Monster Cable 126130 iCable for iPod

The iCable's straight-cut turbine RCA and split-tip pins provide excellent contact pressure at the component end, while its 24k gold contacts ensure high signal integrity at both ends. Further, the interconnect's twisted-pair XLN technology offers superior noise rejection--important when connecting your iPod in an environment that's high in radio-frequency or electromagnetic interference. A gracious, seven-foot length accommodates tricky stereo hookups.

What's in the Box
iCable for iPod stereo analog interconnect, carry pouch, and an insert with product details

iPod Compatibility
iPod nano 1G, iPod nano 2G, iPod mini, iPod 3G, iPod 4G (Clickwheel), iPod Color, iPod 5G/5.5G Video, iPod Shuffle 1G, iPod Shuffle 2G

EDIT: After a few weeks, I'll add some comments. Mainly, these connectors are TIGHT. And the small size makes them sometimes difficult to remove. In several cases I've had to pull on the cable itself. Monster Cable does have a lifetime warranty, so you can go into any store that carries it and swap it out. Something to keep in mind, nevertheless.


Best Cable Available   May 2, 2003
 12 out of 13 found this review helpful

Normally, I find Monster Cables to be extremely overpriced and believe they're products that sell because of hype more than performance. In fact, I actually didn't purchase these cables but received them as a gift. After using them for about a year, I can happily say that these cables proved me wrong. I use these cable to connect my iPod to a stereo in my fitness room and they do their job admirably. Then again, it doesn't take much to make a decent audio cable. The connections are a little too tight initially, but after extended use, they manage to loosen up while still maintaining a good fit.

There is, however, one feature that many may overlook and that's the one aspect of this cable that makes it so great. The cable is sheathed in a plastic mesh that helps prevent knots and tangles. Since I often travel, I have a bag where I place all the cables I use for my laptop and other electronics that I use on trips. The sheath allows me to simply throw it in my bag and not worry about finding a tangled mess of cables when I later want to use them.

So to sum it all up, if you need cables and hate how easily they tangle, this is what you've been waiting for. A little pricey, but worth it in the long run. Also, check out the Monster iTV Link cables. Same design, but it includes an s-video connection along with the audio. Perfect for connecting a laptop to a TV or projector.


It DOES make a difference   April 3, 2004
 23 out of 28 found this review helpful

Regarding all the reviews that state you can buy the same thing for $5.99, yes.. you can buy an RCA to mini adaptor for that price, but you WILL NOT get the same sound. If you need this sort of adaptor purely to make your portable device play throught your stereo, and don't care about a bit of degraded sound quality, then do look around for the cheaper cables. You can get them just about anywhere. But...

I was skeptical about whether the Monster cables really made a difference, so I made sure to buy this somewhere where I could return it once the package was already open. I already had a cheap cable, so I tested the two with the same song on my iPod. It made a very distinct difference: less hiss and buzz, bigger bass, cripser, clearer high notes. I kept the cable. There was no question about it.

It all depends on if better sound is worth the money to you. I wouldn't bother if you haven't invested in higher quality speakers and stereos, but if this is for your mid to high end stereo, you should have these cables.

Monster also offers other cables in their "Interlink" line that serve the same purpose-- two grades. I haven't heard them, so I really can't say, but I imagine the sound quality is just as good if not better. You can get a 10' for about five bucks less than this cable, and a 20' for about 10 bucks more. I believe this is for the lower grade cable of the two. But the iCable is more attractive, and is only 7' -- these others were too long for me.


If you have IPOD speaker/docking station, it's easy to connect to your stereo   August 31, 2005
 9 out of 10 found this review helpful

I am an electrical engineer and a huge music fan. Yeah, maybe these are high priced, but I was having a horrible problem with static/crackle with my old setup and these cables fixed it.

I have one of those Altec/Lansing iPod docks (which sounds pretty good, but can't get the volume/coverage of my stereo). I connected one end of the cable to the headphone jack on this box and the other end to inputs on my receiver. I'm totally happening now. As I mentioned earlier, I was having a lot of problem with static/crackle. Replacing the cables fixed this.

Sure there are many other ways of getting your iTunes/iPod to play through your stereo, but this worked well for me.

One final note. If you are one of those people that just enjoy a quality-made product and don't mind paying a few extra dollars for it, go for it. Ignore anyone who wants to talk to you about function/dollar. That's a perfectly acceptable way to make an evaluation, but that's not my scene. I think this is a great product.