Lightning cable extension?

InvisiBill

InvisiBill

2[H]4U
Joined
Jan 2, 2003
Messages
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Has anyone seen a Lightning extension cable yet?

I need to convert a 30-pin connector to Lightning and then extend it a few feet. Ideally, I'd like a version of Apple's $40 adapter cable but with a much longer cable. I'm also ok with the smaller $30 adapter coupled with a male-female Lightning extension cable.

I currently have a 30-pin extension cable with the smaller adapter on the end, and it doesn't work as well as I'd like. USB isn't involved with this accessory, so using a standard USB Lightning cable with a USB extension (as others have done when they need a longer cable) isn't an option.

So has anyone seen a longer adapter cable or a pure Lightning extension?
 
maybe get a super long cable from Cablejive.com?
Not sure if they launched the lightning connector line or not, but it's coming.
 
The iPhone 5 dockBoss+ seems to be their only product that's close to what I want. The biggest issue with that item is that it uses the headphone jack for analog audio, which means it's tied to the volume controls on the iPhone (rather than using the dedicated "audio out" which is a set level) and it requires a second cable to be plugged into the phone.

I was being a bit vague to avoid suggestions that would work, but were not at all what I wanted. Specifically, I'm looking to upgrade/replace a Kenwood KCA-IP202.

x113KCiP202-F.jpeg


Kenwood is a bit dumb with some of their models, using a combo USB/analog audio cable. I believe the main goal is to provide decrypted video out via the "audio" jack, but it also plays songs via that analog audio cable. The USB portion is used to get song info and provide control over the iThing. If you plug in just the USB cable, you get full control and data with the iPhone, but no audio. In theory, I should be able to simply buy a longer Lightning cable or USB extension and a longer 3.5mm cable for the audio, but we're back to the two separate cables that way, plus the headphone volume issue.

So I guess another option besides Dock-Lightning cable and Lightning M-F extension cable would be a Lightning-USB/audio cable (basically the same as the KCA-IP202, but with a Lightning connector instead). I think I would actually prefer this, but I also expect it to be the least likely to be found as something that will actually work with the Kenwood deck.

I'm also going to contact Kenwood support about enabling digital audio playback via the USB port (eliminating the need for the audio cable altogether). Their other decks do it, but the video models require the audio cable (as I said, mainly for decrypted video, I believe) and choose to play audio via the same method. I assume it's just to keep all iPod data using the same route, rather than switching between digital mode for music and audio mode for videos. The Lightning adapter doesn't do video, so you're not really losing anything by configuring it to use digital instead (probably as a new option in the settings).
 
FYI there is no longer an analog audio out with the lightning connector, even when using the 30pin to Lightning...it just is not there any more.
 
The Lightning connector is all digital, so there's no direct analog out. The adapter includes a DAC though, so you can get analog audio out of the "iPhone 5 + 30-pin adapter" assembly.
Apple product page said:
Adapter supports analog and USB audio output. It does not support video output.
Click to expand...

The adapters do not support "iPod Out" which confused a lot of people originally. This is a feature found in a few cars where the iDevice essentially exports the entire iPod UI to the head unit. I'm assuming this uses some of the same stuff as video out, which is why it isn't supported. Plain old analog audio out is completely supported though - I've used my iPhone 5 + adapter in all four of my older docks with no issues.

I understand and have no issue with needing a DAC somewhere in the line. If Kenwood would enable it, I'd actually prefer to simply do a digital data transfer of my music over the standard USB cable and have the head unit's DAC handle it. The other model that I tried did it that way, but the screen sucked. This model is the "video" version with a much better screen, but it seems to use the analog output for everything (even just playing plain old MP3s that I created myself). Since video isn't supported through the adapter, I wouldn't be losing anything by switching to a solely USB data connection for my music files (not that I really used my head unit's 3" screen for videos anyway).

If I could just get a plain M-F Lightning extension, I'd have no problem sticking the adapter on the Kenwood cable and running the extension off that. If I could get the $40 adapter with a much longer cord (several feet instead of 8"), that would act as a 1-piece version of the extension + adapter. If I could find someone making a Lightning adapter with DAC that went to USB for data/control and to a 3.5mm for analog audio out, that could replace the Kenwood cable I already have.
 
PsycoGeek said:
Would this work instead (replace the cable with a 10'one)?
Click to expand...

No, a plain USB cable won't work.

InvisiBill said:
Kenwood is a bit dumb with some of their models, using a combo USB/analog audio cable. I believe the main goal is to provide decrypted video out via the "audio" jack, but it also plays songs via that analog audio cable. The USB portion is used to get song info and provide control over the iThing. If you plug in just the USB cable, you get full control and data with the iPhone, but no audio.
Click to expand...
 
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