iPod® Car Stereo Adapter Shopping Guide

These days, we can integrate iPod control with almost any vehicle's stereo by using vehicle- or stereo-specific adapters. Sometimes, you'll have more than one adapter to choose from, and it's not always easy to know which adapter will do the best job. Most new aftermarket stereos have iPod and iPhone controls built in, so you don't need anything more than the iPod cable for basic audio control.

What does an iPod adapter do?

iPod control adapters make it easier than ever to listen to your iPod in the car. In fact, a control adapter can make your whole in-car iPod experience better: better sound due to the direct audio connection, your iPod's battery stays charged, and it's safer because you don't have to play with the iPod. Different adapters offer different degrees of control. In the end, it comes down to the specific combination of stereo and adapter, but here's the lowdown on what you can expect from an iPod control adapter.

Basic features you gain from using an iPod adapter in the car

• Music controls — Use the stereo's controls to play, pause, stop, forward, and reverse the music.
• Access to playlists — You'll have access to playlists, but some adapters, especially those for factory stereos, limit the number of playlists you can get to. Many adapters allow song searching.
• Power — The iPod is powered by the adapter and the battery charges while connected.
• Locked iPod — In most cases, the iPod's controls are locked out — you have to use your stereo's controls, so you can tuck the iPod safely away in your console or glovebox. And of course, some stereos give you the option of switching to the iPod's controls. They often refer to this as "Passenger Mode."
• App control — many newer stereos let you access specialized apps on your iPod from the stereo. The most basic of these is Pandora controls that let you access your Pandora account (select your channels, rate songs, skip tracks, etc.). But other stereos have far more advanced app controls, especially if the stereo has a video screen.

Speed: How fast do the stereo and iPod communicate?

Speed of control mostly depends on the type of adapter you have.

USB connection — Stereos that have built-in iPod controls and connect to the iPod via USB input are the fastest at relaying information between the iPod and stereo. You shouldn't see any lag time. This style of interface is found on a lot of aftermarket stereos, like the Kenwood Excelon KDC-X396. In many cases, you can use the cable that came with your iPod to connect and control it from the stereo. But, shop carefully — some stereos require a special iPod adapter cable in order for you to get full control.	Use the cable that came with your iPod to control it with the Kenwood Excelon KDC-X396 CD receiver.
Built-in iPod controls — Some stereos have the iPod controls built in using either a front-panel or rear-panel USB slot. You can use the cable that came with your iPod to connect it, or you can purchase an additional cable so you can leave your other one at home.	The Kenwood KCA-iP102 lets you leave your original iPod cable at home.
External control boxes — Often, the iPod controls are housed in an outboard box that connects to the stereo and iPod. This creates an extra step in the processing chain, and tends to have some lag time between song selection at the stereo and playback from the iPod. This is the most common option for controlling an iPod with a factory stereo.	USA Spec makes iPod adapters for factory stereos.

Functionality: How easy is it to control your iPod from the stereo?

Functionality refers to how easy it is to manipulate the iPod's functions from your car stereo. This factor is usually more dependent on the stereo than the iPod adapter, but, as mentioned above, adapters vary in how much access they grant to the iPod's features.

The stereo's display: Consider a basic display with a single line of text, limited to 8 or 10 characters visible at a time. Song text might scroll across the display. You probably have to switch view settings to see artist name, song title, and playlist, or there might be only numeric designations for playlists. Factory stereos and budget-priced aftermarket receivers usually fall into this category. Compare that display to one with three lines of text that shows you all of the song information at once. Searching for songs and folders is going to be much easier on a display that shows this much detail.

The large control knob mimics the iPod's click wheel on the Kenwood KIV-BT901 digital media receiver.

• The stereo controls: Just as the display is important for being able to see what you're doing, having radio controls that are suited for searching and accessing a song library affects iPod control too.

iPod compatibility and shopping for a new stereo

To help figure out what level of control a new car stereo is capable of, we added an iPod compatibility filter to the car stereo section of our web site. On the left nav bar, you'll see the following section:

iPod Control

• App Compatible
• Audio Playback
• iPhone 4S Compatible
• Pandora
• Video Playback

App Compatible: These stereos give you access to one or more apps on your iPod or iPhone. On more advanced receivers, like Pioneer's AppRadio, you might get access to many apps that have been tailored to the stereo.

Audio Playback: This option refers standard audio controls. You can use the stereo to access the audio content stored on your iPod or iPhone. You usually don't need to buy any optional adapters and they tend to give you the best level of control.

iPhone 4S Compatible: These stereos are specifically compatible with the newer iPhones.

Pandora: This is a subset of the stereos in the above category that specifically have the ability to control Pandora Internet radio through your iPhone.

Video Playback: This option means that the stereo can play video content from your iPod or iPhone. This includes streaming video content, such as YouTube and Netflix. Keep in mind that viewing videos on your car stereo's screen requires that the vehicle be stopped and the parking brake be engaged. This feature usually requires that you purchase a special adapter cable. (You can use the standard iPod cable for basic audio controls, just like the "Audio Playback" category above.)

Here to help

If you have any questions about how to add iPhone or iPod control to your current stereo, or want help shopping for a new stereo, send us an emaiil or give us a call. Our Crutchfield advisors are always ready to help.

[Shop for car receivers]