Now that the Acura iPod kit is being released can we finally put together a thread that details each of the options for the TSX? If you have an iPod integration unit installed on your TSX please post your setup, all required hardware, functionality, reliability, and any other details that might help. Thanks!!

 

I have a 2006 TSX with all standard, no NAV. I had the dealer add the iPod integrated unit and it connects to the bottom of the ipod. The sound is excellent and you do have some control of the ipod using the buttons on the wheel. It essentially takes the place of an aftermarket CD changer.

There are, however, several shortcomings of this solution. First, the control of the ipod is very limited. You can select by playlist, album, artist, or genre. But because there is no visual, you select your list by a spoken title which you can navigate using the forward and back buttons. This is clumsy and often doesn't work out exactly the way you choose. And you must know the exact name of the list because it will announce by alphabet. There is no quick search or scroll.

There is a very minor irritant in that if you have the stereo set to play your ipod when you start the car, and you have XM radio installed, both will come though the speakers. Once you cycle through your different modes, this deconflicts, but it shouldn't do it in the first place.

A much more serious problem is the software that the system uses. Most of us are used to connecting our ipods to our PC/MAC and having it synch within a minute or so. To synch to the unit in the Acura, you have to run an app called Acura TTS (for Through The Speaker) which creates the spoken name of each artist, album, playlist, etc. This would not be a big problem if it acted like a normal synch, i.e. check the two lists and change only what is new or changed. But what it does is wipe out the entire set of data it created the last time you ran the app and creates a new list. This takes several seconds per name or title, so if you have a relatively full standard ipod, this can take HOURS each time you do it. And it completely hogs your processor, so your computer takes a major performance hit during the synch. Because of this, I have learned to only run the app when I am done for the day, and I let it run after I go to bed. This seems to be a tolerable solution.

I love my TSX, and I can't imagine being without my ipod. That said, this is an adequate way to get control of my tunes, but it is far from elegant.