Inexpensive car CD player recommendations

[VitoP]

Folks:

I've got a '87 Volvo with an AM/FM/cassette player. I want to replace it with an AM/FM/CD player. No MP3, nothing fancy. A removable face plate would be nice but my budget is more important. I plan to compile CDs from my current collection so the box has to be able to play CD-Rs that I burn.

I'd like to spend under $100 if possible. Am I dreaming or is this possible? Specific product recommendations welcome as well as suggested mail order vendors for same.

Thanks.

VitoP

 

[Angrymarshmello]

You're going to be hard pressed to find an under $100 one that doesn't just plain suck. Low-end models from Koss and Aiwa are your only options. Spending a little bit more (an extra $50 to make $150) will get you a low end Kenwood/Pioneer, which imho is better than Koss and Aiwa

 

[Thegonagle]

<< You're going to be hard pressed to find an under $100 one that doesn't just plain suck. Low-end models from Koss and Aiwa are your only options. Spending a little bit more (an extra $50 to make $150) will get you a low end Kenwood/Pioneer, which imho is better than Koss and Aiwa >>


I agree for sure. Kenwood, Pioneer, and Panasonic, JVC, and others make some worthwhile, well regarded products for well under $200, that will absolutely blow away a $100 player. A new, $200 player today is even better than a 4 year old, $450 player, whereas a $100 player today is as junky as a $100 player has ever been.

 

[Thegonagle]

Here's a Blaupunkt Austin at Crutchfield for $180, but it looks like a killer for the price. It doesn't claim CD-R playback, but like most CD players, I bet that most brands of CD-R work fine in it. I'm going to have to find one of these and in a store and check it out.

Joe. <--- Also going to buy a new CD player soon.

EDIT: The Blaupunkt Santa Fe, $170, looks cool (particularly European). The Blaupunkt RPD555, $160, looks plain, but like the others I just mentioned, it has 25x4 watts RMS, and this one has green night time illumination (according to blaupunkt's web site), which is easier on the eyes in the dark than blue.

The newest Blaupunkts seem like they're worth a shot for sure.

Manufacturers site, Blaupunkt receivers.

 

[XeonTux]

the most bang for your buck may come from FS/T or eGay

 

[OS]

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[Angrymarshmello]

<< A new, $200 player today is even better than a 4 year old, $450 player >>



That is sooooo true. I had an old Pioner Premier P700r (ran $400 brand new couple years ago) and it did all it was supposed to but I upgraded to a non-Premier 5200 and that just smoked the 700r - everything is crystal clear now and sounds so much better. (Although both are MOSFET45 and have the same RMS ratings)

 

[OS]

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[luvya]

<<

<< The Blaupunkt RPD555, $160 looks plain, but like the others I just mentioned, it has 25x4 watts RMS, and this one has green night time illumination (according to blaupunkt's web site), which is easier on the eyes in the dark than blue. >>



Woah, 25x4, thx for the link, I'm going to have to take my pioneer back. >>



25X4?? Am I drunk or what? You can find a cheap aiwa doing 45X4......wake up! people!

 

[Jerboy]

I have an Aiwa model CDC-X217. The box claims 45w RMS x 4. I don't know what kind of distortion it has at that wattage, but it's more than powerful enough to push the stock speakers to limit. My doorpanels starts shaking before I even get to full volume. I got this to replace the stock Cassette/Radio since cassette part didn't really work that well anyway. I got the Aiwa over Pioneer over Pioneer, because it was one out of few units with dial style volume control that doesn't require you to flip open the door to insert a CD. I definitely prefer dial style volume control over push buttons concealed among tons of little function buttons and I don't want to have to flip open the door to access CD.

As a bonus, this unit lets you change the indicator lamps between red and blue. I have mine on blue

I think you can get this unit for $99 on a sale or $120 regular. I'm happy with it so far.

 

[OS]

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[VitoP]

Folks:

Good feedback all. Thanks for your comments.

Any suggestions on mail order vendors or am I better off going to Fry's in Palo Alto?

VitoP

 

[Grinchy]

costco has a basic blau for about $100 that should meet your needs. Detachable face, ergo controls. Dependable. Good FM.
you can get a Jensen mp3510 for about $150 that will play mp3's.

No matter what the manufacturer's say, the rms of a HU will not be more than 20W, and that is probably at 10% THD. Typical listenable wattage is 10-14W. ALL HU have the same basic little IC in them, and at 12V the only way that IC can make power is at basically 1 W / per volt. External amplifiers are so large because they have to have transformers to increase the voltage, so they can make more voltage drop. 1 W is a listenable volume. 10 W is twice as loud as 1. 100 W is twice as loud as 10. So you can see that the difference in volume from 10W to 50W is not that much, maybe 1/2 again as loud. Wattage produces more clarity and dynamic range, not really more volume.

All that to say it doesn't really matter what the stated specs are, there is a form factor issue that makes the amplification stage in 1 DIN HU's very similar, so don't really buy based on power. Buy based on usability and ergonomics. I'd say it's worth it to get a unit with preout, but for $10 you can get a line converter later to add pre-outs for amplification. So that isn't even a real issue, and in the noise environment in a car, the extra noise of a line converter will be negligible. Pre-outs will make it easier to add a couple amps later on, though.

 

[Grinchy]

www.sounddomain.com
www.partsexpress.com
If you really feel you need help,
www.crutchfield.com
but you'll pay for their expertise and convenience with a 20% price increase.

 

[Angrymarshmello]

<< I have an Aiwa model CDC-X217. The box claims 45w RMS x 4. I don't know what kind of distortion it has at that wattage, but it's more than powerful enough to push the stock speakers to limit. My doorpanels starts shaking before I even get to full volume. I got this to replace the stock Cassette/Radio since cassette part didn't really work that well anyway. I got the Aiwa over Pioneer over Pioneer, because it was one out of few units with dial style volume control that doesn't require you to flip open the door to insert a CD. I definitely prefer dial style volume control over push buttons concealed among tons of little function buttons and I don't want to have to flip open the door to access CD.

As a bonus, this unit lets you change the indicator lamps between red and blue. I have mine on blue

I think you can get this unit for $99 on a sale or $120 regular. I'm happy with it so far. >>



That's 45w peak, not RMS.