If the Apple-BMW iPod car kit is "the ultimate sound experience," then I guess that makes Dension's ICE-Link kit the penultimate iPod auto hookup.

[To go to the main page for Digital Music Revolution coverage, please click here.]

The idea of integrating an iPod into automobile car systems makes a lot of sense. It doesn't have to be an iPod; it could be any digital music player. But iPods are the only players that

MP3 players made specifically for cars require you to install a unit in your car. These units have some kind of removable storage component that you bring into the house and hook up to another component so you can transfer music from your computer to the device. And the whole shebang has to be grafted into you car's audio system.

An iPod holds up to 40GB of data and is designed to be carried around and synced at home. So why not just graft one into your car audio? That's what ICE-Link does.

It arrives as a bundle of black boxes and cables. ICE-Link is a modular system that gives you a choice between using a cradle or just a simple cable connection for your iPod. You -- or better, a professional installer (see sidebar) -- assemble and connect to your audio system. Generally it goes into the CD changer ports on your "headunit" -- the central "brain" of your car stereo; typically the innards behind what you see on your dash.

Once connected, your iPod plays when you switch your car stereo to CD Changer mode, pauses when you switch to another audio option, and will change tracks via your car's CD track changer controls, including those on your steering wheel. It also charges the iPod.

I must confess that I doubted that the ICE-Link was going to work in my Toyota coupe, which has a Navigation system and no factory CD changer option. Don't worry, said Dension's USA office, and they were right. It turns out that mine, like most factory headunits, has a few hidden modes in them and indeed when the ICE-Link was installed, the Changer mode emerged from hiding. The downside is that if you actually do have a changer installed, you may not be able to use the ICE-Link -- but check with Dension USA first to see what can be done.

Admittedly, one would want to see a higher level of control than just changing tracks. Tom Guagliardo of Dension USA says the company is working on it and hopes to have a new version available next year that would, among other things, give song information on your car stereo's display.

The-Apple BMW unit offers a little more functionality -- it lets you set up five playlists that you can change via the stereo controls -- but, then, you have to own a BMW to get one. ICE-Link is available for AUDI, BMW, Mini, Chrysler, Ford, GM, Honda, Accura, Jaguar, Land Rover, Lexus, Mazda, Mercedes, Nissan, Infiniti, Porsche, Saab, Scion, Subaru, Toyota, Volkswagen, and Volvo. In other words, you probably can get one. Pricing varies with the car, most falling in the $220-$240 range.

The bottom line here is not just convenience, but sound. ICE-Link takes a direct feed from the iPod and, unlike FM transmitters or cassette adapters, delivers the full range of audio fidelity from the player. It lets you make an iPod into an 800-CD audio changer that you can also take with you when you go jogging.

Installation: Let the Pros Do It

Derek Kenney of Sound in Motion in Allston, MA, had just finished installing my ICE-Link, and he delivered his verdict: "installation was easy, what took the most time was taking apart your dashboard." Also, I might add, reassembling my dash.

Audio installation is definitely in the "kids, don't try this at home" category, pretty much for the reasons Kenney mentioned. You not only need to know the ins and outs of the stereo equipment, you also need to know how to figure out the puzzle that is the dashboard and console of modern automobiles.

Look at my dashboard (left). There is a Nav screen with audio controls set into a spot below the a/c vents and above the climate controls. It is flanked by two trim pieces, all right smack in the middle of the dash where any misstep will be on prime display. All of these are held together by an array of clips and snaps. Brute force is only going to get you broken trim.

The two basic things you want from an installation are (a) everything that was installed should work the way they were supposed to and (b) everything that was there before should emerge unscathed from the experience. That takes a little experience. You don't want, as Tom Guagliardo of Dension USA put it, "some kid who was sweeping the floor last week ripping apart your dashboard."

Kenney has been doing installations since 1988, so I figure there is a good chance he knows what he is doing.

Therein lies the consumer tip: look around for an installer. Don't be seduced by the cheapest deal; you may pay for it in rattles, scratches, and power problems. Look for a company that has been around for a few years. Ask to look at examples of their work. Experience counts.

(c) 2004 Al Gordon.

In addition to his computer interests, Al Gordon is a principal in the Boston-area strategic consulting firm, Mary Fifield Associates, www.maryfifieldassociates.com

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You can reach Al Gordon at:

al@tnpcnewsletter.com