I've just had fitted a new Alpine head-unit (CA9830R) along with the new Alpine Ipod interface (KCA 420i) and a pair of Focal 165ca front speakers.

The sound is fantastic, but the real surprise was how good the Ipod interface is! The ipod is now hidden away in the glove box between the seats, held in by the elastic strap, and the you pick playlists, search artists, albums etc from the head unit. And while its connected up, its getting charged up too.

Plus the head-unit has a function called MX which helps fill in the data lost in MP3 compression, which makes a huge difference.

So...I can heartily recommend the same set-up for anyone with an Ipod looking to upgrade their ICE. Oh, and with the dashboard adapter (KCE865b?) you can control the lot with the dash controls. Sweet!

Got the kit from www. carsaudiosecurity.com and got it fitted by SK audio in Woking who charged 2 hrs labour plus vat, which was just inder

 

nice - got photos? I still have the standard HU so bought a Dension ICE>Link - which works great, also comes with a nice cradle so you can just slide the iPod in and out, no messing with cables.

 

I'll try to take a few pics at the weekend, although there's not a lot to see (which is the beauty of it ). It'll just be a pic of an ipod in the glove box and an alpine head unit in the dash.

I have no idea where the fitters put the interface box that sits somewhere between the ipod and the head unit. Guess I ought to try and see where they hid it though!

 

Mine is currently in the net thing in the passenger footwell , but will shortly be relocated to underneath the passenger seat. Due to the length of the wires provided and the distance to the back glovebox on a MY00, there's not a huge amount of choice in placement of the box (different on later cars if you keep the iPod in the centre cubby hole).

Anyone know if you can get the later centre console from anywhere to retrofit to an early car? The tall cubby in the MY00 isn't *quite* deep enough to fit an iPod in it's dock into.

 

Ooh!. Piccies and more details please (eg. cost of Alpine kit etc). I currently use my iPod in the car via an iTrip or cassette plug-in for longer journeys but would like something better. Am also Woking based so if SK Audio are any good then could use them!.

 

Info here

Costs 70quid. You need an '04 or higher AiNet equipped head unit for it to work.

 

How big is the iPod interface box (KCA-420i) and how long are the wires (both from HU and to IPod).

Have mine on order at the mo and am trying to work out where to put it!

Andy

 

Does this help?



I'll measure the wires when I move it to it's new home under the seat - this weekend sometime - and post here if nobody beats me to it!

 

Thanks for that! Just the job



Andy

 

Whilst I'm at it - is the cable from the HU to the KCA-420i long enough to reach the storage box between the seats and does the unit come with the required cables?

Where do you plan to mount the interface (will it fit in the storage box itself (where I was planning to put my iPod)?)

Thanks again.

Andy