Ask MetaFilter questions tagged with stereo and cd

Playing tunes.

Science! — Wed, 07 Jan 2009 17:53:48 -0800

Can the standard (type II, I think) stereo/CD system in a 2007 Toyota Corolla play MP3 CDs? Or what are my options? I will be going on a road trip in a 2007 Toyota Corolla with a factory standard stereo system that I believe is the type II stereo option. Can this thing read MP3 CDs? A preliminary test of a quickly burned CD says no, but the disc was old and scratched.

2nd part. Can this stereo read CD-RW discs burned as normal CDs (ie, not MP3 CDs)?

3rd part. If all else fails is there a reasonably priced FM transmitter for MP3 players that works well in this car and is available in chain stores?

4th part. Is there an audio in jack somewhere that I missed in the manual? Again, this is a car with really no extra options.

Help me hack my car's stereo!

phunniemee — Tue, 25 Nov 2008 16:53:05 -0800

I need tunes! Please help me hack* my car's stereo. So, some genius broke into my car (technically a '97 RAV4) and stole (only) the faceplate off of my cd player (an Alpine...something...that I got back in 2002). They graciously left the tape player, and since I've got one of those headphone jack-to-cassette mcgees, I'd ideally like to play songs off of my (no-brand, bare bones) mp3 player. However, the tape doesn't want to play (yes, it is a functioning accessory; it works just fine in my boombox). In fact, the whole cassette player itself appears to not work at all. I don't know if it ever worked, but I'd sure like it to now. I don't recall there being an option on my cd player to switch to the tape player, so I don't think it's that. If all else fails, I'll probably just buy a replacement faceplate, but I'd hate to have to upgrade from my sweet mid-nineties technology.

Picture of the offending area.

Is there anything I can do (for under, say, 10 bucks) to fix this thing? Could it be some sort of fuse (??) issue or something? Is there some secret other way for me to make my music come out of my car? I'm quite handy, so if someone tells me what to look for, I have no problem ripping my dash apart and tinkering.

Thanks!

* ...sigh... Yeah, yeah, I know.

New car stereo solution?

ObscureReferenceMan — Mon, 23 Jun 2008 14:37:40 -0800

Car stereo solution for someone non-technical. I have a 1990 Acura Legend with original stereo & speakers, but the 10-disc changer my brother installed is having issues (discs aren't always recognized, and the remote is broken). And the rear speakers are buzzing. So I'm in the market for something new. I don't want to spend more than $500 (for stereo and speakers). My requirements:
- Input for iPod (will be purchasing that soon also)
- Should play at least one CD (in case on a road trip, someone brings tunes)
- Some kind of equalizer (not just treble/bass control)

My question is not so much "which unit" (but I welcome input/feedback), but "where to go?". My gut tells me BestBuy. I've browsed, and they seem to have a decent selection, and installation is minimal. Or do I go to a car stereo place? There are plenty on Long Island (suggestions for/against would also be appreciated). Would $500 get me something good?

One qualification: I do NOT want to buy individual components and install them myself (I know it's cheaper). I am NOT handy. I CANNOT do electrical installation. This is non-negotiable. Sorry.

Any other suggestions (units to be aware of +/-, forums, review sites, etc.) are welcome. Thanks!!

Looking for a car stereo with a good UI.

Plutor — Mon, 17 Oct 2005 06:36:24 -0800

The factory-installed stereo in my car has stopped playing CDs, and my commute is fairly long, so this is essentially unacceptable. I've looked into getting it repaired, but the whole stereo'll have to be sent away for weeks, and it'll end up costing a bunch. But I've yet to find an add-on in-dash stereo for $200 or less that isn't terribly ugly. I have a 2003 Nissan Altima; the current stereo (and dash) looks like this, which I'm otherwise 100% happy with. I'm not really an audiophile, so pretty much any stereo will probably sound good enough for me. I've considered buying an MP3 player, but my stock stereo doesn't have an aux port, and it'd require a lot of CD-ripping time to convert all of my collection. I'm savvy enough that I have absolutely no problem mounting a stereo myself.

But I absolutely hate the trend of blinking lights and tiny lettering on tiny chrome buttons that seems pervasive in the car stereo market. My priority is a good UI. Is that too much to ask for?

How to find a skipless CD player for my car?

luser — Tue, 14 Sep 2004 05:45:18 -0800

My car CD player (a Sony unit, probably about 6 years old) pretty much stutters/skips every CD I put in it, usually 5-10 minutes into the disk. Should I replace it, or try those lens cleaner thingies? Also, if I go to replace it, what's the metric in CD players' model specs that will tell me how well the lens will handle light scratches and/or burned CDs? I guess I could just get a really expensive one, but the only feature I really care about is that it doesn't skip.

CD Player Issues

Jaybo — Sun, 04 Apr 2004 12:42:59 -0800

Help! CD Player Laser Lens Not Working - Why? [more inside] I have a very old (1990-ish) Sony 5-CD Changer as part of my stereo system. It's always worked great but lately, tracks on CD's (regular as well as CD-R) had been skipping or stopping completely.

I thought that this was probably just dust in the machine and bought a CD lens cleaner. I followed the instructions exactly after the CD was inserted but when I took the cleaner disc out, the CD player no longer recognized ANY discs - regular ones, CD-R's or the cleaner that had just given me verbal instructions on its use two minutes earlier! When a disc is inserted now, the player "whirs" trying to find it but then shows "No Disc Found".

I'm assuming that either somehow the laser lens got scratched by the cleaner (fresh out of the box - shouldn't have had any impurities) or that maybe this process somehow conked out a very old laser reader completely (though this seems less likely.)

Any expertise or similar experiences? I know a new CD changer is WAY cheaper than what I paid 10 years ago for a top of the line Sony unit. But I'd love to be able to fix this one if possible before I spend the cash to buy a new one.

Thanks in advance!