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Review

Review - TuneDeck for iPod nano

Tuesday, August 15th, 2006 at 12:00 PM - by

So-called "premium" FM transmitters for iPods have been around for a couple years now, with some models commanding price tags north of $80 to pump music to your car stereo, but cassette deck adapters have remained surprisingly 1990's-like. Given that a quality deck and adapter will beat the pants off an FM transmitter any day, we never understood the lack of more iPod-oriented solutions (a regular adapter dressed up in white plastic doesn't count, guys), but we're happy to see that Belkin shares our position and did something about it, recently releasing the TuneDeck for iPod nano.

TuneDeck
Belkin TuneDeck for iPod nano

The TuneDeck is an ingeniously simple idea: a typical plastic tape adapter is fixed with a hard plastic piece that protrudes about two inches and connects to a cradle for your iPod nano. Drop your nano into the dock-connected cradle and it sits securely right by your radio controls. It's an elegant solution that finally does away with the long wire that accompanies most standard tape adapters.

TuneDeck

An included car power adapter connects to the bottom of the TuneDeck and provides optional charging capabilities for your iPod nano. When connected, the power adapter also adds functionality to the TuneDeck, automatically pausing your iPod nano when your car is turned off. On its own, however, the TuneDeck will continue to play your iPod nano even when the car and stereo are off.

Our only major gripe regarding the TuneDeck lies in its limited flexibility, literally speaking. The iPod nano cradle can pivot about 20 degrees to the right or left to provide a more opportune viewing angle for its user, but that's it. Given that the TuneDeck will invariably block some sort of display or controls in most cars, it would be ideal if the cradle could also rotate, as it does iwth the TuneBase.

The Bottom Line

For cars lacking a direct iPod connection, cassette adapters are the next best solution for connecting your iPod, delivering sound quality that is noticeably richer and clearer than even the best FM transmitters can. The TuneDeck delivers everything one could expect from it, and is the ideal solution for iPod nano owners with a tape deck in their car. Just make sure that propping the nano up by your stereo won't block any displays or controls you might want easy access to.



TuneDeck
While it sports a slick design, the TuneDeck prevented us from inserting or ejecting CDs, as well as
compromising the cup-holder in our Subaru WRX, without first removing the iPod nano.

Just The Facts

TuneDeck for iPod nano from Belkin

MSRP US$49.95

Pros: slick design, excellent audio quality, includes car charger

Cons: may obstruct car displays or buttons, limited positioning options

5 comments from the community.

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gslusher said:

member since 13 Nov 2002 with 2088 posts, unranked, send him a message or view his profile

Tue Aug 15, 2006 5:09 pm

Like other cassette adapters, this one won't work in the growing number of modern autos that don't have cassette decks. There's a good reason for this: go to any record store and look at the rack of cassettes--IF you can find one. (To play cassettes in my 2004 Prius, I use a Sony Walkman and Belkin's TuneCast II FM transmitter. It's a real jerry-rigged mess.)

Then, there's the risk of physical damage. Hit that iPod with something and you may damage the cassette deck. They are NOT designed to be played with something sticking out of the slot. Some won't even play if the door over the slot is open.

On top of this, some car cassette decks will see such a device as a very short cassette and keep changing direction, back and forth, playing nothing, as they are attempting to sense a physical tape that isn't there.

Better get a strong money-back guarantee from whomever sells this if you haven't tried a cassette adapter before.

More to the point, why do these manufacturers keep imitating each other? There are many FM transmitters, cassette adapters, power plugs, etc. It's a "ME, TOO!!" business with very little innovation. The innovation in this product is about third-grade level. No, come to think of it, an eight-year-old would probably come up with a better design.

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A guest said: (hide)

Sat Aug 19, 2006 3:24 am

Interesting perspective GSlusher.

You must be one of those Yuppie Californian's that can afford a new BMR with native ipod support in the glovebox.

For us poor college kids that are still driving around in 1980's and 1990's era cars this is a pretty slick solution. I bought one online from Belkin, it came in last week. Works like a champ. (Sound quality beats the snot out of that crappy FM transmitter I bought at Radio Shack)

You do have a couple valid points as this may block your CD player. But if my nano can hold 1000 songs, why should I care about using my CD that holds 16 songs ?

You also seem to be spreading some FUD about cassete players not being compatible with this solution (yet you never mentioned you actually purchased one)

Based on your negative ramblings, I would have to guess that you probably work for a competitor of Belkin (maybe in product marketing) and are using this positive review as a place to vent your frustration that your company didn't develop this product.

This is actually the first product I have seen in a while that isn't a ME TOO product.

Signed

Happy TuneDeck Owner in Arizona.

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MrToad said:

member since 23 Aug 2006 with 1 posts, unranked, send him a message or view his profile

Wed Aug 23, 2006 5:33 am

Got mine yesterday. It works a bit better in my wife's car than mine, but reasonably well in both. More flexibility would be nice (pivot front to back in addtion to side to side).

We've tried a few different FM transmitters. Too many stations in our area. I've been using a Griffin SmartDeck, the sound quality is OK but the fancy control mechanism never really worked.

The Belkin thing is good because it holds the iPod and eliminates the annoying wire. I haven't used the charger that comes with it. It usually gets charged during the day at work.

For cars that have cassette decks this is definately the way to go. I already have one on order for my wife's car.

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gslusher said:

member since 13 Nov 2002 with 2088 posts, unranked, send him a message or view his profile

Thu Sep 07, 2006 11:51 pm

Guest wrote:
Interesting perspective GSlusher.

You must be one of those Yuppie Californian's that can afford a new BMR with native ipod support in the glovebox.

For us poor college kids that are still driving around in 1980's and 1990's era cars this is a pretty slick solution. I bought one online from Belkin, it came in last week. Works like a champ. (Sound quality beats the snot out of that crappy FM transmitter I bought at Radio Shack)

You do have a couple valid points as this may block your CD player. But if my nano can hold 1000 songs, why should I care about using my CD that holds 16 songs ?

You also seem to be spreading some FUD about cassete players not being compatible with this solution (yet you never mentioned you actually purchased one)

Based on your negative ramblings, I would have to guess that you probably work for a competitor of Belkin (maybe in product marketing) and are using this positive review as a place to vent your frustration that your company didn't develop this product.

This is actually the first product I have seen in a while that isn't a ME TOO product.

Signed

Happy TuneDeck Owner in Arizona.

1. Nope, not a Californian (grew up in Virginia, now live in Oregon) nor a Yuppie--way too old. A lot of recent cars' original equipment stereos don't have cassette decks. In some cases, they're available with the high-end options. Notice that I said that I have a 2004 Prius, not a BMW. (It's not "BMR") It has a CD slot, but no cassette deck. I spent a little more than this and got an iPod2Car--it connects to the CD changer port on the Prius's stereo. Quality beats even a cassette deck, PLUS it automatically turns off when I turn off the car or the power to the stereo and lets me change tracks with the steering wheel controls.

As for "poor," I expect that my income is higher than yours, if you're a college student, though it's considerably lower than it once was.

2. Yes, the quality can be better than an FM transmitter. I never claimed otherwise.

3. I didn't say anything about the device blocking a CD slot--that was in the article.

4. No FUD about cassette adapters and some cassette decks. I've had several of those '80s-'90s cars you're fond of. The cassette deck in the '89 Celica did just what I said with a cassette adapter for a portable CD player--it jumped back and forth, switching directions every few seconds. The aftermarket cassette deck that was in its successor, a '92 Corolla (hardly a BMW), would not work with a different cassette adapter. I ended up replacing that deck with a CD player and a casette deck, as I liked to listen to audiobooks as well as CDs. (I now record them onto my Mac and then to iTunes and the iPod.)

5. Nope, I don't work for any electronics company. Never have, never will. I retired as a lieutenant colonel after 22 years in the US Air Force through Vietnam and the Gulf War. All three of my degrees are in mechanical engineering and would be of little use to Belkin or any of its competitors.

FWIW, I own quite a few Belkin products. My critique wasn't aimed at that company, but at casette adapters, in general, and the potential drawbacks of this particular device.

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A guest said: (hide)

Wed Oct 17, 2007 7:56 pm

Cassette adapters are the way to go if you have a cassette player. I have a cassette player on my 2005 Prius and adapters works just fine. I use a cassette adapter all the time for my iPod Nano, my radio scanner, etc. anything with a headphone jack. 2006 and newer Prius have an audio input jack so you don't need this adapter. What IS a problem is the mess of cords and finding some place to put my Nano (usually the center cup holders) and then picking it up to navigate the screen. This adapter puts the Nano way up at eye level where I can see it. My wife got me the Belkin FM transmitter but the DC jack on the Prius is way down by the passenger's knees and in L.A. it is next to impossible to find a good station to use and all I got is static. I highly recommend this adapter but be SURE your tape deck has the tape on the right as shown; if your's is on the left then the Nano will be upside down. Also Belkin now has an adapter for 2G Nano's

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