twofish72's Full Review: Clarion (CCA-IPOD) Car Adapter for Apple iPod
Having bought the Clarion DXZ575USB CD stereo receiver (see my review on that one) to replace my old, broken car stereo I wanted to take advantage of it's iPod connectivity.
If you have a Clarion car stereo built after 2004, chances are that it has a so called CeNet bus controller. That is Clarions designation for their little square shaped expansion port on the back of the unit. It is used to connect all kinds of additional units to your receiver, like a CD changer, a DVD player or (via an adapter) an iPod.
The adapter is called "CCA-IPOD" and is basically two cables and a small box a little bigger than a matchbox. When your iPod is connected to the receiver via this adapter, you can control your iPod through the car stereo (iPod controls are switched off then) and it even charges the iPod.
But first things first:
- - - Installation - - -
It's very simple. Take your car stereo out and put the square shaped plug in the port. Then plug the second cable in the adapter. Tadaa! You can now connect your iPod through it's standard connector port on the bottom. Since the controls and Display of the iPod are disabled at that point (the display will only show "Clarion" and "ok to disconnect") there is no point to keep the iPod out. You can store it in some little storage space in the car, wherever you want. As long as the cable can reach it, of course.
Ideally, you want to hide the first cable segment and the little box somewhere behind the dashboard and just have the second cable segment come out of the dashboard somewhere. My car doesn't have an ashtray. Instead, it has a nice little storage compartment just under the radio and middle-console controls. A hole half an inch is big enough to put the plug from the second cable segment through and connect it to the adapter box. Now, only the cable is in the storage compartment. I can just connect the iPod, put it in the compartment and shut it. Voila, instant iPod music on my car stereo.
One thing to keep in mind is that the cable is pretty long (all cables connected a 4 to 5 feet). If you have a dashboard that is packed as it is, than you might have a problem hiding the cable and you have to let it sit in the open in the car. In that case, I suggest getting a car holder for the iPod and roll the cable up a bit and put a cable binder around it.
- - - Using the adapter - - -
There is no additional configuration necessary on your car stereo. It will now be able to access your iPod just like it would be a connected CD-Changer. All the information that would normally be displayed on the iPod will now be displayed on your car stereo: playlists, track information, track title and lengths, etc. Like I said, the iPod will also be charged.
The exact controls of your iPod will depend on your car stereo. Bigger, more expensive units might feature all the cool stuff that the iPod itself has. Smaller or cheaper units might have an interface that needs a bit of getting used to. For example: The car stereo that I have the iPod connected to uses one button to access the menu (corresponds to the middle button) and four others to go in and out of menus (middle button and menu button on the iPod) and up and down in menus (using the scroll wheel of the iPod). Most of the time, controlling your iPod over a car stereo will require a little getting used to but it will work.
- - - Sound quality - - -
The sound quality is the same as hooking up the iPod to a external speaker unit. Of course, better car receivers will produce better sound, but most car stereos that come with a CeNet bus port will have sufficient sound quality. And connecting your iPod this way is a thousand times better than using those FM transmitters. No more changing frequencies, no more hassle with charging your iPod, no more radio sound quality. Now everything sounds original "ipoddy".
- - - Epinion - - -
I love my adapter cable. Finally I have clear sound, the iPod gets charged and I can control it over the car stereo. Sound quality is so much better than those stupid FM transmitters and I am free of the hassles with searching for free frequencies. Especially in a big city that is a big plus.
If you have a CeNet bus port on your Clarion and you want to enjoy iPod music, then get the adapter! There is no better way!
By the way, all bigger car stereo brands do have similar adapter or cable sets.
iPod Interface cable Connect your iPod to any newer CeNET-compatible Clarion receiver, control playback right from the receiver's display, charges you...More at Crutchfield
Connect your iPod to any newer CeNET-compatible Clarion receiver control playback right from the receiver's display charges your iPodMore at Amazon Marketplace
Clarion's CCA-iPod interface cable connects your iPod to select Clarion receivers. With just one cable between your iPod and your stereo, you'll get s...More at eBay
Epinions.com periodically updates pricing and product information from third-party sources, so some information may be slightly out-of-date. You should confirm all information before relying on it.
- Add to My Yahoo!: 
- Add to Google Homepage: 
© 1999-2009 Shopping.com, Inc.