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| Author |
Message |
| 17 new of 53 responses total. |
mcnally
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response 37 of 53:
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Mar 31 20:29 UTC 2000 |
Still, why not get a head-unit that can play both cassettes and CDs,
assuming that one will fit in your dash? Car CD players are not very
expensive these days (compared to what they were) and an integrated
unit is likely to be a better option than a cassette-only player with
a line in..
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krj
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response 38 of 53:
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Mar 31 22:52 UTC 2000 |
Head units capable of playing both CDs and cassettes seem to be
(1) fairly rare; (2) large, generally requiring a double-DIN opening;
(3) expensive, around $400. At least that's what I'm finding
in my cruising around the web.
If you have any specific model suggestions for me to
look at, let me know.
As long as I've got you here, Mike: who made the portable stereo
you had in the dining room in your old home?
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mcnally
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response 39 of 53:
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Apr 3 18:07 UTC 2000 |
The wacky 5 CD changer? That was a Sharp..
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krj
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response 40 of 53:
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Apr 3 21:29 UTC 2000 |
Oh dear, what was wacky about it?
www.sony.com tells me I was underestimating the cost of a car stereo
head unit capable of playing both CDs and cassettes. Sony says their
unit has a list price of $650.
Does anyone have any experience with Custom Sound in Ann Arbor?
In party, scg was telling me that's where he got a Sony unit installed.
But I peeked in their briefly Saturday, and it didn't look like they
had any mid-range equipment at all, just high end stuff, with
prices on head units ranging from $400-$850. Unfortunately I was
on a tight schedule and could not stick around to chat with the sales
people.
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mcnally
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response 41 of 53:
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Apr 4 18:09 UTC 2000 |
Oh, the only really wacky thing about it was the disk changer mechanism.
Instead of working on a carousel system like most of the systems I've seen,
it had a set of five sliding trays which were positioned sort of like this:
\_______/
\_______/ ^ \_______/
\_______/ | \_______/
laser
where the appropriate tray would shift up and into position and the others
to the right or left of it would be displaced down and to the side.. It was
just a sort of odd changer mechanism, and not as reliable in the long run as
a carousel (or so I think.. anyway mine started having to re-seek frequently
when switching trays after only 1 1/2 - 2 years of use..)
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krj
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response 42 of 53:
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Apr 5 01:59 UTC 2000 |
Thanks for the info.
Back in car-stereo-land, I did some shopping around the Lansing area
today and was mostly very discouraged. Skory Auto Sound says they should
get some mid-price Sony units in eventually, but right now there is a
nationwide shortage of Sony units because the manufacturer encouraged everyone
to clear out the 1999 models and then delayed the 2000 models.
Electronic Outlet says that the only cassette units which are selling
are the cheap $100 ones; they are willing to special order me a mid-price
Pioneer unit, but they don't keep such items in stock.
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lumen
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response 43 of 53:
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Apr 5 23:50 UTC 2000 |
Hrm.. ever checked with the Crutchfield catalog (I think they have an
on-line site)?
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goose
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response 44 of 53:
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Apr 6 00:22 UTC 2000 |
Or J&R...
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cmcgee
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response 45 of 53:
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Dec 5 21:47 UTC 2000 |
Ok, back to stereos and such.
I'm trying to put together a mid- to low- end system for playing music in my
apartment. I have a Bose radio, without the CD player, and an old Hitachi
turntable with a Bang and Olafson needle-thing.
The radio doesn't have much of an antenna, so I don't get much choice of
music. I'd like to fix that.
I have very few audio tapes, and a fair number of CDs. I can't hear either
of these at this point. I'd like to fix that too.
Suggestions? What about Kiwanis? Other re-use options? I really don't have
very well trained ears, so high quality is a future variable when I can afford
to think about my friends ears. Or, if I can get old but high quality now,
I'll do it.
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krj
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response 46 of 53:
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Dec 5 22:16 UTC 2000 |
Do you like the sound of the Bose radio?
I'm guessing that it has input jacks for a cd player or tape player.
My suggestion would be to get one of the portable CD players from
Sony -- they start around $50-$60 at Best Buy -- and play it through
the Bose radio speakers, assuming that the interconnection is
possible.
Does the Bose radio have one or two screw mount points marked ANT for
Antenna? If so, attaching any old scrap of wire there should help
with radio reception. A proper FM dipole antenna from Radio Shack
can't cost more than $5-$7.
I'm not sure what the best way to go is regarding tape playing capability.
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n8nxf
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response 47 of 53:
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Dec 5 22:50 UTC 2000 |
I put a standard CD changer on my Model 88 (competes with the Bose radio)
You can attach a tape player to the same input and switch between the CD and
tape with a little selector switch. Even a record player could be added
provided you can find the little audio filter circuit that takes the emphasis
out of the audio recorded on the vinyl. Phono inputs on receivers and amps
of days gone by included this little filter. Some still may???
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cmcgee
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response 48 of 53:
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Dec 6 02:03 UTC 2000 |
Yes, it has a left and right Aux In set of holes. And it has a teeny-tiny
diameter hole that is labeled FM 75 Omega External. (The holes are really
jacks (or is it plugs?)).
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keesan
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response 49 of 53:
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Dec 6 04:52 UTC 2000 |
Kiwanis usually has those dipole antennas for about $1. Tape decks for $10
and up. We have some you can buy if they are out. Occasionally there are
CD decks for $40 or so. Omega is probably ohm - FM antenna of a different
type than the dipole one. You should also check if there is a way to plug
in an internal antenna. Stop by with the creature if you want Jim to look
at it, there might be some switch you have to set for the internal antenna,
or a wire to put on that sticks out of the receiver (with two ends). The
other type of FM antenna is 300 ohm (omega stands for Ohm) and is the type
you spread out on the wall.
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lumen
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response 50 of 53:
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Jan 24 02:10 UTC 2001 |
75 Ohm is just a single lead wire, 300 Ohm is usually a dipole antenna
usually made of (yep!) 300 Ohm twin-lead wire
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krj
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response 51 of 53:
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Jun 10 05:35 UTC 2001 |
I'm looking over a Crutchfield catalog at my parents' house and realizing
that cassettes are on the way out. In car stereo, Crutchfield offers
very few cassette units which aren't lowest low-end.
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orinoco
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response 52 of 53:
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Jun 11 00:31 UTC 2001 |
<nods> I was chatting about cars the other day, and there was an interesting
split between people in the conversation. About half still thought of tape
decks as luxury options in a car. The other half thought of tape decks as
an outdated idea, and a sign of a pretty cheap car. Apparently "real" cars
these days just have CD slots.
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scott
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response 53 of 53:
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Jun 11 01:31 UTC 2001 |
One of these days I really must replace my flaky tape deck. Maybe it's time
for CDs... would certainly be more convenient than tape, although I like have
a few trashable tapes in the car instead of CDs. Of course now that I have
a CD burner I could just burn CD-Rs for the car. I'm certainly sick of all
the tapes I've accumulated in all the little storage spaces within reach of
the driver.
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