Slashdot Mirror
Head Units for Car MP3 Players?
dotcomian asks: "The idea of hooking our iPod to our car's audio system so far is our best shot for musics on the go in cars, however, it requires a double investment to the head unit. I'm wondering if someone has a better way to replace cd-changers with MP3 jukeboxes, the head units would be the controller and/or a CD player. I've found several websites from google's search result, but nothing is close to what I have in mind. Any ideas?"
By far the best bang for the buck.. I have this, 4 6.5" blaupunkt and a sealed Kappa Perfect subwoofer enclosure. Best 600 dollars I've ever spent on a car stereo. I suggest only downloading 192k bit sampling though as with more powerful systems you can totally hear q loss with 128k.
An Education is the Font of All Liberty
I kicked the MP3 jukebox idea around for a while last time I installed a car stereo. The best solution I could find were the Aiwa car stereos that provide a mini stereo line in jack. I think that the input on these head units were unique in the low- to mid-price range. Another alternative is the MP3-CD players, which also feature a line in.
If Happy Fun Ball begins to smoke, get away immediately. Seek shelter and cover head.
I recently upgraded my audio-free car (built in 1962, gimme a break) with an iPod. I installed speakers and an amplifier. All amps take RCA plugs for audio input, so all I needed to connect the iPod was a $3 radio shack mini plug to RCA adapter.
i know that tapes seem like an outdated technology, but there are some very nice advantages to using a tape adapter in your car.
one reason is that you won't limit yourself to just one of mp3/minidisc/hybrid cd/your friend's new player. plus, since you spend more time with your handheld than your in-dash stereo (hopefully!), messing with the handheld while driving will be less distracting than messing with the in-dash.
the other big advantage of a tape player over something like a line-in is that the tape adapter is (electrically) isolated from the amplifier circuit. just about everyone who does custom car stereo stuff themselves has probably had to deal with one ground fault or another - it can range from hearing the engine buzz on the speakers to widely fluctuating signal levels.
i'm arguing for tape decks. who'd have thought.
Somewhere on this page I have hidden my signature.
Go to http://www.phatnoise.com It's a hardrive mp3 jukebox that goes in your trunk. Hooks up to the head unit through the CD changer interface. Extra hack value: runs Linux
My Blue Dot Denver head unit has an alternate source input plug. That's all you need.
bc
My recommendation is the JVC KD-SH99. I bought this head unit last November and it's been great to me.
The JVC site is pretty weak on a description, but I found mine from Yahoo! Shopping by searching for "SH99" for about $300 then. I'm sure it's cheaper now.
The SH99 plays MP3 CDs and I've had NO problems with and CDRs. It has a RCA inputs on the back for hooking up something more significant (DVD-player, Playstation2). But by far, the best feature that this head unit has is a minijack external input on the front of the head unit. This makes it easy to plug in any other equipment (walkman, MD player, IPod, Rio, etc..).
The only thing this unit is lacking is a good way to browse through a CDR full of MP3s. But there isn't one head unit that I've seen (that doesn't have a huge LCD screen) that is any better.
It does read CD-Text and ID3 tags, but if you don't have the ID3 tags on the file it has the mangled Windows filenames (PINKF~23.MP3).
I've recommended this unit to 4 of my friends, all of whom bought it, and all are extremely happy, as i am.
I have been trying to figure out what to do. I got given a head unit that doesn't have an aux input. (which if you have, you can hook your iPod up directly) At any rate, I found a great solution to my problem. A little FM transmitter. There are a number of these things on the market, I chose the one from iRock. It has been working extremely well.
Get a kenwood with cd-changer controll and for $20 or bucks you can get a adapter that lets you hook RCA ins to the changer controler. works great and sounds great to my friend has one and we use it for MP3s and MiniDiscs.
I'm working on an interface to do a VW RioVolt250 interface. When I'm done, the HU controls will run the RioVolt and the RioVolt's time display will be sent up to the HU. Unfortunately, the HU can't handle any kind of text, so ID3 is out... but it does have a couple of toggle switches - one for random and one for scan. I expect I'll set up random to do the normal function on the Riovolt. The "Scan" button will be modified slightly. Under normal situations, I'll have the forward/reverse track move forward and backwards in whatever you're currently playing. With Scan, I think I'll have it move forward and backwards through play lists (the RioVolt is capable of reading WinAmp created play lists). The Disk selector buttons are also an option for this.. but on the VW Head Unit there are only six buttons.
I wouldn't mind modifying the adapter for other radio/MP3 player combinations. It seems like the IPod would be ideal, but I think its only external interface is FireWire. A FireWire driver isn't something that can be put into your average tiny-little microcontroller without some serious work. Are there any other controls on the IPod? IR maybe?
What other headunits would be ideal to support? Is there any particular CD-Changer that works with _A Lot_ of headunits? My system emulates a Panasonic CD changer... but that's just because it's what I had around.
The other difficulty is getting the various automotive connectors needed. Anyone know of a good source for them?
I don't have any information up yet, but look for updates about this project at:
http://orn.madison-expat.net/tech/hu_interface/
Rudy
1. 2.
The neo car jukebox is the way to go. All you need is a head unit with a line in, or you can use FM modulation or a tape adapter. I highly recommend the line in option. Installing the Neo is a piece of cake, and you can put any HD in there you like. It's very nice to have your entire music collection available in your car. Hit Random ALL, and head for the other coast.
Take the iPod, put the headphones in your ears and ignore her.
Disclaimer: It's a joke.
I've tried plugging my mp3 player into a tape converter through the tape deck, there's too much loss of quality with this method and I don't recommend it. The radio I have now has an Aux in (1/8th inch mini line-in), which sounds decent. It's not going to be any worse than headphones or anything, but the mini jack is a really bad way to transfer audio data. I've also found that using that at the same time as pluging my Creative nomad jukebox into the ciggarette lighter will cause the unshielded mini cable to pick up the sound of the generator in the engine that my jukebox is drawing power from.
I bought this head unit a couple of *years* ago, and it's wonderful.
Features:
- Plays MP3s off cdrs, about 10 albums per cdr at 192k. 10 albums / $.50 per cd = $.05 per album.
- organized by directory
- reads id3 tags
- interface treats each directory like a cd in a cd changer, so interface is dead simple
- regular cd player means you don't lose backwards compatibility with 'older' formats, like cds
- cd changer control (no, there are no mp3 cd changers, yet)
- killer for you iPod people: has a aux line in jack on the front, so you can plug in if you want with just a $5 cable (headphone male to headphone male)
- carry your *entire* music collection in a cd wallet type case, and be able to use it at home, in the car, at work, or from any laptop.
minuses:
- random play is only per directory, so for real mixes, just reburn w/out directories, or organize by just file instead of folder + file
This is several years old, so there *should* be lots of similar models out there... I know Aiwa has a newer model, too. Was $300 then, probably $200-$250 now.
They claim that they are using a custom Linux Kernel Where is the source?
I just went through this with my car mp3-player project. My head unit has no aux-in, the FM transmitter didn't sound good enough for my tastes, and the fake-tape cassette adapter was noisy (and got stuck when my stereo chipped a gear tooth). So I built a little passive mixer into a couple of RCA jacks (10k resistor in series with two inputs), feed both the mp3 player and the CD changer into the mixer, and the output into the stereo. The mixer causes a 3db loss for both signals, so I have to tweak the volume up a tiny bit.
Of course, the stereo only plays the signal coming from the CD changer when it thinks a CD is playing. So I burned a 60 minute one-track CDR filled with nothing but zeros and put it on repeat play.
Sounds great, and I really like the idea of a CDR simply entitled "Nothing".
-Brian
I just got this a couple weeks ago. Not cheap, but tons of music! The Alpine 7894 is a spectacular head unit with 60x4 power and remarkable Alpine quality, plays mp3s on CDR or CDRW, supports ID3 tags, and has an intelligent navigation system.
The Alpine CHA-S634 is a six-disc changer supports CD audio, of course, and mp3s on CDR or CDRW media. The head unit and changer work together perfectly. All told, seven discs full of 192kbps equals over 60 hours of music!
Here's the one I got. Cost about $500 (with installation and everything), and it plays any kind of MP3 I've got (up to the limit, 320K/sec, including VBR stuff). Handles ID3 tags, sounds fine, and lets me take a few hundred hours' worth of music with me in a little folder full of CDs. Doesn't get too much easier than that...
- A.P.
"Remember when the U.S. had a drug problem, and then we declared a War On Drugs, and now you can't buy drugs anymore?"
The extremely popular Pioneer 7400 kicks ass. Redbook/mp3 CD/CD-RW + killer adjustments & looks. Oh, and I got mine for $300 installed (incl. wires & bezel). Pop an mp3 CD in, and I can put it on random and by the the time I hear a song again, I've forgotten I'd already heard it. Problems: no crossfade (1-3 second seek time) and no auxiliary in - not that I'm complaining!
Kurdt
I'm not anti-social. Just pro-technology.
I've personally (off-topic) been looking for something that would play MP3 discs and hold about 50 or so CD's at once.
I've seen 150+ CD Players for as low as $99, how much for the same thing which will decode MP3 data discs?
It sure would be nice to have that library of MP3 discs (around 200, that is ~7 albums per CD (1400 CD's-all mine)) play... on random.
If this is a good question mod it up... it's only karma
Get your Unix fortune now!
I've got an FM modulator on order at a local store right now, due to arrive Sat. This was the best solution I came up with for a similar problem.
Added bonus is that I can connect *anything* that outputs line level outs, not just an "MP3 deck".
(note, an FM Modulator is *not* one of those "radio adapters/transmitters" so often seen in stores. A modulator actually sits on the antenna wire and is PLL freq locked. 12v connects it, and you have a pair of RCA line inputs on the other end)
Advantages to this: It's 100% compatible with all head units, even stock dash radios. Sound is as good/slightly better than a very strong FM signal. And it's not overly attractive to theives. (if you need to worry about that kind of thing)
Cons are that some places won't sell you such a unit without buying supporting hardware, and certain brands of units will only work with specific stereos. I went to 5 different shops before I ended up at circuit shitty (which I still avoid because of the old DIVX fiasco) who would put one on order for me. I made sure beforehand that it's just an inline antenna connection, and it includes RCA input on the other end.
I was going to get an in-car MP3-CD player (actually now going for the IBM 1GB microdrive solution) but need to save some cash (about $500) first. So in the meantime I got a goodman's portable CD-MP3 player for around $70 and a car cassette adaptor (about $10). The adaptor is a standard audio cassette size and shape with a lead that plugs into the headphone socket on the player. Slip the cassette into the car's tape player, turn it on and press play on the MP3-CD player. Great. The player uses rechargeable batteries (about 5 hours on two AAs) and has a built in charger. I get about 12 albums on each CD at 96kbps. Not perfect but a lot kinder on the wallet and I can take it out the car and wander about with it :-)
-= Never enter a battle of wits with an unarmed man =-
Brilliant. Got mine for 800 Aussie Dollars, which is about 28c US =) Plays Red Book, CD-R CD-RW, supports ID3 tags, and/or ISO Level2 filenames (32 char aplhanumeric, upper case, lower case and some foreign characters)
Has seperate AUX and Line IN(3.5mm headphone jack on front, RCAs on the back) and a nice parametric EQ.
Comes with credit-card sized remote (IR) which is actually handier than it sounds.
Nice rotary volume dial with a positive feel to it that can also pop back into the unit.
Fairly ricey but the best sounding unit i've come across
Has a detachable face with a metal plate that sits over the front of the unit in the dash so not even a single slot is visible
Only gripe: 0.5-1 sec gap between tracks while it caches the next track.
Specialist Mac support for creative pros, Melbourne
From Apple's Bluetooth website: "In a nutshell, Bluetooth unplugs your digital peripherals and makes cable clutter a thing of the past."
Hopefully after it does take off, the car audio district will get a clue and jump on the bandwagon...
Just imagine, you've got your iPod (with a Bluetooth chip or card installed/attached) with your car stereo (which is Bluetooth enabled). You can move the iPod anywhere in the car without the cable clutter... It has a 10hr battery life, so you're pretty safe there, too.
* Psst, is anyone at Apple listening? WE WANT TO BE ABLE TO HOOK OUR IPOD UP VIA BLUETOOTH!
Think of the possibilities: home stereo system with Bluetooth - use your iPod in your living room without a stupid adapter!
Now, if only Bluetooth would take off...
Disclaimer: This comment was generated by a Flock of Trained Microsoft Programmers for Aqua_Geek.
I have an Alpine stereo with the MP3 player as AUX. The MP3 player has a 5 line text LCD, which assists in selecting from the 300+ albums in mine. Mine is the Neo 35 (Now out of date, see the Neo 45) from SSI America. It is a pullout cartridge that slides into a bay on my PC. Or into a base station for use as a home stereo device. I put a 40Gb HD in mine. Most of the players use off-the-shelf IDE hard drives, and are user installable.
If purchasing new I would recommend the Kenwood Music Keg (based on the Phatnoise Phatbox). Simply because of the level of integration between the head-unit and jukebox. It turns out that using a separate interface to control your CD player and Receiver versus the MP3 player, has really annoyed me. The Music Keg displays song titles, time remaining, etc. on the stereo faceplate, operates just like an OEM CD changer. It also works with BMW, Audi, and VW stereo systems.
I like the idea of the new systems with USB support. This allows me to buy CDs, rip them with my laptop and sync to the drive on the fly.
The Kenwood Music Keg.
Has a 10GB hard disk, and any Kenwood head unit can control it.
... is 1 old laptop with
- hard disk 4GB (1000 songs) or above
- 802.11b wireless network card
- custom interface hardware to consumer radios mimicking a CD changer
- 12V power conversion to whatever the laptop requires, controlled by the CD changer interface
- a non crashing OS with an SMB server and some custom player software talking to the interface hardware
- a broken display (you don't need it)
Then, drive your car into your garage and maintain your music wirelessly... No CD/CDRs to swap...
All of the above exist, save for the CD changer interface/power supply.
Flourescent (adj): smelling like ground wheat.
1. Did you ask them?
2. Did you buy a Phatbox?
3. Did they (after buying a Phatbox) refuse to provide source to you?