Most Helpful Customer Reviews
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13 of 13 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Half hour into owning it, just love it, April 2, 2007
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.
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3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
awesome product, January 24, 2008
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.
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3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Great, easy to install product does what it says. Great in 95-04 Hondas!, June 6, 2007
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.
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