Manage updates with the Download AppHarman Kardon Drive + Play iPod Control System
Manufacturer: Harman Part number: DP1US
- More product information:
- Editors' review
- User reviews
- Specifications
- Product series
- Manufacturer info
- Bottom Line:
- Harman Kardon's Drive + Play does a nice job of integrating your iPod with your car audio system, but we suggest having it installed professionally to get the best possible sound.
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CNET editors' review
Harman Kardon Drive + Play iPod Control System price range: $108.00
- Reviewed by: John R. Delaney
- Edited by: Jasmine France
- Reviewed on: 11/22/2005
The good: Harman Kardon's Drive + Play for the iPod offers intuitive user controls and solid screen quality.
The bad: Harman Kardon's Drive + Play for the iPod is difficult to install, and its wireless FM transmission is fuzzy.
The bottom line: Harman Kardon's Drive + Play does a nice job of integrating your iPod with your car audio system, but we suggest having it installed professionally to get the best possible sound.
User reviews
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a sleek, safe, and good sounding alternative to fumbling with tape deck converters and FM adapters.
by FLproject4 on March 19, 2006
Pros: great iPod integration and easy menu navigation, vivid display, and clear sound
Cons: a bit pricey, and no "line-in" option with older factory radios.
Summary: coming from a high-end company like harman/kardon, the drive + play exceeded my expectations. however, despite all of its great qualities (great looks, sound, and ease of use) this product ...
Summary: coming from a high-end company like harman/kardon, the drive + play exceeded my expectations. however, despite all of its great qualities (great looks, sound, and ease of use) this product still does not get any love or attention from cnet and the cnet community. i am the first one to review the product and it has been out for many months, and it is never on any CNET lists (ex. best iPod accessories). DRIVE + PLAY WON MANY AWARDS, INCLUDING MACWORLD'S BEST OF SHOW!!!
the display is bright and easy to read in all light conditions (even with polarized sunglasses on, unlike iPod screens). the navigation control knob are easily mastered, as they are nearly identical to the iPod's click wheel. all in all, the whole set up looks very professional, and very cool. while driving, you can easily find songs and navigate through playlists with your iPod safely tucked away in your glovebox or center console. this is a win-win situation as it prevents clutter around the cabin, and scratches on the iPod. additionally, there is virtually no "lag" between the sound and the display.
i can't argue that the price is a little steep. however, when put in perspective the price is more reasonable. i have gone through about 4 tape-deck converters, 1 Griffin iTrip, and 1 Belkin TuneCast II. The tape deck converters all broke or got lost, and the FM transmitters had terrible sound quality!
the drive + play wired FM transmitter offers much improved sound quality than the integrated FM transmitter. so that is the best option if your car radio does not have an aux line-input...but if your car does have an imput, then the direct connection is the way to go.
the drive + play is a very impressive package. with the drive + play your iPod and car stereo can finally come together as one. this level of integration is really unmatched by the other products on the market.4 out of 4 users found this user opinion helpful.
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Caution: This product only works with 4th generation Ipods and higher
by mattliptak on August 6, 2006
Pros: Ease of use a makes the Ipod even better in the car
Cons: Only compatible with 4th gen and hgher Ipods
Summary: purchased this item and owned a 3rd generation Ipod and when connected, and when you change songs, it skips for the first 10 secnds of each song. It also will ...
Summary: purchased this item and owned a 3rd generation Ipod and when connected, and when you change songs, it skips for the first 10 secnds of each song. It also will no remember where you left off in any menu if you go back. I had to purchase a whole new Ipod and it works perfect now. I talkd to the company and they said they designed this with 4th gen and higher models. Not sure why they didnt point this out. Other than that it works perfect! I think the big drawback is having to disconnect your Ipod each time you leave your car because it doesnt power the Ipod down automatically!
2 out of 2 users found this user opinion helpful.
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Good interface, but a noisy FM...
by schmeric on January 10, 2007
Pros: Heads-up ability to view limited iPod information
Cons: Noisy wired FM connection
Summary: Great little device for connecting your iPod to the car head unit. My 2000 Lexus does not have audio inputs nor could I find an aftermarket AUD-IN converter for this ...
Summary: Great little device for connecting your iPod to the car head unit. My 2000 Lexus does not have audio inputs nor could I find an aftermarket AUD-IN converter for this model year car (they run $150 - $350 anyway), so I had to go with the wired FM. I have a Sirius radio conneced to the AUX in on the D&P and there is negligible interference when connecting to an empty FM station, but the iPod has some distortion at the higher audible frequencies. Particularly on lyrics that have a strong "S" or "F" or alot of cymbals. I'm able to work around it by using a cassette adapter and connecting it to the iPod headphone jack while it is plugged in to the D&P. Much clearer sound, you can adjust the input volume, and you can still use the D&P joystick/display. Bottom line: good interface, audiophiles will cringe (unless you can connect directly to an audio input), and the AUX in can be used for a satellite radio(it's nice to be able to electronically toggle between the two). Have a pro install it - it's worth the extra $100.
1 out of 1 users found this user opinion helpful.
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Like it, but (I would say) the software has a few bugs...
by st4000 on September 2, 2006
Pros: Don't even need to see your iPod, plug it in and lock it away safe.
Cons: (I think) the sofware can be improved...
Summary: I like the unit and really like the concept so let's start with 10 and knock off points as we hack this thing. First off, I am only interested ...
Summary: I like the unit and really like the concept so let's start with 10 and knock off points as we hack this thing. First off, I am only interested in direct integration. Nice of it to have an FM transmitter, but that's not how we do it here! Another problem - I have an old radio with no auxiliary input! Fortunately I found enough on the web to hack an auxiliary output and input. Now on to a direct connection integration. I connected the radio's auxiliary output to the HK's input and the HK's output to the radio's input. Think of adding a graphic equalizer to your stereo. This worked great until the HK was powered down. Turns out the default HK power down behavior is to drop the connection when in the power down state (the HK is never really off). This should be a simple software fix. But the down side is that you always need the HK on to listen to anything through the HK's auxiliary input. Minus 2 points (this really annoys me)! Then, I noticed the automatic auxiliary switch menu setting does not survive a power down state like other menu settings! That's just inconsistent. Another point off. I also noticed a little delay in updating the screen and also in the controls. No doubt the 8051 processor (I am guessing) based HK is trying its best to get serial data to and from the iPod, the HK controller and the HK display. But the delay is noticeable and sometimes annoying. Especially when skipping forward in a song. For example, after releasing the rotation part of the HK's control know, the iPod continues to fast forward for 1 to 2 more skips. Minus 1 point. That puts us at 6 out of 10 points.
Like I said, I like the unit, I really like the concept, but I wish Harman would fix the software.1 out of 1 users found this user opinion helpful.
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Overrated and Overhyped
by hinder90 on July 5, 2006
Pros: Great controls, nice form factor
Cons: Very limited iPod feature support, terrible display quality
Summary: Coming from HK and with all the buzz about this product I really had my hopes up, especially after the high cost of having this installed in my '06 Subaru ...
Summary: Coming from HK and with all the buzz about this product I really had my hopes up, especially after the high cost of having this installed in my '06 Subaru Legacy. What I found was that while on the surface this is a great idea, it has a lot of issues that severely detract from its usefulness. Granted, the little control knob is really slick, and the unit does look very nice when it is powered off, that is where the pizzaz ends.
First off, many key iPod features are not supported at all. The most notable is shuffle. While you can set your iPod in shuffle mode before plugging it in, you cannot go in and out of that mode without unplugging the iPod. You would expect to have the "Shuffle Songs" on the top menu, but alas, it is not present. HK claims it supports shuffle, but all it really can do is go in and out of the random mode a la the iPod settings which are extremly cumbersome to navigate and doesn't offer the same functionality. Second, the character set on the display is very limited, so anything outside of basic ASCII characters appear as periods, so good luck reading French, Spanish or lord help you Swedish song titles. Third, like the iPod mini, there is no album title info shown when diplaying the track info for what is playing. Finally, the dislay quality itself is very poor even for monochrome- there a lines that intersect for each pixel displayed kind of like a primitive LCD pocket video game from the 80's. Lastly, there is no gain control on the device to adjust the volume levels going in or out of the thing, so you had better be happy with amplitudes that the device puts out to your stereo. Honestly, it should have some way of normalizing the audio digitally, but I realize that is asking a lot, so just to be able to manually regulate is necessary.
All in all, this is a great idea implimented poorly.1 out of 1 users found this user opinion helpful.
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Sharp looking and easier than fumbling with the iPod while driving.
by teejay69 on April 22, 2006
Pros: Very complimentary to vehicle look, good sound
Cons: Wiring needs to be done professionally for best results.
Summary: Harman Kardon did a great job in keeping the controls for this system as intuitive as the iPod itself. It also presents the information in a very stylish heads up ...
Summary: Harman Kardon did a great job in keeping the controls for this system as intuitive as the iPod itself. It also presents the information in a very stylish heads up display. Keeping the backlight on the display in the on setting may be distracting at night while driving, but it can be set to turn off after 10 seconds. The joystick lights up in a beautiful blue ring that looks real sharp at night. The sound quality is better than using the iTrip method, and best if you hard wire the unit to the radio. My favorite extra is that you can hook an additional imput (XM Radio) into the brain and have access to that as well. Overall I am very pleased. This system rocks! I love it!
1 out of 1 users found this user opinion helpful.
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Good for use as an iPod control, but lacking in polish.
by Larzdj323 on April 29, 2009
Pros: The DP1 hooks up easily to my iPod Touch, and the controls work great. The display is great to use while driving, and I like the way that the 5 way control wheel can be used to navigate the system.
Cons: Direct audio out does not work with cass adapters, sounds worse than the FM trans. FM does not work well in urban areas, Resets itself, have to change my settings back every so often, cannot play within an artist, only at album level.
Summary: This unit has been great for use as an iPod controller and the dash mounted screen is great for use while driving. The joystick is easily placed for use while ...
Summary: This unit has been great for use as an iPod controller and the dash mounted screen is great for use while driving. The joystick is easily placed for use while controlling my tunes, and the screen is easy to read while driving. I have a Nissan Maxima with the Bose system, so the only audio input I have available is via a cassette adapter, which sounds lousy when connected to the brain unit (just fine when plugged directly into my headphone output of my iPod), and the FM route isn't a very good choice in the Chicago area. I have resorted to plugging my ipod headphone jack directly into my cassette adapter, and using the DP1 to Charge and control my iPod which works and sounds great with the exception of the inconvenience of having to hook up another cable when I plug the unit in.
Every so often it just plain resets itself, and I have to go back and change my settings back to where they were when I shut my car off last time.
The Aux In jack is buried underneath a few menus so when I want to listen to my Sirius radio, I have to go through a series of menus to access this input EVERY TIME I start my car. Very annoying , , , plus it sounds awful when fed through the DP1 when using the Cassette adaptor.
The DP1 is lacking the ability to access all of the playing options of the iPod, you cannot just play all the tracks by a certain artist, the next (and only) step after selecting an artist is to select the album you want to play . . . you would have to make a playlist of their music, and load it on your iPod if you wanted to listen to every song you have by the _____(insert favorite artist here).
Screen is very bright, and you can adjust the contrast to make it appear less bright, but as soon as the unit resets itself (just about every month), this setting is lost and must be re-done.
My first DP1 (I picked up another one from ebay for $20!) Died pretty quickly, the jack that attached to the iPod basically broke apart after it had been attached and detached from my iPod enough times. the first warning sign of this was that it would not recognize my iPod until I messed with the connections enough and voila! It recognized my iPod! I'm going to ditch my DP1 and get the Auxniss and mount my iPod Touch on my dash . . . the screen is bigger, and the sound will be much better when connected directly. Plus the Auxniss has 2 inputs, one for my iPod & one for my Sirius radio . . . and the great part is it all hooks up through my CD changer input on the back of my Bose head unit. . . which, since my car did not come with a CD changer I won't miss the use of this! The Auxniss does not have the controls, or the screen, but I can get by without these . . . I may try the DP1 in conjunction with the Auxniss just to utilize the controls for a litte while . . . -
Reliable and easy to use, this product holds up the Harman/Kardon name.
by SoonerBorn88 on April 10, 2008
Pros: Intuitive menu controls, painless install, easy overall setup.
Cons: The scrolling is a little tedious, takes way too long to scroll through all of my music.
Summary: This device is all business, easy setup, easy use, and most importantly RELIABLE! I have never installed anything in my car and this was a treat. The install was painless ...
Summary: This device is all business, easy setup, easy use, and most importantly RELIABLE! I have never installed anything in my car and this was a treat. The install was painless with three different connection options. The screen is small enough to be "low-key" and the same applies to the control knob. Everything you need is included for power source and the three different input options. The FM Transmitter is the best I have experienced, it is a perfect stand-in until you preform a more permanent install. I would recommend this product to anyone who is looking for a straight forward, easy to use, reliable iPod interface.
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Great idea but the wireless fm transmission sound is not great
by barglancy on January 10, 2008
Pros: Ipod like controls in a sleek package
Cons: Wireless FM transmission is not great
Summary: First off the video cnet has up here is for the Drive and Play 2. That product retails for about $400.
I recently got the Drive and Play 1 (NIB) ...Summary: First off the video cnet has up here is for the Drive and Play 2. That product retails for about $400.
I recently got the Drive and Play 1 (NIB) for $21 (including shipping) on ebay. I installed it myself using the cigarette ligther for power but there is an alternative to the cigarette lighter providing power however I'd recommend a pro installation for that.
It's a monochrome screen and the control wheel is wired. However it works great just like the ipod trakwheel.
I will be purchasing the wired fm transmiter to see if it improves sound quality ($29.99 at Crutchfield). The people at Crutchfield are very helpful for tips when doing an install on an item like the plug and drive.
Overall it looks great and works great but the sound quality will make audiophiles cringe.
The following are links to Drive and Play 1 reviews on youtube
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T1EfcJIZUV4&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PWe38mHvy9s -
A good concept that needs to be expanded on.
by timacx on May 13, 2007
Pros: Similar interface to the iPod. It's the closest thing to a heads-up display for iPod control.
Cons: The software is poorly made. If you have more than 50 artists, the scrolling function is absolotely horrible. No option for podcasts on the top menu! I had to make a playlist for them.
Summary: If you consider buying it, plan on mounting the display to your dashboard. Mine slid off of the dash a few times and the wire pulled out of the back....
Summary: If you consider buying it, plan on mounting the display to your dashboard. Mine slid off of the dash a few times and the wire pulled out of the back.
If you're a podcast fan, you'll have to constantly update a playlist with podcasts, as the interface does not have the option.
Specifications
- Manufacturer: Harman
- Part number: DP1US
- Description: Drive + Play puts the familiar iPod menu on a backlit display right on your car's dashboard or windshield, where you can read it at a glance. The system is controlled by an intuitive interface that mimics the navigation on your iPod, and is easy to use.
General
- Product type iPod in-vehicle interface adapter w/built-in FM modulator
- Color Gray
- Mounting Kit Included
- Package Content Remote electronic module box,
Mounting hardware,
Control unit,
LCD display,
Cable kit
Dimensions & Weight
- Dimensions (WxDxH) 6.0 in x 2.6 in x 1.3 in
Product series
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Harman Kardon Drive + Play iPod Control System
Manufacturer: Harman
Specs: iPod in-vehicle interface adapter w/built-in FM modulator
Manufacturer info
- Manufacturer profile
- Browse Harman products on Shopper.com
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- Manufacturer:Harman
- Address:
400 Atlantic Street, Stamford, CT 06901 - Phone: 1-203-328-3500
