Anybody running an iPad Mini (Retina) as a HU?

[Wicks]

Question to those running iPads as a HU.

What method do you use to link the tablet to the rest of the system?

I was intrigued by Soundman doing all the iPad installs and implementing a Pure i-20 converter to get access to an optical signal for an audio processor (Fosgate 360 / Bit10), so I dove in and bought both BUT I wanted the upgraded features of the iPad Mini with Retina display.

Sure enough I had already received my Pure i-20 when I saw Soundman state that the i-20 only works with the iPad Mini and not the Retina version...

WTF...thanks Apple changing yet another thing with your products that obsoletes a bunch more aftermarket devices.

So then I found the Cambridge Audio iD100. NOT cheap but if it worked then so be it.

I emailed their customer service and asked beforehand if it supported the iPad Mini (Retina). They replied back that it would support the music transfer so I went ahead and found a decent deal on eBay.

When it arrived, I hooked it up and sure enough.........................Not compatible

Sent another email to Cambridge asking WTF. Guess what? No reply.

My next endeavor was to use a simple HDMI to optical converter box since Apply makes an (expensive) Lightning adapter that gives you HDMI output. So I found a converter on eBay, ordered it, it arrived. Connected it all together and BOOM, audio was playing!

Then.......I tried to play a video/movie. Blaaaaaaaahhhh, the screen went blank and said a TV was connected.

So I wouldn't be able to play any live video with that setup.

I just can't win...

So it looks like my only option for the time being is to link the iPad Mini to my Fosgate 360 by Bluetooth which should work OK, but I really want that "wired" digital link so I don't have to worry about Bluetooth issues.

So, to the main question. Anybody using a "newer" iPad with a digital link to a processor?

TIA and sorry for the long post, but there was a lot going into this issue.

[CJ18]

http://store.apple.com/us/product/MD824ZM/A/lightning-to-30-pin-adapter-02-m?fnode=34c4fe8270a48b1a5ca15b575081e82e5b57cf2c09a7673d7e6e882477ac16f31f14f8f3f12ca035f5df4159a4bdae5c345c88115bf0091e9fe222933c0b4f59e2a29f3e3493b51fe5124557c033272e0389fe25a8d2e3cfebb427b072531d27d02a1ae2fb7efbc562ec463e16b9d48d

http://store.apple.com/us/product/MC748ZM/A/apple-composite-av-cable?fnode=fb4db7000ca7ee726b9eec39e50fdad7f8872e71caab1bca3af42205f35648b872c693d68ad3ce88b5f68aa7f0b20f94f6dace7560a9e47e640c8ebcc4f7cdcfa33cce4157288a6b1070965e52de1b2354c53d87477e70f79eaae48f52253cb20c2af7a8e6c0caea5a60a1b8adc0fd78

[CJ18]

Not sure if it will work going direct to the 360, but this will give you the audio out. That is how I am run from my ipad to my headunit which then runs back to the .3.

[Wicks]

Not sure if it will work going direct to the 360, but this will give you the audio out. That is how I am run from my ipad to my headunit which then runs back to the .3.

I've seen that cable and some other audio converters (iStreamer), but those will give an analog audio output which I would have to run from the front of my car all the way back to the trunk and use RCA cables, as I always have.

I have an annoying alternator whine so I really want to go full digital from front to back and then directly into the 360.

No more worries about noise and a nice digital signal for the 360 to play with.

So that's the problem...finding a device to extract the digital signal from the iPad and then convert it to optical for the 360.

Sounds simple, and it should be, but Apple changed something so I may have to wait for the next generation product from Pure...