MR2 Roadster Owners Club

The Workshop => Audio / Security / Electrical => Topic started by: Anonymous on September 30, 2003, 20:52

Title: I want one!!
Post by: Anonymous on September 30, 2003, 20:52
Hi   s:D :D s:D  , i've been reading this forum for months and it helped me make my decision to buy a new Mr2.  Have had it since 1st Sep and am loving it.  

BUT, i really want an MP3 player for the car and im worried that I cant get the one that seems perfect for it.  Its the Blaupunkt CompactDrive MP3 (£189.95,   m http://www.incardiscount.co.uk/acatalog ... RS_21.html (http://www.incardiscount.co.uk/acatalog/Shop_SPECIAL_OFFERS_21.html) m  ) but I dont think it will work with the H/U (im new to this stuff so please dont flame me).  

Does anyone know if this is compatible with my H/U? Is the H/U a Fujitsu? What inputs are there in the back?

Does anyone out there have any MP3 players (CD or Hard Drive) thats used with the stock H/U?

Sorry about all the questions and many thanks in advance!!
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Post by: Slacey on September 30, 2003, 20:55
Buster is the 'don' of the Audio forum, so i'm sure he will be along in a minute to dispense some of his Godfather like advice   s:wink: :wink: s:wink:  
Alternatively, send him a PM, he's a nice guy really, and knows his sh*t   s:D :D s:D
Title: Re: I want one!!
Post by: Anonymous on September 30, 2003, 21:21
Quote from: "roadsterboy"Does anyone know if this is compatible with my H/U? Is the H/U a Fujitsu? What inputs are there in the back?

Buster is indeed your man... but just in case you've already got your CC out:

The unit you suggested says: "Compatible With All Blaupunkt Head Units which are CD Changer Compatible AND Have Disc Naming".

Your 2003 Roadster has a custom Panasonic HU, which may not even be Pana compatible let alone Blaupunkt.  

I did used to have an MP3 unit in my last car, I had a Sony MD head unit and a 6CD MP3 changer (the T70-MX FWIW).  Was fantastic, until it jammed, so I sold the car.  With that you just needed a Sony CD Changer compatible head unit... the MP3 bit just made it look to the HU like the CD had lots and lots of tracks on.  If the HU had CD Name support then it displayed track titles.

Since I've got my '2, I've not bothered touching the audio as I spend too long listening to the engine.
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Post by: markiii on September 30, 2003, 21:23
Try one of these,

 w www.ssiamerica.com (http://www.ssiamerica.com) w

I know 3 of us that have this and all are happy with it.
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Post by: Anonymous on September 30, 2003, 21:29
Quote from: "markiii"Try one of these,

 w www.ssiamerica.com (http://www.ssiamerica.com) w

I know 3 of us that have this and all are happy with it.

Not only cool, but they're not that expensive either.  Got me considering one now  s:) :) s:)
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Post by: markiii on September 30, 2003, 21:38
They are pretty darn good.

you can get a voice upgrade so it reads the track and directory details to you. I've got it and it saves taking your eyes off teh road.

If you have the right head unit, even a cheap one, and you can control from that, mine works off a Kenwood perfectdly.

and it's a 3.5" drive so cheap and easy to upgrade the capacity.
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Post by: Anonymous on September 30, 2003, 21:50
Thanks guys for your quick response!

So am i right in assuming that this will work with the stock head unit? I dont fancy changing the H/U just yet.  if it does then i assume that i would need the CDC Adapter and it should work right?

im off to try and find this as cheap as possible!!
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Post by: Anonymous on October 1, 2003, 07:21
Quote from: "roadsterboy"So am i right in assuming that this will work with the stock head unit? I dont fancy changing the H/U just yet.  if it does then i assume that i would need the CDC Adapter and it should work right?

Doesn't look like the CDC supports Panasonic (or Sony for that matter) HU's, so no it wouldn't totally work with your HU.

Instead of controlling it from your HU you'd need to use the wired remote they supply instead, using that to change tracks etc.

It won't be as clean a solution as a totally integrated changer, but being able to store 20GB of MP3s at the minimum is pretty cool.
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Post by: Anonymous on October 1, 2003, 08:45
Since the stock H/U is poo, and it's a doddle to change to a decent cheap standard H/U that's what I'd do.
In fact, that's what I did - it did upset me a bit deflowering my 2 month old car but it was worth it.

J
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Post by: dancarbon on October 1, 2003, 09:08
I looked into getting a Neo after JAE, there were lots of reports about them going out of business in the UK so support may be an issue.

This didn't stop me buying one, that was the lack of notes in my wallet - but I would say shop around a lot as prices seemed to vary a lot.
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Post by: Anonymous on October 1, 2003, 09:17
The Neo/mStation (as it was called in the UK) is available from http://www.6thplanet.com/ - their website looks well dodgy, but I bought from them and have no complaints.

The Neo was imported to the UK by Traxdata, who went bust and the liquidated stock was bought by this Saturn Computers outfit. Firmware upgrades are readily available from several other sites (although haven't changed in ages now anyway).

I bought the v1 model, with no hard drive, and added my own, which worked out really cheap (£129, plus about £40 for a 40Gb drive, plus VAT). The v1/v2 differences are minor, the biggest one being the remote cable mounting (on top on the v1, with a dubious flat IDC connector, on the back with a proper D-shell on the v2).
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Post by: Anonymous on October 1, 2003, 09:20
Quote from: "Jimbob"Since the stock H/U is poo, and it's a doddle to change to a decent cheap standard H/U that's what I'd do.

My OEM Sony headunit is still available, should anyone be interested;  m http://www.mr2roc.org/viewtopic.php?t=739 (http://www.mr2roc.org/viewtopic.php?t=739) m

I should add that because of Sony's proprietary aux input, this isn't really suitable for use with an external MP3 player (or any other non-Sony device) - the only reason I changed it.
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Post by: SteveJ on October 1, 2003, 09:54
To fix the line-in problem with the OEM Sony, get the Sony XA-300 unit - it gives 2 aux ins, 1 USB and a pass thru for the normal changer - cost me about £60

HTH
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Post by: Anonymous on October 1, 2003, 10:47
I'm selling my Sony CDXM 670 Headunit, Motorised front 4x55 per channel, the cubby whole and spacers etc come with it, i bought these from Toyota, new. You will have you use your OE mounting brackets but that's it.

The unit cost me £300 new am selling for £125 (no boxes)

James
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Post by: Anonymous on October 1, 2003, 12:04
Well good morning everyone   s:lol: :lol: s:lol:   Yes it 11 pm and i have just woken up Uni is good to be back LOL   s:wink: :wink: s:wink:  

Well to answer the quesrtion about MP3 players is that any MP3 payer will work as long as it has a Phono output i.e. 1 set of RCA plugs one red one white!

The one you specify dose have this and can be either connect in the following way!

You could contect the it to a FM modulator which will then turn the phono output into radio waves so that you can tune your radio in to pick it up and tese work very well and i use a lot for wireless conection.

The other way is that on the headunit you got with the car which is not fujitsu! i think we came to an agreement some time ago that it was panersonic! this can be connected up into the Aux in on teh back of the headunit stragth throught with phono leads! but this is prosuming that Mr T havent put a lower class H/U in other wise if you havent got aux in on teh back then FM modulator is the only way but very effective

FM modulators work out £50 and only need a ignitn stage one permintate 12V and ground easy   s:lol: :lol: s:lol:  

Have a look on the back of teh stero and see if there are any Phono female sockets on the back please   s:lol: :lol: s:lol:  

i think im going back to bed now   s:wink: :wink: s:wink:
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Post by: Comer on October 1, 2003, 13:55
Quote from: "Buster"Well good morning everyone   s:lol: :lol: s:lol:   Yes it 11 pm and i have just woken up Uni is good to be back LOL   s:wink: :wink: s:wink:  

i think im going back to bed now   s:wink: :wink: s:wink:

Tax dodging parasite, get a job   s:wink: :wink: s:wink:
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Post by: Anonymous on October 1, 2003, 16:38
Quote from: "Buster"You could contect the it to a FM modulator which will then turn the phono output into radio waves so that you can tune your radio in to pick it up and tese work very well and i use a lot for wireless conection.

Aren't those FM modulator things illegal in this country?

I was reading something about the new FM modulator for the iPod, which broadcasts on the FM frequency.. they're not allowed because basically you're setting up a low-powered pirate radio station in you car!   s:o :o s:o
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Post by: Anonymous on October 1, 2003, 17:39
Well i havent heard that they are illegal as you can buy them very readly avalible.

But as you say it dose broadcast it over the FM band but only a mater of a few meters if that so i dont think they would have a valid reson
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Post by: Anonymous on October 1, 2003, 17:50
FM modulators are illegal in the UK.  That's why when SONY made their FM CD changer, it had a wired arial thingy.
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Post by: Anonymous on October 1, 2003, 19:11
I too heard about the IPod FM modulator being made illegal. Shame as that would have been pretty cool.

For those of you that have the Neo Car Jukebox, where have you placed yours?  Would it fit in the glovebox?

Thanks again for all your posts   s:P :P s:P
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Post by: markiii on October 1, 2003, 19:50
centre of the rear bins. it should just fit in the glovebox but you'll waste a lot of space as it's not the right shape.
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Post by: darrenjuggins on October 1, 2003, 21:16
Bit late into this thread - but my comment would have to be why are you going to pay £189 for a 1 GB unit !!!! that seems very expensive!

I purchased a full sony CDX MP3 unit brand new for £139 it's the dogs at three times the price.

considering if you have a PC you can burn one MP3 CD with 700 MB on in 5 minutes.......

I think at last count a disc costs about 20p..... a little cheaper !!!????

don't get carried away with new technolgy, when old will do just fine.

Sorry, just my two pence worth.

Cheers

Mr J
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Post by: markiii on October 1, 2003, 21:38
1 Gig?

if your talking about teh neo it starst at 10-20 Gig and mines currently got 120Gig
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Post by: Anonymous on October 1, 2003, 23:21
Nope, Darren is referring to my original post as the MP3 player i was originally thinking of getting had a 1gig microdrive.

I liked it because it was absolutly tiny.
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Post by: Anonymous on October 1, 2003, 23:50
markiii, what model Kenwood do you have?

cheers
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Post by: markiii on October 2, 2003, 09:32
9590R

BUt anything from the last couple of years with changer capabiliy should be fine.
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Post by: Anonymous on October 2, 2003, 09:58
Quote from: "roadsterboy"I too heard about the IPod FM modulator being made illegal. Shame as that would have been pretty cool.

The sound quality isn't great from an FM modulator (even an inline wired one), although TBH, if you're using MP3's, then you're not an audiophile anyway...

QuoteFor those of you that have the Neo Car Jukebox, where have you placed yours?  Would it fit in the glovebox?

I stuck some blocks of foam on mine (as shock-proofing), and velcro'd that to the carpet behind the drivers seat. I don't drive with the seat fully back, and so retained full use of the luggage bins.
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Post by: Anonymous on October 6, 2003, 11:11
In my view that if FM modulators are illegal then it silly as i use them a lot in projecting singals across my car and find that if you by a good one like a JVC 1098R which is around £70 and can broadcast 3 channels of seperate inputs as well as video! it works vers well and the lose of sound quailty is very minermal!

Also if they have been made illegal which (i dont want to start arguments here) but i dont think small incar one's have been ! then who is going to check! and who would procute you !

Just some food for the brain   s:lol: :lol: s:lol:
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Post by: markiii on October 6, 2003, 11:29
the Central Procuting Agency?  :-) :-) :-)
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Post by: Anonymous on October 6, 2003, 11:31
who are they and how do they dectect it !

Fines etc ??? how much other wise im a little in the poo as i have 3 channles of FM broadcasting

But im sure as most ICE people use them they cant do much   s:wink: :wink: s:wink: