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[email protected] joe@mich.com is offline
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Default How to play CDs in new cars...

On Thu, 10 Jun 2021 17:31:18 +1200, geoff wrote:

On 10/06/2021 3:18 pm, Fishrrman wrote:
I have a lot of CDs. Many hundreds of them. Thousands of them.

My 2013 Toyota RAV4 has a CD player as a part of the audio system. No
problems there.

But I looked at the new RAV4's, and they no longer have a CD player
available at all in any configuration.

Well, ok, my 2013 also has a USB port (suitable for a flashdrive with
mp3 files on it), along with a 3.5mm analog input to get music in that
way from any device with analog out via the headphone jack.

But... the new RAVs have only a USB port. There's no 3.5mm jack, so I
couldn't even plug in a small portable CD player (which I have).

That leaves no practical way to get CD-based audio into the car's sound
system.

I've heard that there are a few portable CD players with bluetooth, but
doesn't BT degrade sound quality "in the transmission"?


Not as much as being in a car does !


Question:
Are there any small portable CD music players that have DIGITAL OUT (via
USB) as well as analog out? Although I'm not sure how that would
interface with the car's audio system, which is probably programmed to
look for mp3 files with tagged metadata.


It wouldn't. That's not what the car's USB port accepts. It expects a
memory stick with folders and files - not a 'live' streamed digital signal.


Looks like the only way to take your CDs along with new cars, is to do
what I used to do in the old days: Take the portable player along with
some headphones, and listen that way...


Dangerous, and not at all the only way.

If you must use actual CDs, then get a FM transmitter dongle for your
portable player and listen on the car radio function.

Or the RAV system may play directly from an iPad.Or suck some or all
your CDs onto an iPad (lossless if you like). And/or copy them onto a
USB stick. Either way it is playing as files from a storage device.


I have a CD player as well as a USB input in my car. I listen to music and audiobooks. It is so much
easier using a USB flash drive I would never go back to CDs in the car. Each CD has it's own folder
and the radio controls let you easily choose albums and/or songs to play, plus it's safer than screwing
around with CDs while driving. You just push a button, cd changed.

You can use lossless formats, but the car is not a hifi listening room, so mp3s sound great in a car and I
suggest you go that way. The mp3s have more content than your car speakers can ever manage.

Best would be an 8G flash drive, or 16G if necessary. Many car radios and older Toyota systems in particular were slow in
loading the flash drive and some can't play large ones.

Here is a good portable CD to mp3 ripper. The program is contained in one folder, it doesn't install or change the registry.


https://portableapps.com/apps/music_video/cdex_portable