Best Audi A4 Concert Ipod Connection

[Gooner71]

I'm looking to connect my ipod to my concert head unit via the glove box and have arrived at either:

Connects2: CTAADIPOD003

http://www.nexxia.co.uk/iPod_MP3_Adaptors/audi.htm

or XCARLINK

http://www.xcarlink.co.uk/product.ph...6&cat=0&page=1

Does anyone have any experience of which offers the greater flexibility of control via the head unit?

I'm looking to be able to scroll through albums, select songs and playlists....

Thanks
Simon

[rick_s]

I have the carlink one mate and it's pretty good. I'd defo recommend it.
It lets you scroll through albums, songs and playlists.. pretty much everything.

Don't know anyone who has a connect2u one, so not too sure how good they are! Took me about 45mins to fit the carlink one.. 10mins to connect it and the rest was spent routing the wires.. very easy indeed.

Rick

[Gooner71]

Rick,

Thanks for the info. Do you use buttons to scroll through the albums or a knob and is it quick?

I previously had a Connects2 version and you had to repeatedly press a button to scroll through the artists / albums and when you have loads this took forever and wasn't feasible.

Can you press and hold a button to scroll faster?

[rick_s]

Hi, i have no idea to be honest! I've never used the dial to scroll..
I also dont scroll by album at all, I have around 8 playlists and my main playlist is one of those 'smart lists' and I just randomly skip through it. I'll check to see if the dial works or not...

[rick_s]

Can you press and hold a button to scroll faster?

No, you cant.

But you can use the dial to scroll and yes, it is fast. But with mine not displaying song details etc, I jus leave it on random anyways.

[Gooner71]

Rick,

Thanks for responding. just so I'm clear, can you control your ipod and select artists etc via the head unit or do you have to use the ipod itself?

Also, you say song details aren't displayed. do you mean on the head unit? Is this standard or specific to your setup?

[maxlbrown]

My concert does not display title or artist info. not sure on concert 2S i think this was ok.

therefore if you have concert 1 i suspect the ipod connection will just give you an interfave to get the sound into the head unit. if so it would be better t save 50 quid and just get the MP3 connector.

Does the cd changer still work with these interfaces installed? i dont kno and the sites dont say so either.

Max

[rick_s]

can you control your ipod and select artists etc via the head unit or do you have to use the ipod itself?

You have to use the ipod. You can only control playlists from the headunit.

Basically, when you initially connect the Ipod it only acts as 'an interface to get the sound into the head unit' as max put it... and you have full control of your ipod and a few functions on the headunit. Then when you press the CD+ button (as if you were using the CD changer), it goes into headunit mode and then you cannot use the ipod at all.. it just displays 'connected'. You can then control the ipod tracklists etc from the headunit.

Hope that makes sense!.. :-/

Also, you say song details aren't displayed. do you mean on the head unit? Is this standard or specific to your setup?

Yes, not sure which headunit I have.. but it's standard on similar models. Only on the newer headunit's do you get all the song info.

Does the cd changer still work with these interfaces installed? i dont kno and the sites dont say so either.

Yes. If you press the CD button once, it goes to the Ipod and if u press it twice, it goes to the CD changer.. or vice versa.. Can't remember which way round it is!

[JohnyIre]

Just ordered the xcarlink one today, non ipod version. Lovely sounding kit, just hope it installs easily.

[A4Ade]

Hi Johny

Did it install easily? Can you share any info on the install?

Cheers,
Ade