Any good current recommendation for a car radio cassette adapter?

A couple of our cars still have cassette decks, and while I try to replace them with newer radios where I can it's not always possible.

None of the various tape adapters I have seem to work with the Lexus radio as it seems to try and turn the "tape" drive a bit and then spits it back out again. I don't care that much if the adapter is wired or Bluetooth, I just want one that works. Does the hive have any recommendations or is that just too much to ask these days?

I wish I had an answer to your direct question.   I went to FM modulators (usually inline) years ago, and never looked back.

In reply to Russian Warship, Go Berkeley Yourself :

Thanks. I do actually have an FM modulator somewhere, just also was never that impressed with it at least when I used it in the SAAB. Also felt like I had to change frequencies seemingly every five minutes due to the somewhat odd radio landscape around here. But maybe I should give it a try in the Lexus.

I have a transit blu that works very well. It connects in line to the antenna and you get hands-free and if you have a digital display on your factory stereo it will show what is playing through Bluetooth.

https://isimple.com/products/install-kit-for-hands-free-calling-and-music-streaming-through-your-car-radio

If you buy this one familiarize yourself with how the long and short press works because when you read reviews the negative ones are all people who didn't read the instructions.

In reply to BoxheadTim :

It's been a long time since I've used one, but the cassette adapters always seemed to have sound quality issues for me.   I can see how FM broadcast frequencies could be troublesome, especially with the ones that broadcast to your radio as opposed to attach inline with your antenna.   There's also the possibility of adding an 1/8" aux jack to your existing radio, but that requires varying amounts of research, DIY and/or money.   And if you want to keep your stereo for originality's sake, might not be in your best interests.

Yeah sound quality is another issue. I mostly listen to spoken word podcasts in the car so it's less of an issue, but great sounds otherwise.

I didn't realise there is such a thing as the inline transmitter. I should try one of those as broadcasting from inside a Faraday cage in the hope of hitting the aerial outside said cage blows a tad. Of course with the Lexus that probably means disassembling half the dash to get at it.

FM Modulators are 100% going to work better than cassette adapters.  You didn't share what Lexus you have but there are a lot of good options for actual real deal bluetooth connections that replace the CD changer or add a "Minidisk Player" that is actually a bluetooth module but looks to the OEM radio like a Minidisk player.

Theres no less than 300 options for a Lexus on the Bay or the River.  

In reply to 93gsxturbo :

It's a 2001 LX470. Most of the more sophisticated connection options seem to be for the slightly later LX470, and frankly given its state of E36 M3boxiness I'm trying to keep the expenditure fairly low.

BoxheadTim said:

In reply to 93gsxturbo :

It's a 2001 LX470. Most of the more sophisticated connection options seem to be for the slightly later LX470, and frankly given its state of E36 M3boxiness I'm trying to keep the expenditure fairly low.

Does it have a factory CD changer?  If so, you can often convert those into an aux input with some basic wiring and resistors.

codrus (Forum Supporter) said:

BoxheadTim said:

In reply to 93gsxturbo :

It's a 2001 LX470. Most of the more sophisticated connection options seem to be for the slightly later LX470, and frankly given its state of E36 M3boxiness I'm trying to keep the expenditure fairly low.

Does it have a factory CD changer?  If so, you can often convert those into an aux input with some basic wiring and resistors.

 

I think it does. I probably should have a look...

After poking around a bit on t'Interwebz, it looks like someone is making an aux adapter that plugs right into the CD changer. Probably worth getting as it'll make the radio in the car a lot more usable.

BoxheadTim said:

After poking around a bit on t'Interwebz, it looks like someone is making an aux adapter that plugs right into the CD changer. Probably worth getting as it'll make the radio in the car a lot more usable.

We had a similar kit on a 01 or 02 Prius and it worked pretty well.

This is absolutely berkeleying wild:

In reply to TravisTheHuman :

I'm not hugely surprised by this. That LX is one of the early cars that control a bunch of things via the center screen and the controls around it, so one can't just swap the radio out.