[kwlug disc.] any car audio systems that can handle ipod/mp3/flac/ogg?

[Unsolicited]

Robert P. J. Day wrote, On 6/01/2007 12:20 PM:
>   just got a new vehicle and i'm looking to replace the crappy car
> audio unit that's in it with (if this is even possible) something that
> can handle the input from my rio karma that plays OGG and FLAC format?
> bonus would be ipod-compatible, of course.
> 
>   googling isn't turning up a whole lot.  do such things even exist?
> ideally, i'd like a combination AM/FM/CD unit with an AUX INPUT on the
> front.
> 
>   help?
> 
> rday

Seems to me I'm seeing more cars come with USB ports. 'course, they
all came out long after we bought our last vehicle. I believe the iPod
will act like an MP3 player in this respect - i.e. 'drive mode' rather
than 'iPod mode'. Something to look for if this suits ... see if the
iPod will charge from the connection too. Seems to me, on computers,
if you don't have iTunes loaded, it doesn't charge. IIRC.

I've seen various solutions, including cassettes you put in that wire
to your device headphones. Further the iPod, for example has both a
wi-fi (?) and an FM transmitter accessory that uses the connector,
making the thing longer, and causing me concern that if the worst
happens the connector will snap off. :-(

The best solution I found was a decent FM transmitter that plugs into
the headphone jack of the device. This give the maximum flexibility
for any device you might have, as long as it has a radio, and is
'cross-platform'. iPod, MP3, boom box, whatever, it all just works.

Caveat - not all transmitters are the same. I ended up returning a
Phillips (?) one, then tried a Belkin from Zeller's (of all places).
It helps to take the radio off auto-tuning, choose local rather than
distant if you can, and is better off the car adapter than the 2 AA
(AAA?) alone. Since it stays in the car, it comes with us wherever we
go. When at the trailer, we play to the small boombox there. During
the trip, we play on the car radio.

When talking non-home audio, fidelity is an oxymoron. With the FM
transmitter, it's dancing bear.