Need some car audio help...
 

Alright so I drive a 1997 Audi A4.

My current setup:
Headunit- Pioneer DEHP6600
Front Doors- Pioneer Rev. Components- 5.25in
Rear Doors- Pioneer Rev.- 5.25in
Rear Deck- Pioneer Rev.- 6.75in
Sub- JL Audio 12in W6v2
Amps- stock Bose amp, headunit, JL 500/1

I am gonna be replacing my headunit soon with an Alpine one. I just think my pioneer looks a little trashy, and I want to hook up my iPod to the car when I put this new headunit in. I know that I am going to need an auxillary input and all the Alpine headunits have aux. input marked as "optional." What does that mean???

More than likely I am going to get the CDA-9833, although the new CDA-9851 looks very nice. Does anybody have any other info on the new Alpine headunits? I think they come out in Feb. or March. I'll probably wait to check them out, and I also may get the KCA-420I just to make things look a little cleaner. It all depends on how much I spend on the headunit itself.

bump...
should this be moved to Tilted Motors?

Most of the Alpines will have an AiNet plug. I believe their iPod adapater plugs into this and is run off the Aux setting of the deck or you could do what I did when I had my 7897 a year or so ago was buy the AiNet to RCA adapter then solder the other end of the RCA ends to a headphone jack. Then I just got one of those short 6" patch cables to run from the headphone jack of my iPod to jack to listen to my tunes.

I know there were some problems with the iPod adapter but they seem to have been fixed this time around so thats good :)

If you are seriously considering the i-Pod interface hold out for an '05 model. I have been told there have been software upgrades that improve search functions etc..

We have received the new '05 models up to the CDA9851 - so far Im failry impressed.

Do u really want to have a hard interface? Some head units have a 1/8th " jack in the front, and u can plug it in just like u would a microphone. Others u can use an rca jack in the rear. Or you can do what a couple of my friends have, get an iTrip. Seemse to work pretty well and is definately convienient.

Except the iTrip sounds like ass compared to a line-in. And the Alpine iPod interface is virtually identical to that of the iPod interface.

the iTrip sounds like the radio basically, unless u pic a crappy station to pirate. Maybe i just get the whole iPod craze. If u wanna do that u might ass well just hardwire a hardrive into the car...

I have a 2002 alpine head unit that has ai-net. I absolutely love my deck, its sound was worth the 400 dollars I shelled into it. I did test out the ipod interface on my deck, and I found it to be a pain in the ass. Mostly because my deck wasn't made for the iPod interface, but the 05 decks are supposed to have some vast improvements. If you find that you don't like the ipod interface, Alpine units have the option of using an RCA connection which is the route I went.

kinda off the suject but i'm about to replace my stock player, but it has an anti theft on it, will that come into effect once i put in my new head unit?...if so how and what do i do about it?

What type of vehicle is it in?

Most anti-theft radios simply need a factory code entered when they are powered back up after they have been removed. In the event you want to reinstall the factory radio you will need the code to get it to power up. The code can usually be obtained from the dealer and/or was supplied with the owners manual of the vehicle.