Car Mp3 Players

[Falchoon]

Rating car MP3 players

By Simon Tsang

The Sydney Morning Herald

Tuesday December 16 2003

You enjoy your digital music when you're out and about, so why settle for the old CD shuffle the moment you step into your car?

Now you can burn your favourite music onto a single disc, slot it straight into your car stereo and enjoy more than 10 albums' worth of uninterrupted music in one go. It would be like having a 10-stack CD shuttle ... without the stack.

If you're still using the original audio system that was fitted to your car, chances are it doesn't know an MP3 track from a chocolate doughnut. Thankfully, there's plenty you can do about it. Walk into any car audio dealer and you'll be confronted with a dizzying array of aftermarket head units that are able to play back MP3s from recordable CDs.

They're not all prohibitively expensive either. Models that can play MP3s start from as little as $A300 for a basic unit and can get as fancy (and expensive) as your imagination allows.

Playing digital music from a CD, however, is just the beginning. More elaborate set-ups use flash memory storage or even computer hard disks that can store your entire music collection with room to spare. Whatever the media though, digital music saves you from having to carry around your expensive CD collection, which you can kiss goodbye if the car gets broken into.

Another benefit of digital music is it can be labelled through ID3 tags. Most players can read these, so the artist, album and track information can all be displayed on the screen.

Choosing your player

Although your budget is a critical factor, the car MP3 player you choose also depends a lot on what you already have. If there's a decent head unit installed in your car, you're not going to get a much better sound by changing the player alone unless you go for a far superior model. Even then, if you don't match it with the proper speakers, all the potential of that expensive deck will go to waste. Then, depending on the model, the upgrade can snowball into a spending spree on amplifiers and subwoofers.

Adding an MP3 player to your existing stereo still gives you plenty of options. If you're lucky enough to have the original manual for your car's sound system, it should tell you if there are additional inputs. Many car stereos allow you to hook up extra sources such as CD stackers, so dedicated MP3 players can connect up directly into this. Check with your local installer if you're not sure about the set-up.

If you like the idea of having your entire music collection stored in your car without the need to burn CDs, head straight for the hard disk-based MP3 players. Models such as the Alpine HDA-5460 are designed to work with stereos in a similar way to a CD stacker.

Those who like to get their hands dirty should consider the NEO35 III series from mStation, which uses conventional PC hard disks that can connect to both car and computer through a special tray. There are models with up to 120GB hard disks pre-installed, or you can buy an empty one and whack in your own drive.

Even if you don't have any extra inputs, the NEO35 III can broadcast the music on a specific FM band, so you can just use your tuner and pick it up as if it were another radio station. This method is a little easier to install with less connections to worry about but the sound quality isn't as good, so it should be the last resort.

Changing the existing car stereo, however, can often be the best solution if it's getting a little long in the tooth (if it has a needle indicator for the radio tuner, that's a pretty good sign it's time to upgrade).

Newer models entice consumers with more features, pretty lights, stylish designs, flashy screens and ways to personalise the sound and display. It's often an ego thing, so make sure you choose a player that you actually like the look of and are comfortable using. Don't let the salesperson talk you into buying something you find unappealing, as you'll be the one looking at it every time you get in your car.

Ergonomics is another very important aspect to consider. Controls that may be perfectly OK to use in the stillness of a showroom mounted at eye-level can be difficult to decipher down low in a moving car. If you have trouble figuring out what and where the buttons are before it's installed, imagine what it'll be like afterwards.

Finally, plan ahead. Make sure the unit you choose has all the connections you need if you plan on expanding your system later. We've selected four popular players to get you started but bear in mind that actual street prices are generally much lower than the recommended retail prices here.

Four contenders

Blaupunkt Los Angeles MP72

Price: $999

Rating: 3 stars (out of 5)

Website: www.blaupunkt.com.au

The MP72 offers security in the form of a removable face-plate as well as a key card that renders the deck useless when taken out. The control panel slides forward from the bottom to keep the buttons and display facing up when loading a CD. Unfortunately, some of the CDs we used in the test caught on the lip of the slot when we tried to eject them. The multicolour display lights can be customised to switch between red and blue.

Pioneer DEH-P5550MP

Price: $599

Rating: 4.5 stars (out of 5)

Website: www.pioneeraus.com.au

With similar features to the more expensive models featured here, the Pioneer is excellent value. The P5550MP plays both MP3 and WMA digital formats from a CD and can keep up to 48 disc titles in memory. The detachable front panel flips forward for CD loading but isn't as sophisticated as Sony's or Blaupunkt's slide-forward mechanism. The tuner preset buttons are too small but otherwise its controls are easy to use. Looks and sounds great, to boot.

Sony CDX-M850MP

Price: $999

Rating: 4 stars (out of 5)

Website: www.sony.com.au

When switched off, the motorised face-plate makes the M850MP look like a plain black panel to deter thieves. Not even a sign of the Sony logo. In action, the panel flips around to reveal a full set of controls on the other side. The clincher is, once you load up a CD, you can spin the face around again to see the black panel fully lit up with animated graphics. It's all for show, of course, but cool nonetheless. However, for access to all the model's functions you have to use the supplied remote.

Alpine HDA-5460

Price: $2399

Rating: 3 stars (out of 5)

Website: www.alpine.com.au

With a removable 16GB hard disk, the HDA-5460 would make a great companion to a regular CD tuner. The hard disk becomes a portable storage device and connects to a PC via a USB cable where you can download all your tunes without having to worry about burning CDs. Unfortunately, the software driver is Windows-only and the unit is prohibitively expensive.

The verdict

The Sony has a great gimmick with the animated flip panel and the sound quality, input/output options and level of features justify its price. It's a fine player if you're willing to part with the cash. However, the Pioneer nudges ahead into first place due to its great value. The audio gives much more expensive models a run for their money, yet it still has generous features and connectivity.

Infofile

If the thought of changing your car stereo just so you can play MP3s seems a little daunting, you might want to look at Griffin's iTrip FM Transmitter. It's an add-on accessory for the Apple iPod that broadcasts music on an FM radio frequency. Simply tune in using your car's stereo. Best of all, you can take it with you when you're not driving around.

Prices and details correct at publication date.

[ExAreSix]

It's an add-on accessory for the Apple iPod that broadcasts music on an FM radio frequency. Simply tune in using your car's stereo.

Hehe, that could be cool on a cruize. The car with the iPod sits in the middle of the pack, and everyone tunes into the correct freq. Then everyone can listen to the same music.

Or with a mic you could broadcast directions/information through the iPod... Cool

I've just had a JVC 12cd MP3 stacker installed in my ute. It's FM modulated and sounds pretty bloody good.

Unfortunately I get that damn whistle we all love to hate.

[aaronmihe]

Or....

Buy an iRiver IMP550 (http://www.iriver.com/product/info.asp?p_name=iMP-550) portable unit, make your own AUX audio input...

The iRiver unit has a Line out and a complete wired remote than can be mounted within easy clear reach of driver with the player itself stashed in the glovebox...

The remote has screen as well

Perfect solution for _all_ BA Falcons

A.

[MattB]

Same with the Creative Nomad 3. Has the remote etc. Tis what I've got and am very happy with it.

[ExAreSix]

Or....

Buy an iRiver IMP550 (http://www.iriver.com/product/info.asp?p_name=iMP-550) portable unit, make your own AUX audio input...

The iRiver unit has a Line out and a complete wired remote than can be mounted within easy clear reach of driver with the player itself stashed in the glovebox...

The remote has screen as well

Perfect solution for _all_ BA Falcons

A.

I tried that too. I got the IMP350. Bought it before I got my ute, for just that purpose

But the batteries don't last very long if you're forever browsing your mp3s, or skipping songs. Tried a 12V power supply for it but it died :(

And the remote is just a little bit too small to read while driving :(

Nice idea, but didn't work for me

[aaronmihe]

*nods* in car power suply is must have.

Agreed the screens are small, but better than nothing I suspect that any 'portable' solution has these same drawbacks... They're a great 'intermediate step' before going for a bigger better stronger faster solution

A.