How To Play CD’s In Newer Cars

Discussion in 'Audio Hardware' started by Grassy Sound, Jul 12, 2020.

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  1. Grassy Sound

    Grassy Sound Hopeful yet discontent. Thread Starter

    Location:
    Wildwood, NJ
    I’m about to purchase a new car, and it seems very few, if any, new cars have CD players. As someone with well over 3,000 discs, simply ripping them isn’t an option. I can’t possibly be the only one in such a predicament, so I’m wondering how others handle this scenario. Thanks!
     
  2. formbypc

    formbypc Forum Resident

    1. Do you take your original CDs in the car? I've never done this, I've always taken copies and used them in the car. Don't want to lose my CDs, even if the car goes.

    2. Why isn't ripping an option? Start at A, then B, C, do a few each day, and before you know where you are, they will be done.

    In stages, I've gone from
    Copy CDs when I had the CD player in the car, to
    mp3 discs (CD-style), when I got the CD player that did mp3 as well
    mp3 and FLAC on USB sticks, when I got the player with USB connectivity
    mp3 on SD cards, when I got the player with SD Card connectivity
     
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  3. Bradd

    Bradd Now’s The Time

    Location:
    Chester, NJ
    Last edited: Jul 12, 2020
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  4. Stone Turntable

    Stone Turntable Independent Head

    Location:
    New Mexico USA
  5. WvL

    WvL Improve the lives of other people

    Location:
    Birmingham al
    Portable cd player. Headphone output into an audio input (if it has one) ??
     
  6. formbypc

    formbypc Forum Resident

    Another option is to remove the in-car player, if it is of standard size, and replace with an older standard-size CD player, but this is becoming more difficult as players get integrated into centre consoles, and have unique shapes, and as the functionality of the audio system is integrated into car systems, linking with phone functionality to mute the audio if a phone is connected, etc.

    Trust me, after a few weeks of having multiple CDs available on a USB or SD card, which you can leave in the car, and pick up listening where you left off, where you can shuffle over your whole collection, where there's no danger of damaging or losing your CDs .... you won't want to go back
     
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  7. BayouTiger

    BayouTiger Forum Resident

    Why does one assume they have to rip everything in their library for every use possible? Anyone that has 3000 CD's and thinks they would ever play half of them in the car is kidding themselves. I use to load up nearly everything on the iPod and connect to the car, but finally came to my senses and started limiting it to a couple hundred albums and am much happier. Navigating through a thousand titles in a car is a serious PITA and unnecessary. Lots of music is just not for the car.
     
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  8. MrRom92

    MrRom92 Forum Supermodel

    Location:
    Long Island, NY
    I don’t understand why ripping CDs isn’t an option. Plenty of people have ripped many more discs than that, and everyone has to start somewhere. Maybe just buy an older car if the modern standards really aren’t working for you
     
    Mazzy likes this.
  9. Oatsdad

    Oatsdad Oat, Biscuits, Abbie & Mitzi: Best Dogs Ever

    Location:
    Alexandria VA
    For decades, I replaced my head units with aftermarket cassette players, and for about 17 years, I paired those with a CD changer in the trunk.

    When I got my 2010 Civic, I decided not to tinker with the built-in CD player. I still used cassettes to listen to DVD audio commentaries, but I just went with a Walkman for those - I simply didn't feel like going to the expense and trouble of a replacement head unit solely for those commentary cassettes.

    Still, I considered a replacement, which wasn't the case in 2015 when I got a new Civic. It came with a built-in video screen, and there was no way in hell I was gonna mess with it!

    The 2015 Civic still has a CD player, and I'll miss that when I get a new car in 2-3 years - but not enough to tamper with the built-in screen. Just seems like it's asking for trouble to mess with those!
     
  10. youraveragevinylcollector

    youraveragevinylcollector Forum Resident

    Location:
    Hartwell, GA
    I just use iTunes. Does the tagging and album art for you. I export to 320kbps AAC, but you can use a lot of different codecs. Some discs can be ripped at up to 18x speed depending on your CD drive. Others, a third of that. I've done 50 in one day. It took forever but I did it. I've only got around 300 discs but it's possible to get it done in a couple weeks. With modern day cars and CD players, it can be a big hassle to take CDs around, as there's no dedicated space for the cases to go anymore.
     
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  11. Oatsdad

    Oatsdad Oat, Biscuits, Abbie & Mitzi: Best Dogs Ever

    Location:
    Alexandria VA
    I assume the OP just wants to be able to grab a CD on impulse and not have to worry about whether it's on his phone or wherever.

    I feel the same. My phone doesn't have the storage space for all my CDs, even if I wanted to bother to rip all of them.

    It's nice to decide on the spur of the moment that you want to play a CD and not have to plan ahead! :)

    Also, if I buy something while out of town, I can play it immediately!
     
  12. Martin Takamine

    Martin Takamine Forum Resident

    Location:
    East Coast
    Buy your vehicle with a CDP if you can if not then replace the head unit. A quick Google search indicates you have at least a half dozen auto audio businesses in your location. If you DIY then start at Crutchfield, easy as year, make, model.
     
  13. wrappedinsky

    wrappedinsky Forum Resident

    Location:
    SE USA
    The '20 Acura TLX still comes standard with a built-in CD player, as do all Acura vehicles. This is what I drive, and I absolutely love it.
     
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  14. BayouTiger

    BayouTiger Forum Resident

    One major issue is that the new "infotainment" systems are so tightly integrated with the Canbus controllers that changing them is generally a nightmare. I decided to swap the system in my 2009 Challenger and it has been such a nightmare that I would never do it again. I've used the available adapters, Cleansweeps and other deivces that are supposed to do the translations and it's never been right. Another added bonus is that any time the car sits for a couple months (it's a weekend toy car, not a daily) I get to fight with battery issues as the Pioneer head end and JL amps are never quite sure when to wake and the not to.

    It's just not as simple as the old days.
     
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  15. DigMyGroove

    DigMyGroove Forum Resident

    I’ve used portable Discman players in the past, but it’s a PIA, and not very safe for changing discs while driving, plus all the wires everywhere. While I do have CD quality rips on my phone, at this point I’ve gotten over it and will stream from my phone using Quobuz. I’ve had Spotify for a while and found the sound quality adequate enough for the car environment, but just got Quobuz, and am wowed by the improvement in the car and especially at home. Although I would still like to rip my whole collection, at 4,000+, that’s not happening anytime soon, much easier to just stream. But I do miss the simplicity of an in dash CD player.
     
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  16. Oatsdad

    Oatsdad Oat, Biscuits, Abbie & Mitzi: Best Dogs Ever

    Location:
    Alexandria VA
    Agree 100%! My 1st car was a 1978 Chevette. It was simple enough that I was able to replace the head unit and add speakers even though I was 17 and didn't know squat about cars.

    Now I wouldn't even vaguely consider "DIY" anything on my car! Even the experts have some trouble with these things, as I learned when Crutchfield effed up my car's clock in 2016! :mad:
     
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  17. BayouTiger

    BayouTiger Forum Resident

    I wouldn't got that far, on the Challenger, nearly everything that can be upgraded has been and it all works fine except the stereo! But then I've spent tens of thousands to make it go very fast, but it's frustrating that something that should be as easy as the stereo can't be great!
     
    Last edited: Jul 12, 2020
  18. Oatsdad

    Oatsdad Oat, Biscuits, Abbie & Mitzi: Best Dogs Ever

    Location:
    Alexandria VA
    One other complication in terms of upgrades: there just aren't as many car stereo places as there were 15-20 years ago.

    Some of that's because stock systems got a lot better over the years. 25 years ago, you pretty much had to totally revamp the stock system to get good sound, but now even cheaper cars come with respectable speakers and whatnot.

    Also, society simply seems less concerned with audio quality as a whole. People don't invest in quality stereos like they used to, either.

    The decline of the car stereo industry means fewer options for installation - and those that still exist are inconsistent.

    I've trusted Crutchfield too many times! :sigh:
     
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  19. Grassy Sound, what is it you want to do concerning CD's and your cars audio system?
    What is it you don't want to do concerning CD's and your cars audio system?
    I could assume many variants, but hearing what you want, and are trying to accomplish, may narrow the possibilities to a useful focus.
     
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  20. Clonesteak

    Clonesteak Forum Resident

    Location:
    Kalamazoo, MI
    I just rip my CD's to my computer and then sync onto my phone. It is just how it is and just easier to have all my digital music with me at all times. For home listening it is 75% vinyl and 25% split between CD and sync from my phone.
     
  21. Grassy Sound

    Grassy Sound Hopeful yet discontent. Thread Starter

    Location:
    Wildwood, NJ
    A good question, and one I’m glad you asked. I’m a collector of live recordings, and like to sometimes grab a handful on-the-fly for a car ride. I have so many, and because my interest in an artist I collect peaks and wanes, it’s difficult and impractical to always put them on a USB and the like. A previous post linked an Amazon page for a portable CD player that will connect to current car ports. That’s the most ideal scenario for me.

    Addendum: by way of example, I’m currently in a Led Zeppelin mood. I probably have over 20 of their shows (including side projects, Page/Plant, etc). Next week, it might be Rush, which I probably have 50 shows of. While I certainly won’t listen to them all, it’s nice to have the option to pick a few out to accompany a ride.
     
    Last edited: Jul 12, 2020
  22. Grassy Sound

    Grassy Sound Hopeful yet discontent. Thread Starter

    Location:
    Wildwood, NJ
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  23. Stereosound

    Stereosound Forum Resident

    Location:
    USA
    Either buy an older car that has one or rip the CDs. In the future no new car will have a CD player and eventually as the older cars go to the crusher neither will they. If you really want to limit yourself to a new car with a CD player check out the other thread an earlier poster posted as there were some cars with CD players mentioned there.
     
  24. csgreene

    csgreene Forum Resident

    Location:
    Idaho, USA
    I've owned my current vehicle, a 2002 Lexus LX470 for nearly 11 years. It has the Mark Levinson audio system integrated in the consoles with a CD changer in the arm console and a cassette deck in the main console. In all the years I've owned it, I've never once played a CD or cassette (although I have plenty of both). The vehicle is of an age where it doesn't have any inputs (USB, Mini) so all I've done, with somewhat mixed results, is streamed through one of those FM transmitters that plugs into the 12V accessory port. Mostly, I listen to the radio when I'm driving that rig. My Ford based camping van has a replaced audio system with the usual inputs and when I switched it out from factory, which had a CD player, I bought a unit without one. Early on, I used an iPod to stream from which had 4 gigs of my favorite CDs for travel, but now, it's just from my phone. I have a fair bit of downloaded content on it for when I don't have a cell signal (which can happen in remote parts of our western states).

    Bottom line, if CDs are important to play in your car, get an aftermarket unit but I think streaming is a safer alternative.
     
  25. fndrblndr

    fndrblndr Forum Resident

    Location:
    Seattle
    Only time I miss an in-car CD player - I have a 2017 RAV4 - is when I pick up a stack of CDs from a thrift store.
     
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