Car Audio Question
 

I know this isn't the audio section of the forum but I'm skeered of asking newbie questions of a group that thinks jumper cables sized wire barely cuts it as speaker wire.

Here's the question:
I want to replace the non-working aftermarket radio in my wagon. Preferably, I'd put in something that would accept CDs, USB flash drive and SD cards so that I can burn MP3s of all my home music and take it on the road.

I DON'T need/want/care for a display that plays movies (jeez) or a front panel that is silver (needs to nore or less match 80's era styling of the W123). I don't believe that I need onezillion RMS watts into a subwoofer either.

I've searched intermittently, not coming up with much that had features I wanted until a friend showed this unit to me: H&B CA-5555i

http://us.st11.yimg.com/store1.yimg...._1886_91469831

I'm no audiophile and would appreciate some advice here. Is this a decent unit for a deaf old guy? I've never heard of H&A-are they any good? Tell me what you think.

Thanx!

My $.02
 

It seems to me that if you have a head unit that reads MP3's off of CD-R, the ability to use USB flash drives and SD cards is superflous.

I used to keep 6 CD-R's full of MP3's in the glove box. Each CD held ~120 songs, at 4 minutes per song that is almost 500 minutes of music. Get tired of one cd, just throw in another.

Then I got an iPod and connected it to the Aux-In. No need to keep up with the MP3 CD's. Life was great.

Then I got satellite radio, and started leaving the iPod and CDs at home.

I guess my point is that for $150, you can buy a name brand radio with more features from a reputable dealer. Or you could buy a similar radio from a local discounter for about $60. I would not buy the unit you linked to for the reason listed in this paragrap, plus the fact they play buzzword-bingo. "Optimized for iPod" - what does that mean anyway?

All valid points. Thanks for the moment of clarity!

shlomos stereo is completly from wal mart. 4 new speakers, a home brewed subwoofer, amplifier and new cd player.

it sounds ok, cost around 350 and has a knob in the right place. but the lights are amber(that match the gear selector and climate knobs) or green, but this one of yours is white, thats nice!

150 will buy you a radio anywhere and you can carry it home yourself and ask some questions if you need to. i highly recommend you swap speaker wires and all that. with the old style wiring(and the age of the wires themselves) theyre not so hot.

good luck with the radio-- go to best buy and circuit city, theyll have cd decks for a bill, you might get lucky and find a retired model as well.

you could also go to a pawn store, that'd be cheapest:)

Keep your existing radio and hang an iPod with PodCaster, or any MP-3 Player combined with a Belkin TuneCaster from your mirror. This will transmit all your tunes to your radio via wireless FM Band. It even works with a classic Becker Europa mono with single in-dash speaker if you're so inclined.

Keep in mind that although the iPod or similar portable MP3 (like the Creative Labs Muvo) is the handiest portable audio gadget ever invented, MP3 isn't exactly high fidelity, so you don't need great sound downstream. An FM caster arrangement does the job nicely.

I just installed this sony head unit....http://www.crutchfield.com/S-izcNx73YWkT/cgi-bin/ProdView.asp?g=300&I=158GT200..

it sounds amazing compared to the becker and I really dig the fact there is an aux input plug on the face...

I picked mine up for $100 at a local electronics store and installed it myself, about 1 hour of work all together.

Good Luck!