iPod & iTunes: The Missing Manual, Second Edition

Chapter 12. Connecting the iPod to Other Audio Systems

You’ve labored over ripping CDs and composing playlists for months now, and you just want to share it with the world—or at least with the people at your party. But how? By playing Pass the iPod? And what about all those songs that are perfect for cranking up in the car? Are they locked away in your iPod forever, never to provide the music for impromptu sessions of Stoplight Shimmy?

Absolutely not. If you can load it onto your iPod, you can channel it through most any stereo system or blast it through your car’s speakers. This chapter explains the simple procedures for playing your iPod songs through the woofers and tweeters in your life.

Note

The prices, Web sites, and model numbers in this chapter are intended to get your geek saliva flowing—not to serve as an up-to-date catalog. One spec or another has almost certainly changed since this book went to press, or even since you started reading this paragraph. Even so, you’ll certainly learn one thing from this chapter: There’s a lot of neat stuff out there.

Connecting the iPod to a Stereo System

CD players that can play discs of MP3s cost less than $100. But if you have an iPod, you already have a state-of-the-art MP3 player that you can connect to your existing system for under $20.

When connected to a stereo system, the iPod’s wide frequency-response range and 60-milliwatt amplifier give it the audio oomph to fill a room. To link the iPod to your stereo, you need the right kind of ...