Average Reviews:
(More customer reviews)I'm posting this after reading the reviews here and then experiencing first hand the difference on my own x920bt between this and a "regular" iPod cable used with the stock Pioneer USB cable.
Technically, the bad reviews here are correct: You don't actually need this cable to use your iPod/iPhone with your Pioneer HU. If you were sitting on the fence like I was about buying it though, read on:
I do agree with the one star reviews that the cable is too short for what it costs. It is possible to extend it with both a regular USB extension cable and a mini-jack cable extender, but of course you have to buy those. So I knocked off a couple stars for that because this thing should be longer for what you pay.
However, there are 3 things you need to know about using the USB cable that comes with your HU over this one with an iPod/iPhone:
1) Without this cable, you have to plug two cables in to your iPod/iPhone - the dock connector, and a standard mini-audio cable. With this cable you only need to plug in the dock connector. Minor detail but if it's something you are going to use every time you get in the car you'll find one connection better than two over time, I assure you.
2) You need this cable to get video from your iPod/iPhone. If you care about video at all, then this is your only choice. One review mentions the video quality is so-so but I did not find that to be the case - as with all videos on iPods/iPhones the source is everything and good quality videos looked perfectly fine to me; I'll agree that the Pioneer HU doesn't go a great job with marginal sources compared to other displays but that isn't the fault of the cable.
3) And most importantly - as G. Ledesma points out in his review - with this cable, you get line-level audio out, where with the USB cable/mini-jack you get audio that's amplified once already by the iPod/iPhone itself. Don't brush this detail off! Having listened to both, same music, same player, I can tell you that you don't need to be an audiophile with the ears of a teenager to hear the difference. It is pretty significant, especially with music that's already lower-quality (like tracks purchased from iTunes prior to 2009). For this reason alone I found the cable to be a necessary purchase.
In short, while yes it is pricey, and you can control and listen to your music without it, you are going to want it anyway. I mean, not to defend Pioneer, but it is kind of a niche item they don't mass-produce, and frankly if you own an iPod/iPhone you already paid a premium for a product, so what's another few bucks for a cable? If it were longer I'd give it 5 stars, but that's it's only real fault.
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Pioneer CD-IU50V USB Interface Cable for iPod/iPhoneUse the CD-IU50 audio interface cable to connect an iPod or iPhone directly into your compatible Pioneer head unit. Gain full, direct, adapter-free control of your iPod/iPhone via the head unit interface.
The cable is two meters in length.
What's in the Box CD-IU50 USB Interface Cable for iPod (Audio)
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