The never ending quest for a tape deck adaptor.

"Noah - Now with more boost." (antriebverliebt)
04/21/2017 at 07:58 • Filed to: None

I buy these all the time, and they usually end up like this before I leave the parking lot of whatever electronics store I happened to be at. Why? Because most of these are so cheaply made that the rattling of the loosely fitted gears inside the cassette is louder than the music you’re playing!! It’s unbelievable. The last 4-5 I’ve purchased were like that, and my current option is on it’s way out. At this point, I’m willing to order several of the damn things at once from Amazon. I’ve also seen bluetooth tape deck adaptors, those could be built to an ever so slightly higher standard since they cost 2x as much as an aux cable unit.

DISCUSSION (33)

RallyDarkstrike - Fan of 2-cyl FIATs, Eastern Bloc & Kei cars > Noah - Now with more boost.
04/21/2017 at 08:02

Have you considered picking up a stereo for cheap at a local Salvage yard? Our local non-Pick-N-Pull yard has all sorts including some older aftermarket ones for $25. Get one with Aux input, install in car, Bob’s your uncle and no more crappy adapters?

Sweet Trav > Noah - Now with more boost.
04/21/2017 at 08:03

A good FM transceiver will probably cure your ills.

Noah - Now with more boost. > RallyDarkstrike - Fan of 2-cyl FIATs, Eastern Bloc & Kei cars
04/21/2017 at 08:05

Hah nope don’t think so, I’d go brand new aftermarket for a head unit! Thanks to bose and their “proprietary” voltage installing a new one requires electricity voodoo

Noah - Now with more boost. > Sweet Trav
04/21/2017 at 08:07

My experience with those is spotty at best, bad sound. The tape deck isn’t a massive improvement but I’ll take it

Rustholes-Are-Weight-Reduction > Noah - Now with more boost.
04/21/2017 at 08:11

You might want to try this if you want to keep the original system in place:

http://autoweek.com/article/diy/add-no-hassle-no-static-bluetooth-connectivity-your-factory-fm-radio-about-50

CalzoneGolem > Noah - Now with more boost.
04/21/2017 at 08:13

You should try to swap the guts into a cassette. They’re pretty durable usually.

I wonder what kind of market there would be for adapters made from a favorite cassette.

Noah - Now with more boost. > CalzoneGolem
04/21/2017 at 08:17

I’ve wondered about that. It’d be a fun project just to get it working

Smallbear wants a modern Syclone, local Maple Leafs spammer > Noah - Now with more boost.
04/21/2017 at 08:18

Why do they need gears in the first place?

Noah - Now with more boost. > Rustholes-Are-Weight-Reduction
04/21/2017 at 08:19

Wild. Scary though! But also a fun article

Noah - Now with more boost. > Smallbear wants a modern Syclone, local Maple Leafs spammer
04/21/2017 at 08:22

I think the little plastic gears translate the twisting motion applied to a traditional cassette through those 2 holes into whatever motion/energy is necessary to transmit the audio

FTTOHG Has Moved to https://opposite-lock.com > Noah - Now with more boost.
04/21/2017 at 08:22

At one point around 2008 I had a Chevy with AM/FM/CD that nobody made an aux adapter for due to the way GM set up the system. I used a hard wired FM modulator with pretty good results. It plugs into the antenna jack on the back of the radio and then the antenna plugs into the modulator. It was pretty cheap - like $50 I think - but kind of a pain to install. Kept things stock looking though.

Noah - Now with more boost. > FTTOHG Has Moved to https://opposite-lock.com
04/21/2017 at 08:25

Yeah if I’m gonna install a double DIN it’d be a ton of work but not necessarily as much as a “custom” (lol) setup.

Rustholes-Are-Weight-Reduction > Noah - Now with more boost.
04/21/2017 at 08:26

If you can live with an aux cable instead of bluetooth and don’t have a motorized antenna (or don’t mind it going up uselessly) it boils down to buying a wired FM transmitter , plugging it between the antenna and the radio, and wiring it to acc and ground

Noah - Now with more boost. > Rustholes-Are-Weight-Reduction
04/21/2017 at 08:28

Lol yeah I have a motorized antenna, because nineties. It’s big and floppy and in my mirrors

BrianGriffin thinks “reliable” is just a state of mind > Noah - Now with more boost.
04/21/2017 at 08:30

I’ve had pretty good luck disassembling them to remove the “resistance” with the gears. The cassette player still has gears to turn, they just don’t make noise. There’s usually a tiny gear in the corner that can be removed, give it a shot.

adamftw > Noah - Now with more boost.
04/21/2017 at 08:36

You can buy a car stereo with bluetooth and aux in for like $55...

Smallbear wants a modern Syclone, local Maple Leafs spammer > Noah - Now with more boost.
04/21/2017 at 08:42

Apparently not. The cord goes straight to the head.

The only thing I can think of is maybe the two posts have to be kept in sync somehow.

Noah - Now with more boost. > BrianGriffin thinks “reliable” is just a state of mind
04/21/2017 at 09:00

Huh? A tiny gear in the corner? Haha ok sounds like an adventure

Noah - Now with more boost. > adamftw
04/21/2017 at 09:01

Not for a car with a Bose sound system. Different voltage. Also lol... I know.

Noah - Now with more boost. > Smallbear wants a modern Syclone, local Maple Leafs spammer
04/21/2017 at 09:04

Odd. I’m so confused now haha. Maybe youre right about the posts staying in sync

Textured Soy Protein > Noah - Now with more boost.
04/21/2017 at 09:18

You should get a bluetooth FM transmitter. GoGroove makes some good ones.

If only EssExTee could be so grossly incandescent > Noah - Now with more boost.
04/21/2017 at 09:32

I used to use a bluetooth one before I bought an integration kit. It worked pretty well.

adamftw > Noah - Now with more boost.
04/21/2017 at 09:47

GM? I have XM on my truck so I just bought a $35 thing that goes in between the XM plug and gives me an Aux in.

Rico > Noah - Now with more boost.
04/21/2017 at 10:18

Any car audio shop worth their salt can wire an AUX cable into any car for you.

TheTurbochargedSquirrel > Noah - Now with more boost.
04/21/2017 at 10:28

There is a way to can solder an AUX jack right into the cassette player circuitry.

wpudvah: GTI, Super Beetle, now with more 80-Series > Noah - Now with more boost.
04/21/2017 at 10:47

honestly these were my fave way to play music when I had a stereo w/o an aux cord... better sound quality than the radio ones, and much more convenient than burning 100 CDs. What I did was just buy 5 or so of these bad boys on eBay for $0.99 each and used them until they broke!

Camshaft Chris: Skyline/McLaren/Porsche Fanboy > Rustholes-Are-Weight-Reduction
04/21/2017 at 11:03

Oooo, now this is what I need for the Vic right here. Thanks for sharing this!

Camshaft Chris: Skyline/McLaren/Porsche Fanboy > Noah - Now with more boost.
04/21/2017 at 11:06

Well that’s weird. I’ve been through a couple myself, but not because they fell apart. I haven’t tested this with any actual cassettes, so I can’t guarantee this is the issue, but I think the actual tape player is messed up in my car because I only get sound out of the right side speakers whenever I use a tape deck aux adapter. Switch over to FM and everything works just fine. The wired FM transmitter and bluetooth option someone else posted sounds like the way to go to me.

Rustholes-Are-Weight-Reduction > Camshaft Chris: Skyline/McLaren/Porsche Fanboy
04/21/2017 at 11:07

No Problem, I’m curious as to how it sounds actually.

I worked with various MP3 adapters emulating CD changers for now, but I might try that as a universal solution

Camshaft Chris: Skyline/McLaren/Porsche Fanboy > Rustholes-Are-Weight-Reduction
04/21/2017 at 11:16

Well, once I get around to actually purchasing / installing the system, I’ll be sure to post something up. So, next year probably...

In the past, I’ve only messed with the stupid wireless FM adapters, which suck, and then the less crappy, but still not good tape deck adapters. That or just putting in a whole new head unit. But with the Crown Vic, I’m trying to keep as close to stock looking as possible. So no stupid aftermarket headunit with stupid neon back-lit screen and flashing lights and stupid ugly chrome trim. It’s an LX for god’s sake! It’s a LuXury car!

Bigjohn428 > Rustholes-Are-Weight-Reduction
04/21/2017 at 12:25

thank you but, NO. I will stick with the tape converter i got cheap at autozone, that has worked for over a year.

RallyDarkstrike - Fan of 2-cyl FIATs, Eastern Bloc & Kei cars > Noah - Now with more boost.
04/21/2017 at 12:31

Ah, your ride has a Bose stereo now and it takes a different voltage than most, you say?

I understand why it wouldn’t be as easy then...

sn4cktimes > Noah - Now with more boost.
04/21/2017 at 14:11

A cassette player spins while playing and knows to “stop” / “flip” once the drive post runs to the end of the tape and hits that sudden tension. If both posts aren’t in sync a lot of tape decks will get stuck endlessly “flipping” from A to B to try and get the tape to play for you. Some will also just auto eject. The gears are for the machines sake. The head doesn’t require them.