I know this topic has probably been beaten to death here already, but I'm hoping to get some new ideas that might not be on the older posts.

I got the Alpine KCA-420i/HU setup for my '04X, and at first I really dug it, but that was before I started to add 1,000s of songs to my iPod, and now it can take FOREVER to land on a desired band using the scroll wheel. You have to use the volume knob to scroll through every artist in your collection. Then, say your listening to a band that begins with "K" and you want to listen to an "L" you have to start ALL over again from "A" to select it, and it takes about one second per 1 or 2 scrolls. Anyway, it's a really stupid setup, and the more I use it the more I dislike it.

So naturally I'm wanting to get something else, but I really don't know what's out there. Has anyone had any luck with similar setups where you control the iPod through your head unit, MMS, etc. or know of anything upcoming? I saw some cool ideas on this board, but I'm looking for something where I can hide the iPod away and never haver to touch it. I appreciate any feedback.

I've done some serious research on this exact subject and I was disappointed with my findings.

Every product in existence that allows you to hide the iPod seems to function in exactly the same manner as your Alpine. It seems that the only way to efficiently manage the thousands of songs on the iPod is to use the iPod itself.

You can try the IceLink or Monster's iCruze but I wasn't very impressed with either of the products. In fact, I was on the verge of buying the iCruze until I learned the details in which it worked. Once I learned how it functioned I determined it was better for me to retain my current setup.

Good luck and keep us posted on what you learn.

Did you see the integration with Alpine head units that have LCD displays? As far as I could tell from the few screen shots I saw, the whole LCD is used allowing you to navigate much more quickly. I haven't found anyone that has one set up so I can test it out in person....