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Listening to cassette player in Prius 2008

Discussion in 'Gen 2 Prius Audio and Electronics' started by Ainoa, Oct 15, 2017.

  1. Ainoa

    Ainoa New Member

    Joined:
    Oct 4, 2017
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    Location:
    Finland
    Vehicle:
    2008 Prius
    Model:
    N/A
    Toyota Prius, 2008. JBL, AUX installed, surely no car cassette player.

    Being grown up in family of analog records fans is – as you understand – a serious diagnosis. :D

    I have a vast collection of licensed (incl. vintage) cassettes, that I’m listening to via proper devices like MC Akai АС-3800L. :rolleyes:

    Having recently become an owner if Prius and after listening to audio-CDs on a decent JBL system, and my MP3s mixes, I’ve realized I need something irrational and tube-type which is car cassette player.

    Dear fellow Prius owners, can you please advise on an elegant (without – if possible - disassembling half a car) and at the same time ultimate in tech realization solution to this problem of listening of cassettes in a 2008 year Prius?

    What car cassette player is considered most up-to-date and of highest possible quality in terms of specs?

    How to install it? :cautious:

    And – in general – how would you approach solving this issue? :sneaky:

    Changing authentic device for dorestyle is not what I want to do. Want something out-of-the-box.

    I’ll be grateful for your input and recommendations,

    Best, Ainoa :)
     
    #1 Ainoa, Oct 15, 2017
  2. Mgrad92

    Mgrad92 Junior Member

    Joined:
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    Location:
    Tampa Bay, Fla.
    Vehicle:
    2005 Prius
    After reading your second sentence, I honestly thought you were going to ask if there was a way to play your vinyl collection in your car. Anyway, my 2005 model with nav and JBL audio w/six-disc changer has a cassette player as well; it's possible that a JBL audio option w/cassette was still available in 2008. (eBay listings like this one like this one seem to think so, anyway.) I don't know about the sound quality — I bought my car used in 2014 and I've honestly never used the cassette player — but installation might be simplest if you're just dropping in a different factory radio. You'd still have to disassemble about half the dashboard, tho'. I don't think there's any way around that.
     
    #2 Mgrad92, Oct 15, 2017
  3. Kevin_Denver

    Kevin_Denver Active Member

    Joined:
    Mar 18, 2016
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    Location:
    Denver, CO
    Vehicle:
    2009 Prius
    Model:
    N/A
    I don't know for Finland, but at least in the US, most of the the later year 2nd gens have an Aux-In port in the center console between the two seats. If you have an Aux-In port, would be easy enough to just use a portable tape player with a standard male-to-male 1/8 inch headphone plug cable.
     
    #3 Kevin_Denver, Oct 23, 2017
  4. fotomoto

    fotomoto Senior Member

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    Location:
    So. Texas
    Vehicle:
    Other Hybrid
    Do the JBL equipped cars still have the empty (hidden) slot underneath the headunit? If so, I'd say combine the advice from the above two replies and use that space to have a "good" DIN sized cassette deck installed by an audio shop and port it to the aux in of the JBL.

    Cheap/easy solution: use a Sony walkman (I still have mine!) plugged into the aux in port.
     
    #4 fotomoto, Oct 23, 2017
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