ipod, I wonder if there's a difference I won't date myself by saying how old it is but it has an aluminum case

 

I also forgot to mention that i use an FM transmitter if that makes a difference?

 

thats the best way to run any auxiliary unit. turn it's volume all the way up (i honestly do about 5/6 of the way up) and work your way from there on your final piece of equipment.

at work i will use one of those tape things in a tape player to play my ipod - ipod all the way up

my home i have an adapter to my stereo - ipod all the way up, then turn up the receiver volume.

 

Get an aftermarket radio OEM sucks

 

$170?? What kit are you looking at?

Get a USA Spec PA15-toy - much cheaper and has been proven (over the years) by many folks on this forum. Mine is about 3+ years old and I use it all the time when I'm driving. My husband has one in his Acura.

FM transmitters are HORRIBLE.

Whatever you get, get a DIRECT hookup kit to your CD port on the back of your head unit.

 

his $170 is probably the price of a $100 kenwood HU on crutchfield along with the $70 adapter that he found fits our trucks when he entered his truck info on crutchfield. . . i'll probably end up doing the same thing.

 

and OP there's another thread on here ive been looking like crazy for you but i can't find it. i just remember reading a few months ago where this guy made a custom EQ setting i think it was on his ipod and said it really really fixed his sound issue in his 2011. if i can find it sometime today i'll post back in here.

 

found it!

first try this...

then look into this...

http://www.tacomaworld.com/forum/audio-video/143732-aux-volume-boost.html

 

Jg hit the nail on the head. The best way to pull sound out of your iPod is through the 30 pin/charging/usb-thing. That bypasses the convertor.

The cheapest way would be using a quality STEREO cable and keeping the volume around half on the iPod. Fiddle with the EQ on both the iPod and stero too.

 

FM transmitter = suck sound
AUX input = suck sound

I recommend getting the cheapest new/used head unit you can that has a front USB port. Play your music directly off a USB stick. Use your Ipod for away from the truck acitivities. This should be easy to find for less than the price of the adapter your asking about.

edit:
HERE is a sony for less than $75 that has built in IPOD cable AND front USB port.

 

It is all of them, I have tried sever different I-POD's / MP3 players

 

I have played with the EQ but it does not help. It was much better on my aftermarket H/U in my wrangler.

 

So do I