- MY04 S2000 (Sebring Silver)
- Factory stereo HU
- 40GB iPod Photo

Basically, this is a rant. But I wanted to see if anyone had a similar experience with the Dension ice>Link iPod adapter.

If anyone doesn't know, the ice>Link plugs into your stereo and makes your iPod appear as a disc-changer. Pretty slick idea. But don't believe the hype.

First: the ordering. I ordered this product through Logjam Electronics. There was really only one option for my MY04 S2000, to get the version with the charging cradle. Well, with all the potential this thing showed, I was undecided as to whether I wanted my iPod exposed or if I wanted to stuff it in the glove compartment. Luckily, there was an option to get the non-cradle interface cable. And it was free! Wonderful.

Well, when the box arrived, there was no cradle. The invoice and confirmation webpage clearly stated that I had ordered 2 distinct things: the ice>Link with charging cradle ($199.95) and the non-cradle interface cable ($0.00).

What's more, within hours of my purchase, their options had changed. Now you can purchase the ice>Link for $169.95 and then you have to choose your interface from 2 cradles or the non-cradle interface cable, each of which is $39.95.

In any case, what was delivered was not what was listed on the invoice. In Logjam's defense, however, they have not had ample opportunity to make this right, so they may still come through.

The box arrived last night and I grabbed my tools and went to work on the S. It installed easily and it sounds great. But oh my, is it clunky.

First of all, those of you who are going to stuff their iPod in the glove box and use the stereo to navigate, forget it. The factory HU does not display anything beyond disc number and track

 

Yeah, read my experiences with Monster's iCruze over the past few days:

https://www.s2ki.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=296896

BTW: Alpine's solution is great, but it has it's share of warts too. I've read the playlist search and track change times are really, really slow.

 

Wow! You really ran the gamut of problems, didn't you? Makes me feel a little better.

All in all, I would probably be happy with the ice>Link if it didn't lock up the iPod. Maybe that was a one-time event, but then again, maybe not.

My local stereo store owner has a BMW with the Alpine and the iPod hookup (as well as Sirius AND XM... dude is hard core). I may ask him to give me a demontration of his setup before I drop nearly a G on the install (HU, iPod hookup, XM, DCI, labor, etc... adds up quick).

Or the alternative... wait for the PIE aux to come out for the MY04 and just use the iPod's own controls. Trouble is finding a good place to mount the iPod where it's not ugly, obtrusive, obvious.

The worst thing, and this is a huge pet peeve with me right now, is the XM (the Commander, not the $800 Honda-installed travesty) playing through the FM. Sucks major a$$!

-Mike

 

Well my issues appear to be that I got a very early release of the iCruze unit. Monster is overnighting me their very latest firmware revision. They are also insisting that I install it ASAP and report back to them with my results. If it cures the problems with the random shuffle, I will be a happy camper. The other problems I can live with. If they solve those, I will be a really happy camper.

I guess they were impressed with the bug report I sent them.

I have nothing but nice things to say about the iCruze for where it works correctly and I am quite confident that the new version of the iCruze I receive will work much better.

Since you have a 2004, you choices are more limited. I was also very interested in the Alpine solution since I really want the song info display. After waiting a long time for their interface unit, I heard reports that the interface was slow and clunky on the 2004 Alpine radios because they really weren't designed with the iPod in mind. The 2005 radios are supposed to be better. I opted for the iCruze simply because I wanted to leave the car unmolested because I did go aftermarket before and hated what happened to the wiring in the car. The other problem is that the Alpine solution isn't cheap and breaks the controls by the steering wheel - now there's more money and hacking to fix that.

The iPod interfaces are really simple actually. I've been reading up on the iPod serial protocol and the issues most of the manufacturers are having is that the aftermarket and stock HU's are designed for 10-disc changers at best and cannot handle a "disc" with 100's or 1000's of songs in a convenient fashion. Combine that with a "one size-fits all" product, and you have quite a few kinks to work out.

 

It's good that Belkin is working with you. I have never been disappointed by any of their products. I may have to check out the iCruze.

As for the Alpine and the dash controls... well, there is the DCI thingy. My neighborhood stereo store owner was showing it to me. But that's a crapshoot at best. Apparently what it does is you "teach" it what the dash controls do and then you "teach" it what the same function is for the stereo's IR remote control. Basically, it's like a remote extender or a universal remote. Or both.

Trouble is, the guy wanted to mount the IR sender near my right shoulder, meaning that if the stereo door is closed, then the thing won't work. He also said that it is a very difficult time-consuming task to install the thing, coming to about $170-180 for parts and labor.

But I'm tall... I can't leave that door open. My knee catches the corner when I do.

I did see somewhere on the interweb that someone mounted the IR sender INSIDE the door, which would rock (pun not intended).

As well, I understand that the DCI actually gives you MORE functionality than the stock dash controls. It introduces button combos to do more.

So, you're saying that the newer Alpine radios are better with the iPod? I was looking at 3 different models (can't remember the numbers off the top 'o my head). One of them was brand spankin' new, so much so that the guy didn't have one in stock yet, but promised to have one the next day (Thursday, it turns out).

All in all, I think I am going to suffer the ice>Link at least until I pay it off and then maybe look into dropping $800-1,000 into the stereo. After all, I'm not that much of an audiophile anyway. I just like to listen to my Rush and my Everclear whenever I want.

-Mike

 

You can mount the IR in the door no problem, there are two solutions for dash controls, the DCI and another by a local SoCal member, DJ Qube.

DJ Qube's solution is very nice, it replaces the big Mode button and replaces it with a 4 way joystick. You can still push down on it too.

Check it out:
http://forums.s2ki.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=138737

 

I posted my Dension ICE> LINK article with pics about 3 weeks ago. I put mine under the magic little door. I also had the cradle version. To put it simply, the Denison implementation of menuing, and such is complete crap. There is NO use for it on the factory headunit. So you will need to go into manual control and use the iPod to navigate if you want any value from it. Goto manual navigation, and you will be 10x happier. Once I did, I loved the unit.

The reason I returned mine (bought and installed at Best Buy) was that I had trouble with my left channel cutting out. Really kinda weird, but since the reccommended method or repair was replacement. I opted to go ahead and get a new deck (Alpine CDA-9855) while I was at it I got the KCA-420i.

Now with the alpine I officially dont use the iPod to navigate, and everything is nicely displayed on the HU. The only real problem with the Alpine implementation is that they did not realize that once you go iPod you no longer navigate your music like a CD player. Its all very menu driven... For example when I want to switch tracks on my iPod, I dont press track forward, I go back to the album index, and select the track I want. The alpine does not do that, once you are in an album/playlist you have to track forward <-> backward unless you want to completely dig out the album from the album/artist/playlist lists... Thats my ONLY complaint from the Alpine though.

Here are my threads on both topics.

https://www.s2ki.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=293511
https://www.s2ki.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=296279

Finally for DCI, dont get a generic one, get Modifried! He sets them up for ya, and the install is actually not hard at all, you just have to dremel a small spot hear your deck (behind the door) so the IR emitter can send signals to the stereo. Search the forum there are alot of pics of alpines with the tiny IR emitter set nicely near the deck...
http://marketplace.s2ki.com/s2ki/product.p...85&cat=0&page=1

 

that's the solution i think most of us are running: an alpine headunit matched with the KCA420i and the Modifry DCI.

The KCA420i isn't super fast, but it does what you need it to do and as long as you created playlists on your ipod it is easily navigated.

I love my set up.

 

[QUOTE=Willie Gee,Jun 11 2005, 09:52 AM]

 

modifry's DCI works pretty well with the ipod. and if you aren't using an external amp, i'd run that wire for sure.

just keep your OE HU, you'd be able to go stock in a few hours, maybe less.