THERE MIGHT BE HOPE FOR US IPOD LOVERS YET......

I just got of the phone w/Rod @Car Audio Innovations, and I was complaining about the **** poor sound I got using my IPOD through an FM Modulator (they all suck). The MOST buss forces me to route signal that way, and I hate it. He did a little brainstorming, and thinks he may have a solution to provide an Aux Input to those of us with the MOST buss.....it involves interrupting the signal coming from the Bose amp before it gets to the speakers, and sending it to a device that summs the signal, and routes it to another amp......you'd have to have a certain EQ unit in your dash, which would give you volume, the ability to select the Aux..... You wouldn't be able to operate the IPOD off the head unit, as far as selecting tracks, etc....but I can live w/that. Is there anyone in the Sacramento area who wants this as much as I do? Rod needs a vehicle to implement this....it would only take a few hours, and if all goes well, you'd be cruisin' to tunes like never before. I'm over 2000 miles away, or I'd be on his doorstep now. If you're interested, PM me, please.

Boy do I hope he's right! Pencil me in, even though I'm exactly 2809 miles away....

Dension USA, the makers of icelink, tell me they have a unit coming out in July~ 05

Interesting....I called them a month ago, and they told me that Porsche was too small a piece of the market share for their device, and they didn't think they'd make it....I'm talking specifically about '03 and on....not earlier 996's. Are you sure they talked about this vintage?

yes, i asked specifically about the MOST bus porsches here is a link to the thread http://www.m3forum.net/m3forum/showthread.php?t=60830

Dension has been blowing smoke up our derrieres for over a year. I started calling them about this in March '04, and put myself on a waiting list. I follow up every few months, and they have never yet admitted when this item will be available. Last spring they expected delivery by August of '04, then November, and last month they didn't even bother to give a future date.

thats how i've always felt bavarian... its been over 3 years since they claimed to be developing this product. they are on their last sliver of my hope. if they dont have one by june, im going to give up all together. i stand by my original argument that the reason there isnt a unit yet is because of all the proprietary codes involved in the porsche most bus. it is simply too complicated to reverse engineer without investing significant money to become a member of the MOST consortiium (even then, the proprietary codes unique to each manufactuerer would still be costly, if not impossible, to obtain.) all in all, the effort invovlved is not justified by the potential return

Well, progress is being made....at least they've come up w/an IPod integration unit for Mercedes with a fiber optic system!!

Here's the response I got tonite....I posed a question about whether or not we'd ever see a MOST buss integration to IPOD: Richard, The Porsche MOST kit is still in development and will be out in early June. Best Regards, -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Tom Guagliardo | Dension USA

June...i suppose that means they have a working prototype and are doing the final testing?

Would you assume that the unit would require the vehicle to have a remote CD changer? Most of the boxes I've bought in the past, to get an aux in to a sound system had a harness that interrupted the harness to a remote CD changer....I don't really want one, but if that's what it takes to get an IPOD interface, I guess I'll have to get one!!!

Well this will certainly be good news if we can get something.

most cars these days are prewired for CD changers, all the wiring is in place (from headunit to where the CD changer would be). dont know if this applies to porsche.

Why not change the factory system for aftermarket? I got myself an Alpine hu and ipod controller and am loving it. New amps speakers and sub. All for about 2 grand. Sound is awesome

It's easier for you, as you don't have the dreaded MOST buss (fiber optic).

i'm interested!!!!!

The MercedesBenz fiber optic they interfaced to is D2B, which is very different than MOST. Having implemented a D2B solution has zero bearing on a MOST solution.

Still no takers for someone in the Sacramento area who wants to solve this problem???? Shame!!!!

I had emailed the Dension guys about how the MOST BUSS Ipod interface would work.....I was wondering if you had to have a CD changer. Here's his response: Richard, Most Porsche radios allow for a CD Changer connection � we will be interfacing from this port. We will have more information as soon as the MOST kits are closer to completion. Best Regards, -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Tom Guagliardo | Dension USA We're getting closer!!!!!!

Came across this article in the iPod Lounge Buyers Guide PDF magazine. Shows the Dension IceLink MOST iPOD interface in one of the pictures and discusses the price. Looks like it MAY eventually make it to market.

MOST-LINK, that sounds promising supremely marketable name too, since most people have already associated MOST with the inability to interface/link.

Brace yourselves gents - I got it. Yep, no joke (with April fools and all). Ordered the Denison unit about two months ago. Had it installed here in LA by Al & Eds autosound. I've got a 01 Coupe with the standard CD Player. It is hard wired into the unit and the CD player thinks its the multichanger. So, you have to create 6 playlists on your ipod, and then the CD player will let you select any of those playlists. Denison makes a cool mount which goes to the right of the console and the Ipod stares right at you, just about where the CD holder is. Now the bad news, it worked for about a month. The controls were never worked right and now I've got to take it back. If anyones interested I'll check back periodically and provides details.

Correct me if I'm wrong, but the 2001 911's didn't have the MOST buss. Rob

Rob, Sorry I'm not totally in the know here. What do you mean exactly by the MOST buss? Richard

Rob, You are correct. MOST was put into all MY03 and beyond Porsches. It is slated to remain the standard infotainment bus in a Porsches thru 2008-2009, which is when the new infotainment design will debut. The 2001 in question was a simple analog, copper wire, audio line level interface between the headunit and amplifier.

It is merely the inability for non OEM, non MOST consortium members to interface. It was and is intended to be an OEM solution, not aftermarket.

Hi guys, I am hopeful that the MOST-Link: iPod will be the solution for you guys with the MOST bus. The FM transmitters just don't cut it. I guess I am fortunate that I have the old copper-based system -- which I am in the process of replacing with Focal speakers, Audison amp and Alpine head unit. The amp and speakers are due to arrive in a few days. I received the Alpine KCA420i iPod interface already but the Alpine CDA-9855 head unit (cool head unit with a touch strip kind of like the iPod's wheel) is back-ordered. Anyway, can you guys recommend a good car holder for the iPod mini? The Alpine interface just comes with a cable that plugs in to the bottom of the iPod mini -- no holder. Most of the holders out there have the connector built in to supply power from the cigarette lighter and won't work. I thought about getting one of those connectors and cutting through the Alpine cable and splicing the wires but I'd like to avoid all that by just getting a plain holder. Thanks in advance.

pro clip makes the best holders

Second that, I have proclips in all my cars.

Thanks Moogle and Jamie. I just ordered the ProClip vehicle mount for the 996 and the device mount for the iPod mini. I can't wait to get all the parts in and begin my installation.

is the one they sell that connects via a tape deck run thru an fm modulator? is that one any good, it is only like 15 bucks...

I don't understand your question. If it runs through the tape deck then why would you need an FM modulator? The cassette adapter and FM modulator are two different things. There is no FM modulated cassette adapter. Both the cassette adapter and FM modulator plug in to the earphone jack. As a rule of thumb: Factory or aftermarket iPod adapter -- Best sound quality, iPod control, iPod charging Factory or aftermarket auxilliary input -- Best sound quality, no iPod control Cassette adapter -- Better sound quality, no iPod control Wireless FM transmitter -- Acceptable sound quality, no iPod control Wired FM modulator -- Better sound quality, no iPod control

i see, thanks for the input. when you say no ipod control, you mean from the OEM head unit, correct? in other words, the ipod itself is still fully operable. is this correct?

Yes. That is correct. You would still have full control of the iPod using the touch wheel.

the dension claim of april 2005 release has come and gone. (not to mention the promises of yesteryears). their website now shows "development under consideration" have they been pulling our chains this entire time? most likely.

Moogle, I hate to repeat myself, but look at my earlier post: "Dension has been blowing smoke up our derrieres for over a year. I started calling them about this in March '04, and put myself on a waiting list. I follow up every few months, and they have never yet admitted when this item will be available. Last spring they expected delivery by August of '04, then November, and last month they didn't even bother to give a future date." I would bet there is not going to be a MOST compatible product from Dension in the forseeable future. This really blows.....

I am also hugely disapointed with Dension for lack of a clear ship date and poor communication with interested consumers who would happily pay $ for this solution. I keep holding out hope but am about to drop some real coin on a complete stereo upgrade and will then make the whole MOST fiber optic thing a moot point.