in-dash multi-CD changers

lyonsd

lyonsd

Active Member
Joined
May 24, 2001
I test drove a new WRX a couple weeks ago. I had an in-dash 6-CD changer! I've never seen a CD changer that fits right there in the dash. Cool! (No, I don't keep up with the latest in car audio technology)

Anyway, are there any aftermarket companies (Pioneer, Sony, Kenwood, Blaupunkt, etc...) that make an in-dash CD changer that will fit in our beloved turbo Regals?

Muchas gracias in advance.
 
I am pretty sure alpine still makes an in-dash 3 cd player as a single DIN size.
I really dont think there are many choices until you go to a double din size. There just isnt enough room in a single din setup.
 
I had one of the first Alpine 3 disk in dash changers. It was a pile of sh*t. Tuner sucked. Disk transport sucked. Took forever to change disks. Last Alpine product I will ever buy.

Nakamichi makes a very very nice one. It has a optional amplifier pack that bolts to the back of the radio. Very high quality. I think Denon makes (or made) one.
 
lyonsd: "The turbo Regals take din-and-a-half. "
Click to expand...

I was aware of that.

Look at all the DIN and 1/2 units out there....not!
Hard enough to find it in a common DIN or double DIN size, let alone a 1.5 DIN that hardly gets any attention from the aftermarket at all.

The more you try and stuff into a small space, the worse everything gets. You compromise amplifier power for CD capacity. I can only imagine that this is part of the reason we dont see many out there.
If you want the best sound, go with a good head and a seperate changer. Being able to play with something else in the dash is neat for awhile, but the novelty would wear off. I wouldnt want to sacrifice sound quality for that.
 
Originally posted by SilverSleeper

The more you try and stuff into a small space, the worse everything gets. You compromise amplifier power for CD capacity. I can only imagine that this is part of the reason we dont see many out there.
If you want the best sound, go with a good head and a seperate changer. Being able to play with something else in the dash is neat for awhile, but the novelty would wear off. I wouldnt want to sacrifice sound quality for that.
Click to expand...

DITTO!

But I bet that Nak still sounds very good.
 
Originally posted by SilverSleeper

The more you try and stuff into a small space, the worse everything gets. You compromise amplifier power for CD capacity.

If you want the best sound, go with a good head and a seperate changer. Being able to play with something else in the dash is neat for awhile, but the novelty would wear off. I wouldnt want to sacrifice sound quality for that.
Click to expand...

Good points. But who wants to pull the car over, get out, open up the trunk, and swap CDs? Not me.

I'd rather have the CD changer in the dash and the amplifier in the trunk than the other way around.

Besides, I have a stock stereo in my car. I'm sure that even if sound quality suffers because they crammed the changer into the head unit, it'll still be a world of difference improvement over what I have now.
 
You mean a 12 disc changer wont get you where you need to go?
Thats 12 discs.. up to 74 minutes a piece.... thats a lot of music.
If you have to change discs, get a head unit that is a CD player and a changer controller.
Heck, you go with something like Alpine's Ai-net or Clarions setups, and you can chain a whole load of changers together.
Last I remember, Pioneer had an in trunk 50 disc changer as well, but they may not still make that.
I think you would have to stop to stretch, or eat, or get gas before you run out of 50 discs!! :D
That would be one loooong road trip! ;)
 
Heck, you go with something like Alpine's Ai-net or Clarions setups, and you can chain a whole load of changers together.
Click to expand...
Or Sony, they were the first company to make a disk changer and the first company to use a protocol system which allows multiple changers (and other devices) to be connected together. Clarion, Kenwood, Alpine, etc copied Sony - again.

For me what worked best was getting the 10 disk changers in the cars as well as the home. This way you are not constantly loading disks from vehicle, to home, to other vehicle, etc, etc. Sony and Pioneer were the only companies who had the forsight to build a home changer that accepts the same magazine in the car. Pioneer scraped the idea in the early 90's and sad to say Sony did as well in the late 90's. We have 3 Sony 10 disk changers in the house and each car has one as well. Makes it very easy to organize and transport music. Plus every changer transmits the names of the disks in the magazine to the radio so you know what is in them.
 
If you really dont want to change cds, just buy a mp3 player. !0 hours of music on 1 cd., you can then add a mp3 changer. Im sure you wont find yourself getting out and changing cds too often :)
 
Originally posted by SilverSleeper
You mean a 12 disc changer wont get you where you need to go?
Thats 12 discs.. up to 74 minutes a piece.... thats a lot of music.
If you have to change discs, get a head unit that is a CD player and a changer controller.
Heck, you go with something like Alpine's Ai-net or Clarions setups, and you can chain a whole load of changers together.
Last I remember, Pioneer had an in trunk 50 disc changer as well, but they may not still make that.
I think you would have to stop to stretch, or eat, or get gas before you run out of 50 discs!! :D
That would be one loooong road trip! ;)
Click to expand...

i've seen the 50 disc changers on ebay but i'd say if someone breaks in your trunk, thats a great way to lose a whole CD collection. besides, just put you cd book on the passenger seat or get a passenger and have them play DJ for the night
 
Since nobody really answered your question, blaupunkt and eclipse both offer an in dash cd changer. Now the trick is where to put it! I had an eclipse and an eclipse in-dash monitor in my GN for awhile.

Magazines for a home cd changer? eew. Easy way to lose track of that mag.

Not a big sony fan, whether they invented the idea of piggypacking changers or not.

Evan

PS... honestly you would be just as well off with a single player, i had the changer and listened to the same damn 6 cds for like a month. Just got too lazy!
 
Since nobody really answered your question, blaupunkt and eclipse both offer an in dash cd changer. Now the trick is where to put it! I had an eclipse and an eclipse in-dash monitor in my GN for awhile.

Magazines for a home cd changer? eew. Easy way to lose track of that mag.

Not a big sony fan, whether they invented the idea of piggypacking changers or not.

Evan

PS... honestly you would be just as well off with a single player, i had the changer and listened to the same damn 6 cds for like a month. Just got too lazy!
 
Magazines for a home cd changer? eew. Easy way to lose track of that mag.
Click to expand...
Ya, I suppose it is easier to load up your car magazine each time you want different music or try and keep track of a bunch of single disks in your car ---- NOT!

Not a big sony fan, whether they invented the idea of piggypacking changers or not.
Click to expand...
They invented piggybacking, car and home changers themselves, digital protocol communication, and of course the most important - the CD transport itself. If it weren't for Sony (and Phillips) we would still be listening to cassette tapes or 8-tracks.
 
Don't remember where I saw it but I'm sure I've seen a 6 or 12 CD changer installed in the glove box of a T/R. Has anyone else seen it? Sure would do the job of not having to go to the trunk to load CDs!
 
Ive seen it, but you have to make sure the changer is small enough, our GN consoles arent the biggest out there :)
My clairon wouldent fit inside of it when i had it.
 
GNANDTTA

Didnt mean to pick a fight. I know who invented the cd technology and who invented the changer. I still have the first sony cd changer released for the home market.

I guess a magazine based changer is alright for some people, but personally I never know what Im going to want to listen to, so it is easier for me to carry a wallet of 12 or so cds. I wont even use a changer in my home system, cant say ive ever seen one of truely impressive build quality.

Besides the point, it does not matter who invented what, but who took the technology to the next level of improvement.

Evan

BTW, I dont have a changer anymore, too big of a hassel for me. I dont do many long drives!
 
Build quality went down when they started to drop prices so that more people would buy CDs. Early generation players had all the good stuff. Then, they starting using cheapo stuff to bring the costs down.
General public doesnt care about read time, oversampling, or bits, or DA converters. They want a 24.95 cd player :rolleyes:

I still have the first player I bought, which was a Technics 5 disc tray changer back from 93 or so. Paid almost $370 for it, which would be insane now. But, with 64x oversampling, and a top notch transport and laser, this thing is awesome. I wish they still built em like this. I use the player in my recording studio for reference material. The analog out sound is better than anything newer with digital outs. The laser is so good, it will read about any disc, no matter how scratched.

Good build quality does exist, you just have to know where to look for it. Newer stuff, I would look to McIntosh Labs, ( nearly in my backyard..). You dont get any better than that stuff. I have one of their amps. You get what you pay for.;)
 
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