Our 4Runner has a tape player and CD player, with no input jack. On many trips, it would be nice to just plug in one of the MP3 players, instead of changing CDs. I have used my Goal Zero Rock-out speaker, with mixed results. (It lasted a good long while, but I still had a lot of miles to drive, with no radio reception, when it ran out. It made too much interference to listen and charge at the same time, though I did get a new socket USB outlet that doesn't whine on the radio.) Does anyone have experience with one like this? http://www.amazon.com/Cellet-Cassette-Adapter-Android-Players/dp/B00EP9RW62/ref=sr_1_5?ie=UTF8&qid=1393882476&sr=8-5&keywords=mp3+adapter+for+tape+player There is also this one, but the price seems too good to be worth it: http://www.amazon.com/eForCity-Stereo-Cassette-Adapter-Player/dp/B002SNCOGA/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1393882476&sr=8-2&keywords=mp3+adapter+for+tape+player Any other recommendations? DH is not likely to want to replace the whole audio unit, BTW.
They work great. I used one all the time until my stereo went TU and replaced it with a am/fm/bluetooth reciever http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B006B1C88Y/ref=oh_details_o07_s01_i00?ie=UTF8&psc=1. Now my Samsung smart phone will sync with it and play all my music plus it turns your older TV into a newer one with hands free phone calls.
The cassette adapters make a lot of interference in my experience. The mp3 radio tuners things work better. The ones where you sync the radio stations together and it plays whatever is on your player. I have a USB jack on my TV stereo now that I use so it charges and plays my iPhone. The bluetooth would be nice though.
Well, I ordered a Sony one from Amazon (http://www.amazon.com/dp/B0057YDNQ2/ref=pe_385040_30332200_pe_309540_26725410_item). I'm driving to Tucson next week, so I'll get to try it out with my MP3 player. (DH says the discussion on our trips will be which player we use - we each have some music the other does not enjoy.)
I used a tape adapter for decades to listen to mp3 players, cd players ... No issues at all... only time you'll notice any "hiss" problems is if your running a high end head unit and a few hundred watts of speaker power... but then that high end unit would most likely have an aux. jack these days... Don't need to break the bank to buy one either, in the past I have gotten a couples years use out of dollar store cassette adapters... I actually prefer these over those RF adapters ) the ones you set to a unused radio frequency and wirelessly play through your radio .. Works great in unpopulated areas with few radio stations but get anywhere around a large city and you'll have next to no unused radio frequencies to chose from ...
Just bought 2 of those myself, one for my car and one for my son's. Works great in both cars (2002 Volvo S60 and 2003 Chev Malibu) with no discernible interference or noise except a very slight hiss whenever there is silence from the MP3 player.
Those Sony tape adapters are pretty nice. Think about using a good tape head cleaner on your deck first.
