Listening to music is everybody's favorite past-time anymore - no matter where you go, people have headphones attached and are either listening to the cell phone or music. But what about when we are driving? Some of the more popular ways to listen to music in the automobile is through the car's FM/AM radio with a CD player. The cassette is pretty well on its way out, and with the new MP3 players - the CD is almost on its way out also, slowly being replaced by DVDs. But how does the MP3 player - say, the iPod - hook into the car for listening?



With most of the online reviews about MP3 players referring to iPods, it would be good to look at the Neo iON, the nano iPod and Apple iPod car adapters, which provide a direct connection to the car stereos - both factory and aftermarket. The Neo iON is considered the best iPod car adapter kit that is available to the public because when it is connected, the auto's stereo buttons will control the iPod - the iPod batter will charge - and the sound will play from the auto's stereo speakers. Pretty simple. They can be purchased at Mp3YourCar.com for about $100, depending on the car, the make, the iPod, etc. which is filled out online.

This kit is compatible with the Apple iPod 3rd and 4th generation, iPod Photo, iPod Mini, and the nano iPod MP3 players. The kit is supposed to work with all vehicles - OR - most vehicles as it plugs directly into the CD changer port. The requirement for the car is to have a CD player in it, for the Video iPod car kit to attach its 11.5" cable directly into the iPod or nano. The cable's other end will plug into the CD changer port on the back of the car stereo, with no FM modulation. The BMW offers a similar car kit, for about $149 plus $150 installation, at their local dealership. This can be found at their website.

There are a few other options for playing your MP3 player in your car. First, if the car is old enough to still have a cassette player, then we have the best option right there. In almost every retail store that sells electronics goods, there will be a cassette adapter. The adapter plugs into the player and a mock cassette goes into the player, giving a great sound and music selection received from the digital audio player.

Next, a person could go with an FM transmitter that wirelessly plays the MP3 player through a local FM station. There are a few very important things to remember when considering an FM transmitter. Most FM transmitters transmit the signal through a few specific frequencies. The less expensive ones deal exclusively with the 88 to 89 frequencies. If there is a major station in a local area on one of these frequencies, another transmitter should be considered as the signal will no doubt have interference. Other transmitters offer the freedom to choose what frequency is the clearest. Another option would be to go the route of having a factory radio adapter installed, using the audio to its fullest extent. These adaptors tend to be much more expensive and could require some installation that may need to be done professionally. They can be found at most of the major electronics retail outlets, but they may need to be ordered online, where they are more readily available.