# Alpine CDA-7949 Aux and CDs



## Resonant (Mar 20, 2011)

I know this has been discussed but I could not find it in the search. I have an Alpine CDA-7949 and was wondering how to go about getting an AUX input on it.

Also I know they are very picky about CDs, has anyone had luck with any certain brand of CDR without a changer/shuttle?


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## cobb2819 (Jan 13, 2011)

KCA-121B for Aux should work. as for CDR, never had consistant luck. i just rip my CDs to lossless for my iPod and run Aux in through dock connector.


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## Resonant (Mar 20, 2011)

I ordered one of those a few days ago I read something that you have to put a toggle switch between the cellphone mute and a ground to activate the aux input?


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## cobb2819 (Jan 13, 2011)

nope, plug it into the back and go into the menu and turn on aux. or just send me your 7949 and problem solved, HAHA


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## Resonant (Mar 20, 2011)

Alright cool maybe the new adapters are different then. I thought the adapters wouldn't work normal on the older non versatile link units.


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## cobb2819 (Jan 13, 2011)

the 7949 is AI-Net/Versatile Link, thus the A in CDA-7949


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## Resonant (Mar 20, 2011)

Ah ok guess I misunderstood, thanks for the info


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## ryanr7386 (Feb 21, 2011)

Your wasting your time trying to get a 7949 to play any type of CDR. I have tried Memorex, TDK and none of them work in mine. Funny thing is they all work in my 7909 though which is what, 10 years older? Get an Ai-NET chnager thats compatible with CDR's and problem solved.


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## Resonant (Mar 20, 2011)

That's what I figured, CDs are not important if the aux works ok and sounds decent.


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## Resonant (Mar 20, 2011)

Well I installed the adapter, it does not work without connecting a ground to the interrupt wire. The option for the AUX had to be switched on in one of the menus and the mute had to be set to off and the sound comes through.


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## trumpet (Nov 14, 2010)

Resonant said:


> Well I installed the adapter, it does not work without connecting a ground to the interrupt wire. The option for the AUX had to be switched on in one of the menus and the mute had to be set to off and the sound comes through.


I've done this same procedure on my CDA-7894. Grounding the pink wire makes the head unit show INTERRUPT but it makes no difference to the audio output. I'm using a Scosche adapter to give me RCA input on the Ai-NET port. I have also tried to use a CHA-S634 changer and it also has the same problem with the audio output. I get no sound through the RCA outs, and with my rear speakers off head unit power I can barely hear some weak and scratchy audio. Maybe my head unit is damaged. I did have it repaired once, not by an Alpine service center, and I don't know the complete history of this unit.


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## Toys7505 (Jul 1, 2008)

I had a CDA-7949 and the only way I was able to get an AUX input was to get a KCA-801b adapter. This little box hooks up w/ Ai-Net cable which gives you a set of RCA inputs and you need to install a switch to activate it to trigger the CD-Changer input but will pass through whatever you have hooked into the RCA inputs of the adapter. I did this for my Ipod before Alpine had thier first outboard Ipod adpater (KCA-420?). 

You can still get this adapter through PAC parts.......

I think I still have a pic of my setup from that car, I look and post it showing the CDA-7949 with my Ipod.

Ok, found them......
First one is an overview shot of my dash from my '94 Accord EX









In this one you can see the switch I was talking about as well as my Ipod that I used back then.....









CDA-7949 is on top and the second unit is a ERE-G320 processor......


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## ChrisB (Jul 3, 2008)

If the 7949 is anything like my 7941 was, it should like Mitsui media or Grade A Taiyo Yuden/JVC discs. Edit: I also recommend recording at the slowest speed possible for best results.


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## plick (Nov 23, 2011)

I was able to use my ipod through my 7949 via an AiNet cable.
I hooked up my cha-634, went to it on the source menu of the 7949, turned the 7949 off, hooked the ipod up in its place and woohoo, I have 80 gigs of lossles tunes. when you use the changer to fool the HU though, make sure it doesnt have any disks in it!, otherwise the HU will continually look for the disk that was there and lose the ipod. If it "thinks" there is no disk carriage in it, it never checks and therefore never loses the ipod, works great.
The only caveot is...I had to put in a dash mounted switch for the power to the ipod, that way I can turn the charger off,(along with the noise it creates!) when Im listening to the ipod.


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## Curtsan (Feb 3, 2012)

Is it possible to have someone post a PDF of a schematic and parts needed for hooking this up ...I'm just not following the hook upwith the switch and interupt thing. I've had a 7949 sitting around in a box for many years...loved it when I used it, but replaced it with a 7998 but now that one went in my son's car, so rather than going back to factory and speaker level /rca level converter to go to my amp, I was thinking of resurecting the 7949...I have a AI-net CD changer, and would also like to add ipod through Auxillary....can this be done, andif so, how?

Its been so long since I used this deck,that I can't recall the menus , but I do recall it was a veyr nice sounding deck.

Thanks


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## Toys7505 (Jul 1, 2008)

Here is the instruction manual for the KCA-801b w/ a few diagram setups you can follow depending on your current system and components.......

Hope this helps you........


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## Curtsan (Feb 3, 2012)

Thanks, I've been googling all morning to find something concrete...I am having this desire to do an old school set up . I used to win all kinds of SQ competitions back in the 90's. Over the years, and the Audio/video /Ipod rage, I somehow got away from that...I'm digging up my old 7949, and my 3 MRV Expert "05" series amps, and and old school EQ, the kind with the 30 little dials on it and redo my system. It would just be nice to have ipod input over CD's...I'll give this a look...thanks


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