What is the difference between an iPod adapter and an "aux in" port in a car?

Question

I'm reading reviews on some cars and they are talking about how it has an "aux in port" but no iPod adapter. What is the difference? Won't an "aux in port" allow you to play your iPod's music through your car stereo too?

Answer 1

Do you mean iPod interface? This feature allows you to control you ipod through the radio itself. A cool feature that also translates to extra safety on the road. Usually the interface is sold seperatly from the head unit. I believe Alpine and Pioneer both have this add on available.

An Aux is basically just a headphone jack that will let you play the ipod through your car speakers. But all the controls will be through the iPod.

Answer 2

I believe the difference is the Ipod adapter would send the music over an FM channel where as the Aux in (which I use for my ipod) lets you play the music through the Aux connections. So basically the only real difference is what kind of cable you need to buy.

Answer 3

aux in essentially just uses the headphone out on the ipod and puts it into the CD player.

an ipod adapter is a digital interface that actually sends the data to the headunit to be processed there. it allows the controls to be used on the headunit, instead of the ipod.

that being said, i actually think aux ins are better, because ipods have dedicated controls, while a cd player has to multitask, and generally isnt suited for scrolling through that much music. the one downside is that you dont charge the ipod on an aux in like you do on an adaptor.

Answer 4

The difference is about $25
If you have a mini to mini plug
see image
http://img70.photobucket.com/albums/v213/highflyin9/MinisPerSm.jpg
available at Radio Shack
then you can plug into your iPod and connect to the Aux in Port and play your iPod through your stereo
if that is the way you choose to go I suggest finding a unit that has the Aux-in on the front of the radio

Answer 5

auxilary inputs generally are the big round ones that go like in the back of the amps adn things, if you have an aux in adapter, like ones that come with most dual headunits now, it converts the input to a heaphone jack so you just need a double sided 3 mm wire or something like that.