Compact
Disc has now almost completely taken over from Cassette tape as
the way of playing music in the car. First introduced in the mid
eighties, the early models were prone to skipping whenever the vehicle
hit a bump in the road. But today's car CD players are extremely stable thanks to improved mechanisms
and memory chips that read ahead and store a few seconds of music data, then step in during
any mistracking of the disc. The smoother ride we get from today's
vehicles themselves also helps.
As well as being able to play normal pre-recorded CDs, the latest
car audio players will also handle CD-ROM discs 'burned' on a PC
at home, including playback of MP3 files.
The latest generation of in-dash CD players incorporate a radio
receiver and usually a whole bunch of extra features. Once you would
have had to settle for a bass and treble control - these days there
are digital sound processors built-in providing the kind of thing
you'd expect to find in a recording studio.
Simple tone controls are still provided but now you also get a
sophisticated equaliser, an active crossover, surround sound processor
and other digital tricks, depending on the complexity and price
of the unit.
Even in cases where the unit offers a lot of options to mould the
sound to the way you like it, there are usually a number of simple
preset soundscapes to choose from - it's then just a case of running
through them and choosing the sound you prefer. So the stuff going
on inside may be complex but it's still simple to use.
The Multi-Disc In-Car CD Auto-Changer
Also popular is the usually hidden multi-disc CD auto-changer.
These are designed to be mounted out of the way, often under a seat
or inside the glove-box, so that they are accessible but only to
swap cartridges.
Each cartridge holds usually six or ten discs. The auto-changer
is controlled from the unit in the dashboard (often referred to
as the "head unit"). This might be a cassette player,
single disc CD player, DVD player or just a controller and display
unit with no built-in playback mechanism. Additionally, many in-car
CD auto-changers can be operated from a handheld remote control.
Car owners with factory-installed audio systems are often tempted
to add a CD auto-changer for the convenience it offers but are deterred
by the cost of the vehicle manufacturer's option. In-car entertainment
specialists have access to a variety of interface cables and small
electronic devices that allow different brands and models of CD
auto-changer to work with factory-installed head-units. It could
save you a packet. Ask your nearest InCar Expert for advice on this.
Compact
Disc has now almost completely taken over from Cassette tape as
the way of playing music in the car. First introduced in the mid
eighties, the early models were prone to skipping whenever the vehicle
hit a bump in the road. But today's car CD players are extremely stable thanks to improved mechanisms
and memory chips that read ahead and store a few seconds of music data, then step in during
any mistracking of the disc. The smoother ride we get from today's
vehicles themselves also helps.