ipod in place of cd player?

So, I have an eclipse HU plugged into a Pioneer DEQ 9200. I'm tired of CDs so I want to replace the HU with an iPod. I'll use a mini-headphone to RCA adapter and plug it into the DEQs input (as if it were the eclipse line out). Has anyone tried this, using an iPod in place of their CD player?

Many people do it...its what the auxiliary input is for basically. I use my Zune everyday. CD's suck now lol

My point is that I won't be using an aux input designed specifically for iPod connectivity. Instead I'll use a mini-headphone to RCA cable. Has anyone used a mini-headphone to RCA cable to connect to an EQ? Below is the cable I'm referring to: http://www.beachaudio.com/Belkin/Av20604-07-p-59821.html?utm_campaign=froogle&utm_content=reg&utm_term=av20604-07&utm_medium=cpc&utm_source=froogle>KW=av20604-07&GCID=C12585x003 The small end connects to your headphone out of the ipod and sends it to stereo RCAs.

It'll work perfectly fine. A line signal is a line signal, it doesn't matter WHAT the device is that is providing it. I PERSONALLY wouldn't do it. The frequency response, S/N ratio, and distortion figures from a portable's headphone jack are orders of magnitude worse than the Eclipse head, (or ANY decent quality head unit) but if you are plugging it into an aux input already, you are already suffering the destructive aspects of those things. After re-reading, I see you haven't been using it up till now. This being the case, I still wouldn't do it that way. Find a head unit with iPod CONTROL built-in. You'll HATE it, (the whole "not-having-a-head-unit" thing...) eventually.It all reminds me of something that Molière once said to Guy de Maupassant at a café in Vienna: "That's nice. You should write it down."

I agree, it will work fine - and despite what Dave thinks, it will probably sound fine, too.  But the reason I won't recommend doing it is that you'd be restricted to using the iPod controls for volume, etc. instead of the larger, easier to use while driving controls on a good HU.  The iPod wheel is a genius of industrial design, but a real PITA to try and use while driving, and potentially dangerous since you have to really look at it to see what you're doing.  I'd recommend an iPod oriented HU like the Alpine iDA-X001.Support the12volt.com

I actually tried plugging the iPod directly into the amps at one point using the mini-headphone to RCA...it sounded fine. Not as good as the Eclipse HU of course. Of course the equalization was left up to the iPod, and that sucked. I have a ton of mp3s and can't stand cd's anymore. I'm more into the convenience of an iPod than the sound quality features of a new unit for $400 (the 800 PRS), for now...