Mp3 In My Car

[malfranco]

Is there anyway I can get the stereo in the car or are there any accessories that would allow me to play MP3?

[Matthew_McNally]

Is there anyway I can get the stereo in the car or are there any accessories that would allow me to play MP3?

search the boards for Dension Mp3.

there are few guys with this installed, and everyone seems really happy with it.

Two guys off the top of my head are Rodders_UK and Grangey.

Rod is daily visitor (hi Rod!) - sure he'll have some value to add

[Rodders_UK]

Yup - I have a Dension device in the car - great machine.

Join our Gold forum and you can get a discount on one!

[malfranco]

That sounds ideal what is a dension and how does it fit to the lexus stereo? How much does one cost?

[Rob]

i think that you have 3 options here -

1. denison mp3 player - a hard drive based unit that fits somewhere in the car ( normally in boot) and operates thru a FM modulator, you then tune the radio to that frequency.

2. replace the original headunit with an mp3 player capable unit - will involve a DIN facia plate,

no decent way exists at present to link aftermarket radios into the original system so maybe an amp as well depending on what you want.

3. a portable mp3 player and one of those cassette adaptor thingys - sound wont be fantastic

[Rodders_UK]

That sounds ideal what is a dension and how does it fit to the lexus stereo? How much does one cost?

The Dension machine costs around £300 plus the hard drive, but you can get it cheaper through the Gold discount directory.

As Fluff said, it connects via an FM modulator, which works very well (It's cable-connected - not via the aerial).

[malfranco]

That sounds ideal what is a dension and  how does it fit to the lexus stereo? How much does one cost?

The Dension machine costs around £300 plus the hard drive, but you can get it cheaper through the Gold discount directory.

As Fluff said, it connects via an FM modulator, which works very well (It's cable-connected - not via the aerial).

Glad you like your Dension however a friend of mine reckons there would be a serious down grade in quality with a FM modulator.

Does the £300 include the hardrive and how do you transfer say cd's with MP3 on to the hardrive?

[javadude]

Sony do a nice head unit that reads mp3s from cd, memory stick or its own internal hard disk, plus plays normal CDs and has a tuner. Nice neat all in one package. Completely raving mad price though - £1500.

[simonskippy]

There is some loos in quality using the FM Modulator, however if you set it up correctly and rip the CD's on the highest quality setting I bet you would find it extremely difficult to tell the CD and the MP3 apart.

If you really wanted MP3 in the car then the Dension is the best on the market for the money, unfortunately the Lexus head unit doesn't have an aux input, SO take it out, get a fascia plate from autotoys or someone similar, put in a Blaupunkt DAB unit (£380) bypass the standard amp put in some new speakers and hey presto, should set you back about £1200 in total to do the whole car.

Otherwise just get the Dension and put it straight in the car for £300, it does come with the hard drive and docking bay for your PC, all the software is included and it's quite simple to rip the cd's to mp3

Cheers

Si

[Rob]

you would have to transfer the mp3's on CD via a computer, the denison hard drive just docks the computer and you transfer the files over.

[Gamesound]

If you want quality, stick a big cd autochanger in the boot - mp3 is "ok" and convenient, but high quality or "near cd quality" it aint! (might sound like it on a pair of creative labs happy shopper speakers on your pc!)

If anyone wants to see what mp3's lossy compression does to a waveform I have some jpg's of before and after - you lose most of the dynamic range.

If you want to be really posh - stick 24 bit 96Khz 6.1 DTS in like I have in the studio and in the car! :D

[malfranco]

A mp3 compatable cd changer sounds like a good idea that would fit in the boot just like the mindisc changer you can get for the Lexus right? Next question is will the stereo be able to to recognise the MP3 format from the extra cd changer?

[swz-lexus]

hey i got a alpine head unit and dvd player in mine and it looks phat in the centre, got a pukka facia plate for it, i dont know how to post pics if someone tells me i can get a pic up and show u, got amps and subs and speakers, had custom door builds to house the speakers in front, dvd 6 disc changer plays mp3 cds so loads a music and tv hehe