# Ipod to amp, no head unit, possible???



## brandonscy (Feb 25, 2011)

Need some help!

Wanting to hook my ipod up to my amp in my car with out a head unit. This way I can just have my ipod somewhere near the drivers seat and have all my music right at my fingers.

Have bought an AV CABLE to connect ipod to amp via rca.

Will this work? Any advice would be great.

Thanks!


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## Ancillery (Feb 9, 2011)

You would need a way to turn your amps on somehow with the rem wire. Maby wire a switch? I think the input voltage from your ipod would be to low for the amp as well.


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## t3sn4f2 (Jan 3, 2007)

No time to go into detail tonight but it will work GREAT if you get a "line out dock" and a JL Audio CL-RLC. I think there is one on sale here now.


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## brandonscy (Feb 25, 2011)

Hey thanks above for the help. Il check those out. Iv just bought a 3.5mm Stereo Male to 2RCA Male 22AWG Cable for now and will give that a go. Someone told me it would do the trick. It goes into the headphone jack which isnt as good as a dock as the quality i believe wont be as good and it wont charge so am going to look into what ts3n4f2 said.

unfortunately im not so good at this so Ancillery kind of lost me there. 

I have another question if you could answer it would be great.

I have an 1800 watt Audiobahn amp which im trying to connect to this ipod. I dont have any cables at all and need advice on what to buy? The more specific the better as im not too good at this stuff, trying to learn...

Appreciate the help allot!


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## dragonrage (Feb 14, 2007)

find a home audio Ipod dock that takes a 12v wall plug and just wire your own power cord instead. RCA out to amp.


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## brandonscy (Feb 25, 2011)

I have an ipod dock, so id need to get power to it right? So Id need to link the car battery to the dock right?


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## Bndrulez (Feb 3, 2008)

The Ipod to RCA will work for input, but you would nee to wire up a remote wire to the amp so that they turn on which is what Ancillery was saying. Find a fuse in your fuse box that operates with the key in the ignition, something like power windows, and run a remote wire from there to the amp, otherwise they won't turn on.


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## Bndrulez (Feb 3, 2008)

Also, there is no difference in quality from the music that comes from the dock sections VS the music that comes from the headphone jack. Theres a thread floating around somewhere about it.


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## brandonscy (Feb 25, 2011)

I see what your saying Bndrulez, will try figure it out. 

Thanks to everyone else too.


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## t3sn4f2 (Jan 3, 2007)

brandonscy said:


> I have an ipod dock, so id need to get power to it right? So Id need to link the car battery to the dock right?


I'd invest in a car dock or car docking cable that take the line out from the docking connector (without messing with it, ie any circuitry in between) and charges the iPod as well. Not that it will sound better like Bndrulez mentioned (assuming it's a quality iDevice model, http://www.diymobileaudio.com/forum/member-reviews-product-comparisons/77343-iphone-3gs-unloaded-headphone-out-measurements.html), but because it's a more reliable and proper _hardware_ interface for an auxiliary connection. Why have a dock connection to charge and a headphone jack when it's not needed. Sure you loose volume control through the dock if line out routing is done as it should, but it's not needed since you really should be connecting the iDevice to a line driver with level adjustment.

Think of the JL device as not only a line driver but also as a buffer for an iDevice output that might struggle driving your amps inputs all the way in the back of the car. Mount the CL-RLC in the front as close to the iDevice as possible and power and ground them from the same power connection points.


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## brandonscy (Feb 25, 2011)

Cool, il do just that . Thakns


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## brandonscy (Feb 25, 2011)

could an ipod app be created to work as an EQ? Controll treble and base?


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## shawndoggy (Nov 7, 2005)

brandonscy said:


> could an ipod app be created to work as an EQ? Controll treble and base?


it's already in there.

I'd get something like an Isimple IS76










and plug that into a clarion eqs-746










Then you are driving your amp with 7v pre-outs rather than the ipod's wimpy 1v, and you have volume, sub, fade and EQ at your fingertips. Guys run a headless setup just like this on wakeboats with huge stereos regularly.


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## Bndrulez (Feb 3, 2008)

That is a nice find on the Isimple.


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## t3sn4f2 (Jan 3, 2007)

Bndrulez said:


> That is a nice find on the Isimple.


x2, just make sure it is compatible with your idevice model. 

Also assuming you still don't want a large device in between the amps and the iPod, JBL is coming out with an affordable autotune processor like the ms8 but simpler that goes between the AUX device and AUX input on a headunit. It's called the ms2 iirc, there is a thread on it here. You can use it in your setup. Just think of the line driver as the headunit it plugs into. That little thing should should make your system sound a million times better then any iPod eq or basic external piece. 

http://www.diymobileaudio.com/forum/diyma-sq-forum-technical-advanced/97677-jbl-ms-2-a.html

Then there is also a used alpine pxe-h650 which would eliminate the need for the jl piece. 

Personally, I'd go with the JBL jl combo along with the simple adapter. Unless you are looking to upgrade in the future to more channels, amps and speakers where you would need the added flexibity of the pxe-h650.


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