Vans / Sound

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Portable music players to your car stereo

Digital music can be heard everywhere, even in the vehicle. There are three common methods used for playing music from portable music players through the car audio system: By cassette adaptor, by sending a signal to your car radio using a small FM transmitter, and the direct connection with an audio jack.

If your car stereo is older, it most likely has a cassette player for playing cassette tapes. If so, you can use a simple cassette adapter. This modified cartridge is connected with a cable and a mini headphone jack on the other end. You can plug the jack into your portable music player.

You can also use these relatively cheap adapters with a portable CD player or audio device with a standard mini jack. The most popular option for portable music players used today in cars is a small FM transmitter that emits a signal and transfer it to your audio system via FM radio with free and unused frequencies.

Some transmitters have a limited number of presets, while others allow you to choose your own frequency. When driving in or near large cities where there are many radio stations and you may need to change settings to find an available frequency. Some transmitters also function as charging devices which can be a great convenience.

If you select a transmitter that does not include a charger, you can buy a separate charger that plugs into the cigarette lighter or AC adapter. The third option is the most direct. This is an audio car stereo that includes audio jack and USB port for connecting your portable music player or portable storage device.

More and more new cars include this feature as standard equipment to their audio system. Sometimes a jack or USB port is now built into the dashboard. If your stereo in your vehicle does not include a built-in stereo jack, you can always replace it with another audio system or use one of the mentioned audio devices above.