View Full Version : Frivolity or Facility?
Do you have more than one CD Changer Magazine? I just won 2 Pioneer 6 Disc Cd Magazines for what they sell new for one. I think i did well. I listen to alot of music while i drive and i drive alot.
Alexlind123
08-13-2006, 07:59 PM
Get an mp3 player.
It wasnt a choice on the poll, but thats my vote.
Not a fan of the audio quality of Mp3. Do they play .WAV?
Gayle
08-13-2006, 09:04 PM
Do you have a stock sound system as far as speakers?
And I think you should start emailing me your favorite cuts off of all those classical cds you are buying. :)
angrypancake
08-13-2006, 09:08 PM
an ipod should play .wav
i got the old man an ipod for fathers day along with icelink, it plugs into the cd changer. we uploaded all of his cd's to the ipod and it sounds amazing.
Do you have a stock sound system as far as speakers?
And I think you should start emailing me your favorite cuts off of all those classical Cd's you are buying. :)
I do have the stock stereo set up, what is it ten speakers? I think it sounds wonderfully and i have no desire to tamper with it. I have a background in Hi-Fi and thought , while in the process of buying this that i would need to update the sound system but was very happily surprised to find it is perfectly adequate. I have four KEF speakers in my other vehicle and they aren't made any more. I haven't heard anything to match them so i don't know what I'd use in the BMW that would better the stock.PM me if you're serious about having me send you music files...
Ausmpower
08-14-2006, 04:39 AM
Most mp3 players play variable bit rate MP3 wh=ich are much beter quality than CDA format.
With that anf d the fact you can easily get 100 tracks on a cd why would you stay with a cd stacker?
I run a Pioneer DEH-p6850mp head unit and it has both low and high pass filters built in......Sound quality is sweet throught the factory front splits, I run 2 x 12' crossfire subs for bottom end reinforcement.
TWISM
08-14-2006, 05:04 AM
Get an mp3 player.
It wasnt a choice on the poll, but thats my vote.
Even better... An MP3 player with 2 x 6 cd changers! (which support MP3 offcourse...):D
TWISM
08-14-2006, 05:08 AM
I have an JVC KDHC 7000R (yes, it's an oldie).
It plays MP3, WMA and everything else.
On 1 cd I put 100+ tracks on, with the same quality as an cd had in the car.
So... MP3 Rulez! :D
Airborne001
08-14-2006, 05:19 AM
Not a fan of the audio quality of Mp3
The quality of the MP3 is based solely on what level you record them. They take up more room, but I rip all my CD's at 320K.
Whatever the bit-rate , MP3 is still a "Lossy" format.It still discards data from the original file according to a mathematic algorithm.I have a large collection of Cd's and an even larger collection of Lossless CDR which I've already spent hundreds of late night hours downloading and burning. I do have about 80 GB of "Lossless" digital audio on my Hard drives which i could transfer to a media player and I am aware of the player that i can use with the stock head unit which uses a transmitter to the FM band. Since i already have so many Cd's and since very little of what i would even want to listen to is available in Lossless digital audio to begin with it isn't logical for me to abandon the CD stacker. Getting two additional magazines will spare me the pain of pulling over and switching single Cd's , i can just pop in a different magazine and have a fresh 7 or so hours of Lossless or hopefully only very slightly compressed audio...
Blitzkrieg Bob
08-14-2006, 03:14 PM
But I also have two cars with changers.
I decided to stick with the stock setup and just burn CD mixes and keep them in magazines ready to go.
If I want new music, just burn a new mix and throw it in.
At the price on CDRs I can't go wrong.
neil_004
08-14-2006, 03:18 PM
The data that an MP3 tosses is stuff you cant hear anyway. Humans cant hear sounds that significantly quieter than a simultanious loud sound. If you run too low a bitrate I agree, it will sound like crap.
The data that an MP3 tosses is stuff you cant hear anyway. Humans cant hear sounds that significantly quieter than a simultaneous loud sound. If you run too low a bit rate I agree, it will sound like crap.
What about Dynamic Range?There's a certain aspect of a recording that conveys a sense of spaciousness , maybe sound-stage is the word or headroom that is sacrificed by tossing those quieter pieces to save space. I just don't think any lossy compression is anything i want to be investing in. Maybe at some point i'll get a digital player but i just have too many red book Cd's many of which have copy protection and it'd take a lot of ripping to transfer my red book Cd's to digital.Can Ipods play lossless compressed files like FLAC and SHN? that would be good. No doubt it would be easier to deal with digital audio in the car. Even with the three CD magazines i still have to carry them around.Don't Ipods batteries croak eventually too? Aren't they non-replaceable? Let's say for fun i wanted to convert my system to digital. Can you suggest some components that will either run on my stock head unit or replace that and interface with a rechargeable high storage lossless(SHN,FLAC or WAV) player and allow me to use the Pioneer 6 CD changer to play Cd's which can't be ripped and digitized?
There are two ssues with your post.
#1. You say you are aware of the player that can transmit in the FM band. There goes your qualilty out the window.
#2. You would be EXTREMELY hard pressed to argue the subtle losses from MP3 at 320k or even 224k in your e34... especially if you use what it's made for... driving!
On those two points, I believe your MP3 arguement is moot. DVD-MP3, CD-MP3 or even SD-MP3 would do you well and far surpass the library you could hold on two changers ;)
Now... if you were to rip a full 74 minute CD to MP3 and then have it automatically add the ID tag info... since you're using originals, that should be no problem!... each disc would take you about 5 minutes unattended.
Ok, I buy your arguement for lossless if you were to use it for archiving, but for convenience and the sheer library you could carry with you, it beats CD changer.
There are two ssues with your post.
#1. You say you are aware of the player that can transmit in the FM band. There goes your qualilty out the window.
#2. You would be EXTREMELY hard pressed to argue the subtle losses from MP3 at 320k or even 224k in your e34... especially if you use what it's made for... driving!
On those two points, I believe your MP3 arguement is moot. DVD-MP3, CD-MP3 or even SD-MP3 would do you well and far surpass the library you could hold on two changers ;)
Now... if you were to rip a full 74 minute CD to MP3 and then have it automatically add the ID tag info... since you're using originals, that should be no problem!... each disc would take you about 5 minutes unattended.
Ok, I buy your arguement for lossless if you were to use it for archiving, but for convenience and the sheer library you could carry with you, it beats CD changer.
I am aware of it and cited it as an example of why i haven't gone into it because as i said MOST of what I desire for my listening is NOT readily digitizeable as far as i know since I've tried ripping them,being on Cd's with copy protection/encryption therefore dumping the CD player would, unless i am missing something, mean i would then be unable to listen to a large portion of what i would wish.For the portion of the music i could digitize and store in WAV or a playable lossless format like FLAC and Shorten I'd like to be able to carry a much larger and more hassle free medium so if i can find a head unit that will operate my CD changer, allowing me to enjoy the Cd's i own which are copy protected and accept input from a digital player that i won't have to throw away in a year or send out to be refitted with a new battery i will go for it.Honestly i haven't liked the aftermarekt head unit installs i've seen. The stock player it so perfectly fitted . Is there a faceplate/adapter that will keep the clean, professional appearence of my dash i have with the OE?
Do you have more than one CD Changer Magazine? I just won 2 Pioneer 6 Disc Cd Magazines for what they sell new for one. I think i did well. I listen to alot of music while i drive and i drive alot.
I recently acquired a third magazine with a replacement stock Alpine changer I bought. I bought the second shortly after I got the car and I didn't really feel the need for the third but now that I have it, I like the convenience. I also like the fact that the whole thing is in the trunk, which eliminates the distraction of fumbling with CDs, tapes, MP3 players, etc. while driving. I also LIKE the fact that my car does NOT have cup holders, but I digress...
I burn my own CDR's from MP3 files, and can't tell the difference from original CD's. I am aware of the technical limitations of compressed files, but if you are driving the car, the noise that has to be overcome negates any advantage to be had by lossless files, IMHO.
If the original changer could be made to read MP3 files as well, I would do it to preserve the functionality of the original BMW interface and increase capacity.
Zeuk in Oz
08-14-2006, 05:37 PM
Who is Winfred ? :D
I recently acquired a third magazine with a replacement stock Alpine changer I bought. I bought the second shortly after I got the car and I didn't really feel the need for the third but now that I have it, I like the convenience. I also like the fact that the whole thing is in the trunk, which eliminates the distraction of fumbling with CDs, tapes, MP3 players, etc. while driving. I also LIKE the fact that my car does NOT have cup holders, but I digress...
I burn my own CDR's from MP3 files, and can't tell the difference from original CD's. I am aware of the technical limitations of compressed files, but if you are driving the car, the noise that has to be overcome negates any advantage to be had by lossless files, IMHO.
If the original changer could be made to read MP3 files as well, I would do it to preserve the functionality of the original BMW interface and increase capacity.
I find it peculiar that your original cd player wouldn't read cdr/s with mp3 burned on. I play cdrs with wavs burned on fine but i have the Pioneer...maybe the answer therein lie .
I find it peculiar that your original cd player wouldn't read cdr/s with mp3 burned on. I play cdrs with wavs burned on fine but i have the Pioneer...maybe the answer therein lie .
Hmmm...actually, I've never tried playing a CDR with MP3 files in my changer, I just assumed it wouldn't be able to because of the age of the design...MP3's weren't a widely accepted format back in '93, as far as I know. I would think that the laser reading device would "see" what's burned on the disc, but could the electronics translate or decompress to play it?
I have a pretty good sound editing program on my computer that can produce most all types of sound file. Sonic Foundry Sound Forge, I bought it in 1999 but had to buy an additional plug-in to be able to save in MP3 format. I think WAV is the native format for commercially produced CDs.
I will try one in the changer and see if it works.
WAV is not the format for audio CDs. Audio CDs are produced according to the redbook format (aka CDA). I'll save you a disc by saying it won't work if you just save WAV type files on a data CD :)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/CD_Audio_track_shortcut
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/CD_Audio_track_shortcut
OK, I think I got it now...
CDA points to PCM wave file, where I got the inkling that it WAS a .wav file.:)
When I burn a CDR, the software converts the MP3 to PCM wave with CDA index to be played on my antique CD changer because it won't play MP3's:(
OK, I think I got it now...
CDA points to PCM wave file, where I got the inkling that it WAS a .wav file.:)
When I burn a CDR, the software converts the MP3 to PCM wave with CDA index to be played on my antique CD changer because it won't play MP3's:(
Bingo! You win a million dollars! Now buy me a TCD stage II :)
Mind you, I use to do that too... I bought an extra magazine to use in the factory Passat changer. Real pain in the ass, and expensive too!
LOL, thanks. As soon as I cash the million dollar check that is in an escrow account in Nigeria, your TCM stage II will be in the mail.:p
ThoreauHD
08-14-2006, 10:01 PM
I've never seen the point of a CD changer. If you want something useful, get a mp3 player(DVD or CD). Changing a CD after 12 songs ended for me 5 years ago.
Guess you missed the several places where i used caps to emphasize the problem digitizing many Cd's i am unwilling to do without due to their copy protection.How do you deal with that? Its a major point for me . I really am not interested in building a car system which will be unable to accommodate a substantial segment of the music to which i wish to listen.Unless you know of a program that defeats built in copy protection.I have two Cd drives in my PC. I have Sound Forge 6.0 and have been unable to rip some Cd's and so CD players are the only way i can enjoy them.I have no reason or desire to simply live without these in order to gain a relatively small convenience. Rarely will i be driving so long that two trips to the truck to switch magazines is too much effort. Once the mags are in there is nothing more cumbersome to operating the stock system than a digital player which unless there is an in dash docking feature means i have some little Ipods on a cable stuck somewhere,maybe to the dash with some velcro... an uncluttered reality has its own value.On the other hand Cd's and especially CD R's flake and become junk fairly easily. So it can be a real pain when your CD has begun to peel the surface coating and the things start skipping. That won't happen with an all digital system. I have my eyes and ears open for something that fits all my needs , so far i haven't seen it.
As always, there are pros and cons...I have tried to consider both and I DO see the point of a CD changer.
When I bought my car, it did not have a changer. I tried an MP3 player that connected to the system via cassette adapter. The sound was OK but everything about the thing bugged me. The unit on the shifter console sliding around, the power supply problems of the unit, wires hanging out of HU, the navigation of the MP3 CD, the skipping, the time it took to load the disc and the fact that it always had to reload after being powered off and started over on the first song before you had to fumble around to make it play something else...the problems with it were more than I was willing to deal with.
So I bought a CD changer since I have a massive library of CDs that WILL play in just about ANY CD player/changer. Most of them I can make copies of so I don't lose or ruin the originals, CDR's are cheap. Extra magazines make it more convenient to vary your library. It is simple to use. I liked the way it looked (invisible in the trunk) and can carry 24 hours worth of music in 3 magazines that nobody ever sees, I don't have to hide the player or books of CDs when I park the car. I can make my own CDR's from my library of MP3's on my computer with any combination of music I like.
I think there are more advantages to a changer than there are to a new head unit that is more than likely uglier than sin, may or may not work with the rest of the system already in place in the car and only holds 1 MP3 disc....
When my first CD changer bit the dust last month, I again considered the alternatives....Ipod type MP3? HOW does it work with my existing system??? DOES it work with my existing system. Can I MAKE it work with my existing system? Do I WANT to make it work with...well, I decided that a CD changer was a better idea and bought another one in like new conditon for $100, installed it in less than 30 seconds, done.
As always, there are pros and cons...I have tried to consider both and I DO see the point of a CD changer.
When I bought my car, it did not have a changer. I tried an MP3 player that connected to the system via cassette adapter. The sound was OK but everything about the thing bugged me. The unit on the shifter console sliding around, the power supply problems of the unit, wires hanging out of HU, the navigation of the MP3 CD, the skipping, the time it took to load the disc and the fact that it always had to reload after being powered off and started over on the first song before you had to fumble around to make it play something else...the problems with it were more than I was willing to deal with.
So I bought a CD changer since I have a massive library of CDs that WILL play in just about ANY CD player/changer. Most of them I can make copies of so I don't lose or ruin the originals, CDR's are cheap. Extra magazines make it more convenient to vary your library. It is simple to use. I liked the way it looked (invisible in the trunk) and can carry 24 hours worth of music in 3 magazines that nobody ever sees, I don't have to hide the player or books of CDs when I park the car. I can make my own CDR's from my library of MP3's on my computer with any combination of music I like.
I think there are more advantages to a changer than there are to a new head unit that is more than likely uglier than sin, may or may not work with the rest of the system already in place in the car and only holds 1 MP3 disc....
When my first CD changer bit the dust last month, I again considered the alternatives....Ipod type MP3? HOW does it work with my existing system??? DOES it work with my existing system. Can I MAKE it work with my existing system? Do I WANT to make it work with...well, I decided that a CD changer was a better idea and bought another one in like new conditon for $100, installed it in less than 30 seconds, done.
That's what I'm sayin'! :D
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