Kensington LiquidAUX Auxiliary Car Kit with Remote for iPod; iPhone 1G, 3G

by Kensington

Product Details

• Product Dimensions: 2 x 7.1 x 6 inches ; 3.5 ounces
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds
• Shipping: This item is also available for shipping to select countries outside the U.S.
• ASIN: B0011UK2HE
• Item model number: 33429EU
• Average Customer Review: 3.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (205 customer reviews)

Product Description

Amazon.com Product Description -- Posted August 13, 2008

Pure music, pure control. Compatible with the iPhone and most iPods, Kensington's LiquidAUX delivers pure sound from any direct auxiliary connection.

The steering wheel-mounted remote control means you have full control of your music--and your vehicle. The dock connector not only allows full access to your music library, but it simultaneously charges your device.

The LiquidAUX is Apple-certified to Work with iPhone 1G and 3G and be Made for iPod.

Installs Instantly
Simply plug your iPhone or iPod into the car kit using a 3.5-mm audio cable, and then insert the kit into your auxiliary port. Within seconds, digital-quality sound will be pumping through your car's audio system.

Fingertip Control
The steering wheel-mounted remote control is designed to be mounted with the controls on the interior of your steering wheel. The remote conveniently lets you play, pause, and skip music files with just your thumb, allowing you to keep your hands on the wheel.

Compatibility
Kensington's LiquidAUX Auxiliary Car Kit is compatible with the iPhone (1G and 3G); iPod nano (1G, 2G, and 3G); all iPods (1G through 6G); and iPod touch. Note: An auxiliary port in your car is required for the LiquidAUX.

The LiquidAUX is Apple-certified to Work with iPhone 3G.

Support
Backed by Kensington's two-year warranty, the LiquidAUX also comes with free technical support.

Important Note: Sound Effects
When using an auxiliary device in the car, you might hear a slight buzzing sound, engine noise, or high-pitched whine. That is because your car model has a grounding issue between the audio system and the power socket, which causes a whining or buzzing sound when you drive. This sound is not caused by your Kensington product; however, Kensington has an easy solution. Simply purchase an automotive ground loop isolator for your car that is compatible with a 3.5-mm jack. This simple tool will enable you to use your music in a safe, hands-free environment.

Kensington can provide you with a ground loop isolator free of charge by calling Kensington's Technical Support team at 1-800-535-4242. Please provide the serial number of your LiquidAUX product when you call Technical Support, and the company will arrange to ship you the ground loop isolator.

What's in the Box
LiquidAUX Auxiliary Car Kit, remote control, and 4-foot audio extension cable.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

42 of 47 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Easy to Use & Adds Safety Flexible and Customizable Design. Better Than I Expected!, July 3, 2008

By 

Jacob Hantla "hantla.com" (Chandler, AZ United States) - See all my reviews
(TOP 1000 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Kensington LiquidAUX Auxiliary Car Kit with Remote for iPod; iPhone 1G, 3G (Electronics)

(What's this?)

I have fallen in love with the Kensington LiquidAUX. It is ingeniously designed and is an inexpensive option for safely using your iPod while in the car. If you want the aesthetically most pleasing solution to integrate your iPod and iPod controls into your car stereo, this is not it. This device is specifically designed for the individual, like myself, who had their iPod sitting on the seat next to them or on the dashboard, connected to their stereo via an auxiliary input or cassette adapter. So contrary to some reviews, an aux-in on your car stereo is not mandatory for use, making this device usable in older cars with a tape deck and newer cars with the aux-in port.

In my mind, the primary benefits of using the liquidAUX instead of simply manually controlling your iPod while in the car are two-fold: 1) Safety, 2) Ease of use.

Safety: I consider myself a pretty competent multi-tasking driver, but even still anything that keeps my hands on the steering wheel and my eyes on the road has to keep me safer. My wife has pointed out that I swerve a little less and keep a more consistent speed - signs of not being distracted - since using this device.

Ease of use: The liquidAUX wireless remote that is mounted on the steering wheel has four buttons: Play, back, forward, and shuffle. The first three are obvious and any remote would be lacking without it; but the fourth, shuffle, is my favorite. In the car, I love to use shuffle to listen to random songs from either my entire collection or one of my playlists. Often I find myself reminded of an album that I love or haven't heard in a while. I wish I could take shuffle off and finish the album. To do that on the iPod, I would have to go into the settings menu, then take shuffle off (at least five seconds with my eyes on the iPod and not on the road). That's what the shuffle button does with one click. If you get to an album you want to keep listening to, hit that button, and you will continue on that album or artist. Then when you're sick of it and want the shuffling to continue, hit the button again, and off you continue on random again. All of this without even touching your iPod. So the LiquidAUX provides safety and convenience. Of course, you are still able to control your iPod the "old-fashioned way" while connected to the LiquidAUX...just make sure you do it at a red light ;-).

The box comes with a charger device that connects from the cigarette lighter (DC Power) to your compatible iPod (basically everything but a shuffle) or iPhone. There is a small wireless remote control (battery included) that mounts to your steering wheel for easy ability to control your iPod without being distracted from driving. Finally, the charger device has a 3.5mm output to connect to your cars auxiliary in (an extension is included in case your aux-in is further than a few inches from your cigarette lighter.

My car does not have an aux-in so I was concerned that I would not be able to use this device. But the headphone jack on the iPod still outputs audio even while under the control of the LiquidAUX, so I am able to connect to my stereo using a cassette tape adapter. This does make for quite a few wires, however: 1) From charger to iPod, 2) charger to aux-in port, 3) iPod to cassette-adapter (only if you don't have aux-in on stereo). This would be my number one foreseeable complaint. But these are also features that make the LiquidAUX not confined to a single car. Take it with you in a rental car on vacation, use it in a friend's car on a road trip, or swap it between your vehicles. I could not be happier with the LiquidAUX; it is engineered excellently to do that for which it was designed.

16 of 17 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars I don't know what to say... I hate it, but think it is great, December 22, 2008

By 

J. M. Stewart - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Kensington LiquidAUX Auxiliary Car Kit with Remote for iPod; iPhone 1G, 3G (Electronics)

The biggest this thing has going for it is that it is the only thing like it. I have searched and searched and nothing comes close to this. If anyone has something like it I would love to know.

The LiquidAUX works great with iPods. It only uses one connection on the bottom of the iPod. This give several benefits. One, less cords and hassle; no longer do you need a cord for the power and one for the headphone jack. Second, the sound quality of the dock connector is measurably better than the headphone jack. Seriously, if you are listening to music on a stereo system through the headphone jack...it's just brain damage. Through the dock connector is near CD quality, there are scientific reviews that prove this point as well.

The Bad.

I own an iPhone 3G. This barely works with it. Half the time there is a message on the screen that says it is not compatible with iPhone. It still functions, but I can only get the remote to work about 10% of the time. It so rarely works that I just put it in the glovebox.

Even with that, I still think it is worth the cash to get the great sound quality and charger.

The Bad.

This thing will fall apart much sooner than you hoped. It is barely put together. The charger portion falls out of the cigarette lighter all the time. The dock portion broke in half after a month. You can put it back together easy enough, though. After a while of this it got so loose that it started to work intermittently. It will charge for 2 seconds and stop for three. You won't notice it when not listening to music, but after a week your battery is toast.

So, you're thinking I got a bad one. Well as I said before, I love it; so much so that after the first fell apart I bought another. That's 2 in less than 6 months.

All the same troubles with the second. I will most likely be on my third before the end of the month.

Come on Griffin, get on your version for iPhone!

15 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars IF YOU HAVE A PRIUS, IT'S THE BEST CHOICE OUT THERE, November 14, 2008

By 

Christopher (Hollywood, CA) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Kensington LiquidAUX Auxiliary Car Kit with Remote for iPod; iPhone 1G, 3G (Electronics)

If you have a Prius, this LiquidAUX by Kensington is the closest thing you will get to a perfect car-phone interface. No, you cannot control it from the Prius touchscreen, but the charger and aux input fit in the center console and you have enough lead to the dock connector to put your iPhone/iPod just about anywhere. Me, I have a Kuda leather mount on the dashboard, a Dice charger cradle, and the Kensington fits in the cradle dock perfectly. The iPhone is then right next to my touchscreen, and an easy reach to control the iPod or phone. I would like about a foot more of dock cable, but the 3 feet length is good enough.

If you had the $15 Belkin cup holder/iPod holder it would work there and the cable coming out of the center console would be even more discreet. I love having my iPhone in easy sight while driving so I can read (NOT send) text messages or see caller ID. Phone calls go through the built-in Prius bluetooth and music plays though the aux line, and the phone switches flawlessly between them.

The only drawback is that voicemails still don't play through either bluetooth or the aux line. For that you have to switch to speakerphone. I think that is a bug within the iPhone, not this Kensington device.

You will, however, need to get a ground loop isolator. You can get them on eBay or Amazon for $10-15. If you don't, the sound gets staticky.

I have gone thrugh about six different methods of linking/charging my iPhone 1G and 3G in my Prius, and short of getting a $250 kit and paying $150 to get it installed, this $55 kit is the absolute best option out there.