Wednesday, November 11, 2009

DIY aux input cable for Kenwood car stereos

In order to achieve my master plan of abandoning CDs and converting entirely to digital/wireless music, I need to get an audio stream into my car stereo. It is a Kenwood kdc-mpv619. The front of the stereo has no input jacks. The back has output RCA plugs, but no inputs. The only way to get a signal into the stereo is to use the CD-changer connector. This is a 13-pin DIN connector that contains pins for the audio signals as well as CD changer control signals. Around the year 2001, Kenwood realized that people wanted to use the connector for aux input and started to sell an adapter ( CA-C1AUX ) to convert the 13-pin DIN into a pair of RCA input jacks. Prior to 2001, Kenwood models would not accept audio on the DIN connector until it had established digital communication with the CD changer. I know this because I had to get a CD changer and hi-jack the audio lines for an older Kenwood stereo that I have. Anyway I made a copy of the C1AUX adapter, and also helped myself to the power lines that are supplied in the DIN connector.http://pinouts.ru/Home/kenwood_head_pinout.shtml

The resistor is necessary to indicate that there is something connected, and that the stereo should make "aux" available in its menu of input selections.



So, it all worked fine, but the sound on the G1 was still horrible. No bass. No treble, but there didn't seem to be much distortion. It actually sounded pretty clean.

The next step will be to use a bluetooth receiver to feed audio into the car stereo.

15 comments:

  1. Thank you, I have been scouring the web trying to find out what goes on in that cable.

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  2. Hi, can you repost the pinouts or where to ^place components please, the link is dead. I have a kdc 5060 and I get the message NO CH ...

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  3. hey nico......http://pinouts.ru/CarAudio/kenwood_head_pinout.shtml

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  4. between what pins is the resistor connected?

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  5. Anonymous, follow the link right above your comment.

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  6. Hello, Take part of a connector and I indicated 8 and 12 (red and white) with red and white RCA and 6 the weld with rca ground.
    3 and 9 with 10k (brown, black, orange, gold).
    When connected to my Kenwood KDC PS909 allows me to change to disc charger but no charger tells me, what else I can do?
    I need your help. thanks

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  7. Hi Ben, please i need help!!

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  8. Thanks Ben Sir.....
    For UR Valuable Comment.
    Plz Do The Same For SONY Car Stereo.

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  9. Hi Ben! When i connect 10k ohm resistor the option of "disc changer" appears, but it says "no changer"? what should I do to make it work? Plz I need your help...

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  10. Hi -- what is the yellow cable for and at which pin is it soldered to? Thanks

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  11. Did you find a workaround for the no communication problem on pre 2001 kenwood decks? Mine is a krc s305 and though it seemed to recognize the cable and enabled the cd mode no sound.

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  12. Auxiliary wires are a life saver when it comes down to playing your music, video, or anything otherwise in relation to sound.Best AUX Car Picking the right sort of auxiliary cable can break or make your experience, especially over time.

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  13. Is there a way I can connect male RCA ends 2 my 13 pin DIN connector on a KCA bt300 Bluetooth unit? I'm wanting to add RCA ends to my Bluetooth unit so that I can plug it in to the AUX in on the back of my head unit

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  14. who kniws how to connect this to arduino?

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  15. my car stereo has only 8 pin connector and I got 13 pin bluetooth adapter of eBay. Is there a way to convert it to 8 pin?

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