Best IPod kits?

[eppo37]

I was hoping I could get some suggestions on IPod kits. I drive an '04 RX-8, and I'm sick of the poor sound quality using an FM tuner. It's not hard to find kits on the web, but I want to know which ones seem to be the best: best quality, easiest to install, this one is cheaper but works just as well. Whatever you can add that would be helpful.

[djmtsu]

I had the Axxess kit in my RX-8.

It worked pretty good, not too hard to install either. They all are going to require you to remove the factory HU, so if that is an issue, look elsewhere.

I will tell you to be careful when installing (or rather removing the factory HU). It is easy to pull the face of the stereo away from the lower edge, while it isn't going to do any permanent damage (you just push it back on) it will make your head scratch as to why nothing works.

Ask me how I know....

[eppo37]

I already assumed I would have to take the factory unit out to plug into the AUX port (or whatever I end up using). Not a big deal. I would just hate to pay $100 bucks for something that has some kind of ridiculous limitation, but if I had just bought the $150 model everything would have been great. Or some product that just doesn't live up to its description. I guess I should just say that I don't mind spending money, as long as I'm happy with my purchase in the end.

[djmtsu]

The Axxess kit plugs in where the factory Mini Disc player would attach to the HU. You plug the harness in, and run the cable to a little box that I squeezed in to the right side rear area behind the stereo. Then I ran the iPod cable into the glovebox, you can run it to the center console if you want too (it has the length in the cable).

Then you select MD on the stereo and now it controls the iPod. You can then tap the Display button to show the playlist, or the song track, artist, etc.

The little Axxess box also has 2 more connections you can use for an aux style jack (for other MP3 players, or an RCA cable.

It did its job well.

[eppo37]

Any other suggestions out there?

[Kompressorlogic]

while this is not for an ipod specificly ( since i dont use an ipod) i purchased the XCarLink USB MP3 Player Integration Kit for Mazda http://www.therpmstore.com/product_info.php?cPath=57_58&products_id=141

allows you to plug a head phone jack from an mp3 player in, or either a usb stick or sd card into it to play mp3s off of. i use it with a 4 gig sd card i put in there, one downside is you can only have up to 600 songs,( it acts like theres 6 separate cds in with up to 100 on each i ususally put songs of diff genre in each virtual disk"

all the steering wheel controls work, but another downside is it will not display the name of the track just a number. overall it works great for what i wanted.

i routed mine to the glove box, and was planning on running a head phone jack down to the center console at a later time