I made a short video of the TTS system at work and the Honda Music Link without the TTS used.
It shows what it sounds like and also has a comment on how easy it is to tell the difference between the Aux input and the ipod link when comparing sound quality.

Even my fiancee can tell the difference and usually she doesn't care or notice the things that I notice as an AV freak.

Here is the link
http://drknife.com/blog/index.php?itemid=39

 

great video, answered a few questions i had about the music link, but i still have many more questions that maybe you can help me with. does the ipod automatically turn off when you turn the cars ignition off(like the radio)? is there any way to scroll through the ipods menu without using that silly TTS software? did you install it yourself, is it plug and play? thanks for your help.

 

The ipod automatically turns off when the ignition is turned off.

The only type of navigation is using the TTS. I hate this too but care enough about the quality of sound that I find no alternative. The bass response is soo much better than the aux input. The aux input will sound like there is NO abss and the ipod link has the perfect amount everything sounding as it should.

I did not install the Link myself but I installed the software myself.
The link is plug and play as far as I can tell. It did not require any type of programming on the car end. It thinks that the ipod is a CD changer in the stereo that is why it says CDC on the stereo.

 

Cool, where's the video? All I get is directed to advertising.

 

Is your iPod Aux input being sourced through the headphone jack or a proper break down cable thru the same port as the iLink? - inpedence issues arise if you're coming out the headphone out!

 

Thanks for the video it was helpful. Seems like it works ok. I can understand where people with large libraries would have issue with this music link system. Seem like you need to be quick on the draw to get the letter you want.

But I still think when I get my fit I am going to get the music link installed even though I have read many negative reviews about it.

 

The difference in sound quality has to do with the impedance of the head phone port, not the Aux input for the deck. You can get a much cheaper and all around better solution with the Monster iPod Charger. This allows for great sound while still allowing you to navigate using the iPod's interface which is much easier than any kind of third party (Honda, etc.) manufacturers set up. The iPod automatically pauses when the car is turned off. Also the display on the iPod shows album art; no matter how well the Fits dash looks it can’t compete with the iPods display. Sound quality is excellent when it comes from the iPods dock connector (line out) through the Monster Car Play. Also the monster power adapter cuts out dirty noise in the cars power witch cuts down on speaker noise even when the iPod is not in use. After spending a lot of time and research to find the best set up for a 2003 Civic I am positive that the deck direct link systems hale in comparison to the Monster set up.

http://www.compusa.com/products/prod...873&pfp=SEARCH

 

wow, thank you drknife! your videos so rock socks. i'd been debating getting the music link myself, but now that i see it in action, i think just using my jack would be the best bet for me. i have so many artists it would be a nightmare.

although i'd love to hear the tts lady say "an*l c*nt" just once.

 

That is nice!!!!

 

I agree that it is not the AUX port that is deficient it is the headphone port on the ipod that causes the inferior sound quality.

I disagree with the comment about the Monster iPod Charger being an all around better solution. But opinions are opinions. I respect yours and partially agree with it. The reason that I disagree is that I don't want my ipod to be visible from outside of the car. I know there are many nooks and crannies to put it but the glove box seems so bloody logical.

I also agree that the display on the iPod cannot compete with the car stereo but it is down by your parking break. Most people are not constantly having the parking break in their peripheral vision, where as the car stereo can at least tell you what track number you are on without moving your head too much.

I would partially agree that the deck direct systems pale in comparison to the monster setup only in terms of cost. The usability of the monster setup is not that great especially in a manual transmission. You have to have one hand on the ipod to navigate and you have to look down to see the screen to navigate. I have found that the average time from picking up the ipod to selecting what you want to listen to is about 17 seconds and that is if you know exactly what you want to hear which is usually not the case. In other words your eyes are off the road for 17 secs and one hand is off the wheel for that long too. That is too long for me.

I used to use a similar setup to your monster setup using different brand of car adapter in a different car (not the Fit). That is until I had a few close calls while driving. It is not as safe to use a monster style setup than the Honda Music Link.

Overall I am happy with the sound quality of the Link which is the same as the sound quality from the monster style setup if done properly; I am very disappointed with the TTS software; I like that the iPod is in the glove box.

 

DK - I agree with your stance - also TTS (even with it's bugs) keeps your eyes on the road and not on a small iPod display!

 

UPDATE::
I have noticed that my 4-button ipod(3rd Gen) has quirks with it and it freezes when using specific features of the TTS software.

But the wierd thing is that it happens with my nano too. What a crock of rocks.