elarbee Posted January 27, 2006 Share Posted January 27, 2006 ok finally got around to looking at this and here's the 411.. there is a very easy solution to integrating your ipod with the factory mcintosh head unit. you'll still have full six cd stacker function and this is hardwired, not fm modulated so it should sound better. mcintosh is owned by clarion (i'm pretty sure) so we sourced a clarion EA1251 CeNet iPOD interface. About $200AUD / $100USD go google it. pull out the head unit. on the back you'll notice a black CeNet cable connecting the head unit to the cd stacker, remove it. my EA1251 came with a Y CeNet cable ( part no. CCA-519 ) but it may be optional so make sure it's included or that you buy one. it also came with a CeNet cable to connect an ipod to it. first, the Y CeNet cable - plug the single end into the head unit CeNet plug, plug each of the other two ends (the split cables from the Y cable) into the cd stacker and EA1251 respectively. second, the ipod CeNet cable - plug the black CeNet end into the EA1251 and the white end into your ipod. now the fun part, turn the head unit on. you should see a clarion logo come up on your ipod. to access the ipod and listen to it's treasure trove of audio goodness, you just need to press the DISC button on your head unit ( bottom right ) the DISC button is what you use to switch between iPOD and CD Stacker once you press the DISC button you should notice a CHR or CHG light on the top left of the head unit display. this means your on iPOD input. funny how they don't use CHR/CHG for the oem stacker but anyway... ok now you're on iPOD input as opposed to cd stacker input, you should hear some music playing from your iPOD. if you can't hear anything but can see track 01 playing, then you either need an iPOD firmware update or you're using an ipod not supported but most models are supported. here's the weird part... when you're in CHR/CHG iPOD input mode, your disc access buttons become very important (1-6 under the display) when 1 is selected the head unit will play every frickin song on your ipod from the beginning of the song listing. when you select 2,3,4,5 or 6 the head unit will play playlists (up to five) from the beginning of the song listing. playlists... in itunes you need to create up to five playlists and label them clarion1, clarion2, clarion3, clarion4, clarion5 and clarion6 otherwise the mcintosh headunit won't recognize the playlists. the left knob will fast foward/rewind the current song or skip the next/previous one just like it would on a cd. the steering wheel controls work as well. because you're controlling the ipod from the head unit, there's no need to keep the ipod anywhere in sight. no it doesn't recognize ID3 tags or any text info, all you'll get is a track number (up to 99 from what i can gather) and the playing time, just like a cd. it sounds great and is very easy to install. takes about an hour, most of which is pulling the gear shift facia apart. no you don't need any blank cd's, you get full six cd use like you've got now. err, that's all i can think of. if you got questions let me know. pics? yeah i've got some but they're on my phone and i'm using my girls ibook - too bad so sad for you. i'll post em later (not that there's much to look at) hope that helps Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
andrew.anderson Posted January 27, 2006 Share Posted January 27, 2006 Looking forward to the pics. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
elarbee Posted January 27, 2006 Author Share Posted January 27, 2006 a couple things i forgot... title display, the clarion EA1251 does support ID3 title, artist etc tags but you'll only be able to read them on a head unit that supports cd text. i don't believe the mcintosh unit does, but i haven't spent any time on that. when you press the disc button and swap between ipod and cd stacker, it pauses the ipod song until you go back to it. it works on ipod 3G, ipod 4G, ipod mini and ipod photo. i also tried it on an ipod nano but no sound a firmware update might fix this but i haven't tried yet. oh and yeah, it charges the ipod as well. whew, i'm tired going to bed, later Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
elarbee Posted January 27, 2006 Author Share Posted January 27, 2006 man you are making all of us Americans who do not have the Mcintosh system really mad! You guys are lucky. Congrats on figuring it out! ah don't be, i think mcintosh head units suck donkey balls! they sound great but for fark sake they're so behind in features Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
elarbee Posted January 27, 2006 Author Share Posted January 27, 2006 Looking forward to the pics. coming right up, finally got the bluetooth file transfer working. woot, get your geek on! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
elarbee Posted January 27, 2006 Author Share Posted January 27, 2006 pics.. well sort of cause all i had on me was my camera phone http://www.myfoto.com.au/Photo/amyliam/liberty/mcintosh_screen.jpg http://www.myfoto.com.au/Photo/amyliam/liberty/mcintosh_ipodyes.jpg http://www.myfoto.com.au/Photo/amyliam/liberty/mcintosh_ipodno.jpg http://www.myfoto.com.au/Photo/amyliam/liberty/mcintosh_clarion.jpg http://www.myfoto.com.au/Photo/amyliam/liberty/mcintosh_cable.jpg here is the CeNet plug on the back of the head unit / cd stacker http://www.myfoto.com.au/Photo/amyliam/liberty/mcintosh_cenet.jpg Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Goon3r Posted January 27, 2006 Share Posted January 27, 2006 you haven't seen or heard donkey balls until you have seen the US spec system. We would kill for McIntosh. Or the Euro spec system. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
elarbee Posted January 28, 2006 Author Share Posted January 28, 2006 lol - sorry to hear it guys. bahzing Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
elarbee Posted January 28, 2006 Author Share Posted January 28, 2006 update - ipod nano also works, you just need firmware version 1.1 (the latest from apple) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
laz Posted January 28, 2006 Share Posted January 28, 2006 Ah sweet! Now f we only got that system here! Good work on figuring it out. X --- Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sleeper_gt Posted January 28, 2006 Share Posted January 28, 2006 can u still control songs from the ipod? instead of from just the mac head unit? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
elarbee Posted January 28, 2006 Author Share Posted January 28, 2006 can u still control songs from the ipod? instead of from just the mac head unit? no you can't. just from the head unit. i wish we could.. but we can't. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AndrewCowley Posted January 28, 2006 Share Posted January 28, 2006 So is it the case then that all that can be played are the contents of these 5 clarion1, clarion2, etc... playlists? If so then as much as I love the idea of having an iPod directly connected with my head unit (I have an Australian 04 Liberty GT) I don't see how I can make this work given I have 300+ CD's on my iPod. I can't cram all my music into 5 playlists. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
andrew.anderson Posted January 28, 2006 Share Posted January 28, 2006 pics.. well sort of cause all i had on me was my camera phone http://www.myfoto.com.au/Photo/amyliam/liberty/mcintosh_screen.jpg http://www.myfoto.com.au/Photo/amyliam/liberty/mcintosh_ipodyes.jpg http://www.myfoto.com.au/Photo/amyliam/liberty/mcintosh_ipodno.jpg http://www.myfoto.com.au/Photo/amyliam/liberty/mcintosh_clarion.jpg http://www.myfoto.com.au/Photo/amyliam/liberty/mcintosh_cable.jpg here is the CeNet plug on the back of the head unit / cd stacker http://www.myfoto.com.au/Photo/amyliam/liberty/mcintosh_cenet.jpg Once again blocked by Army Firewall. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pattali Posted January 28, 2006 Share Posted January 28, 2006 Congratulation for Mcintosh Owner, So american can kook up ipod with Jazzy Board, European can do with Jazzy aux in board and 3 solding point and Japanese Australian with McIntosh HU. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
agctr Posted January 28, 2006 Share Posted January 28, 2006 SO.... what you are now saying is THIS IS A GO ????? THIS IS F.... FANTASTIC... So in brief what do we need. Ada///M. very happy.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
elarbee Posted January 29, 2006 Author Share Posted January 29, 2006 So is it the case then that all that can be played are the contents of these 5 clarion1, clarion2, etc... playlists? pretty much. i know being limited to five playlists makes it difficult. what i've done is create five playlists each with a different genre of music ie folk, hip hop, lounge, house and polka (ok well not polka but anyway..) there are much better ipod ready head units/solutions out there but they all require replacing the factory head unit, which i really didn't want to do. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
elarbee Posted January 29, 2006 Author Share Posted January 29, 2006 SO.... what you are now saying is THIS IS A GO ????? THIS IS F.... FANTASTIC... So in brief what do we need. Ada///M. very happy.... fo shizzle all you need is 1 x Clarion CeNET iPod interface EA1251 1 x Clarion Y Adapter for multi changer connection CCA-519 My EA1251 came with the Y cable listed above but the manual says it's sold seperately, so just check whether or not it's included from your supplier. if you need somewhere to get it easily, i recommend 'audio art & technologies' speak to yanddy or chris http://www.audioart.com.au/ otherwise ebay? then just some time to pull apart the head unit facia. being careful should take you about an hour all up. easy peazy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
agctr Posted January 29, 2006 Share Posted January 29, 2006 Coming to Melbourne any time soon....... group install lol. Thanks again for going to all the trouble. Seriously U have been great. All the best. Ada///M. PS I might do some R&D on the Clarion parts here in Melbourne and Sydney for local installers as Im sure Im not the only one that is a little freaked about pulling the STi apart during the first month of ownership. Ada///M. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
agctr Posted January 29, 2006 Share Posted January 29, 2006 Also, where do you have the iPod sitting in the Scoob, how do you have it setup ATM. Oh and what about charging the iPod too. Apologies for the Noob questions. Ada///M. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
elarbee Posted January 29, 2006 Author Share Posted January 29, 2006 Coming to Melbourne any time soon....... group install lol. Thanks again for going to all the trouble. Seriously U have been great. All the best. Ada///M. PS I might do some R&D on the Clarion parts here in Melbourne and Sydney for local installers as Im sure Im not the only one that is a little freaked about pulling the STi apart during the first month of ownership. Ada///M. lol, funny enough i was just in melbourne a few weeks ago and am moving over in six months! install shouldn't be a biggie. if you don't want to do it yourself, any good installer should be able to get it done within an hour. all plug and play if you want to get a group buy going, call chris or yanddy at audio art & technologies in perth. tell him liam sent you, seriously otherwise you should be able to pick this up any clarion or mcintosh dealer, or ebay? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
elarbee Posted January 29, 2006 Author Share Posted January 29, 2006 Also, where do you have the iPod sitting in the Scoob, how do you have it setup ATM. Oh and what about charging the iPod too. Apologies for the Noob questions. Ada///M. no worries noob jk i thought about creating a nice spot for the ipod to sit but then once i realised i couldn't use the ipod to control what's playing, i figured i'd just stick somewhere out of the way. so i ran the ipod cable behind the head unit and into the back of the glove box. so my ipod just sits in there loose. the clarion cable also charges the ipod so no worries there schweeeet Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
icandy Posted February 6, 2006 Share Posted February 6, 2006 do you guys know if it works with ipod video? i just organised to get my installed and forgot to check if compatibility. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
icandy Posted February 6, 2006 Share Posted February 6, 2006 found the answer to my question, yup it is supported http://www.clarion.com.au/OwnersManuals/EA1251%20ENG%2011-05.pdf Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
agctr Posted February 6, 2006 Share Posted February 6, 2006 Next Q, will this work the in the McIntosh in the STi as we dont have steering wheel controls. Ada///M. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Archived
This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.