When it comes to iPod Car kits, there are two names that stand out above the rest, Dension and Dice. However, there are other brands out there that make iPod car kits, and not all of them are bad.

Connects2 have been making integrated solutions for iPods for some time now. Even though they are not recognised as a major iPod kit manufacturer by the general public, their kits have always worked well, and been a lot more cost effective than the Dension and Dice products.

Although they lack some features, for example text display, they still offer a solution for all iPods and almost all cars. The lack of text compatibility is sometimes a problem for people, but as not all stereos even support text, it is not always a problem. For the price the kit is well worth the investment if a basic connection is what you are looking for. Unfortunately the kits only support charging on the 12V firewire iPods, the new 5V usb iPods work with the kit but do not charge.

Recently prices of Dension Products rose by 30% in line with the ever strengthening Euro. IPodCarKitDirect have tried hard to keep the Dice prices from spiralling upwards also, as the pound weakened against the dollar, meaning importing stock from America was more expensive than before. Out of all of the price increases, one brand have actually reduced the cost of there kits to make it cheaper for iPod users to connect their music to their vehicles stereos.

Connects2 have reduced their prices by 16% which iPodCarKitDirect have passed straight onto the customer, meaning you can connect your iPod to your vehicles stereo and control it from the head unit for a low price of £74.97 (Reduced from £89.97)

The kits are a perfect alternative to the universal kits, which incidentally are often mistaken for low quality transmitters. Although the universal kits give crystal clear audio like the Connects2 kit, their lack of control from the stereo often puts customers off them, as they are usually too use to the stereo wheel controls they have with the stereo.

iPodcarkitdirect have for the first time made High Quality Car Audio components and products available on the site. Due to the Massive amounts of people wanting our input and guidance when increasing the quality of they’re factory fitted audio system, Ipodcarkitdirect decided source and test car audio components & made the best of them purchasable on www.iPodcarkitdirect.co.uk.

Rockford Fosgate, The Definitive brand of Car Audio is now available to purchase. Recognised as the leading brand for many years Rockford’s’ stylish design of all they’re products is a key feature for they’re popularity. Many of their products have a Bespoke, Modern & Quality look and feel, meaning they complement and improve even the most stunning car interior. However this is only where the Rockford’s Expertises begins. The Sensational Quality of the Rockford’s product range is recognisable as soon as heard, easily surpassing many manufacturer upgrades such as BOSE and Harmon Kardon.

The Most beneficial part of upgrading your car audio system is that you are in control of What / How much & Where you want to improve. If you feel the need for a Better Quality, Much Crisper & Cleaner sound, replace your door speakers, If you feel that you need more Depth and Bass in the Instrumentals you can include a Subwoofer into the system. Your choice for improvement is endless.

Get the Most out of your iPod Car Kit & Listen to music how it should be heard!

Check Out the Full Range of after-market upgrade components under High End Car Audio in the Products tab

We would like to inform anybody that are looking to buy Dension Gateway iPod kits from ANY source – whether it be online or offline – to be very careful.

iPodCarKitDirect & Dension have been informed of a number of “Grey stock” items which have been imported illegally or through the wrong channels are worming their way into the UK market.

When buying an iPod kit for your car, please double check that the items you ordering are legitimate otherwise the Dension warranty will be void. If you are aware of anybody selling these kits then please inform ourselves.

There are VERY FEW legitimate online dealers of Dension iPod kits, for a full list visit the following link:
http://www.dension.com/dealers.php

OK, so you are probably thinking “How do i tell if the people selling me the Dension kit are buying them from the correct source?” Well the answer is simple:

When you buy, ask the retailer if they can tell you the serial number on the item, the serial number is always found on a Dension sticker on the bottom of the unit. If they cannot provide this then they don’t have one – meaning that the stock is NOT to be trusted.

If you already have an item purchased from anywhere which doesn’t have a sticker then please contact them to discuss.

iPod car kits are increasingly being used to bring the sound reproduction and quality into the car.

The major player in the market is Dension with the flagship product, the Dension ice>Link Plus which is now available in the UK the major outlet being iPod Car Kits Direct.

The Dension ice>Link Plus comes in a variety of flavours and you need to ensure compatibility, ‘03 models upwards tends to present no problems for Porsche, Mercedes, Audi, BMW and Jaguar but it’s best to check.

I spoke with Ian Disley, Managing Director of iPod Car Kits Direct, the leading online reseller of the Dension ice>Link Plus and this is what he had to say:

 ”The Dension ice>Link Plus is very flexible and adaptable, with it we can tailor the installation to suit the customers requirements whether they have a factory or post-factory fitted in-car entertainment system.”

I asked Ian about fitting the kit in the vehicle and controlling it through the steering wheel controls:

“There’s no problem with that, if you have steering wheel controls we can connect the iPod Car Kit directly to it so you have full control just as you normally would. The Dension really does provide a seamless solution and it’s a discrete fit that doesn’t clutter up the car interior.” 

The Dension ice>Link Plus also does not rely on the once unlawful FM transmitter and will charge your iPod while in use in the car, so I believe it may be time to throw out the CD changer – who needs that in the boot when you can carry all that digital music ?

Ensure the supplier you use is able to deliver a quality installation service, many of us will remember some of the issues when carphones first appeared and the drastic effect on resale values of post installation vehicles.

Dension themselves have concentrated on producing iPod car accessories and I understand they are currently burning the midnight oil with the iPhone announcement so watch this space.

A subject and question that pops up at least 100 times a week online, in the support centre or on the internet forums is “do i go for Aftermarket or Factory Fit when selecting an iPod Car Kit?” Factory Fit is also known as Factory Fitted, Factory Upgrades or OE which stands for Original Equipment.

Well its a good question and a very important one that must be established before you choose to source your in-car iPod car kit or add-on gadget, on or offline. We hear many stories of car dealers, car dealerships and car audio retailers on and offline that simply give out shocking advice on this subject just to get a quick sale.

Beware of bad advice…

The result = They will sell you a cheap AUX iPod Car Kit hoping that you’ll never find out that there is a far better product out there for Aftermarket and Factory Fitted car radios. Read on and i’ll explain more…

Aftermarket: 
In simple terms Aftermarket means products manufacturered as a retail product for sale in shops, online, etc. These are branded producs that are universal in design and can be fitted in any car. For example a Sony CD Player can be fitted in any car using the correct additional installation accessories made by Autoleads or Connects2.

Factory Fit:
Factory fit on the other hand are vehicle specific and will only work with the make and model of car they were designed to work with. So for example the Audi Concert radio has specific software and technology that make this unique to Audi and very different to a Ford 5000 radio for example. The term Factory Fit covers all car manufacturers from Alfa Romeo to VW and all in between.

And as an iPod Car Kit basically acts like a CD Changer in that when the iPod Car Kit is connected to the radio, the radio plays the iPod just as if it had a CD Changer fitted, controllable from the radio or steering wheel controls (if fitted).

Compatibility:
So imagine trying to fit a Ford iPod car kit to an Audi car radio, it simply would not work. With Factory Fit we have to use Audi products and software with Audi electronics. Also they be car model specific as well so you can’t just connect a 1998 3 series BMW iPod car kit into a 2003 Z3 BMW, as again the connections and software used in the radios are different.

But this is where iPod Car Kit Direct can help. A simple email or phone call 0845 430 3355 and we’ll advise and answer any questions to ensure you are recommended the correct and best product for your car make, model and radio fitted.  

The high quality and performance iPod Car Kits like the Dension ice>Link Plus connect into the CD Changer port/socket at the rear of the car radio and this is where these outshine the AUX iPod Car Kits by far! Why?

New Technology:
Simple, because they use the latest technology software specific to your car make and model and car radio fitted, undergo rigourous tests to ensure compatability, quality, performance and basically to ensure they are futureproof meaning they can be updated as technology grows.

If you ever get offered an AUX iPod car kit as i’m sure you will, think carefully as your motoring may be seriously affected, with such a dull and limited product in functionality, quality and performance.

Why? well because AUX iPod car kits are good for when you have no other options and have to use your AUX sockets on your radio. When using the AUX kit you control the iPod from the iPod and not your car radio or steering wheel controls and on top of this you have to sit your iPod somewhere, generally in your glovebox. I think you can see the problem here, how do you then select your song, tunes or audios if its hidden in your glovebox? Good Question, not very easily.

Dension Quality:
The Dension range of products offer many things that the cheap and nasty AUX iPod car kits flying around could ever offer. At this point i have to point out that Dension make an AUX iPod car kit and this is a solid, robust, quality product IF your only option is the AUX option.

Also please note that the new ice>Link Lite product are AUX but these are for brand new cars that use the CAN-BUS wiring system, this is completely different from the conventional wiring system used on the cars we are discussing above. The CAN-BUS system is still relatively new and used only on 2005/2006 vehicles generally and only on specific models. I’ll detail more on this in a future post…

But in 99.9% of cases you can go for the Dension ice>Link Plus, Dension FM Modulator (ideal if your car radio does not have a CD Changer socket) or the ice>Link lite (if your car uses the latest CAN-BUS wiring systems), and don’t forget the imminent release of the multiple device adapter, the Dension Gateway 300, 400 & 500.

The Dension iPod car kits come in 2 designs covering all options, the Cradle mounting option that is like a mobile phone car kit, robust discreet, easily accessible and the dock cable for a more discreet mounting location in any hidden location.        

If your brain is ready for popping at this point go to iPod Car Kit Direct as the data is the best anywhere in the UK on or offline, as we work with the Dension and Connects2 brands of iPod Car Kits all day everyday and can help to answer any questions. A simple email or phone call 0845 430 3355 and you will be offered the best advice on the planet! Check it out now: iPod Car Kit Direct