Customer Reviews

USA SPEC PA11-HON iPod Interface for Select Honda and Acura Factory Radios

5 star:		(17)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

I ordered this from Crutchfield (same price as here) after someone complained, according to their review, that the other leading Honda ipod interface (I forget the name) cut down on the volume.

I had some difficulty locating this particular model.... it's not the easiest to find. Also, if you go to a generic place (like Best Buy), they won't always know exactly what you need. Crutchfield has an online 'quiz' that asks you questions about your particular car, make, model, year, and what options you have installed, and then gives you a list of applicable options.

We have a factory radio with built in CD player, no cassette player, no CD changer, and no navigation system. If you DO have a changer, chances are you will have to unplug it in order to have a space to plug in the ipod adapter cable thingie in its place (the choice is yours - - 6 hours of music, or 16 days of music - - whichever you prefer)

I also like that it has two interface possibilities, depending on the simple flip of a dip switch. Default setting is 'playlist mode.' You set up playlists in iTunes, labeled HONDA1, HONDA2, respectively, up to 5, and control them with the corresponding '1-6' buttons on your radio/CD player. In essence then, your ipod mimics a CD changer, but with each playlist having an unlimited number of tracks (although the display stops counting at 99 - - a limitation of the CD technology, not the ipod's). This is perfect when travelling with persons with diverse tastes in music - - you can program something for everyone. There is no 'HONDA6' because the '6' button plays all tracks on the ipod.

Drawbacks to playlist mode, as far as I can tell, is that if you're addicted to the 'shuffle' feature of your ipod, you're out of luck (as far as I know - - haven't had a lot of time to play around with it just yet).

However, flip dip switch #2 to the off position, and you can directly access all of the ipod's features (according to the installation manual) - - volume, treble, bass, etc. etc. In this particular case, the ipod plays through DISC 5, trk 1 on your radio.

To recap then.... in playlist mode, the adapter completely takes over the controls on the ipod..... buttons don't work, etc. In direct mode, you can control and have access to all of the menu features and settings on your ipod.

Steering wheel controls also work on this model - - volume up or down, and hitting the button in between on the steering wheel will advance to the next track.

I had the installer install the actual interface module in the left side of the glovebox, so that I can have access to the dip switches. Also, the ipod can stay in there with it, out of site.... handy (but don't forget it in there on hot days).

Furthermore, the adapter also features a set of standard RCA audio plug-in jacks, if you want to plug in some other external source of music or video (like a portable DVD player). To use this setting, simply change dip switch number one from on to off.

BTW, I tried virtually ALL of the highly recommended FM transmitters for ipods - - and returned EVERY SINGLE ONE OF THEM. With this, I look forward to many happy hours of music in my Honda. Money well spent, I'm already convinced.

I'm giving it 4 stars because I just got it today..... I'll let you know later if I'd give it 5 stars.

(A bit later):

OK, I just absolutely adore it. 5 stars.

I like the direct setting even better. I confess, I'm addicted to the shuffle setting on my ipod, and I like the 'giant jukebox' aspect of the shuffle play.

Couple of extra notes:

This adapter also charges your ipod. No need for an external charger.

In both modes (direct and playlist - see above review for explanation), the music will start where you left off. In fact, in direct mode, it went back a few seconds and gently faded in when I restarted the car.... very nice.

Sound quality is very good. Your mileage may vary, as they say..... it depends on what you listen to and the quality (or bit rate) at which you import your songs into iTunes. I import my songs at a fairly high rate (224 kbps), because I don't care for Apple's default rate (128, if I remember correctly). Also, and is this is fairly obvious...... Blind Lemon Jefferson is going to sound differently than say, Bruce Springsteen. When listening to some Hank Williams Sr. earlier today, I could have wished for a bit more bass. Fortunately, in direct mode, I can change those settings to my hearts content.

This was installed in a Honda Odyssey 2000 minivan. The above complaint (about wanting a bit more bass) is also a general complaint against the Honda factory stereo system..... it's a pretty good system, but not great. (Sigh) I guess a speaker upgrade from Crutchfield is the next step......

Also, if you order from Crutchfield, they claim to have installation instructions for the do it yourselfer - - in this particular case, they didn't...... only info on how to remove the dash panel from around the stereo. I'm pretty handy, but opted to have someone else do it instead...... $30 bucks cash got it done nice and neatly..... be sure to shop around tho', as prices are likely to vary greatly.

This great little item worked perfect for me in both an 02 Civic EX and 97 CR-V. It has 2 modes for controlling the iPod -- one in which you can switch through Playlists without having to touch the iPod at all, and one that lets you completely control the iPod manually while still Playing, Pausing, Skipping Forward or Backward, Scanning backward or Forward using the controls on the factory stereo. There are also handy inputs on the unit for a DVD player or video game system or any other audio component you may want to play through your car stereo. This USA Spec iPod PA11-HON Interface connects, controls, charges, and plays an iPod through the factory stereo system of these Honda/Acura vehicles:

HONDA

Accord 94-02

Civic 94-05

CRV 95-04

Odyssey 95-04

Prelude 95-04

Pilot 03-04

ACURA

Integra 92-01

Legend, Vigor 91-97

It is the Absolute best option if you own one of these cars and want to play and control your iPod using your factory stereo.

I own the USA SPEC PA11HON2y b/c I have a navigation system, but this review is also relevant for this model.

Let me start by saying this is an amazing product, but I have to give it 4 stars because the first unit I received was defective and only played audio through the left channel... so the build quality is less than perfect. However, the merchant I purchased it from gladly replaced it, and it works fine now (luckly he was also located in so. cal. so i could just drive to his place instead of paying extra shipping charges). Also, anyone installing this in a 2003 Honda Accord will have remove the ENTIRE stereo to access the cable in the back to plug into the y-connector (my car has a navigation system, im not sure if this is the case for all 2003 accords). This was a huge pain for me, and added a few extra hours to my project. As for the 2004 and up models, installation is much easier as you can access the cord at the bottom of the stereo by simply removing the bin. There are multiple online guides that can guide you with pictures and everything (google: "install ipod accord pictures").
Also, this product works fine with the ipod touch. They have also "unlocked" the device when its playing in playlist mode so that you can access other features (ie safari, youtube, etc) while music is still playing through the "ipod" function of your itouch... I dont recommend this while driving (duh). Audio quality is excellent, on the itouch, i can still use the equalizer in the ipod or the one on the navigation screen, which is a nice feature if you like fine-tuning audio like I do.
It would have been nice if they supported a text display on the navigation screen, but i'll settle for the track and playlist number. Also, there is a slight lag between pressing buttons on the steering wheel/radio and getting a response from the ipod.
I have taken multiple pictures of the installation process and would happily share them if anyone needs help installing their own usa spec in their 2003 accord. I dont know if amazon supports a PM feature, but if it doesn't, facebook message (USC) me and I'll see what I can do.

Probably the best 120 bucks I've ever spent on my car.

I purchased one of these for my 2003 Civic Hybrid with some of the gas money saved. I installed it in about 15 minutes and was playing my iPod through the radio controls, just like the specifications say. It is excellent! Random, next track, etc., all from the factory radio controls! When you turn the car off, it stops. When you turn the car back on, it resumes right where it left off. You can tuck it out of sight to avoid temptation, because there is no need to mess with it. It's great to buy a product which performs as well as this from the start. No calls to tech, no returns. A first class product which will give you first class results!

I have a 1998 Honda Civic EX Coupe and the install was pretty easy. I had to remove a few dash panels but that was not very difficult. My car has a remote factory CD player below the actual radio, I had to unplug the CD player's cable from the radio and this is where the PA-11 connects to the radio. I placed the PA-11 controller unit in the space just to the left of the glove box behind the dash and secured it with zip ties in case I had to move it later. The bonus is that the PA-11 that was shipped to me had a "Hybrid" mode that allows you to use the IPOD normally and also use the cars radio to control the IPOD at the same time. I didn't see this feature listed on their site so maybe its new.

The sound quality is better than the stock CD player. I've noticed a boost in the bass freq. but I don't know what is causing this (IPOD or PA-11), if that is good or bad depends on the individual and musical taste.

I found the sound level to be an improvement over the stock CD player. This product gets the job done well with little fuss!

Great, innovative product! I had it installed in less than 30 minutes. I use it with my Pioneer INNO2 XM radio and it works great!

I would highly recommend this simple, effective device.

Doesn't work properly with iOS 5 devices. Tried on the iPhone 4 and 4S. iOS 4 and lower works perfectly.

I've emailed both Apple and USA SPEC and hope to get this resolved with an iOS 5 update hopefully.

EDIT: Works in iOS 5. the problem is that the installation process in iOS removed all my playlists. And the adapter oddly doesn't work properly w/o any playlists. Solution was to create a playlist.

Updated review to 5 stars

I researched various iPod control options for the 03 pilot and this one seemed to provide the most control from the factory radio. My 03 pilot is non-nav and non-dvd. Things of note:

Installation
- Just pop off the plastic surrounding the radio (four clips will pull free with enough tugging) and unscrew the four screws to pull out the radio.
- Be careful not to drop the screws behind the dash. You'll never find them again. I lost three.
- If you unplug the wiring harness to the radio or disconnect the car battery as advised in the instructions be sure to have the anti-theft code handy since this will lock your radio.
- I ran the cable towards the gas pedal and used velcro tape to stick the box to a nice flat section of plastic where it would still be accessible if I wanted to plug in an AV cable or change the dip switches.
- I ran the iPod cable forward through the dash and came out the narrow gap behind the "not and ashtray". I had to unscrew the metal "not an ashtray" track to let the cable fit but once it's through it does not hinder the motion of the "not an ashtray".
- Now that I've done this before I could do it again in less than five minutes but looking for screws and calling Honda for my radio code significantly increased installation time. Hopefully with the guidance above it will not take you very long.

Operation
- The packaging came with a revised instruction sheet that talks about revisions made to accommodate the iPhone and iPod touch. This also alters the functions of the buttons slightly. In my opinion the alterations were all positive or neutral.
- As promised you can select 4-5 predefined play lists (number of playlists available depends on whether you've activated the AUX AV dip switch), switch to AUX AV mode, switch to full iPod control mode (click wheel controls are activated on iPod), and skip tracks forward and backward.
- The only thing on the screen will be track numbers and numbers representing what mode you are in.
- The steering wheel allows you to cycle through sources (radio, CD, iPod, Tape) and to forward to the next track. The volume also still works.

Overall I'm very happy with this purchase. If you are looking for something that will display track names and artist info etc. I recommend buying an aftermarket stereo head unit capable of this function.

The product came on time and was easy to install (instructions from the Internet). Very happy with the product!!

Pros: Easy install. Worked as advertised (steering wheel controls on our 1999 Honda Odyssey worked too) for a short time.

Cons: It's Junk! Our first unit stopped working during 2nd month of use before big road trip. The Amazon seller is not USA Spec authorized retailer, so I had to send it back to the seller for exchange, which took some time. Then the second unit stopped working within first month. A little expensive for a POS.