Car mp3 player - plugging in without face panel on head unit?

[Pinkman Tintwhistle]

I've got a zen media player which i'm wanting to use in the car. I'm
after a new head unit to use with it but i don't really want to keep
having to plug in and remove the face panel when all i really need is
an aux-in on the head unit itself - so i can plug in and use the zen
display to decide on the tracks i want to play. Anyone know of such a
unit - that has the aux-in on the head unit itself, not the face
panel?

thanks!

[Mister.Lull]

On Oct 14, 1:56 am, Pinkman Tintwhistle > wrote:
> I've got a zen media player which i'm wanting to use in the car. I'm
> after a new head unit to use with it but i don't really want to keep
> having to plug in and remove the face panel when all i really need is
> an aux-in on the head unit itself - so i can plug in and use the zen
> display to decide on the tracks i want to play. Anyone know of such a
> unit - that has the aux-in on the head unit itself, not the face
> panel?
>
> thanks!

I see that nobody has responded to your specific question, so I'll
offer a somewhat radical alternative...

If you have an amplifier (or several amplifiers) pushing your
speakers, you could bypass a Head Unit altogether and simply have your
mp3 player BE your deck. All you would need would be the proper
connectors.

There are drawbacks. For example, you would lose the ability to fade
from front to back or left to right. The way around this would be to
set your levels (on a fairly permanent basis) at your amp(s).

On some mp3 players you have the ability to adjust frequencies
(Equalizer) the same way most head units do (I have the Creative Zen
Vplus, and it has that ability). Some players also have radio
reception, shuffle, playlists, basically everything you might want in
a typical Head Unit.

The biggest bonus of all is that in this scenario you take your "deck"
and all your music with you every time you leave the vehicle, and it
all fits in your pocket.

Just a crazy thought for you...
~Mister.Lull

[g]

In article . com>, "Mister.Lull" > wrote:
>On Oct 14, 1:56 am, Pinkman Tintwhistle > wrote:
>> I've got a zen media player which i'm wanting to use in the car. I'm
>> after a new head unit to use with it but i don't really want to keep
>> having to plug in and remove the face panel when all i really need is
>> an aux-in on the head unit itself - so i can plug in and use the zen
>> display to decide on the tracks i want to play. Anyone know of such a
>> unit - that has the aux-in on the head unit itself, not the face
>> panel?
>>
>> thanks!
>
>I see that nobody has responded to your specific question, so I'll
>offer a somewhat radical alternative...
>
>If you have an amplifier (or several amplifiers) pushing your
>speakers, you could bypass a Head Unit altogether and simply have your
>mp3 player BE your deck. All you would need would be the proper
>connectors.
>
>There are drawbacks. For example, you would lose the ability to fade
>from front to back or left to right. The way around this would be to
>set your levels (on a fairly permanent basis) at your amp(s).
>
>On some mp3 players you have the ability to adjust frequencies
>(Equalizer) the same way most head units do (I have the Creative Zen
>Vplus, and it has that ability). Some players also have radio
>reception, shuffle, playlists, basically everything you might want in
>a typical Head Unit.
>
>The biggest bonus of all is that in this scenario you take your "deck"
>and all your music with you every time you leave the vehicle, and it
>all fits in your pocket.

I did this on my 280Z. I put in a jack near the gear shifter, and a DP toggle
switch. That was several years ago. I thought it was crazy they did not
all have a jack on the HU then.

That takes me back again, when I had the Craig Powerplay amplifier
installed. The equalizer box was right behind the armrest in the vacant slot.

greg

[Mister.Lull]

On Oct 16, 1:08 pm, (G) wrote:
> In article . com>, "Mister.Lull" > wrote:
>
>
>
>
>
> >On Oct 14, 1:56 am, Pinkman Tintwhistle > wrote:
> >> I've got a zen media player which i'm wanting to use in the car. I'm
> >> after a new head unit to use with it but i don't really want to keep
> >> having to plug in and remove the face panel when all i really need is
> >> an aux-in on the head unit itself - so i can plug in and use the zen
> >> display to decide on the tracks i want to play. Anyone know of such a
> >> unit - that has the aux-in on the head unit itself, not the face
> >> panel?
>
> >> thanks!
>
> >I see that nobody has responded to your specific question, so I'll
> >offer a somewhat radical alternative...
>
> >If you have an amplifier (or several amplifiers) pushing your
> >speakers, you could bypass a Head Unit altogether and simply have your
> >mp3 player BE your deck. All you would need would be the proper
> >connectors.
>
> >There are drawbacks. For example, you would lose the ability to fade
> >from front to back or left to right. The way around this would be to
> >set your levels (on a fairly permanent basis) at your amp(s).
>
> >On some mp3 players you have the ability to adjust frequencies
> >(Equalizer) the same way most head units do (I have the Creative Zen
> >Vplus, and it has that ability). Some players also have radio
> >reception, shuffle, playlists, basically everything you might want in
> >a typical Head Unit.
>
> >The biggest bonus of all is that in this scenario you take your "deck"
> >and all your music with you every time you leave the vehicle, and it
> >all fits in your pocket.
>
> I did this on my 280Z. I put in a jack near the gear shifter, and a DP toggle
> switch. That was several years ago. I thought it was crazy they did not
> all have a jack on the HU then.
>
> That takes me back again, when I had the Craig Powerplay amplifier
> installed. The equalizer box was right behind the armrest in the vacant slot.
>
> greg- Hide quoted text -
>
> - Show quoted text -

Ah. Thanks for the reminder, greg.

The only other change you'd have to make is the remote wire for your
amplifiers. Either wire them to the ignition, or to a toggle switch
(I've tried both seperately and together).

~Mister.Lull

[g]

In article m>, "Mister.Lull" > wrote:
>On Oct 16, 1:08 pm, (G) wrote:
>> In article . com>,
> "Mister.Lull" > wrote:
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>> >On Oct 14, 1:56 am, Pinkman Tintwhistle > wrote:
>> >> I've got a zen media player which i'm wanting to use in the car. I'm
>> >> after a new head unit to use with it but i don't really want to keep
>> >> having to plug in and remove the face panel when all i really need is
>> >> an aux-in on the head unit itself - so i can plug in and use the zen
>> >> display to decide on the tracks i want to play. Anyone know of such a
>> >> unit - that has the aux-in on the head unit itself, not the face
>> >> panel?
>>
>> >> thanks!
>>
>> >I see that nobody has responded to your specific question, so I'll
>> >offer a somewhat radical alternative...
>>
>> >If you have an amplifier (or several amplifiers) pushing your
>> >speakers, you could bypass a Head Unit altogether and simply have your
>> >mp3 player BE your deck. All you would need would be the proper
>> >connectors.
>>
>> >There are drawbacks. For example, you would lose the ability to fade
>> >from front to back or left to right. The way around this would be to
>> >set your levels (on a fairly permanent basis) at your amp(s).
>>
>> >On some mp3 players you have the ability to adjust frequencies
>> >(Equalizer) the same way most head units do (I have the Creative Zen
>> >Vplus, and it has that ability). Some players also have radio
>> >reception, shuffle, playlists, basically everything you might want in
>> >a typical Head Unit.
>>
>> >The biggest bonus of all is that in this scenario you take your "deck"
>> >and all your music with you every time you leave the vehicle, and it
>> >all fits in your pocket.
>>
>> I did this on my 280Z. I put in a jack near the gear shifter, and a DP toggle
>> switch. That was several years ago. I thought it was crazy they did not
>> all have a jack on the HU then.
>>
>> That takes me back again, when I had the Craig Powerplay amplifier
>> installed. The equalizer box was right behind the armrest in the vacant slot.
>>
>> greg- Hide quoted text -
>>
>> - Show quoted text -
>
>Ah. Thanks for the reminder, greg.
>
>The only other change you'd have to make is the remote wire for your
>amplifiers. Either wire them to the ignition, or to a toggle switch
>(I've tried both seperately and together).
>
>~Mister.Lull

You don't have to turn the HU off, but otherwise the remote is assuming,
allready wired up.


greg