So I am finally had my limit with the stupid FM transmittor I am using to listen to my Ipod and want a deck that I plug the Ipod in via the glove box, charges the Ipod and at the same time gives me FULL control via the deck itself.

I have heard, however, that some decks only give you limited control and can't access the entire music library on an Ipod.

Is there anything I should be aware of when getting something like this? What is a good deck that is around the $150-200 mark?

I am getting an 160gig classic Ipod and wanna listen to all my tunes in the car, without the stupid fuzz via the radio or get pulled over for using the Ipod device.

 

Kenwood Execelon

 

Alpine, Pioneer, clarion and kenwood all have full Ipod capability, but you'll have to research each model individually to see which one has the features you want. Some are better with certain functions and not as good with others, and vice versa. Virtually, all have models with usb direct now, which means you have full speed digital bitstream transfer as you would with your PC. I like Alpine head units, but I've had good luck with Pioneer, Clarion and Kenwood over the years...so it's really about your needs and wants. You should be able to get a good deck that does all that you want in the 250.00 range.

 

Listen to veeman. But I'll chime in hear and say that my Alpine IDA-X305 has excellent Ipod control with digital transfer. I thought it was a little lacking in the audio features though so I paired it with the PXA-H100. Now my wife needed one with Bluetooth and for alpine thats another $100-$200 add on so I opted for a Kenwood (KIV-BT900). Although I'm disappointed to see that the Kenwood Ipod cable uses the Ipod dock connector for control only then it has a 3.5mm stereo jack for audio and another connector for video so I guess The digital music will be running through the Ipod DAC.

 

Units that have Bluetooth - am I missing something here?
Some say they are Bluetooth ready and expect you to buy their Bluetooth device. Is there any decks out there that already come complete with a Bluetooth ready to use? How well do these decks with Bluetooth work? Is it clear?

 

Ya, the alpine is bluetooth ready, you need to buy the alpine KCE-400BT for $120 on ebay or $200 at a local shop. The Kenwood has bluetooth. You need to decide if BT is a necessity for you. If so then you need to factor it in, price wise, if it's an extra device purchase.

At 150-200 your choices will be very limited with bluetooth. Alpine has the CDE-103BT for a MSRP $250, with a shity display, only 2 sets of rca outs and probably not many audio fetures.

 

Its not a necessity - the only call I get is my wife really lol. I just thought if I am going to buy something like a BluAnt, might as well see if I can get the Bluetooth feature in a deck.

 

JVC includes BT in that price range.

 

How is JVC for quality though?

 

At that price point you'd be hard pressed to hear a difference between brands.....

Get the best one you can afford....if you add $100 to your price target the features and quality take a big step up, no matter the brand....again.....

HTH