Harman Kardon Drive + Play
par
Gotchi
- 01/10/2007
2: Drive+Play Audio Setup
The Drive+Play can connect by multiple methods to your car radio. In fact, the Drive+Play is equipped with an integrated FM transmitter, which permits it to function in the same manner as an iTrip or any other equivalent system.
The above photo shows the integrated antenna of the Drive+Play (the black wire which loops around the top of the casing). There are four predefined (and fixed) frequencies and one additional one which can be set to your preference. The quality is thus equivalent to that of an iTrip. To sum up, it works, but not much else. In a place where the FM band is saturated, the quality will doubtless be too low to really profit from a better product.
The second possible connection for the Drive+Play is still with the FM band, but with the addition of a cabled FM transmitter. The transmitter connects to the FM antenna output of the Drive+Play and in between the antenna input of your car radio and the outside antenna connection. In this manner, the connection is compatible with all the car radios on the market (assuming they all have a connecter for the antenna), and without loosing the possibility to listen to the radio. The audio quality of this connection is vastly superior to that of the first solution.
The above photo shows in detail the connections of the Drive+Play. You can see from left to right the connector for the iPod, the power connection, the FM antenna output, stereo audio out, and finally the two connection for the screen and the controller.
The third and final possible connection is to utilise the aux input of your car radio (using the stereo output of the Drive+Play), if it is so equipped. This solution is the one which offers the best audio quality, but it is not as available as the others.
It is interesting that the Drive+Play contains it's own aux input, as seen in this photo:
So, even if your car radio does not have a real aux input, you can virtually have one via the FM band. If your car radio has a real aux input which you connected your Drive+Play to, it is not monopolised.
The Drive+Play can connect by multiple methods to your car radio. In fact, the Drive+Play is equipped with an integrated FM transmitter, which permits it to function in the same manner as an iTrip or any other equivalent system.
The above photo shows the integrated antenna of the Drive+Play (the black wire which loops around the top of the casing). There are four predefined (and fixed) frequencies and one additional one which can be set to your preference. The quality is thus equivalent to that of an iTrip. To sum up, it works, but not much else. In a place where the FM band is saturated, the quality will doubtless be too low to really profit from a better product.
The second possible connection for the Drive+Play is still with the FM band, but with the addition of a cabled FM transmitter. The transmitter connects to the FM antenna output of the Drive+Play and in between the antenna input of your car radio and the outside antenna connection. In this manner, the connection is compatible with all the car radios on the market (assuming they all have a connecter for the antenna), and without loosing the possibility to listen to the radio. The audio quality of this connection is vastly superior to that of the first solution.
The above photo shows in detail the connections of the Drive+Play. You can see from left to right the connector for the iPod, the power connection, the FM antenna output, stereo audio out, and finally the two connection for the screen and the controller.
The third and final possible connection is to utilise the aux input of your car radio (using the stereo output of the Drive+Play), if it is so equipped. This solution is the one which offers the best audio quality, but it is not as available as the others.
It is interesting that the Drive+Play contains it's own aux input, as seen in this photo:
So, even if your car radio does not have a real aux input, you can virtually have one via the FM band. If your car radio has a real aux input which you connected your Drive+Play to, it is not monopolised.
