Monster Cable iCruze for Apple iPod

[nfire]

Monster cable has a new device that allows the use of a cars factory head unit to control Apple’s iPod. This sounds like a great idea! The down side is you have to disable your CD changer. http://www.monstercable.com/icruze/

Before I consider this mod I was wondering if anyone has installed one in their NSX yet.

 

[jimmycinla]

I heard it takes forever to get through the playlist list, artist list etc. No scroll like the iPod. Alpine makes one too for their AiNet HU's.
-j-

 

[NSXrebel]

i have the kenwood interface in my car. its not blazing fast, but not too slow either. from what i've read , the kenwood interface is best one compared to the alpine and pioneer interfaces. I love it.

 

[BioBanker]

What I dont get is why it is so expensive. The PIE AUX that I used to connect my iPod to my stock S2000 deck was $50, not $250 like this one. I cannot find a difference in functionality either - it looks like a plain jane PIE AUX.

What am I missing?

I am desperately looking for a solution to hook my iPod to the stock system without using a transmitter, modulator or casette adapter. What is available for an 02+ car, I cant find any 02+ compatible PIE AUX's. Also, that site lists compatibility only to 01. Would it even work with an 02?

 

[NSXrebel]

wow, $250 is alot. I paid $100 for mine, not cheap, but still I think its worth it.

 

[NSXrebel]

I am desperately looking for a solution to hook my iPod to the stock system without using a transmitter, modulator or casette adapter. What is available for an 02+ car, I cant find any 02+ compatible PIE AUX's. Also, that site lists compatibility only to 01. Would it even work with an 02?

the stock headunit controls an alpine cd changer. alpine makes an interface to hook up an ipod to an alpine headunit essentially acting like a changer. you could try getting that interface and hooking your ipod that way.

KCA-420i iPod interface


and this

 

[dave22]

What I dont get is why it is so expensive.

Because Monster Cable is one of the biggest pile of crap ripoff companies out there

 

[BioBanker]

the stock headunit controls an alpine cd changer. alpine makes an interface to hook up an ipod to an alpine headunit essentially acting like a changer. you could try getting that interface and hooking your ipod that way.

KCA-420i iPod interface


and this

Will this work? Is the back of the stock Bose deck configured to accept this? ie is the input for the stock changer configured for the bose deck or is the bose deck configured for the Alpine changer?

Anyone had success with this?

 

[nfire]

Thanks for the feedback. I guess I need to find a demo before a decision is made.

Dave22 I agree with your coments about Monster.

 

[bnesse]

I am "in process" on doing this installation. As my CD changer decided to die on me, I thought I'd replace it with an iCruze/iPod installation.

I managed to get the setup to work plugging it directly into the head unit using the recommended IC-HND1 adapter kit (though the Monster instructions were wrong about which cable to use for the '99 stereo ). It appeared to work pretty much as advertised. The program button selects the next playlist (supports 6). The previous & next track buttons do just that... I didn't play with it much beyond that.

Unfortunately for me, I'd rather have it installed in the trunk so as to take advantage of the SmarTenna system I have installed. I modified one of the included cables (the one that I can't use) to match the pin configurations from the head unit to the iCruze, but it didn't work. I assume this is because the wires from the head unit to the CD changer are not straight-thru. The project for the coming weekend will be to rip the head unit out again, and verify the pinouts on the changer cable (which I was really hoping I wouldn't have to do). :frown:

 

[Da Hapa]

I am "in process" on doing this installation. As my CD changer decided to die on me, I thought I'd replace it with an iCruze/iPod installation.

I managed to get the setup to work plugging it directly into the head unit using the recommended IC-HND1 adapter kit (though the Monster instructions were wrong about which cable to use for the '99 stereo ). It appeared to work pretty much as advertised. The program button selects the next playlist (supports 6). The previous & next track buttons do just that... I didn't play with it much beyond that.

Unfortunately for me, I'd rather have it installed in the trunk so as to take advantage of the SmarTenna system I have installed. I modified one of the included cables (the one that I can't use) to match the pin configurations from the head unit to the iCruze, but it didn't work. I assume this is because the wires from the head unit to the CD changer are not straight-thru. The project for the coming weekend will be to rip the head unit out again, and verify the pinouts on the changer cable (which I was really hoping I wouldn't have to do). :frown:

Keep us apprised of your progress. I'm totally spoiled with my wife's Ipod and can't wait to find a way to replace the crappy OEM CD Changer in my trunk with something better.

 

[bnesse]

Well... I realized, after posting yesterday, that my problem was actually that I have a PIE adapter in my trunk due to the fact that the previous owner installed an aftermarket Alpine changer. :redface:

I removed the PIE adapter, plugged in the iCruze and the Honda adapter, and voila. I can now add to yesterdays post that the "music search" buttons also skip through the playlist 10 songs at a time. Also, the "repeat" button seems to be disabled.

Unfortunately there appear to be two issues. The first, and most important, is that the iCruze appears to have "startup issues". It isn't very reliable about getting audio out to the head unit when the radio is initally turned on. I'm not 100% certain, but I believe the iPod is playing, but the signal isn't getting back to the head unit. I found that I needed to advance to the next or previous track, or sometimes even change playlists to get the audio to kick in... very annoying for a $250 piece of equipment. Once you get it playing, however, it seems to work fine.

The second issue is that the power usage/output from the iCruze unit seems to be just different enough somehow that the SmarTenna system keeps my antenna down all the time... not just when the iPod is active.

Given time I might be able to work around the second issue, but the first one may be a deal breaker.

 

[bnesse]

FYI: I decided that the iCruze just didn't operate well enough, or consistently enough, to merit keeping and returned it this weekend. Hopefully someone will come out with a better solution for the Acura/Bose sound system in the near future.

 

[Deuce B]

I just looked at that icruise and checked it for a friends car who uses an ipod. Well, he not only would need the $250 icruise, but the icruise interface which is another $99.

So for him, it'd be $350 for the icruise package. He's not interested.

 

[whealy]

Unfortunately there appear to be two issues. The first, and most important, is that the iCruze appears to have "startup issues". It isn't very reliable about getting audio out to the head unit when the radio is initally turned on. I'm not 100% certain, but I believe the iPod is playing, but the signal isn't getting back to the head unit.

I've got a Monster cable for FM modulation. Not the best sound, but works for the time being. When I start up the car, there is probably around 5 seconds of radio static until the Monster kicks in. I assume it's powering up. As to why it takes so long, I haven't a clue. I have the same cable in another vehicle and I think it has the same delay.

As for the wrong wires, I would think our NSX's would be confusing. After all it's a 91 head unit in whatever year we have. Their information has year blocks where it says that Honda and Acura used the same head unit connections acrross the entire line or so. Had the same issue in a 02 Prowler with an early 90's factor head unit.

 

[whealy]

the stock headunit controls an alpine cd changer. alpine makes an interface to hook up an ipod to an alpine headunit essentially acting like a changer. you could try getting that interface and hooking your ipod that way.

Good info, but I don't think it will work on our head units. Here's a quote from the Alpine site ...

The KCA-420i can be added to any 2004 Alpine Ai-NET head unit.

Ai-NET came out like 3 years ago or after 00 for sure. So I don't think there's any way our head unit (designed 91) would be Ai-NET capable. I beleive it's the interface that allows text names from the CD player to be poassed back to the had unit along with other necessary controls.