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USA Spec iPod® Interface

Connects your iPod to select Nissan/Infiniti factory radios

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Item# 581PA11NIS offer details

Item# 581PA11NIS

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USA Spec

Our take on the USA Spec iPod® Interface

You can take it with you. Just because you've got a factory radio in your Nissan or Infiniti, doesn't mean you have to leave your iPod (and the hours and hours of music it contains) at home. Just install USA SPEC's iPod interface — it not only allows you to listen to all your favorite tunes through your car's speakers, it even lets you control song and playlist selections right from your radio.

Just mount the compact interface box in a hidden location in your vehicle, and connect the adapter cable to the CD changer input on your compatible Nissan or Infiniti factory radio. Plug your iPod into the interface — you can control volume, source, song selection, and up to five different play lists right from the radio. And the interface charges your iPod while it's connected. You even get an auxiliary input for connecting an add-on satellite radio, DVD player, or other external source.

Please enter your vehicle information or call an Advisor at 1-888-955-6000 to find out if this adapter is compatible with your vehicle. As the iPod interface uses the CD changer port, any existing changer that you have must be disconnected.

Compatibility Note: Be sure to check "Hands-on Research" for specific iPod model compatibility with this iPod adapter.

Get more info on this product

Highlights:

  • iPod connection adapter for select Nissan factory stereos
  • manage the iPod via your radio's CD changer controls
  • adjust volume, track up/down, fast forward/rewind
  • use up to five playlists (select five favorites, or Auto Playlist will let you choose from the first five on your iPod)
  • Direct Mode allows you to control everything via the iPod itself, giving you access to all playlists (requires a DIP switch change on the USA SPEC adapter)
  • compatible with all iPod and iPod mini models equipped with a dock connector and iPod software update 2004-04-28, or higher
  • warranty: 1 year
  • Our 60-day money-back guarantee
 

Hands-on research from the Crutchfield Labs (what are the Labs?)

Features and Specs

Features and Specs
General
Adapter Type
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iPod audio in w/ iPod control
Vehicle Specific
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Nissan
Brand Specific
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No
Parts Warranty
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1 Year
Labor Warranty
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1 Year
iPod Compatibility
Full-Size
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Classic/5Gen/4Gen
Nano
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Nano5/Nano4/Nano3/Nano2/Nano1
Touch
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Touch3/Touch2/Touch1
Mini
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Mini2/Mini1
iPhone
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Phone/Phone3G/Phone3GS

Product Research

Product Research
What's in the box?

Download owner's manual

  • iPod-to-Nissan interface
  • 72" iPod interface cable (CB-PA85)
  • 4' Adapter to Nissan radio interface (CAS-NIS)
  • Owner's manual
  • Design Change Notice sheet

Our Product Research Team

At Crutchfield, you'll get detailed, accurate information that's hard to find elsewhere. That's because we have our own in-house Product Research team — they open the box, verify contents, check the owner's manual, and record dimensions, features and specs. We stay on top of new products and technologies to help people make informed choices.

Features

Overview: This adapter allows an iPod with a dock connector to be connected to and controlled by the factory radio in select Nissan and Infinity vehicles. It is generally compatible with factory navigation systems but not factory satellite radio. Please check the Crutchfield Vehicle Selector to confirm compatibility with your vehicle.

Cables:

  • CB-PA85: iPod dock connector on one end and round 13-pin plug on the other end (plugs into the adapter)
  • CAS-NIS: Round 13-pin plug on one end (plugs into the adapter); two 10-pin and one 12-pin Molex plugs on the other (connects in between the factory radio and factory wiring)

iPod Compatibility: The PA11-NIS now includes the CB-PA85 cable allowing charging of the 4th generation nano, 2nd generation touch, and the iPhone 3G. The interface is compatible with the following Generation 3 and later iPod models:

  • iPod Photo (4th generation)
  • iPod Video (5th generation)
  • iPod U2 (4th generation)
  • iPod mini (1st/2nd generation)
  • iPod nano (1st/2nd/3rd/4th/5th generation)
  • iPod classic (80/120/160GB)
  • iPod touch (1st/2nd/3rd generation)
  • iPhone and iPhone 3G/3GS

Control Modes: The iPod interface adapter features the following control modes.

  • Playlist Mode: You can create up to 5 favorite mobile playlist then use your radio's CD changer controls to access and control your playlist.
  • Direct Mode: Gives you complete control of your iPod while it is connected to the factory radio. Your iPod is not locked out while connected to the radio and you are able to manually access your complete iPod content. The Radio still can adjust song up/down random or shuffle play but you can manually control your iPod and select any playlist, genre or Artist of your choice.
  • Dual Mode: Combines features of Direct Mode and Playlist Mode. You can create and access your favorite mobile playlist or directly access all your iPod content manually on your iPod. Your iPod displays song title information and iPod is not locked, so the iPod can be operated manually at all times. (May be referred to as the Hybrid Mode in some manuals)

Playlist Names: In order for the adapter/factory radio to recognize a playlist, it must be named NISSAN1... through NISSAN5... Text can follow the NISSAN name and number, such as NISSAN3_artistname or NISSAN2-jazz. For a given disc slot (1-5), if there is no playlist named NISSAN followed by that number, that disc slot is filled by the next available playlist on the iPod.

Auxiliary Input: In addition to the iPod input on the PA11-NIS there is an auxiliary input (RCA) for use with another source, such as a DVD system, satellite radio, etc. The aux input is accessed at disc 6 track 1 using the factory radio controls. This aux input can be used with or without the iPod connected. When using the aux input in the Playlist mode, Play All access is moved to the Disc 5 slot and the NISSAN5 custom playlist is lost.

Controls: Use the Radio's Disc Select controls to access the 5 custom mobile playlists, the Play All mode, and the auxiliary input. Track select, forward and backward, works just like on a CD. Other commands include shuffle play, scan (plays first 10 seconds of each track), repeat play, Fast Track Search (skips forward or backward 10 tracks), and Fast Forward/Fast Reverse within a song (available in shuffle mode only).

Battery Charge: The PA11-NIS charges the iPod battery when connected. Charging stops after 1 hour of non-use to prevent draining the vehicle's battery.

CD Changer Port: The adapter uses the factory radio's CD Changer port so if the vehicle has an existing outboard CD Changer it must be disconnected.

Pause: When a non-iPod source is selected on the radio (AM/FM/Cass/CD) the iPod pauses.

Resume: If the iPod is not disconnected after use, it will resume playing where it left off when you restart the vehicle. If you're listening to a playlist portably and you plug the iPod into the adapter, playback continues from that point.

 

Product Reviews

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1-10 of 49 items >> Sort Results By: Date Reviewed | Rating | Helpfulness
 
4 out of 5

:) Good but not 5 stars

Written By ErikS-NY, NY-NY on Thursday, August 19, 2010
 
05 Nissan- Pathfinder: Fac Bose, non nav

Pros: Signal & Quality sound, easy install, Manufacture help desk, Crutchfield easy exhange process

Cons: Cannot control from steering wheel controls, and does not charge 8gb IPhone, Crutchfield help desk, High Price

When first received the device was deffective and after several calls/aspirins to CF they easily exchanged it, no hassle. Now once I overcame the dim switch issues and "radio" button it worked fine. Although I hate that i have to use the right knob to switch tracks, cant use steering wheel controls (so I use direct mode). Anyways I'm more than content with the sound quality and zero static (hate static even more).

I was also dissappointed that my 8 gb iphone gives a prompt " accessory not optimized for this Iphone" and then does not charge the iphone (again false advertising), but I was impressed that when i used a GPS app I had my own "Tom-Tom." (a COOL anti-nagging feature...lol.) awesome on road trips.

Overall i am happy with the product

1 out of 1 people found this helpful
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4 out of 5

Great sound quality

Written By Mercedes, Chicago, IL on Wednesday, September 16, 2009
 
I wanted my ipod to play in the car through the stereo and without the hassles of trying to find an FM station, and it does that. The limitations as I see them are that it seems to only play from a designated Playlist. That is ok, but it would be nice to just select a song from an album, which I don't seem to be able to do. I guess I'll have to build playlists for it to work. The upside is that the sound quality is outstanding and it only took the installer 1 hour to put it in--even after he complained that taking the dash out of the G35 is a nightmare. He was pleasantly suprised and the product is good and for a good price.
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4 out of 5

Works fine on Bose in dash 6 CD changer - 06 G35 6MT

Written By ToddMT6, Atlanta on Sunday, July 05, 2009
 
Car is a 2006 G35 6MT Sedan sport premium (Bose 6 in dash, Navi, Sat, Bluetooth)

I just wanted to clarify that the thing seems to work, even though i don't have a "CD/CD CHG" button on my stereo. Once installed, hitting the CD button switches between CD and the iPod.

The instructions are pretty lame. Basically no diagram as to what plugs in where, but if you go by the "the plug only fits one place" rule, it'll all work out.

I believe I lost Sat radio connectivity, but don't really care. The CD player works, the FM/AM works, and the iPod works. I can flip through tracks with the steering wheel controls. Turning off the stereo (or the car) stops playback on the iPod, which is nice.

The sound quality is really pretty stunning. Good work there.

I would give it 5 stars, but the instruction weakness knocks it down.

Overall, very happy that it works in my car, and sounds great.

Thanks, and good luck!
2 out of 2 people found this helpful
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5 out of 5

Made for 2003 Infiniti G35 (non-Bose)

Written By prolific_one, Santa Monica, CA on Friday, February 06, 2009
 
After having my CD changer break on my 2003 Infiniti G35 (non-Bose) and being faced with a $1,500 dealer replacement, I figured I should just jump into the 21st century and get my groove on with MP3s.

Crutchfield has always been the preeminent dealer of stereos and stereo-related products, so I searched around its site and it brought me to this product.

This iPod adapter is easy to install. The only hard part is getting behind the stereo since tearing apart the G35's dashboard is hard.

After finally figuring out which cable goes into which hole, the product worked perfectly, bypassing the broken CD changer. Note: You need to press the "DISC" button twice to get to the iPod adapter.

I've used this product for the past 3 weeks, as of this writing, and it hasn't messed with me yet. I finally get to listen to music again.

Five stars for the adapter; One star for Infinti/Nissan's inferior stereo products.
2 out of 2 people found this helpful
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5 out of 5

Works like a charm

Written By Matthew, Philadelphia, PA on Friday, January 16, 2009
 
What can I say about this item other than it works as advertised in my '01 Maxima with Bose system. Took under an hour to install. I am now enjoying crystal clear sound from my Satellite radio via the aux input, and direct play from my iPhone. Steering wheel controls work for next/previous track. After ordering the updated cable ($15), the unit now charges my iPhone 3g as well.

The unit automatically switches to the iPod input when it detects that one is hooked up, and then back to the aux input when the iPod is unplugged. This is a nice touch.

Only gripe (which isn't USA Spec's fault), the clearance under the passenger seat of my Maxima is too small to fit this adapter underneath of, so I have to get a little more creative with where to mount it.

So overall, I am very satisfied with this unit, and would recommend it to anyone wants direct iPod capability while maintaining their factory stereo.
1 out of 1 people found this helpful
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5 out of 5

YouTube is your friend when it comes to installation!

Written By Jerry, Columbus, MS on Thursday, November 13, 2008
 
I heartily agree with all of the positive reviews, but the installation could be a bit daunting for a novice installer like myslef. A quick search of YouTube produced a step-by-step installation video. I highly recommend using that resource. The installation was actually fairly straightforward, but the video will ease your mind before you start disassembling the dash on your $30K car!
5 out of 5 people found this helpful
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4 out of 5

ipod adapter

Written By Dwight, La Grange, NC on Thursday, November 06, 2008
 
Works great and the installation was super easy! My only faults is that it is a little pricey for what you get. It doesn't display your playlists, artists, or songs on the factory display. I could have bought an aftermarket head unit for just a little more money that would display everything, but I guess that's the trade off of wanting to keep the factory head unit. Overall not a bad product.
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5 out of 5

Works perfectly

Written By mpc340, Florida on Tuesday, October 07, 2008
 
Works great in a 2004 infinity g35 coupe, bose, sat ready. Install was easy and it plays in direct mode with my iphone 3g even though it doesnt charge it (USA Spec says there comming out with a new cable that will allow the iphone 3g to charge). I even can use the steering wheel controles which is a huge plus.
1 out of 2 people found this helpful
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5 out of 5

Works great!

Written By Mark, Lincoln, NE on Monday, October 06, 2008
 
Easy to install and easy to use- wish I would have done this a long time ago!! Best option for keeping the factory stereo in and getting an iPod/iPhone player and charger.
1 out of 1 people found this helpful
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5 out of 5

Works Great!!

Written By Dustin, Las Cruces, NM on Monday, August 25, 2008
 
This product works great! Now connecting my IPhone to my '03 Infiniti G35.

No more FM transmitter static YAY!! The only difficulty encountered was actually getting to the back of the factory stereo to connect the product.

The adapter works with the steering wheel controls and also offers auxillary RCA inputs to which I connected my Sirius radio. I would highly
recommend this product!

1 out of 1 people found this helpful
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1-10 of 49 items >>

Learn more about iPod Adapters for Car Stereos

Learn more about iPod Adapters for Car Stereos

Video: Playing an iPod in Your Car

Video: Playing an iPod in Your Car

Zak Billmeier
6/19/2008
based on 102 ratings (5 comments)
 

This short video describes your options for playing an iPod through your car's sound system.

 
iPod® Car Stereo Adapter Shopping Guide

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How to get the best sound quality from your portable music player when connecting it to your car stereo.

 
iPod® Installation Guide

iPod® Installation Guide

Todd Cabell
5/5/2009
based on 19 ratings (2 comments)
 

Step-by-step instructions on how to connect an iPod to your car stereo.

 
iPod® Generations Chart

iPod® Generations Chart

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10/29/2010
based on 716 ratings (11 comments)
 

Sort out which generation iPod you have with these handy charts. Includes the iPod, iPod mini, iPod nano, and iPod touch.

 

For a more in-depth review and enhanced detailed information on the USA Spec iPod® Interface, please visit the Crutchfield website product page (/ISEO-rccbcspd/p_581PA11NIS/USA-Spec-iPod-Interface.html ).

USA Spec iPod® Interface