Options for getting MP3s through your car audio.

[microslave]

DISCLAIMER: I know shit all about car audio, hence me asking the local audiophiles.

I just bought a 93 Lexus, with the Premium sound system which sounds awesome.

I need to somehow get mp3s to play through it.

I've tried the FM transmitters, and they sounded rather shitty. Now I realize MP3's aren't going to sound as good as CD's, but there has to be a better way to maximize sound quality.

I don't really want to get a new faceplate, but I'd like to get a direct connection somehow.

If I somehow connected (directly, not via one of the MP3 Player/Cassette adapers) the cassette player to my mp3 player, would it sound as good as my mp3 player does when playing through a stero, or would it only be as good as cassette quality?

Is this even possible? Converting a cassette deck into a pseudo aux in?

[Khalil]

Dont think that would work all too well..

I'd say just be happy with the new lex..and drive on with cd's :)

[mike0989]

Spend $200 and get an mp3 deck. i used to do the adapter from the cassette to my mp3 player and the quality sucks compared to a deck.

my 2cents.

[93hustler]

Buy a aftermarket deck with a auxillary input. They are many decks available with this option for $200 and under. Some have a 3.5mm input jack on the front. Most have rear RCA's that can be used with a cable converting rca to 3.5mm. Also if you have a ipod
most of the big car audio manufacturers make ipod interfaces that work with their decks. :thumbsup:

[soupey]

if u want to keep ur stock deck that has a tape player, the tape adapter will sound better than the FM adapter.

mp3 quality can be just as good, if not better, than cd quality, but if ur gona use an FM mod or a cd-cassette adapter, u will lose the quality, the best way to go if u want to keep good quality would be to buy an mp3 deck, and keep ur stock deck so u can swap it back in when u sell ur car...

[Jonathan@TCS]

Originally posted by soupey
mp3 quality can be just as good, if not better, than cd quality, ...

WHAT?
Mp3 are a COMPRESSED format of an original recording, in what way possible, is a compressed format better than the original!

[soupey]

doesnt always have to be from a cd^.

some artists encode their stuff straight frm studio to mp3

again its only sometimes

the quality dif between mp3 and cd is hardly noticeable unless u get into really really low bitrates. (when u get below 128, u can hear differences), but most of what u dowload on the net is 128 or higher.

[EK 2.0]

if the lexus has a CD changer control, (which it SHOULD), what I have seen friends to his hook up their ipod to the changer input. And then its "hardwired" and you get better sound that you did with teh FM Mod, and the Tape device.

This should hold true for all MP3 playas...with the line out function on them...

[sullygully]

^^ what he said

Check out how this dude did it using an ipod:


http://forums.neons.org/viewtopic.php?t=224084&highlight=