iPod Car Adapters: Tips for Getting the Best Sound from Your Investment

IPod car adapters are a wonderful invention – you can listen to the tunes you have stored on your iPod right through your car stereo speakers!  The trouble is, if you don’t know what you’re doing you may have some problems, especially with cassette adapters or the wireless FM version.  This article will help you get the best sound possible no matter which type of iPod car adapter you choose.

If you can afford it, the built-in jack is the best way to go.  With this option you never have to worry about interference, hissing noises, static or any other problems that may occur with other iPod car adapters.  However, if you cannot afford the built-in jack, you can still enjoy exceptional music quality if you know a few simple little tricks you can do yourself.

For cassette adapters:

These iPod car adapters are usually the cheapest, and perfect for those with older model cars that came from the factory with a cassette player.  If you experience hissing or clicking noises, here is what you need to do:

Turn the volume on your iPod up loud, but not as loud as it will go.  When the volume is as loud as you like it, leave it on that setting.  Once it is hooked up to your car, use the knobs on the car stereo to adjust the volume up or down.  If you experience a hissing noise at any time, most likely it’s because you turned the volume of the stereo up louder than the volume of your iPod.  You may have to experiment a bit to find the exact spot where you get the best sound quality, but generally speaking it’s best to keep your iPod at a louder volume than your car stereo.

For wireless FM transmitters:

The biggest problem you may have with these iPod car adapters is static or bleeding through from other radio stations.  Unless you live in a huge city with dozens of radio stations, this trick will most likely work for you:

Scan your FM dial at the lowest and highest ends of the scale.  For example, most FM stations begin in the 90′s, so go down into the 80′s range.  At this point, you will want to locate a station with no frequency; in other words, an empty station.  This will give you much better sound quality, and you will have less interference.  If you can locate three stations together with no frequency, you have hit the jackpot!  Using an empty station that is between two other unused stations will allow you to listen to perfect, crystal clear music.

iPod car adapters come in a wide price range, from extremely affordable to medium priced to pricier options.  Depending on your needs for the make and model of car you have and your budget, you can find the perfect solution so that you can enjoy your iPod no matter where you go.