The main issue I have with the cd stacker is the almost constant skipping. Mine has basically been unusable the entire time I've had the car. Moving to solid state can only be an improvement

 

Honestly, the cassette option does not sound bad. I have no problem with it and do not notice a difference in quality from radio to music device. You can easily hide the cord with a little creativity. Plus its super cheap, at ten bucks.

There is also the ipod radio transmitter option. Totally wireless, but arguably less sound quality.

Unless you plan on committing to apple products for the rest of your life, I would strongly recommend NOT installing an ipod dock in your car.

I like the cassette because I can switch off between my friends devices as well as my own.

 

Oh to be on a global platform, I have never been to the US but have family there, I believe the radio, satellite or whatever, is very good. I know the UK has great radio stations as I was born in Scotland and lived in the UK a few times. I now live in South Africa, there are hundreds of little radio stations around Jo'burg making it impossible to use the units that broadcast from your iPod to your car stereo, the band you find will not be clear a few moments later. I spend at least three hours a day in my car, mostly in slow traffic and I cannot stand listening to the radio if I don't have to. Then there are the long drives to outlying towns, can be a four hour drive to get there, sometimes as much as six, any further and I fly. You can hardly get cell phone reception in many places never mind your favourite radio station, its a big place. So it is back to wanting access to some of my music collection, hence the iPod need. Thanks a ton for everyone giving their ideas. I have taken my car in to get some work done on it, small dings to get taken out and then to the dealer for a service and to see if I should do the tensioner thing that everyone complains about. When it comes back, end of the month, I'll tackle the sound system. I realise I cannot drive it every day, petrol is too much so I am now looking for a daily driver, something light on fuel, maybe a Discovery II diesel? ;-)

 

Thanks, I hear you about the iPod dock, I just want something that can either let me plug into my iPod but it can also be to the ear plug bit so it can work with any iPod or mp3 player or phone really. I have tons of apple products, Mac desktop, laptop, a couple of phones, iPods and iPads but who knows what is better next year so I take your point that it should be more flexible. Pity the transmitter thing is a problem here, it works pretty well when I drive out of Jo'burg.

 

I currently use one w my iPhone, and for whatever reason with the last two adapters I get static feedback/popping/cracking on occasion. It comes and goes and I find it odd because I never get it when I play the music through headphones.

Chris

 

I've done somthing to my 98 xj8 which you may or may not be interested in I found for sale in Asda (uk) a Bluetooth home audio adaptor that has a 5.5v USB mini type power and a 3.5mm output designed to plug into a aux port on a home theatre system it's about the size of a small egg i found the Ainet cable to which I cut and added a 9 pole two way switch attached to the radio end at the center poles cd to one end and a 3.5mm audio cable to the other i put the switch into the plastic underneath the ashtray cover so I can switch between Bluetooth and cd changer then I glued the Bluetooth adaptor under the center compartment and attached a custom power board to the rear cigeret lighter socket to give the 5.5v needed so now whenever I start the car I get Bluetooth connectivity and all I need to do is push the cd button on the radio only cost about £20 and don't even know it's there I find it's much better sound quality that those tape converters (to which before this I used all the time) and a very easy afternoons job

 

It is funny to read this, as I am thinking a bit along the same lines.

I would like to keep the CD player full functioning, but never use the cassette player.

I was therefore wondering if it should be possible to use a bluetooth device, dig out the cassette player audio cables from far inside, and splice these in stead of the ones from the CD player?

That way, Bluetooth/MP3 player should use the tape function without any additional switch, and having a clean operation without tape converter / switch / visible cables / etc.

Is this a silly thought?

 

I guess the big question is why do you want both the cd stacker, and an aux input? Surely one replaces the other? Or are you just looking to integrate bluetooth to make phone calls?

One of the advantages of the cable I made is that I can revert back to standard if I ever want to... although I know this won't ever actually happen.
Even if you cut into the wires at the cd stacker itself, it's not hard to join them back together later if you change your mind.

 

Yeah, perhaps I think too much and drive too little.
14-day holiday is coming up from tomorrow, and after that got to go back a final time to China for ~2 months.
Guess will need to sort out what I really want

 

It really is interesting to hear about all of these options working for different people. YOu would have thought that from all of this some company would have identified an easy way to sort you out and just package the solution. What is good for our Jags must be true for so many older cars using the same tech. I'll have my car back in a couple of weeks time and will tackle the sound then and let you know what I have found. Most of the stuff on here is to technical for me but I'll read up on it and I am sure I'll be able to do it. I just don't want to take the dash off if I can help it. I have a you tube video of who to take the dash of the Fiesta with the triple stack radio, all that to just put in an adapter. the you tube show is about 5 mins long and the guy makes it look so easy. I guess it will take me 30 mins and I'll lose half the stuff and it will rattle when I put it back together.!

 

well, someone did make an ipod adaptor... it's a bit more complicated than a straight aux cable, but not quite sure it's worth $100 either

 

Hi Guys, back again, car has had some dings removed, a service and front bushes done since I was last here. I now know it is the cheaper radio as tweeters in the door but no car radio fitment place in Johannesburg does anything on these other than change the head units so still stuck without my iPod! Will now follow the threads about cutting into the CD changer and see how I get along, a couple of them go on the web and show me bits they can order but they have not worked on this car before, quite rare here.

I have been tempted to sell and buy a 2003 (X350) that has done much the same distance but will not need the plastic tensioner thing changed which will cost me R25,000 ($2,500) at least, nor the hassle to get the iPod working. It is an XJ8 as opposed to the R and I don't like the look as much but the worry about this tensioner is constantly there while I drive the car, so I must do the upgrade or move on, what with the Scottish referendum and all to worry about I've found it all a tad stressful, I'm a Scot living in Africa on a Brit passport so was very tense about that vote I can tell you.

 

Sitting in a motel in Temple Texas reading about IPods. I thought I would miss my IPod more than I do. We have just driven from Oregon to Kentucky, Tenn. Miss. Ark. Texas, discovering between the radio and the CD player I can do without the IPod. One thing I discovered is that I had a lot of skipping and stalling on CDs. finally the car was a no start in Arkansas and discovered a cracked positive battery clamp. A local mech. fixed it good as new, as my repair would not have gotten me far. After the repair the CD has not skipped once. Speed bumps, gravel roads and all. (just my two cents).