My goal is to listen to Spotify or some such in a car without going through the OEM setup (though I'm happy to mess with the wires). I would prefer not to have a visible head unit at all. I don't want to deal with FM, in no small part because some of my cars don't have antennae. The easiest way I can think to do this is by using an iPod that communicates with some box that's plugged into the audio system of the car. Perhaps that box has these qualities:
1) Physical volume knob, fast-forward, rewind, and play/pause buttons.
2) Some kind of audio input. Probably via bluetooth or an iPod and Android compatible USB port.
3) Some kind of audio output. Probably RCA.
4) No constantly lit lights.
You know, that actually might be it. I just want the physical interface to be small enough to be kept relatively out of sight. I had previously cobbled together a solution by sticking a head unit in the glove box and using an IR signal and a remote to control it. It's not that slick. A regular head unit in the glove box would be fine if there was a good fixed "remote" of some kind. I'm happy to do infrequent settings changes through a different interface.
If the solution becomes too expensive, I may just bag it and live with an ugly head unit, but I figured I'd give it a whirl in 2015 and see what's out there...Maybe a few hundred bucks. Anyone have a favorite?
This thing comes real close, but seems to require the use of some specific Rockford Fosgate amp. Why wouldn't they just have a little box that outputs to RCA and can control an Android/iPhone?
1) Physical volume knob, fast-forward, rewind, and play/pause buttons.
2) Some kind of audio input. Probably via bluetooth or an iPod and Android compatible USB port.
3) Some kind of audio output. Probably RCA.
4) No constantly lit lights.
You know, that actually might be it. I just want the physical interface to be small enough to be kept relatively out of sight. I had previously cobbled together a solution by sticking a head unit in the glove box and using an IR signal and a remote to control it. It's not that slick. A regular head unit in the glove box would be fine if there was a good fixed "remote" of some kind. I'm happy to do infrequent settings changes through a different interface.
If the solution becomes too expensive, I may just bag it and live with an ugly head unit, but I figured I'd give it a whirl in 2015 and see what's out there...Maybe a few hundred bucks. Anyone have a favorite?
This thing comes real close, but seems to require the use of some specific Rockford Fosgate amp. Why wouldn't they just have a little box that outputs to RCA and can control an Android/iPhone?
