deniro
05-03-2005, 12:49 PM
I have searched this forum, read many posts, and have read information at CNET and Crutchfield. As far as I know, no one has yet compared the new Road Trip 87.9 which plugs into a lighter vs. the various cassette adapters. Any opinions?
By the way, why no ipod to CD adapters? Wouldn't a CD adapter sound better than a cassette adapter? Easier to use maybe?
I have a 2G ipod, so I will be using the headphone jack (no line out or dock). My late 90s Toyota has both a cassette deck and CD player, the top of the line stereo option when the car was bought new. I'm looking for decent sound for the occasional long road trip and hope to stay in the sub $50 range though I would consider more if the sound was that much more impressive.
FM solutions: The recent review of the Newer Road Trip 87.9 seems to put it on top (rating B+) -- although to criticize its appearance sounds like a ridiculous quibble to me. It seems to stand out among in-car solutions, let alone FM solutions, unless I am reading incorrectly. Is this because it plugs into a lighter? Yet it still transmits a radio signal, which must be of dubious quality. I think, for example, of cordless headphones.
Cassette Adapters: There is the Monster icar play (ipodlounge rating B+), the Extreme Mac adapter (rating C), and one by Sony (not reviewed). The Belkin Mobile cassette adapter (not reviewed? The Belkin Auto Kit is different) has received much criticism because of cheap construction, audio quality, and functionality, where the cassette deck wants to reverse or otherwise mishandle the cassette operation.
I'm not an audiophile but I know good sound -- love my Etymotic er6i earphones. I would like something that sounds decent without a lot of distortion.
By the way, why no ipod to CD adapters? Wouldn't a CD adapter sound better than a cassette adapter? Easier to use maybe?
I have a 2G ipod, so I will be using the headphone jack (no line out or dock). My late 90s Toyota has both a cassette deck and CD player, the top of the line stereo option when the car was bought new. I'm looking for decent sound for the occasional long road trip and hope to stay in the sub $50 range though I would consider more if the sound was that much more impressive.
FM solutions: The recent review of the Newer Road Trip 87.9 seems to put it on top (rating B+) -- although to criticize its appearance sounds like a ridiculous quibble to me. It seems to stand out among in-car solutions, let alone FM solutions, unless I am reading incorrectly. Is this because it plugs into a lighter? Yet it still transmits a radio signal, which must be of dubious quality. I think, for example, of cordless headphones.
Cassette Adapters: There is the Monster icar play (ipodlounge rating B+), the Extreme Mac adapter (rating C), and one by Sony (not reviewed). The Belkin Mobile cassette adapter (not reviewed? The Belkin Auto Kit is different) has received much criticism because of cheap construction, audio quality, and functionality, where the cassette deck wants to reverse or otherwise mishandle the cassette operation.
I'm not an audiophile but I know good sound -- love my Etymotic er6i earphones. I would like something that sounds decent without a lot of distortion.