Hi,
I have been looking for a way to integrate a Parrot MKI9200 into the original ICE system of my 1997 Daimler / Van den Plas Double Six, equipped with the premium sound option. I am heading for maximal sound quality when using an iPhone/iPode, i.e. not only sounf through the front speakers, but through all the 9 speakers of the car.
I'm almost sure to have read every single page published in different forums on this issue. Nexxia advised me to biy a SOT-098 and an extension cable, but this does not work as promised.
I was thinking right now of another approach, making use of the Parrot's setup selectable feature to route incoming phone calls to the ISO speaker pins while streaming audio is routed through its line out wires.
Using Jim's well known "CD Butchering" method (http://jimroal.com/cars/X308Bluetooth.pdf at the end of the document), but applying it rather to the HU's side of the M-Bus cable than to the CD changer in the trunk. The reason is that it does not seem advisable to drill a hole in the bulkhead which serves as explicit separation (i.e. firewall) between the fuel tank and the cabin.


Aux input
I would use a male and a female connector to build an adaptor routing out the M-Bus audio lines as described for example in Jim's document.
This seems to provide an audio input regardless the state of the CD changer (provided, of course, that it is still connected to the head unit). Jim says in his above mentioned document that you can even take out the CD magazine which makes the message "No disc" appear in the HU display, but still provides playback of the source connected to the input if the HU is in CD mode.


Phone audio input
After activating "Mute on streaming" in the Parrot's setup, phone audio is supposed to be routed to the ISO speaker connector of the Parrot cable kit.
This makes me think of routing it to the phone audio input pins of the Alpine HU. But I suppose that the Parrot's output is amplified, i.e. originally it is meant to be directly connected to speakers. The Alpine HU input for phone audio, on the other hand, might be meant for a line in level, not for a speaker level. I was not able to find exact information on this, neither for the Parrot nor for the Alpine.
Therefore my claim for a helping hand: can anybody confirm my theory, and if so, would a "level changer" as for example this one (sorry, only found a German page), that is designed for connecting a speaker output to a line-in input?


Mute
I would connect the Parrot's mute wire to the mute pin of the Alpine HU connector.
Theoretically, this would mute the radio regardless whether in CD, Tape or radio mode and route the phone call to the phone audio input of the HU.
BTW: With the factory phone, in my car the phone audio is not heard via the speakers. But I imagine that this is due to the fact that the first owner (I am the third) was a very very VIP of the German industry who didn't want his driver or other passengers to listen... He had another phone in the back middle console...).

Does this approach make sense to anybody - and can anybody advise about the phone out/phone in signal level issue?
Best regards
Martin

 

Hi
I bought an X300 Daimler 6 with non-premium sound - a tape deck/radio, CD changer, and 4 worn-out door speakers
I bought a Parrot Asteroid Classic and I am very happy with it - it does handsfree phone calls and dialling, plus you can tell it what music artist you want and it finds it (if the iphone is plugged in). So works for me.
There is an adapter fascia surround to make it look the part - this is cheap.

 

Hi AL NZ,
I have the Asteroid in my 1995 XJS and I am very happy, too.
The prob with the DDS is, firstly I want to maintain the original radio, as really everything in this car is in its original state. And secondly, in cars equipped with the Premium Sound Kit (as mine) have all the speaker connections in the trunk, and it's quite a project to route them to the HU.
The project I described in the first post is almost ready, I'm preparing a documentation, seems to work like a charme.
Best regards
Martin