Kensington Cassette Adapter/Car Charger for iPod, iPod Mini 33161

by Kensington

Product Details

• Product Dimensions: 10.5 x 7.5 x 2.8 inches ; 3.2 ounces
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds
• Shipping: This item is also available for shipping to select countries outside the U.S.
• ASIN: B0002UHUM4
• Item model number: 33161
• Average Customer Review: 2.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (14 customer reviews)

Product Description

Amazon.com Product Description

Gain access to your iPod music library whether you're driving across town or across the country with the Kensington cassette adapter, which plugs into your car's cassette deck to play all your favorite tunes. Unlike FM transmitters--which also play iPod music through your car stereo but must be retuned when the signal goes dim--the cassette adapter never suffers from bad reception, ensuring that your music always sounds great. Every bit as convenient, the cassette adapter won't deplete your iPod's power thanks to the included auto charger, which plugs into your cigarette lighter to charge both iPods or iPod minis with dock connectors. The charger is easy to operate, with an LED indicator that notifies the listener when the iPod is plugged in and charging. Both the cassette adapter and auto charger come with space-saving retractable cords, with the latter cord doubling as a FireWire/dock connector cable for iPod computer connection. With the Kensington cassette adapter/charger, playing your entire iPod collection in the car is as simple as pulling away from the curb. The device is compatible with all iPods and the iPod mini with dock connector and carries a five-year limited warranty.

What's in the Box
Cassette adapter, auto charger, cassette cable with 3.5 mm plug, charger cable with FireWire plug, user's manual

iPod Compatibility
iPod mini, iPod 3G, iPod 4G (Clickwheel)

Product Description

KENSINGTON IPOD CASSETTE ADAPTER/CHARGER

See all Product Description

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

21 of 21 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Nature of the Beast, October 28, 2005

By 

J. Thompson (Virginia) - See all my reviews
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Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Kensington Cassette Adapter/Car Charger for iPod, iPod Mini 33161 (Electronics)

UPDATE!

Since I wrote my last review (below), I've tried another 3 products: Dr. Bott's iPod Connection Kit, the DLO mount with cassette adapter, and the Sony cassette adapter.

Sound quality from the Dr. Bott's cassette adapter was horrible compared to the Kensington model and it too eventually started auto-reversing. The DLO mount with cassette adapter auto-reversed the very first time I used it. When it did work, the sound quality also was not as good as the Kensington. The Sony sound quality was OK, but it too auto-reversed intermittently. In the end I returned all of those and bought another Kensington because that's what works in my car and it sounds decent.

I think the point I'm trying to make here is that it's likely that all cassette adapters will intermittently, if not eventually permanently fail (e.g., auto-reversing, ejecting). I'm imagining the moving parts in these things get dirty/worn causing them to stop moving as smoothly, resulting in the tape player getting "end of tape"-like resistance. Or, maybe a particular adapter's resistance is too great for specific tape players, in general, so you're out of luck from the get go (this may depend more on your tape player than the actual adapter). And I'd imagine environment -- heat, humidity or severe cold -- is a factor, as well!

My advice -- find a cassette adapter that sounds good. If it auto-reverses and ejects on you, try it a few more times (I have good days and bad with the Kensington, again, after a year of trouble-free use). If it just won't work at all, switch to an FM modulator or iCruze system. Drawbacks with these options are FM modulators' comparatively poor sound quality and iCruze's cost, installation complexity, and limited availability for all car makes/models.

ORIGINAL REVIEW: Not So Bad ...

Like other folks here, my Kensington Cassette Adapter started auto-reversing so I'm in the market for a new adapter. However, it's worth noting that this was after a year of every day use during long commutes. And, I liked it so much that I'm still considering purchasing another Kensington.

I tried some other manufacturer's cassette adapters and found the sound from the Kensington to be much brighter. As for volume, it uses the headphone jack and therefore your iPod acts as a pre-amp. So, yes, you will have to turn iPod up (but no more than three-quarters of the way or you'll get distortion). But that's logical. You'll also have to turn up your stereo volume more than you're used to with your CD player or your radio. This is just how it works ... Don't worry. It'll still be loud and sound good. It'll just be different from how you're used to using your stereo.

And I did not find there was much noise coming from the adapter. There was a little, but it didn't detract from the overall sound quality/output (and is understandable given that all cassette adapters have some moving parts). And there was some hiss from the tape deck itself. But, that's inherent in the tape deck -- not the adapter (or the cable, as others have mentioned). If it bothers you, try using noise reduction in your tape deck (but I find this also reduces sound quality).

In short, I found this to be a good product and loved the retractable cabling. But life-expectancy could be longer ...

23 of 24 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Charger is great, but cassette needs tweaking..., December 25, 2005

By 

A. Graham (Dallas, TX) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Kensington Cassette Adapter/Car Charger for iPod, iPod Mini 33161 (Electronics)

Ok, the most important thing to note on this cassette adapter (and all of them as far as I know): Most tape decks have an auto reverse feature, which is driving us all insane. Luckily there is a solution to this problem! Find a small screw driver and unscrew the 4 screws that hold the adapter together. Remove the SMALL pulley that is closest to the magnetic head...it has a smooth surface. I assume its function is to apply pressure to something, and this seems to trigger the auto-reverse. Do NOT remove any of the other pulleys or mess with anything else...only the small one that has a smooth surface. Carefully line everything back up and screw it back together. Bingo...no more auto-reverse problems. Worked in my Ford anyways. If you can disable the auto-reverse feature in your tape deck, that's obviously an easier fix. But I wouldn't count on having that ability if you have a factory stereo unit. Also, there is probably a small piece of plastic covering the magnetic head unit on the adapter...it seems to weaken the signal considerably...so remove it. You may have to turn the volume down on your MP3 player in order to have good sound quality...but then you can use the stereo to adjust the volume...so you can still crank it up loud. But again, do not remove anything (not even just to look) except that one pulley...playing around with it could cause the pulleys to make a little noise when the tape is being played. Otherwise, sound quality is awesome once the plastic is removed and the auto-reverse is "fixed."

The charger is awesome...and the cord retractability is awesome for both the cassette adapter and the charger. If all cassette adapters have the auto-reverse problem, then I would strongly recommend this combo...it's easily fixable...cheap...and convenient. If you can find a cassette adapter that doesn't need tweaking, then go for it. Hope this helps!

15 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Stop the Auto Reverse, August 15, 2006

By 

N. Flores "www.myinternetgeek.com" (Staten Island, NY United States) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Kensington Cassette Adapter/Car Charger for iPod, iPod Mini 33161 (Electronics)

First I would like to say that if you do what I suggest in this review it will probably void your warranty.

I had the autoreverse problem when I first used this unit also but I followed the directions of another reviewer and it worked perfectly.

1. First find a clean place to work.
2. Lay the casette flat with the five screws showing up.
3. Remove the five screws and CAREFULLY take apart the top of the casette.
4. Remove the gear closest to the magnetic head. (this one has a rubber washer attached to it.
5. Put together the casette again.

That's it! If it does not play when you put the tape in then manually press the autoreverse switch on your tapedeck.

If you get hissing noises try cleaning your tapedeck.

The sound is awesome in my 2001 buick regal with premium sound. I can control the volume using the ipod and this works well considering I have to touch the ipod to change tracks. I have a 60 gb ipod video black.

I hope this helps you.