MP3 player for the car?

[griff2be]

Does anyone make an MP3 player for the car - something that is similar to the Apple I-pod? I was thinking about something with a hard drive that you download CDs onto via the pc, then never have to mess about with CDs in the car.

I just did a quick Google search for 'car and MP3' but all I seem to get is car stereos that will play CD's with MP3 coded music on them.

Presumably an MP3 harddrive unit will not suffer from hard suspension in the same way that a cd changer does?

Any info gratefully received...

Thanks

Andy

[stc_bennett]

Hi Andy

I have one of these in me cerbera

www.6thplanet.com/menu/carmp3_mscar_ms1car10g.html

They work well is basically a hard drive in a removable Caddy.... I got hte cheapest Mstation and put in a bigger hard drive a saved some money. is plugs in via FM modulation

there is a nother model for £50 more where the LCD is back lite have a lok and see...

Cheers

Steve

[jeremyc]

Sony have a unit that will transfer your CDs to an internal hard drive. It will also play MP3s from a CD and supports Memory Stick.

[griff2be]

Thanks guys.

Steve - presumably your solution is in addition to the normal head unit?

Jeremy - is this Sony unit out now? At $1,500 it looks expensive!

With I-pods being relatively cheap you'd have thought building one into a head unit with an amp and a tuner would be relatively cheap and easy. I don't really see the point of having the transfer method (i.e. a CD slot) in the Sony (except for ease of use), when the idea is you don't need CDs - its just duplicating what I already have on the PC. I'd rather sit in the house for hours downloading CDs than in the car...

I thought there would have been loads of products by now...

[rich1231]

That Sony is available in the UK for £799 if you look closly. I can remember at the moment where I saw it.

[stc_bennett]

Yea the mStation plugs betwen the aerials socket and the normal FM aerial.. you can set the frequency to tune it to so it does not interfere with normal radio transmition. Well that if you can recieve radio transmition (I couldnt before i installed it so i didnt care much)..

The only drawback is they do not offer the extra caddy to install in the PC at home its now an external USB2 attachment for an extra £50..

Hope it helps

Steve

griff2be said: Thanks guys.

Steve - presumably your solution is in addition to the normal head unit?

Jeremy - is this Sony unit out now? At $1,500 it looks expensive!

With I-pods being relatively cheap you'd have thought building one into a head unit with an amp and a tuner would be relatively cheap and easy. I don't really see the point of having the transfer method (i.e. a CD slot) in the Sony (except for ease of use), when the idea is you don't need CDs - its just duplicating what I already have on the PC. I'd rather sit in the house for hours downloading CDs than in the car...

I thought there would have been loads of products by now...

[dangerous]

£799,sounds like a bargin,these guys are trying to flog it for double that.

www.caraudiodirect.co.uk/magazine/mp3/sonymexhd1.html

[griff2be]

£799 or double, I think both are expensive for what I want - which is just an I-pod with a tuner and an amp and some means of transferring data to it from the pc in the house. Perhaps an I pod with a head unit sized docking station in the dash.

If an I pod is £200-300 I don't see why someone couldn't do an in car one for not much more. The amp and tuner bits are cheap as chips..... (come to think of it the memory bit isn't expensive either...)

I know they want to make a margin on new technology, but this is taking the p1ss...

[stc_bennett]

Griff

the mStation is 240.. i dont thinks thats to bad... I have managed to get 200 albums on there at 192 bit rate. so the quality aint that bad...

its simple to fit put it in the boot 12v power cable and run the cable to the existing radio in the car and tune to the frequncy you have chosen.


Steve

[griff2be]

I agree Steve - the price for your one isn't bad. I was hoping there was something that just goes into the dash, without a box in the boot. I Pods are so small....

[stc_bennett]

Just found a version 2 for version 1 money

with all the accessories to add to the home PC

www.uk-mstation.co.uk/kit.php

Hope you find what you want

Steve

[david beer]

Andy
check out sony.co.uk and the MEX-1HD.

David

[andyrixon]

Its a sh*t magasine, but buy Max Power or a similar magasine as they have lots of adverts for audio retailers and many have lots of special offers and deals. I buy it anytime i want something audio wise for the car and always get a better deal than going to shops.

Worth a try anyway. £3 could save you lots more...

[griff2be]

Had a quick look at the Sony - which seems to be more what I was after. Although I really don't need the CD slot in it.

Anyway - can anyone explain to me why the UK online prices vary from £899 to £1500, and the US price is $998? Something very strange going on with this. That is a HUGE variation in price!

Oh yes - and why they are so much more than an I Pod?