New Head Unit?

[Dreman]

Well, the original equipment head unit is starting to get a little cranky when giving CD's back. It doesn't always want to. Can it be fixed?



I'm now thinking about a new head unit, but I have a few things I'd like it to do in my perfect world.



One: Play Cd's

Two: Play Cassettes (yes we still have a few (hundred!))

Three: USB support back and front

Four: SD card support

Five: Fit in the Gen 1 Sport Trac with minimal mods.

Six: Only cost $25.00



Ok, maybe I'll have to bend a bit on the last one. I want to span all recent generations of media. Does anything out there support all that?

 

[TrainTrac]

You forgot: Play 8-track tapes!:lol:

 

[Dreman]

Nah, I finally wore out the last 8-track years ago!

 

[EddieS'04]

David, there is a place over on college by Hobby airport. I think the name is bay area radio and stereo repair. They are the place that all the dealerrs around houston deal with. From my understanding from a friend. they repair or exchange factory units of all makes.

 

[TomT]

I think it's going to be tough to find one with both USB and cassette. Your talking at least a couple decades difference between those formats. Time to turn those cassettes into MP3's.

 

[Mark Stadnicki]

Yup, cassette . The Pioneer I just put in has front SD and rear USB cord that is in the glove box. I have the Ipod hooked to it.

 

[Kevin Palmer]

To get the things you want, I would think it will be plenty expensive. Even if money wasn't an issue, getting the tape player with the other options may be a challenge within itself...

 

[Dreman]

Yeah, I know what you mean. I've been trying to put all those old cassettes to CD, but they usually have some kind of background noise. I'm not sure how to make the transfer the best way. Most of them are my wife's and not available in CD. I've been playing them on our house cassette player and picking up the signal from the headphone jack, then into the computer through the microphone jack, where I read the line input with Audiograbber. What can I do to make a better quality copy?



Ok, then how about the rest? If I have a rear USB port I can set up something to read SD cards with a remote card reader and a USB cable. At least I think I can. Any reason why not?

 

[Tom Schindler]

Yeah, I know what you mean. I've been trying to put all those old cassettes to CD

Is it possible to do a search on the net and download a digital copy of them?





Tom

 

[Dreman]

She has a lot of old Indiana Bible College and church group recordings that probably aren't easily available anywhere. When I do find them they want to sell me another cassette! Where do you find obscure old recordings?

 

[Jerry Abson 2]

Try a free program called Audacity. It has a ton of stuff to help clear up noise and what not.

 

[TRACket Paul]

Dreman, you could remove the OEM unit and lubricate the CD carriage mechanism.

 

[Nick Smith]

Check out this for converting your cassettes to MP3 format

 

[EddieS'04]

David, here is another converter.

 

[Nick Smith]

Think Geek actually has that Ion one for $20 less.

 

[Dreman]

Not bad, guys. I may have to get one of those. The internal cassette drive is out of stock, but the other one is available. And the money I save on a head unit without cassette will cover the cost of the tape drive. Thanks, y'all!:banana:

 

[Dreman]

Thinkgeek has all sorts of stuff like that. I may have to get the USB turntable too! My mother-in-law has a lot of old records, some even 78's, that she's wanted to put on CD. With this turntable she can do that!



And I just may have to get the old-style telephone handset that plugs into your cell phone! It comes with a coil cord and everything! Just think of the looks you'd get driving down the street talking on an old-style telephone handset! Or even better walking around!

 

[swshawaii]

Great Memories. E.G.- Four-Track, CD-4 and SQ Quad, Under Dash Pioneer KP-500 "Supertuner".

What is VERY real today and making a "comeback" of sorts is analog audio. Specifically vinyl LP's.

I recently acquired a turntable (phonograph, for all u I-Pod fanatics).

My records have been stored for more than 25 years in a reasonably stable environment.

Long short. JAW DROPPING SONICS.

Unbelievable bottom end "weight". Transparent midrange, and uncanny detail on the top end.

I STILL get "goosebumps" comparing the LP vs CD. Almost a "joke". ANALOG LP RULES, BIG TIME.

My message is to all the "brilliant" young minds of today's youth that don't remember this "format".

Hearing is believing. Your I-Pod and earbuds will NEVER sound "adequate" again.

BTW- You must "experience" this on a "good" system.

 

[Gary Hart]

Bass is always gonna be "warmer" on Analog compared to digital since the "graph" of the lazy bass frequency waves at each sampling rate point (44,000 times a second or more) will visually be quite blocky (Think connect-the-dots) in appearance when compared the the actual wave it was recording.



Highs on the other hand will tend to be reproduced as well or better on digital... Because there is hardly any "visual" difference between these two "graphs".