Anybody install a Phatbox?

[john_dode]

Thinking about installing a Phatbox when they are available: http://www.phatnoise.com

Has anybody installed one of these in their 4Runner? If so, when did you mount the unit? How was the install?

thanks

john-dode

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edit: after posting I realized this should be in Audio and Electronics, sorry folks.

 

[HuiDaddy]

Kenwood sells their music Keg which looks pretty much the same. here is a link:

http://www.crutchfield.com/S-u5lOPk...&c=3&g=50800&I=113KHDC710&o=m&a=0&cc=01&avf=N

i dont know much about it. i'd rather spend that kinda money on an Ipod and with the spare change, get the FM transmitter. the Ipod is a bit more portable too.

 

[john_dode]

Reasons for Phatbox

I agree the Phatbox is expensive, and cannot argue that it is otherwise, but I'm willing to pay the price for several reasons.

1) Connects via cd changer input, which sounds ten times better than an fm modulator

2) Clean interior. i.e. mounts as a changer so doesn't sit in the console with wires everywhere.

3) along with that, no incentive for theft as it looks factory

4) Controlled using factory head unit AND steering wheel controls

5) has a voice assisted navigation system - as in it reads out loud what you are playing or changing tracks to - no need to break concentration from road.

I've looked at portable mp3 players with modulators, the Omnifi DMP1, and the Neo. The Phatbox beats em all. The Kenwood MusicKeg is the same as the Phatbox, and is cheaper, but you need a Kenwood HU to control it. I'm looking to keep it factory to use the steering wheel controls and because I actually like the JBL Synthesis system (which I never thought I would say).

jd

 

[davisc23]

I've been thinking about getting a Kenwood music keg. I have an old empeg (www.empeg.com) 20gb mp3 player laying around from an old installation in my previous car (01 rav4). In that car, I had it installed underneath a pioneer HU so it filled out the double din dash opening nicely. I tried doing the same thing in my 4runner with my new alpine HU but there just isn't enough space in the dash.

With the music keg, I can hook it up via an RCA line-in into my alpine's aux input and control it with Kenwood's FM modulator that works with the keg (controls fw/rew, etc and displays the song title). The music keg runs about $400 for the 10gb version and about $80 for the controller. Not sure If I want to spend that kind of money when I already have an empeg, but I'm getting tired of the limited amount of songs I can put on an mp3 CD. Sometime this summer, Kenwood is going to release the Music Keg 2.0 which has built-in wifi and some other neat stuff. I may just wait for that...

 

[Duc Hunter]

I would buy the connector a few companies make to plug any aftermarket CD changer into our factory systems. These even maintain the factory steering wheel controls. Then buy and aftermarket changer that plays MP3 CD's. You get a better CD changer, the CD changer is smaller (important for 4th gens who have to put it into their center console) and you can still load it with CD's your friends may bring for a road trip. On a single CD, recording at 128bit you can get about 100 songs. With 6 discs you can get 600 songs. Not as many as a big PhatBox bust it is more flexible and cheaper.