Ipod Compatibility With Gx 470

[jmarwill]

I have the GX 470 with the DVD/Mark Levinson system and wanted to connect an Apple IPOD. Does anyone know if the GX 470 can control an IPOD through the touch screen or if an IPOD converter is available? I do not want to use an FM Modulator...

[TomGXer]

Hey man, check out this company. I am probably going to go this route as the next best option gets pretty pricey (Alpine video/dvd link and iopd control). Here is the website for the company.

http://www.vaistech.com/home.html

I was refered to a shop by a good friend (extrem audiofile) and they quoted me about 800 bucks or so for the parts and instal.

Good luck.

Tom

[jmarwill]

Hey man, check out this company.  I am probably going to go this route as the next best option gets pretty pricey (Alpine video/dvd link and iopd control).  Here is the website for the company. 

http://www.vaistech.com/home.html

I was refered to a shop by a good friend (extrem audiofile) and they quoted me about 800 bucks or so for the parts and instal. 

Good luck.

Tom

←

Tom-

Thanks for the tip. Their products look great. I would love to know what you think once it is installed.

Jeff

[jkulas]

Just had my vaistech interface installed for the iPod. I am not 100% satisfied with it as I have experienced a few problems already. The stereo shop that installed it has had to order a new unit and will replace it once it arrives.

1) There's a high-pitched noise when changing tracks - but only sometimes. It sounds like the hard- drive is searching for the track. Super annoying. The shop says there's no benefit to adding a ground loop isolator (??), despite what I've read on this forum. I even showed them the article.

2) On one ocassion (in only a week), the iPod AND the FM stereo played simulaneously. I had to shut off the audio system a few times to clear it so that only one input would play at a time.

3) Twice in just a week, no audio would play at all when powering the system on with the power knob. The only way to get it to turn back on was to use the voice command!?

My wife has a 2005 BMW 3 series with an iPod interface that was a dealer-installed option. Granted, it doesn't have the track listing function, just Playlist and track list numbers, but there has never once been a problem. No errant noise, no system hang-ups, no simultaneous playing of multiple inputs.

I paid $465 plus tax to have the unit installed at a high-end audio shop (parts and labor) at Signature Audio in Scottsdale, AZ. They do lots of celebrities' and sports stars' cars. In fact, when I was attempting to leave, Randy Johnson (the baseball player) had his black Hummer H1 parked behind me while all the audio-shop guys fussed over him. These guys seemed to know what they're doing, so I blame the Vaistech unit for the maladies, not the installation.

Toyota/Lexus should offer a factory iPod solution so we don't have to rely on aftermarket goods that are finicky and unreliable. Other luxury manufacturers offer this, why not Lexus?

[darylhuff]

I've installed the VAIS Tech unit in my car. I won't claim that it is a perfect solution, but it is far better than an FM modulator. It isn't that hard to install the unit yourself if you have any mechanical ability at all. I described my installation along with pictures at

http://www.emba42.com/lexus/

[Dr.Gee]

I've installed the VAIS Tech unit in my car. I won't claim that it is a perfect solution, but it is far better than an FM modulator. It isn't that hard to install the unit yourself if you have any mechanical ability at all. I described my installation along with pictures at

http://www.emba42.com/lexus/

better than FM,but what about cassette adaptor?

[jkulas]

I returned my car to Signature Audio in Scottsdale, AZ, today to have them remedy the hard-drive noise that was present when changing tracks. I was also experiencing an intermittent "hang-up" with the AIC-100i which occurred them powering on the head unit using the knob. The system didn't know which playlist to use, and it often chose two of them simultaneously, thus "hanging" the system.

Signature Audio had contacted the help desk at VAIS Technology and they were instructed to use a ground loop isolator. Upon closer inspection, there was no way to connect one. VAIS ultimately authorized a new unit to be installed under warranty. Their new unit for the GX470 (and I assume other cars) is the SLI. The AIC-100i has been discontinued (apparently for these same issues I've described). The owner's manual says on page 3, "This unit is equipped with: built-in ground noise isolator to eliminate unwanted car engine noise and iPod hard drive noise."

Low and behold, the noises are all gone. The iPod changes tracks and playlists more quickly, and it doesn't "hang up" when powering on with the stereo's power knob.

In answer to an earlier question on this string, the audio quality is far superior to the cassette adaptor. Depending on the quality of the file on the iPod, it can be as good as or slightly better than commercially-manufactured CD's played through the factory changer. Most of my iPod files are 192 kbps and I think the quality is better than CD.

Edited January 11, 2006 by jkulas

[wombat55]

I have the GX 470 with the DVD/Mark Levinson system and wanted to connect an Apple IPOD. Does anyone know if the GX 470 can control an IPOD through the touch screen or if an IPOD converter is available? I do not want to use an FM Modulator...

[wombat55]

Was curious about this as well. Today I hooked my ipod into the left and right audio inputs in the rear seat nav, selected "video" with the remote system and could hear the ipod over the wireless headsets. I couldn't however find a way to get the signal to play over the interior speakers as there isn't a video or Aux mode. Is this just the way it is or am I missing something? Why would they make the system so that all of the modes except video can play over the speakers (can only assume that it's because it's intended for attaching things like Play Station and no one thought that the rest of the car would like to listen to someone playing a video game)? Anyone else aware of a simple workaround that I'm missing or is the only solution to open things up and add additional hardware.

Thanks

[flukechance]

I installed mu VAISTECH unit the other day. Thanks to the guy who posted pics showing step by step how to do it. The unit works great. I was afriad when it said you had to use palylists, and could only have 99 songs on any playlist. I put all 4500 songs on one playlist, and it works great.

Having an issue with it turning off the stero system as soon as the vehilce is started. Going to call VAISTECH and see how to fix this.

The sound is great, and no more static from an FM Modulator.

[dbj]

I was wondering if wombat55 was ever able to hear the ipod on the interior speakers after connecting to the AUX inputs of the RES. I'm aware of the VAISTECH but don't want to go that far. Does any fm modulator work in the GX? Thanks

[trebien]

I was wondering if wombat55 was ever able to hear the ipod on the interior speakers after connecting to the AUX inputs of the RES. I'm aware of the VAISTECH but don't want to go that far. Does any fm modulator work in the GX? Thanks

No offense, but FM modulators are crap. I've tried several, and unless you regularly drive out in the middle of nowhere, I constantly experienced interference, and bad sound quality. Get a true iPod interface, such as the Vaistech unit. You'll be glad you did.

[flukechance]

The VAISTech unit is awesome, using darylhuff's site makes it a 1/2 hr cake walk, and VAISTech will not stop until you're satisfied. I had some minor problems and they just shipped me a brand new unit. They definitely stand behind their product. If I had to do it over agin, I would do the same. And I will also install this unit in every vehicle that they make it for.