Music is absolutely essential to me when I travel. I find it hard to leave my house, let alone the country, without my trusty iPod and headphones in hand. Listening through headphones suits me just fine for those long plane rides, bus trips and other solitary moments. But what about when you’re traveling with others and you want to share your music? After a long day walking around, there’s nothing better than pouring a few cocktails while you listen to your favorite playlist.
For many people, the answer to the portable music dilemma is a pair of travel-size speakers like the ones found here. However, the sound quality you get from these units is sub-par at best. Not to mention the fact that you have to carry them around with you in your luggage and many require batteries that suck up power like it was going out of style.
For the optimum in portability, good sound and low price, go buy yourself a RCA to 1/8″ stereo cable. This particular cable, which can usually be purchased for less than $10, plugs easily into the headphone jack of your favorite music player and connects to the back of stereo systems worldwide. In a pinch you can also plug this cable into many hotel television sets too. For those not technically inclined, the “RCA” connections are the red, yellow and white colored holes on the back of your favorite electronic device. The cable you want is the “stereo” version with two RCA-style plugs on one end and headphone (1/8″) plug on the other. When you add your cable, match up the plug colors to the connections and then check the “input” settings for your stereo/TV – flip between a few of the A/V channels and you’ll usually find it. That’s it – now add your favorite MP3, CD or Minidisc player and you’ve got an instant party. Happy listening!