Customer Reviews

USA SPEC PA11-VOL iPod to Volvo Factory Radio Interface with Auxiliary Audio input

5 star:		(11)
4 star:		(9)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

Purchased this after a long search and many visits to Car Toys and other auto accessory stores. The product took me only 90 minutes to install; most of this time was spent pulling out the stereo head unit (an HU-605 in my 2006 Volvo S80).

It works very well with the IPod; the only complaints:
1) Sometimes when you start the car; the system skips around and the stereo displays "CD Changer Load Discs". It takes about 5 seconds and then it works fine.

2) If you try and quickly change the "CD" (which changes the playlist) the unit can become confused, and it takes a few seconds to recover its mind.

Other than that, it works well and I'm happily listening to my ipod; and my sirius radio through the AUX input on the unit.

I purchased this looking for a connectivity solution for my iPod and my 2001 V70. The audio quality is passable at best. The filter does not do a good job at eliminating electrical interference and there is a clear static hiss while the unit is charging.

I contacted them and they said there was a problem with some of their filters, they provided me with a new one and the results were only slightly better.

My previous setup using the same iPod used an audio cassette adapter and the iPod's headphone jack. The quality was crystal clear. I'd rate the clarity of this just barely above a FM modulator.

Overpriced for the quality of sound you get out of it.

The install was pretty easy and the unit works great! The sound quality can be anywhere from 7-9 out of 10 but I think it depends on what I'm listening to. If I'm listening to my iPod, the sound quality is about 8-9 out of 10 with a little bit of hissing sometimes (Note: I tapped into power and ground on my factory stereo harness - that alone should give me the best sound so I'm not sure why there's a little hissing sometimes). Other times if I'm listening to online radio (I use an iPhone) the hissing gets a little louder but never enough to really bother me. Let's just say it'll always still sound better than AM radio.

I like how it gives you the option to choose between playlist mode (i.e. you can only play playlists from the iPod but you can control the iPod from your stereo) or manual mode (i.e. you play whatever you want but you have to control it from the iPod). I use manual mode because I love listening to online radio, especially now that the iPhone has a Sirius/XM app (I don't have an XM unit). I used to HATE using an FM transmitter to listen to online radio. The sound quality would be horrendous!

One thing I don't like is how it automatically starts playing from your playlists as soon as you plug it in. Wonder if there's a way to stop that? Sometimes I'd like to just listen to online radio but it'll automatically start playing from the iPod. No big deal. I've gotten used to stopping the playback before selecting my online radio apps. No big deal.

I also have my Garmin GPS plugged into the RCA jacks so I can hear the audio through my car speakers. That works great as well! Wish I had built-in navigation in my car so I'd be able to watch video from my iPhone through the screen.

Great product at a very reasonable price

I bought a unit from AudioKraze via amazon and when I connected to my Volvo head unit, it doesn't recognize three different ipods I tried.

I called USASPEC and they said that AudioKraze is not an authorized dealer so they couldn't warranty the unit.

so, don't buyer beware if buying USASpec from Audio Kraze

Product works as advertised. Had it installed at an car audio shop for $90. Sounds awesome. Easy to use. Would recommend it. Plan to get one for my Explorer.

Installation was easy, and I'm in no way a car stereo installer. You search on youtube for installation instructions and pointers. I was surprised to find that my old 20 Gig Classic photo ipod is compatible, even though it's not listed in the devices which are compatible. Would highly recommend over replacing the factory unit so you don't lose steering wheel controls, and save the money.

Paying around $120 for the product and $75-100 for installation seems a bit steep, but if you can install it yourself, it's worth it.

Installation is pretty straightforward if you're up to it and have the right tools (T25 torx driver, and a multimeter to be safe). There's a video on youtube that shows the steps and it's easy to follow. Just make sure not to ground the wire carrying the 12V, which is easy to do since all the wires are close to each other when you're behind the radio head. If you touch the exposed 12V wire to the outside of another wire, it will probably blow a fuse and cut off power to the radio. Even if this happens, the fuse can be replaced and everything should be fine.

The sound quality is good, about on par with that of a CD. The quality coming from the RCA/3.5mm jack connection is a bit better than the iPod one, but not nearly enough to make someone always opt to use the 3.5mm jack. Still, it is worth the $2.00 to buy an RCA-3.5mm cable to have the option to play any device that has a 3.5mm ouput. The PA-11 Vol does NOT come with this cable. It only comes with the iPod cable.

This unit is great. I think the playlist mode is kind of stupid and I'd be surprised, given the size of most libraries these days, if many people use playlist or hybrid mode. I use direct mode with my iPhone 4 and it works great. One fact I would throw out there is that when in direct mode I have volume control AND track up/down with scrub control. By this I mean that the buttons on the stereo head and the steering wheel allow me to control the track/volume. When I was buying I didn't see this info stated directly anywhere so I thought I'd pass it along. I'm driving a 2004 s60. Here's how to install it: [...]

Installed on my 1999 Volvo S80. Have my cellphone hooked in with Pandora and Sirius. Sound quality is good and installation easy. This is the only good option for Volvo unless you want to replace the entire system.

The USA SPEC PA11-VOL iPod adapter is working wonderfully. I can now control the songs and volume of my iPod through my steering wheel controls or the Radio Head Unit. In addition, I ran RCA cables to my satellite radio, and now I enjoy excellent sound quality.

My only issue is that I would prefer to have the song titles transmitted to the Head Unit. Since the USA SPEC does not, it is VERY important to strategically place you iPod cable so that you can safely drive.