SoundGate ZNCBLPAK lets you Connect, Charge, and Play your ZUNE thru your Car Stereo or Radio's AUX 3.5mm Jack. Review

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(More customer reviews)A few years back when I bought a car stereo for my 1998 Nissan Frontier (King Cab) I made sure to get one that could accommodate a CD changer. I did this because I knew if it could accommodate a CD changer it would either have RCA In ports or somewhere on the net I would be able to get an after market adapter to accommodate my needs (as it turned out my stereo just came with the RCA In ports). For years I was happy rollin' along with an iPod until the Zune came out. The only problem was now there was no way to connect the Zune into my car stereo RCA In ports without using the 1/8" (3.5 mm) headphone jack at the top of the Zune. As you may or may not be aware when you connect a device this way (Zune, iPod or any other MP3 player) you have to crank up the volume on the MP3 player to the max, then use the volume on your radio to adjust to a comfortable level (very sloppy). Then if you are on a long trip (who can afford the gas anymore) you have to plug a car charger into the bottom of the Zune to keep it charged. This is way too many cables for me and creates a lot of clutter and chaos. Then BAM! along comes Soundgate's ZNCBLPAK Core(tm) Cable Pack for the Zune. It took a lot of searching on message boards to find this little gem (God bless the internet) but it has been the solution to all of my problems. By connecting the unit (see product manual here http://soundgate.com/upload//productdocuments/0606.pdf) directly into my stereo the volume from the Zune is now line leveled and I only have to adjust it at one source (the car stereo). To solve the cord clutter and chaos problem I had someone wire the Discrete Power Harness (included) directly into a power source in my truck. You could opt to use the Cigarette-Lighter Power Adapter (also included) but I prefer to be a bit more organized by having it wired to a dedicated power source. I do notice when I plug the Zune in this way it picks up a little more noise. If the volume is up loud on the car stereo you can hear the drive spin up in the Zune before the music kicks in. You can get something called a ground loop isolator to correct the issue but for me it doesn't bother me enough to worry about it. You never hear it once the music kicks in anyway. The Soundgate ZNCBLPAK Core(tm) Cable Pack for the Zune also comes with a 1/8" (3.5mm) stereo mini-jack cable (because not all car stereos come with RCA In ports). I do not know if you get the same volume line leveling benefit if you connect your Zune this way. Perhaps another review will let us know. Additionally I do not have a video device to connect to so I cannot comment on that aspect of the unit either. I would highly recommend two products if you have a Zune. 1- Speck Dragon Toughskin Rubberized Case for Zune 80 GB (http://www.amazon.com/Speck-Dragon-Toughskin-Rubberized-Black/dp/B0014BQW4M/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1?ie=UTF8&s=electronics&qid=1216488444&sr=8-1) (I also did a review for this). 2-Flex PED (http://thoughtout.biz/FlexPED) this device can adjust to fit any MP3 player. I have also heard they will be coming out with a Soundgate REMCORE Wired Zune(tm) Remote Control soon (see more info here http://www.logjamelectronics.com/soundremcore.html) that will connect directly to the Soundgate ZNCBLPAK Core(tm) Cable Pack for the Zune. Now that I have done your homework, all you have to do is pull the trigger. What are you waiting for?

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SoundGate ZNCBLPAK lets you Connect, Charge, and Play your ZUNE thru your Car Stereo or Radio's AUX 3.5mm Jack.

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DLO TransDock Micro for Microsoft Zune Review

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(More customer reviews)There are basically two things wrong with this item. The sound is very bad and it's difficult to remove.
I've had my Zune for a couple of months now and I was ready to have my music played through my stereo in my truck. I didn't see any reviews on this product so I thought I take a chance. Well that chance turned out to be BAD! I read all the instructions and tried every possible means of improving the sound but all I got was a sound like an old fashion transistor radio. As a matter of fact, it was worst than that. Also, there was a sound like a hard drive was spinning. The volume from this device was really low and I had to turn up my truck stereo way up just to get to a decent sound level but that only made the music sound worst. I have a 2005 Toyota Tundra with Infinity sound system and I know it wasn't my stereo.
The other negative thing I found is the power plug adapter. It is very difficult to plug in and remove. It does have a "resizing" ring that is supposed to reduce the size of the contacts so that it will fit into the power socket. But if you slide the ring to reduce the size of the contacts it won't go in all the way. Then when you do get the adapther pluged in it's like pulling teeth to remove it from the socket. You can easily pull on the resizing ring which will make the contacts open up, making it very difficult to remove. I thought I was going to break my power socket from the panel, trying to remove this thing.
The only plus side I can say is that it did transmit "sound" from my Zune to my radio (the key word here is sound... not music!!!) but that's as far as it went. Maybe there will be a product that will really work someday but this is not the one.
My advise to you is save your money and don't even come close to this product. I'm already sending this back for a refund.


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This is a wonderfully designed in-line FM transmission solution for the Microsoft Zune. The TransDock charges and plays the Zune in the car. Aux/in and Aux/out jacks enables usage of the TransDock with any DVD, laptop, MP3 player or gaming device.

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Belkin F8M026 TuneBase FM Transmitter for Zune Review

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(More customer reviews)This is the second Belkin transmitter I've used. My older car had a tape player, so I was able to use the cassette adaptor with my mp3 player and that sounded wonderful. My new car only had a cd player and no easy way to listen to all my music.
These transmitters are absolutely horrible. You can get sound, but it's definitely not crispy clear sound and it sounds like your old analog tapes or your old transistor radio that lost its antenna.
So, here's my advice: after wasting a bunch of money on two transmitters in addition to portable speakers that also sounded terrible, I finally went to Circuit City and bought a new stereo for only $79 (including installation) that had an auxiliary jack. Now, I can use a cable and plug my mp3 player right into the auxiliary jack and have clear, static-free music!
I highly suggest you don't waste your money on this transmitter or any other one. If your speakers are already good, you just need a new stereo with an auxiliary jack. It will make listening to your player an absolute pleasure. With the transmitter, I even hated to start the player, since I knew I'd have to play around with the transmitter to even hear just a little bit. The new stereo has made everything so much easier!

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The Belkin F8M026 TuneBase FM Transmitter for Zune offers you an elegant way to power, mount, and play your Zune while you are on the road. By seamlessly integrating an FM transmitter with the versatility of a car power adapter, the TuneBase FM for Zune offers the outstanding convenience of an all-in-one solution while you ride or drive.
The Belkin F8M026 TuneBase features improved FM transmission that delivers crisp, clean, best-in-class audio performance for an unsurpassed listening experience in your vehicle. The built-in FM transmitter wirelessly connects to your car stereo on the full range of FM channels, from 88.1 MHz to 107.9 MHz, letting you choose the best available frequency so you are sure to find a channel without interference.
This unit uses a bright, backlit LCD display for quick and easy tuning between channels, and features three, single-touch programmable preset buttons that let you set the clearest frequencies, and toggle among them for optimal performance. The TuneBase's holder secures your Zune in place in either portrait or landscape modes making it great for viewing video, holding your Zune at virtually any angle and featuring an innovative, flexible-steel neck construction that allows for easy repositioning inside the car.
Form-fit specifically for your new music and video player, the TuneBase charges your Zune while it plays, and has a built-in 3.5-millimeter audio line-out jack for use in vehicles with MP3 audio line-in ports or cassette adapters. Simple to set up and easy to use, the Belkin F8M026 TuneBase FM transmitter comes in a sleek black finish, and is backed by a manufacturer's 3-year warranty.
What's in the Box Belkin F8M026 TuneBase FM transmitter system, user's manual and warranty information.

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