My question is twofold. First of all, I'm interested in doing a setup very close to this one.

I had the SkyFi unit though in my old car and would prefer to keep it without having to buy a new receiver if necessary. The old car used the FM Modulator setup which I would very much appreciate avoiding in this car. Using the above setup as a guide, and knowing that the cradle I have for the SkyFi has 1/8" stereo output on it, can I hook the SkyFi directly into the PIE adaptor without needing any kind of "XM Control Unit" or using the FM modulator? With the exception of the FM modulator, there doesn't seem to be any direct connection device for the SkyFi unit.

My next question is verification of my checklist. My knowledge of car audio equipment is next to nil, so I want to make sure I have everything before I ask the dealer or some audio installation store to install it. My checklist consists of:

1) Stock RX-8 MP3 CD player
2) MP3 player trim panel
3) PIE Adaptor (I want the Alpine, right?)
4) ALP/M-RCA In order to allow the RCA inputs.
5) Y adaptor to split the RCA into 2 inputs
6) 2 pairs of extra cables (one to XM unit, one to MP3 player input)

I think that might be it. But again, this is all dependent on whether I can plug the XM radio directly into the PIE adaptor (which I believe I can).

I lied too, there is one small question I have in addition to all this. For those who have the MP3 CD player, is there any buffer time between tracks on the disc?

 

Something else you may consider as an alternative to the factory CD player is one of our AudioLink products, which would also facilitate your need for an auxilliary input for your external satellite radio unit.

https://www.rx8club.com/series-i-interior-audio-electronics-24/your-ipod-mp3-player-integration-solution-here-77790/

 

There is buffer time between the tracks. It basically plays just like a CD player does, with the exception that you can browse through your folders and get text.

Also, unless you get the trim panel cheap, I wouldn't worry about it. It is exactly the same except it says MP3.

 

Thanks, I actually ordered it 2 nights ago from Trussville Mazda. They were selling the combo package (player and trim) relatively cheap with free shipping, so I went with that.

As for the buffer time, what I meant to say was how long do you wait inbetween tracks. Say for example I have a rip of an album by a DJ who has 16 tracks on the CD, but the entire CD is essentially 1 non-stop song. How long would you estimate is the wait between tracks? The MP3 player I had in my old car (SONY I think) had a pretty long buffer time, like 3 seconds or so, before the next track would start. For albums like the above mentioned where there isn't meant to be any break in the sound, it was awkward to say the least.