Harman Kardon Drive & Play. Any good?
Discussion
Does anyone have a Harman Kardon Drive + Play iPod connected to a VW Gamma unit?
HK website http://www.harmankardon.com/product_detail.aspx?Re...
I have a 2003 MK IV R32 with a Gamma unit & 6 CD changer.
I'm looking for an iPod kit that has a display near to windscreen level that provides th ability to control everything on the iPod, ot just select playlists etc.
I don't want to disconnect the CD changer, so the only connectivity options are wireless FM transmitter (poor sound quality) or by patching into the FM antenna.
Any suggestions? Is this something simple enough for a Halfords engineer to install?????
HK website http://www.harmankardon.com/product_detail.aspx?Re...
I have a 2003 MK IV R32 with a Gamma unit & 6 CD changer.
I'm looking for an iPod kit that has a display near to windscreen level that provides th ability to control everything on the iPod, ot just select playlists etc.
I don't want to disconnect the CD changer, so the only connectivity options are wireless FM transmitter (poor sound quality) or by patching into the FM antenna.
Any suggestions? Is this something simple enough for a Halfords engineer to install?????
Halfords fit it, so yes.
Is it good - in a word, no.
Get a Dension ice-link, less to go wrong and less obvious to thieving pikey scum.
HK's have a bad habit of munching their own brain, leading to the ipod not being noticed and no sound coming out, or sometimes sound comes out but no control. Plus, as apple have just updated the ipod control codes on the 6G classics and 3G nanos, the HK won't work as it can't talk to the ipod, whereas the dension is just simply a passthru job into the radio.
The HK works exactly the same as a dension, by intersecting the aerial wire, and pumping sounds down the wire on a pre-set (or user-set) frequency, as far as I'm aware, while retaining the cd changer there is no way to give an auxiliary input to a VW radio.
Why do you want to keep the changer btw? surely having the pod would be like a large changer and as such one of the control solutions from Connects2 or Autoleads (or even a Dension Ice-Link Plus) would be a better option, the same prob with the 6G/3G pods rears it's head though, insofar as they wouldn't be controlled by one of the aforementioned kits, and it's really only passthrough kits like the Ice Link that would actually work correctly.
Your choice
btw < Halfords engineer...
Is it good - in a word, no.
Get a Dension ice-link, less to go wrong and less obvious to thieving pikey scum.
HK's have a bad habit of munching their own brain, leading to the ipod not being noticed and no sound coming out, or sometimes sound comes out but no control. Plus, as apple have just updated the ipod control codes on the 6G classics and 3G nanos, the HK won't work as it can't talk to the ipod, whereas the dension is just simply a passthru job into the radio.
The HK works exactly the same as a dension, by intersecting the aerial wire, and pumping sounds down the wire on a pre-set (or user-set) frequency, as far as I'm aware, while retaining the cd changer there is no way to give an auxiliary input to a VW radio.
Why do you want to keep the changer btw? surely having the pod would be like a large changer and as such one of the control solutions from Connects2 or Autoleads (or even a Dension Ice-Link Plus) would be a better option, the same prob with the 6G/3G pods rears it's head though, insofar as they wouldn't be controlled by one of the aforementioned kits, and it's really only passthrough kits like the Ice Link that would actually work correctly.
Your choice
btw < Halfords engineer...
Thanks for the reply. 
I have an 80GB Classic bought in October 2007 - is that a 6th generation machine with the wrong code for the HK?
I also have a 1st gen 4GB Nano.
Yes, I do want to keep the changer - I'm not putting my entire CD collection onto the Classic as it wouldn't fit anyway.
I suppose I'd rather have a clearly legible screen at windscreen level than be squinting at the ipod as I drive along.
Sounds like I may as well use my cassette adapter & just fit a holder for the pod to the dashboard
I have an 80GB Classic bought in October 2007 - is that a 6th generation machine with the wrong code for the HK?
I also have a 1st gen 4GB Nano.
Yes, I do want to keep the changer - I'm not putting my entire CD collection onto the Classic as it wouldn't fit anyway.
I suppose I'd rather have a clearly legible screen at windscreen level than be squinting at the ipod as I drive along.
Sounds like I may as well use my cassette adapter & just fit a holder for the pod to the dashboard
I think yours is a might be a 5.5G one, the way to tell is if the menu only takes up half of the width of the screen, or if it's a full width one - half width = 6G, full width = 5.5G or older.
Also, if the box has the red hot chili peppers or the gorillaz on the front of it, it's a 5.5 or a 5g one, if it's got nelly furtado on, it's a 6g one.
If it's a 5.5g or earlier, then get a dension ice-link - so much better in every possible way. If it isn't - then tape adaptor time it is... or dension ice-link...
Also, if the box has the red hot chili peppers or the gorillaz on the front of it, it's a 5.5 or a 5g one, if it's got nelly furtado on, it's a 6g one.
If it's a 5.5g or earlier, then get a dension ice-link - so much better in every possible way. If it isn't - then tape adaptor time it is... or dension ice-link...
I had a "Drive and Play" in my MINI. Great to use and never broke in the year that I had it. If you do get one make sure that you have it wired in to the Aux connections and NOT the radio connection. I lost the use of my radio as the aerial was disconnected. Halfords didn't tell me about this....
I used to have a Connects2 going into the Sony in my 205 GTi and it was pretty cool.
Semi OT, anyone know if the stalk control on a 306 will still work with an aftermarket head? Broken cassette deck is starting to look a little dated!
ETA Back of the net...
Semi OT, anyone know if the stalk control on a 306 will still work with an aftermarket head? Broken cassette deck is starting to look a little dated!
ETA Back of the net...
Edited by collateral on Monday 3rd December 21:15
ben said:
I had a "Drive and Play" in my MINI. Great to use and never broke in the year that I had it. If you do get one make sure that you have it wired in to the Aux connections and NOT the radio connection. I lost the use of my radio as the aerial was disconnected. Halfords didn't tell me about this....
The HK FM transmitter wasn't plugged in properly then - as it's just a passthru and the original aerial is reconnected to the box. Not excusing, just delivering the crack Trawling around Amazon for more reviews for the HK D+P I found this:
http://www.amazon.com/Harman-Kardon-Drive-iPod%C2%...
Looks like we will be getting this one day & I shall wait for it, so long as they sort out the FM interference.
http://www.amazon.com/Harman-Kardon-Drive-iPod%C2%...
Looks like we will be getting this one day & I shall wait for it, so long as they sort out the FM interference.
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