To learn more about your car’s audio system and how to hook it up to your new phones, please visit my website at: wwwPedrosGarage.com.

Happy Porscheing,

Published in the July 2013 issue of “Die Porsche Kassette”

Nowadays most everyone carries an incredible amount of music in their pocket or purse, inside their smart phones or on their digital music players.

If you haven’t heard, car audio has changed a bit lately; 8-Tracks, Cassettes and even music CDs are all outdated and simply OUT.

Digital Players and Smart Phones are IN but, how can you listen to them through your car’s stereo system when it’s outdated?

Don’t tell me that you’re using your headphones because that’s illegal in most States (while driving).

There are many, many options. Here are just a few:

1.- For car audio systems that don’t have an auxiliary input (most pre 1999).

2.- For car audio systems that have an auxiliary input.

3.- For car audio systems that have a multi-disc player.

4.- For car audio systems that use MOST technology.

1.- If your car’s radio can tune to an FM station, then the simplest solution is the FM modulator.

It plugs into the 12 volt outlet (cigarette lighter socket). You then plug the cord into your digital player’s or smart phone’s jack and that’s it!

Now, just tune your car stereo to one of the FM modulator’s frequencies shown on its screen and you’re enjoying your music.

PROs: Very easy install and use and it’s inexpensive.

CONs: The audio quality is not the best. No charging.

2.- If your car’s stereo has an auxiliary input like a phone jack or an audio jack, all you need is an audio line with the correct connectors on the ends. One end plugs into your device’s output jack, the other to the input on the car’s stereo and that’s it.

PROs: Very simple solution. Good audio quality.

CONs: Won’t charge the device.

3.- If your car’s stereo has a multi disc player, or the capacity to hook one up all you need is a specialized adaptor cable for the particular

radio model.

The Porsche stereos that fall in this category are the Becker 220 series and the 22 series, not the 210 series which came in 993s and early Boxsters.

PROs: Great audio quality. Simple to install.

CONs: You’ll need to control menu through iPod.

4.- If your car is equipped with the CDR23 or CDR24 audio systems which operate with M.O.S.T (Mosaic Optical Sensor Technology) fiber

optic cables, the you’ll need a system

integrator such as the Denison unit.

PROs: Excellent audio quality. Integrated controls.

CONs: Expensive and complex to install.

If you have one of the newer (2009 +) Porsches with PCM (Porsche Communications Management), then you don’t need any of this because you can hookup your iPhone directly; but you knew that ... didn’t you?

If you don’t want wires and cables connected to the car and your device then you can go the route of Bluetooth which receives a wireless signal from your device. Bluetooth can be connected to many of the older car radio systems as well.

But there are other advantages of hooking up your music player or your smart phone to your audio system besides just listening to your favorite tunes.

There’s an app for that!

If you use your smart phone as your GPS then the voice instructions will come through your audio speakers.

If you travel long distances you can add an app to your smart phone (such as iheartradio) that allows you to drive from Key West, FL to Anchorage, AK or any place in between, listening to your favorite hometown radio station uninterrupted.

There are other Apps that allow you to listen to any international radio station streaming live (such as TuneIn Radio).

So, what are you waiting for?

Go ahead and hookup your modern smart phone to your classic car radio and enjoy the best of both worlds.