Music Solutions For Vintage Cars

Custom Autosound has a variety of options for getting music in the car that don't require getting some 21st Century gear that you have to mount conspicuously on the dash of your 20th Century vehicle. Their Secretaudio system has been around for a few years and is comprised of a main receiver/amplifier unit, a remote and a CD changer, and can be hidden wherever you have the space. The receiver/amp offers 4 x 35 watts of power, separate bass and treble controls and four-channel RCA pre-outs for external amps. The handy RF remote doesn't require you to be in direct line with the display so the unit can be hidden. You can use it from as much as 40 feet away, and control all functions of the system as well as the 10-disc changer. A 12-foot cord from the main unit plugs into a LCD display, and a 15-foot cord connects the CD changer to the receiver. The system can be purchased complete for $489.95, or you can purchase only the main unit for $239.95. Included with the system is a flush-mount bezel for console or dash mounting. The small dimensions of the flush mount system allow you to install the LCD display almost anywhere. The LCD is accompanied by a bracket mount for easy installation in the glove box, under the dash, in the ashtray, console, or wherever you choose. Since its only 3/4-inch deep, it's especially handy for custom or street rod applications.

Custom Autosound has seen the growth of the iPod market and now offers the iPod Interface that plugs into most of their head units and allows you charge and control your iPod with a direct connection. It basically plugs in between the head unit and CD changer using the eight-pin plugs so you don't have to give up one for the other. The iPod Interface also has an 1/8-inch stereo plug to allow you to use other audio input devices (satellite radio, portable CD, etc.).

Because Custom Autosound makes products that can be completely concealed, they are an optimal solution for getting sound in the car. But there are plenty of other options. You can purchase an RF Remote Dock with FM transmitter. Scosche, among a slew of others, have these available. For example, the Griffin iTrip AutoPilot allows you to simultaneously charge your iPod, listen to hours of music wirelessly and, since it's RDS-enabled, you can get song info on your radio display if you have the appropriate source unit. Simply tune the adaptor to an FM station, match the station to your car radio and you are all set. The drawback to this solution is that you will have your iPod and the adaptor visible and of course sound quality will be compromised due to transmitting signals wirelessly on FM (and you'll obviously need an FM stereo).

Another option is if your stereo has an auxiliary input (jack). This direct connection would be a better solution in terms of audio quality and all you would have to do is purchase an 1/8-inch mini jack from Apple. This will not charge your iPod though. The mini jack can also connect other audio input devices to your car's radio.

Another type of solution is Alpine's eX-10 and Harmon Kardon's Drive and Play. Both offer wireless FM transmission and an auxiliary jack. Along with charging your iPod, these kits have a dash-mountable LCD display. The Alpine eX-10 boasts a full color 2.4-inch display. Both these units' displays emulate the menu style and general layout of the iPod to make this kit intuitive. The Alpine eX-10 can also communicate with your Bluetooth cell phone to provide you with hands-free calling. The di splays are small enough that they could be mounted in a glove compartment, for instance, so as to maintain the cosmetic integrity of your car.

Similarly, you can add another type of small device that's easily concealable. And it offers a different way of transmitting your audio to your car's system. That is, you can play music via Bluetooth. The Parrot MKi9200 not only allows you to have Bluetooth telephone functions, but it gives you the ability to listen to your playlists using the A2DP protocol (for your iPod, it needs to have Bluetooth capability). View and control your playlists from the Parrot 2.4-inch LCD display and remote. If you do not have Bluetooth capability, you can connect to the Parrot using a supplied cable proprietary to the iPod. Since a few states (and many more are sure to follow) have hands-free phone regulations, a Bluetooth kit that also solves in-car audio entertainment might be a practical and necessary option.

There are higher-end solutions from various mobile electronics manufacturers such as Kenwood, Alpine, Pioneer, and Clarion (just to name a few). Simply choose an AV receiver or CD Receiver with iPod or USB connectivity. The best option in this situation would be to have complete control of your iPod via the multimedia source unit (like the one you see here from Kenwood). A separate plug, located in a storage compartment, glove box, under the seat, center console (depending on where you have it installed) is all you will need to accomplish this. Once plugged in, your iPod will also charge. A double-DIN source unit (like this one from Kenwood) has all the bells and whistles but it's not exactly a stealthy option.

Another way you can go is to choose a less expensive single-DIN radio and just have partial control of your iPod plus charging. The iPod would connect via a proprietary harness from the manufacturer or through USB. For example, let's take a Kenwood KDC-X493. It has a USB port on the face of the unit (right side) along with a standard 1/8-inch mini jack. You can use a cable from Apple or a Kenwood KCA-iP101 cable and receive functions such as Alphabet Search, Skip Search, Reverse Browsing, and All Random Playback directly through the head unit. Using either cable (not the 1/8-inch plug) will also charge your iPod. This option doesn't have all the features on the multimedia unit, but the smaller radio is easier to integrate and conceal. With the right custom installer you could even mount the radio on the dash and then make a custom cover on a hinge system.

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.