Sloanie

Ok, here's the deal. Right now I've got the stock Bose stereo in my 5th gen (2k2) Maxima SE.

Got a new head unit today and CDs now play back great (previous Bose head unit's left channel went out on the CD player, grrr... luckily under warranty).

I've got a cassette adapter for the odd outing when I want to listen to something other than CD. Not really pleased with how it sounds out of the iPod Mini's headphone out, I ordered a SiK imp (basically a dock connector that gives me a line level output and the ability to charge the ipod through the cigarette lighter).

I plug it in and at first the iPod is sounding great-- tons better than through the headphone out. I test various tracks to see how they sound. Some I seem to need to lower the volume of the car stereo a bit. Then I hit a track that is staticy and crappy sounding no matter what, serious distortion. I'm thinking "ok, I need to use Mp3 gain or something on tracks ripped from this cd." Next thing I know pretty much everything is giving me static and nothing sounds good anymore. The only way to NOT get static is to use the headphone out and put the iPods volume real low and the stereo fairly high, which of course, though static free, sounds like crap.

So does the line out of the SiK imp have too much juice for the tape deck? I can't help but wonder if I didn't just FUBAR my tape deck, because CDs still sound perfect, and tracks that first sounded good on the tape deck when I began testing this setup now sound like crap.

Or is the tape adapter a piece of shiz? It's a Sony, which I figured was better than the usual brand x cassette adapters that electronics stores typically sell.

Any ideas? I get the feeling that this Bose HU, while it sounds good with CDs when it works, is a piece of junk if the cassette deck is toasted now. I wish there were some low profile aftermarket HUs out there...