flags

I got this as a dealer installed accessory with my RDX. Other than the well documented useless software Acura provides and lack of display on the nav screen, I have a general question/comment.
When listing to your iPod and then turning the car off, the iPod goes into pause mode and then turns itself off after a minute or so (perfect!). But, if you are listening to the iPod, then change the radio mode to FM or XM or whatever, the iPod goes into a mode that alternates the play/pause symbol, and does not turn itself off when the car is turned off. It will continue to stay in this mode or continue to play songs while the car is off.
Anyone have a similar experience or a better way to make sure the iPod turns off/pauses with the car?

SolidState

Oh great, more problems with music link. I hate the fact that is sometime go into a broken record state after a phone call over the HFL. It also backs up 1 or 2 songs after turning off the car and coming back to start it again. This music link is just pure crap.

Colin

MusicLink has been withdrawn from the RDx for now. Apparently the recent move to iTunes7 has caused some incompatibility problems with the TTS software.

sasair

For the record, my MusicLink for iPod is working perfectly as advertised. The navigation of the iPod does suck, but it works just they way the manual says it does. I am using the latest version of iTunes.

If you are having a problem with the ipod going into a play/pause alternating state, maybe you need to update the software on the iPod. If you are using the latest version of iTunes, this is done through the iTunes software. If you are using an older version of iTunes, then you need to download the latest version of iTunes, and update your iPod.

I tried to do exactly what you described, and was unable to get my ipod to experience that problem. What model of iPod are you using, and what software version is on your iPod?

I believe I know what the problem Colin is referring to with incompatibillities with iTunes 7, but I don't think this is one of the symptoms for that. It is more related to the TTS software and navigating the iPod.

Colin, do you know if Acura is doing anything for customers that already have the musiclink? are we able to return the product? and would that include installation fees? Or do they just stop selling the product and everyone that already has it is just out of luck?

SolidState

Mines doesn't work perfectly. I didn't even get the TTS work correctly. Maybe it's some thing to do with the 5G models. I have the 80GB ipod.

Also, even if it worked as advertised it's still crap. I have almost 500 albums, 10K files, try navigating that with that audio navigation. It takes 15 minutes to find the album you want and I can't understand what the audio is saying. The text to speech on the RDX itself is generations better than what the TTS software does. Worst, if you install the TTS it takes 20 minutes to sync my ipod after the initial 4-5 hours to set up TTS.

Warning to anyone getting the Music link, don't bother with the TTS software. You may regret it. TTS might be ok if you have a small collection of music.

The only redeeming quality of the music link is the sound quality and that's it.

crazymjb

Is their any noticeable differential in audio clarity/quality between the musiclink and auxilary input? I'd expect since one is analog and one digital their would be something, but not sure as to what extent.

Mike

sasair

Believe me, I feel your pain. I also have about 40GB of music on mine right now. I don't dare try to navigate it as much as possible. I pretty much set up a few playlists that would be at the top of the list for TTS and those are the only ones that I use. Unfortunately, if you want to use playlists at all, you have to use TTS. I agree that TTS is total crap,a nd I am disappointed that Acura went with that as their choice. It would have been easy to have the music info displayed on the nav screen. Probably easier than it was to develop the TTS software as a whole. Not sure who developed it for Acura as I haven't seen anything like it anywhere else.

As for the audio clarity/quality between musiclink and the aux in, both are analog. The musiclink is line level, where the aux input wouldn't be. unless you are getting it from the dock connector to the aux in with a special cable. I would guess the difference to be very slight if any at all. Now if you have a cigarette lighter adapter plugged in to charge your ipod, you may get some ground loop feedback coming through which would kill the clarity. the musiclink does not have this problem. It charges very cleanly. The other big difference would be that you couldn't control the ipod through the head unit or steering wheel controls except for volume so you'd need to have the ipod accessible.

flags

I concur completely. The TTS software is useless. I too am using one of the new 80 GB iPods (and iTunes 7) and have a large music collection. I elected to NOT use the TTS software and simply use the Music Link/iPod as a make-shift CD changer. If a song comes up I don't want to hear at that time, I just skip it with the sterring wheel controls. You CAN use playlists without the TTS software. Just start your playlist, shuffle, then connect to the Music Link Cable. My main problem is with powering down and switching modes. The iPod has a mind of its own, sometimes shutting down, sometimes keep playing. I may have to resort to unpluging the iPod each time I park the car, which kind of defeats the purpose.
As stated above, I think you would get similar sound using the AUX input, but you would need to navigate the songs with the iPod (or other MP3 player) instead of being able to use the factory audio controls. Simply stated, Acura/Honda went in the wrong direction with this interface and I can only hope for a software/firmware update in the future to make this system truly intergrated with the iPods and the nav screen.

DogPatch

works like a charm for me as well. i havent had a problem at all with my ipod with the music link.

and for those keeping score at home, the ipod will work just fine without TTS indexing on the ipod. you just lose the audible playlists, and if you're fine with it, listen to the ipod in shuffle mode.

i personally, have it in shuffle mode all the time. but then again, i'm only using a 4gig nano.

so if you're having issues with the ipod and link, try removing the indexes TTS puts on your ipod, and give it a go.

sasair

Yes that would work just fine with a 4gb nano. On my nano every song on there is a song that I would listen to over and over again, but on my regular ipod, there are alot of songs that you want to have with you, but you don't necessarily want to listen to regularly so you need to be able to navigate. In which case you need to use the TTS software. I don't count being able to navigate the playlists by starting the list and then plugging it in to musiclink. that would be totally unacceptable to me. Whoever developed TTS for acura really needs to get on the ball and recode the system to deliver the right info to the nav screen. given the correct resources it would be easy to do. The iPod already outputs the text through the dock conenctor, it just needs the right input into the nav screen, which acura could certainly do. If Harmon Kardon can do it for their Drive + Play, Acura can certainly do it or pay someone to do it.

SolidState

No one else has had the problem where when you end a call using HFL the iPod audio would return but skip like a broken record until you advance back or forward to the next song? I can reproduce the problem very reliably if I make a call on my phone then "transfer" to HFL. At the end of the call the Music Link audio is corrupt. I don't know if the problem is the iPod or Music Link.

Also, when I have the ipod playing and turn off the card and come back later to turn it on the iPod advance back 1 or 2 songs. It does this maybe 50% of time I turn off the car. Don't know if this is some glitch of some kind. Has anyone else noticed this? I don't know but this could be another sign of bad quality.

sasair

What version of software is on your 80GB Video iPod? And is it mac or winodws formatted?

I'll try and duplicate your problem next time I get a chance. I have not experienced the ipod advancing 1 or 2 back when turning the car off.

DogPatch

i havent run into that problem just yet.

maybe it's different with the nano. i cant attest to the harddrive based ipods, but at least with the nano, i have not encountered any of the problems encountered in this thread.

flags

I have the exact same problem. Skipping has become common and can only be corrected by advancing to the next song or starting the song over. For me, it also happens when changing to FM or XM and then back to the iPod after a few minutes. I don't know how to turn off the audio system to make th iPod not skip or advance songs.
Does anyone think Acura can or will fix this for current users or are we stuck with a sub-par item? Even if they change the way Music Link works in the future, that does not mean they will offer current users a solution.

SolidState

Under iTune is says software version 1.2 and I think it's Windows formatted since I'm using Windows.

Also, I've check the cable and the contacts looks to be clean and I always put the cap on the cable when I take out my iPod and I've only taken my iPod out maybe 4-5 times since I've had it. I only take the iPod out to add new albums I've bought. However, I'm starting to think it doesn't matter to update too often because I can't directly access the new album anyway.

Let me know what you think.

sasair

I have tested with my video iPod, which is also running version 1.2 and I cannot get it to skip like you describe. Also always starts playing right where it left off the last time. Its pretty solid so far. Maybe you have a defective one. Might want to take it in to the dealer so they can see/hear what you are talking about. Even though they have stopped selling it, they should still support it, or at least notify you when a solution has been found.

sasair

Someone in the RL forum mentioned that he was told by his dealership that a new MusicLink for iPod should be released in 2-3 weeks. He also mentioned that people who already have the old MusicLink are just out of luck.

By the way, Acura, or the people who devleoped the TTS software have released a newer version of the TTS software. Probably just as bad as the original version, but just thought you should know. I haven't tried it yet...

crazymjb

Is there any possibility that the new music link will be able to communicate text to either the radio and nav displays?

Mike

SolidState

Thanks, I will give acura a call. Maybe I need to take it back to the dealer to them look at. It's annoying and embarrassing when it happens when I have people in the car.