I have a 2003 x-type with the stock factory stereo that has the CD player, not the cassette deck. I am looking for a way to connect an iPod to it, and have run into the ACM mentioned in other posts, but also read that the deck control of the iPod using the ACM, left a lot to be desired. I am not as interested in having the deck control my iPod as I am in just connecting it.

Is there anyway to just plug in an iPod to the factory deck? AUX or USB connection? I would rather just connect the iPod and use the iPod to control what is playing. Has anyone done anything like this, or is ACM the only way to connect an iPod?

 

I've been using a Griffin iTrip FM-transmitter to play music on my iPod through the stereo system. Quality is so-so depending on the FM reception.

 

Just buy a $100-$200 deck and install that. Way better than the fm transmitter or acm.

 

Yeah, I have tried the FM transmitter, and it just doesn't do it for me. Maybe I am a bit of an audiophile, but the quality was horrible. I looked into the new deck option as well, and have yet to see an install that looks good at all. The third party decks make the dash look terrible.

Is there anyway to plug in through an 1/8 inch auxiliary cable? I haven't pulled the deck out to look. Also, if anyone has ACM. Can you still use the ipod to control the music, or do you have to do it through the deck?

 

There is no auxillary input on the head unit. This is what the ACM provides by mimicing a CD changer. Simply put, you have three options; #1 The ACM, #2 an FM Transmitter, #3 If you have a cassette player, a cassette adaptor like from the old days.

The Jaguar firmware in the ACM locks the ipod controls, you can't use them while connected to the ACM.

However, the guys in the X350 forum discovered another firmware version 2.1 direct from Dension (the OEM of the ACM) which allows you to use the ipod controls, and also changes the operation of the ACM through the touchscreen. Haven't got round to doing it myself, actually for the time being i don't need it, all my music is on a USB stick.

The thread is here; https://www.jaguarforums.com/forum/x...s-50454/page2/

 

Nope, you're not alone, I feel the same way. I'm used to listening to FLAC and Apple Lossless music in my Camry's JBL Synthesis system. I was fortunate enough to listen to lots and lots of music through an Audi S8's Bang & Olufsen, the new XJ's Bowers & Wilkins, and an LS460's Mark Levinson. Going back to my X-Type's base system is almost unbearable to the point of not being able to listen to music anymore.

Of course you can't beat the quality and simplicity of CD/DVD audio, but that's a hassle when you have thousands or tens of thousands of songs to go through. I actually wish my head unit was the cassette deck version as I thought audio through a high quality tape adapter was pretty good.

 

Thanks for all the replies. Sounds as though ACM is my only option. However, if the 2.1 firmware works, that will be great, otherwise I might do the same as someone mentioned, and just load music on a USB thumb drive.

Last question I have is where can I get an ACM at a decent price? I have no dealers in my area. (Plus I heard they were outrageous from the dealer anyway.)

Any ideas?

 

Write to Dan & Steve at Nalley Jaguar; nalleyjagparts@nalleycars.com

Tell them you're a member of jaguarforums.com and you'll get a 15% discount from list & free shipping.

Latest p/n for the ACM is C2C40513 but of course ask them to double-check.

The ACM is not cheap by any stretch, but that's all you can use...

 

Well.....there is a fourth way.....

Parrot mki9200 or eqiv.

But to each his own

 

Thanks Cambo351 for the insider info. I will get in touch with them. One more question. To keep things a little cheaper. Does anyone know if you can swap a stock CD deck for a cassette deck without any further changes?

Or does the whole thing have to be replaced?

 

REALLY!?! Will that work with the stock deck? And what is the cost?

 

Sure but since you wrote "Maybe I am a bit of an audiophile" I figured you wanted a proper setup.

The parrot has it's own built in amp, which connects directly to your speakers, bypassing the whole head unit.

http://dbinstall.parrot.com/pdf.php?...KI9200&lang=UK

Good explaination in the link above.

P.S. You can swap your single-slot CD for a tape player, it's plug-n-play 99% of the time, just make sure you get the radio code with the new one.

 

Do you know what the sound quality difference would be between that and the standard deck? Maybe also compared to a tape adapter setup. (I had one of those in my old vehicle and it was pretty good)

 

Hello,

Is there any way to connect an iPod using the trunk cd player cables. (Or are they fibre optics?).

Ideally near the stereo head unit.

2002, x-type, trunk Jaguar 6 pack cd changer.

Thanks.

 

Really, i'm leaving this forum now. This is my last post.
I give up. Good-bye. Good-Luck.

 

This comes up a lot. I went into Best Buy and for like $125 the put in an adaptor. I have to flip a little hidden switch and set my FM to a certain station, but it's wired directly into the stereo itself. Worth every penny.

 

Let us know how much the ACM costed you whenever you decide on purchasing it.

Also, an alternative would be to buy this: Amazon.com: Monster iCarPlay Cassette Adapter 800 for iPod and iPhone (3 feet): Electronics

I have been using it in my X-Type for months and the quality is very good for a cassette player; it's not flawless quality like the CD player or the ACM, but it's a much cheaper alternative.

 

Sorry, haven't revisited this one in awhile. While I'm far from an audiophile....I put the MKI9200 in my daughter's 2003 S-type w/std (Not Premium Audio) audio system b/c she wanted iPod connectivity and I just found the acm waaay too pricey. ....but I personally think it sounds quite a bit better than the stock system. 2003 S-type's had an ISO jumper harness available making it all plug-n-play. Not sure about X-type but I would be surprised if it's not the same harness...and super-surprised if there is not one available for it at all.

Parrot Kits and Quick Connect Harness Adapters


As Cambo said, it has its own amp and more or less jumps in between the head unit and the speakers when it is working.

I can't remember whether or not a kit is available to restore steering wheel controls, I'm thinking, "not." They still work - everything on the std. head unit and cd chgr work just as before; but if you are using the Parrot - BT Streaming audio, phone, or one of the 3 hardwire plugs (iApple, USB, or 3.5 mm jack) then things are different; volume is via the Parrot remote and music control is via your device. In fact, you can turn pwr off entirely on the head unit.

I use a cassette adapter in my XJ and love it. Almost as good as the Parrot in jr's S'type. Same adapter or even others (I have a few) in the Excursion and it's mediocre, in the pickup it sucks and in the Merc it was unusable. Had an FM-transmitter in there and quality-wise it finished somewhere between Exc and Truck with cassette adapters. Excursion has aftermarket DVD player with hardwired fm transmitter as Dumb/Luck describes above. This is superior to an over-the-air one (I think they put a "T" in your antenna cable) but we have experienced interference in some areas if you get in the vicinity of an FM station on that freq. The freq.is at the far left end of your radio dial, so mostly only weak NPR broadcasts with even weaker content, even so, kids weren't overly happy with the droll monotone supplanting their movie sound. Bitter pill to stop 8k lbs from 70+ on the interstate to unscrew the antenna or otherwise put up with traveling with kids "old-school" before mobile DVD's!

In the end, my experience with adapting my Droid to non-aux-audio equipped rides points to trying the cheapest thing first and moving up the scale until you obtain the quality and functionality you require. Cassette <$10, fm xmtr ~$30, New head unit w'BT and USB $150+ (problematic on Jag b/c fiber-optics) and Parrot $150-$250 (there are cheaper ones than the 9200)

Edit: Just re-read DumbLuck...I don't have a switch for dvd's, just pop one in and tune head unit to the proper freq. so I would imagine when he throws the switch, he is disconnecting the aerial and connecting his fm transmitter to the head-unit ant. input. - that's better than my Fry's-dvd-install.

 

Wow, I just called my local dealer in Las Vegas and they are telling me that the ACM is no longer available anywhere and that it was discontinued a long time ago. I gave him the part number C2C40513. When that didn't come up I asked him to search for the audio connectivity module and he got mad at me, told me that bluetooth wasn't even invented when my 2003 x-type came out and wanted to get off of the phone. I explained to him that it wasn't for bluetooth. He didn't care and told me that i was out of luck.

He must have been having a bad day, as I can't believe he would normally be so rude and short with a customer. Well, I will get it online, but I would gladly pay the extra money to have someone local to deal with if there were issues.

 

I have had a I phone/I pod hard wired into my factory deck for the past year and it works just fine with no inter from FM. I'm at work for the next 2 weeks, but when I get home I will post the make so you guys can check it out on the net. You just unplug your antena and it plugs into the deck, then you plug ant. Back into it. It has gain so you can boost the volume from I pod but you control all functions from the I pod/ I phone. I hope this will help. Sorry, but give me a little time for the product name.