Car Audio

[Andy]

Mark,

in your experience is there any car / audio combination that actually delivers a performance matching that intended by the artist, producer and engineer?

I've had Alpine car systems in both the US and the UK that sounded ok to me, but then again, I suffer from tinnitus, thank you Thin Lizzy, Rory Gallgaher and Hawkwind....

Andy

[Liam Schwilik]

Hi Andy,

Yes, car systems are a law unto themselves. Most, these days I think are o.k. Having said that, my current JVC system is just dreadfull. It has presets for rock, pop, classical etc. WHY? The nanny state gone mad!

As I mentioned in other posts, I do like listening on as many different systems as possible in order to get a varied and broad result. The internal speaker on a Mac is classic. Like the ipod, if it sounds good on a 2" speaker, it will sound good on anything.

I got used to my last car system, and any changes since,  having got to know the sound of the old system are disturbing.

Mark.

Sub boxes rule!

[Pete Gray]

Interesting that you comment on sub boxes.

My middle lad David has a pretty Clio Sports job in which he's installed (well OK I've installed) awsome ICE (In Car Entertainment to those not familiar with youth speak)
From memory it's all Sony and comprises a CD deck - remote control of course - couple up to a huge amplifier - 12 speakers of various massive power capability + an enormous bass bin in the boot. Being a street cred. teenager he also has in car DVD which plays through the sound system - apparantly rather romantic when watching pirate copy DVD's whilst parked in the lay-bye with his bird (oh yes, they seem to have dropped P. Correctness as well - in case you didn't know!)

The bass from his gangster rap - or whatever that vile stuff is called - can be heard ahead of him ages before he arrives at the house.

The other week I had to use his car one morning and played "Over The Next Hill" as I drove along.
Full bore through his system it sounded amazing, must get one for the Passatt !

Pete 

[Sandra]

In the car,though there's only a tape player and I'm too lazy to copy to cassette usually so it tends to be older stuff

 But mostly sitting here.My computer has the only bass speaker I own that can make my chair jump !!

What you need is one of those cunning little devices that enable you to use a portable MP3 player or Ipod via your car cassette, Mike. We use one and it works brilliantly.

They cost between about £10 for a CD/MP 3 player adaptor to about £40 for an Ipod adaptor.

We got ours from Dixons but I think you can also get them from Argos.

Sandra

[Keith]

about £40 for an Ipod adaptor

£8 on Amazon, and it does work, although you have to turn the iPod right down. Looking forward to driving to Cropredy now.

[Sandra]

Nice one Keith. The prices are really coming down.

I have to admit to having two. The second one came free as part of a package with a CD/MP3 player that we bought for under £20 from Aldi.

Way off topic now, I will shut up before I yellow card myself.

Sandra

[jOhN]

What you need is one of those cunning little devices that enable you to use a portable MP3 player or Ipod via your car cassette, Mike. We use one and it works brilliantly.

They cost between about £10 for a CD/MP 3 player adaptor to about £40 for an Ipod adaptor.

We got ours from Dixons but I think you can also get them from Argos.

Sandra

What are they called.....I want one!!!!!

[Sandra]

Something like an In Car Adaptor Kit.

Look here: http://www.argos.co.uk/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/Search?storeId=10001&catalogId=3151&langId=-1&searchTerms=Car+audio+kit

They really are good, as you can hide the CD/MP3 player away when not in use. If you can get one with the adaptor that fits into the car cigarette lighter as it saves on batteries.

Even though we have a CD player in the van we use it to play MP3s on long journeys.

Sandra

[Andy]

I have a "Tunecast II" from Belkin that plugs into my iPod and transmits at very low power on a frequency I set so that I just tune the radio to it. A little illegal, but works fine...

[Liam Schwilik]

Wow Andy, that sounds cool! Does it change the sound very much?

Mark.

[Andy]

Not at all, it's just a little radio transmitter. They're sold in the USA. I got mine from Amazon.co.uk but they don't seem to sell them any more. However, they are on the Amazon.Com site.

So, if you have any friends or acquaintances in the US, they can pick one up for you.

BTW: the "Tunecast II" is much better than the previous model, which is still available. Don't get one of those.

Please note that these are illegal in the UK at the moment, so don't use it here.

[mikec]

Please note that these are illegal in the UK at the moment, so don't use it here.

And they interfere with Police Radios so we wouldn't want to do that then would we boys and girls would we?

[Andy]

Well, if they did, then no. But this one doesn't.

[mikec]

Sorry Andy, missed a smiley off my reply above. Was meant to be slightly tongue in cheek but failed miserably 

Anyway found a Tunecast II at www.ithings.co.uk. Is it worth the extra money to buy one with a mobile power cord?

cheers

MikeC

[Andy]

Yes, because it chews up AAA batteries.

[Paul]

A wind up gramaphone on the back seat of a Morris Minor seems OK to me, although you have to watch bumping up curbs, as it makes the records jump. 

Paul

[MarkV]

My first in car entertainment consisted of a battery driven Bush cassette player. Glorious mono!

It chewed up tapes every few hours or so, and the battery's would last around 3 hours, not enough to drive to Cornwall on holidays.  Didnt even drown ut the noise from the dodgy gearbox (another story!).

Mark

[clive]

I only got around to getting shot of the spindle mount (DIN D?) r/cass out of the Scimmie last year. (Had to cut hole in dash for new 'un) and in it's place is a nice shiny DAB. No more listening to halfwits on the Jeremy Vine show. 6Music, wonderful.

[mikec]

Sorry Andy, missed a smiley off my reply above. Was meant to be slightly tongue in cheek but failed miserably

Anyway found a Tunecast II at www.ithings.co.uk. Is it worth the extra money to buy one with a mobile power cord?

cheers

MikeC

Yes, because it chews up AAA batteries.

Where does it take its power from then - cigar lighter socket?

[GarethWR]

FWIW, I've heard conflicting reports about these transmitter thingies. Some users don't like the drop from CD-quality audio to FM radio-quality audio, and others say that they have problems finding a suitably clear space on the FM band to tune to. YMMV!

In the longer term, car manufacturers are finally cottoning on to the impact of MP3 players (and iPods in particular) and some now offer direct iPod interfacing to their factory-fit audio systems.