Monster Cable introduces another in-car solution for iPod

[vicicasas]

Coming before the end of the year, the iCruze iPod interface for car stereos!

"BRISBANE, Calif., November 2, 2004 - Monster® is proud to announce that it has partnered with SoundGate® to produce and distribute iCruze™, Monster's latest iPod accessory that allows consumers to play their entire music collection through their car audio systems. With a suggested retail price of $199.95, the iCruze is scheduled to be available to consumers this Fall.

"Apple's iPod is the world's most popular digital music player," explained Noel Lee, The Head Monster. "Monster has now made it even easier for iPod and iPod mini users to listen to their entire music collection in the car, the days of cluttering the car with CDs are finally over."

In conjunction with Sheridan, Wyo.-based SoundGate, Monster's iCruze is an interface that enables the connection of an iPod to a factory or aftermarket radio through either the car's existing CD changer or satellite radio port. An optional display is available if the existing head unit is limited and cannot display text. The iCruze display is a multi-line, 20-character backlit LCD display that reproduces the same information as that on the iPod, such as song title and song artist. Since the iCruze is a direct connect to the automobile's sound system via the CD changer or satellite radio port, sound quality is also incredibly clear. "

[hungryalien]

sounds good! cant wait to see how the LCD display would look like.. sana it can also show DVD so that one day, when we have the ipod video.. completo na!

[vicicasas]

The website is maddeningly frustrating and provides extremely limited information on the iCruze's compatibility.

I wonder exactly what head units it is compatible with, and how much control the user interface gives you, not to mention ease of use (the BMW-iPod solution offers very limited control, and the Alpine interface offers very poor ease of use). If it manages to outdo either of those solutions, then it will be definitely worth looking at it. But bear in mind that the $200 price does not include the _optional_ LCD display, so it still remains to be seen if the total package is worth the expense.

[wpalomine]

The banner has an MBenz, but with an after market HU. Does this mean it will, or not, work with the stock Benz HU?