Ipod cassette adapter

[ckone0814]

anyone know of a cassette adapter that connects to the bottom port instead of the headphone jack? thanks.

[mjmoonwalker]

Hi and welcome to the lounge!

Yes, there is one. The Griffin SmartDeck uses the dock connector.

http://www.griffintechnology.com/products/smartdeck/

[Pete_L_P]

The Griffin smart deck has had an unbelievable number of dissatisfied customers. Do a search on it here and read the threads. Most people can't believe they shipped it like that.

Another way is to get a Belkin Auto Kit for iPod (http://catalog.belkin.com/IWCatProductPage.process?Product_ID=149006). The Belkin is a charger which plugs into the iPod's dock connector, and which provides a 3.5mm audio output on its charger base, into which you can plug the cassette adapter. It has a built in amp and volume control, which assures that your iPod's line out volume will perfectly match both your cassette (to avoid distortion), and your radio's other audio equipment, (to avoid volume shock, when switching between radio, CD, and iPod). The belkin will also shut off your ipod (via pause) when you turn off your engine (assuming your car turns off the charger outlet when the engine is turned off). That's a very unusual and very valuable feature. The Belkin provides a really clean install (with only one wire going into the iPod), and has great sound.

Based on the number of very happy users at amazon, I recommend this sony cassette adapter (http://www.amazon.com/Sony-MiniDisc-Discman-Cassette-Adapter/dp/B00005T39Y/sr=8-1/qid=1157046224/ref=pd_bbs_1/102-1037911-8386562?ie=UTF8). The wrong adapter can give a lot of grief.

Pete

[ckone0814]

with the Belkin Auto kit don't I still end up sending through a headphone jack? that's what I'm trying to avoid - or won't sound quality be affected much?

[Pete_L_P]

The simple answer :

IMHO, when using a cassette adapter, you will never perceive any sound benefit gained by avoiding the headphone output.

The longer answer:

Nor, IMO, would you be likely perceive that benefit even when using an ultra high end audiophile home system, if you were still using content encoded with anything less faithful than Apple Lossless. (and who uses Apple Lossless ?)

BTW the advantage people are talking about in using the dock connector is NOT related to the 3.5 plug per se. It's related to the fact that there's a theoretical advantage in avoiding one stage of amplification as you do when you use line out rather than headphone out. That "advantage" is far more likely to be a disadvantage. Read on.

The lack of amplification also eliminates source level volume control, and thus introduces the very great likelihood that the line out volume will be wrong for the rest of the system. I've seen countless people suffer serious sound problems because of impedance and volume mismatches when using straight line out (including people in my family and numerous iLounge posters, and specifically, many problems where pure line out had the wrong volume for a cassette adapter). The belkin has a volume control and an amplifier which completely eliminates that problem (but, one could argue, reintroduces the "theoretical" problem of adding back that additional stage of amplification). The headphone output has a volume control which also eliminates that problem (but again, has the additional amplification). Nonetheless any benefit hoped to be gained by going with PURE line out will be far outweighed by the likelihood of volume mismatches, whose problems can be very obvious indeed. And such theoretical advantages of pure line out would never be perceived, in any case, when using a cassette adapter.

There are several good reasons to get a belkin, but the sound of both the headphone output and the Belkin will be totally comparable and (when compared to a pure, non-amplified line-out approach) they will both also be very hard to beat, and far less risky.

Pete