Music Solutions For Vintage Cars

If you have no interest in listening to broadcast radio or CDs (and let's face it there's not a lot worth listening to these days on the radio) you can connect your iPod directly to an amp and speakers. You can get creative by integrating an active level preamp device like the JL Audio CL-RLC. That means basically it functions like a substitute radio or source unit to control the volume of your iPod. You can connect an amp on one end and your iPod on the other and the volume knob controls the sound.

You can see how simple it is in the diagram (just connect the speakers to an amp and iPod and you have music). You can install aftermarket amplifiers and speakers that disappear behind the interior panels. All you are left with is a small rotary volume knob which can be placed or disguised anywhere within arm's length in your vehicle. An aluminum volume knob is also available.

In order to hook your iPod up to the JL Audio CL-RLC some sort of adapter is required. The easiest is using a RCA-to-1/8-inch stereo plug adapter but the drawback to this setup is that the iPod doesn't charge while hooked up.

Another solution is to use the PAC IC-RCA2 adapter. It plugs directly into the port on the bottom of the iPod and then the RCA jacks plug into the JL Audio unit. It needs a 12-volt source and ground but this solution allows the iPod to charge. It also has a 1/8-inch plug to allow other audio devices to be used. This adapter is around $30-40 versus only a few dollars for the RCA-to-1/8-inch plug but the benefits make it worth it.

Another way to use the iPod without a head unit similar to the JL Audio CL-RLC is the PAC LC1. They work in similar ways, but the JL Audio piece is a more sophisticated product. Because the LC1 doesn't have a preamp, it will only attenuate the output of the iPod. The iPod by itself might not have enough output to drive the amplifier. You're not going to get the sound you desire and will probably seek to compensate for this by increasing the gain on your amp. But doing that will very likely introduce noise to your audio system. There is a difference in the prices for the two products (the JL Audio CL-RLC is about $50-60 versus about $10-20 for the PAC LC1) but potentially an even greater difference in the overall quality of the sound.

Here's a cool option we saw while shooting a feature. The head unit was mounted in the glove box and a wired remote sensor (sticking up in front of the radio) transmits the remote signal while the door is closed. A small remote IR eye mounted in the dash receives the remote signal and then transfers it to the radio. This type of set-up can be found by checking out the marine stereo applications as many of the stereos mounted in boats are hidden but can be controlled from different locations.