# Sony XPlod Trunk CD Changer/FM Modulator Question



## Birdman (Jan 8, 2002)

I was at BestBuy over the weekend and I saw they have a Sony XPlod 10 disc trunk mounted CD changer which plays MP3s and is compatible with all manuf. head units as it plays through an FM modulator which is included as part of the package and hard wired into your existing head unit. The whole package is only about CDN$279.

Anyone have any comments on this type of system?
TIA (thanx in advance)


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## mbr129 (Aug 23, 2002)

Birdman said:


> *I was at BestBuy over the weekend and I saw they have a Sony XPlod 10 disc trunk mounted CD changer which plays MP3s and is compatible with all manuf. head units as it plays through an FM modulator which is included as part of the package and hard wired into your existing head unit. The whole package is only about CDN$279.
> 
> Anyone have any comments on this type of system?
> TIA (thanx in advance) *


I have seen that product for some time now. I assume there will be an obvious sound quality loss, since it would no longe rbe digitial. Couple that with the fact that MP3's are not as good as Cd's and my guess i sthat in the end, the sound difference will be even greater between CD's and MP3's. That said, given the simplicity of the package and the low cost, I am still considering it.

Tough to get something that cheap that can add so much more music without messing with the car at all.

I am still debating.


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## Birdman (Jan 8, 2002)

I agree that if I was any type of audiphile (sp?), it would not be an option. Having said that, I routinely listen to WMAs that I encode at relatively low bit rates and the sound quality, for me at least, is fine. I don't pretend it is amazing, but I have no problems listening to it. MP3s encoded at a higher bit rate are even better than the WMAs to which I have become accustomed.

I am more concerned though, about the sound quality through the FM modulator. I have been told that the sound quality will be equal to a strong signalled FM station. If that is true, and I won't have to worry about signal fading and constantly adjusting fine tuning to maintain the signal, than I will be happy.

Just by way of comparison, there is an Alpine trunk mounted 6 disc CD changer which also plays MP3 encoded discs. To make it compatible with the BMW head unit, you need a Soundgate Adapter, and one other minor part. All in, it will cost me about CDN$750. The other solution, is just a hard wired FM modulator into which I can then plug an MP3 player, CD player, etc. That will cost me about CDN$150 installed. 

This way, for $279 plus about $50 for installation, I get a 10 disc changer that plays MP3s. If the sound quality is as good as an FM station, that my cinch the deal for me.


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## mbr129 (Aug 23, 2002)

Birdman said:


> *I agree that if I was any type of audiphile (sp?), it would not be an option. Having said that, I routinely listen to WMAs that I encode at relatively low bit rates and the sound quality, for me at least, is fine. I don't pretend it is amazing, but I have no problems listening to it. MP3s encoded at a higher bit rate are even better than the WMAs to which I have become accustomed.
> 
> I am more concerned though, about the sound quality through the FM modulator. I have been told that the sound quality will be equal to a strong signalled FM station. If that is true, and I won't have to worry about signal fading and constantly adjusting fine tuning to maintain the signal, than I will be happy.
> 
> ...


I agree with you. That is why I think I will suck up the poorer sound quality for the ease and flexibility of the set up. Not messing with the car is also a BIG bonus.


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## Birdman (Jan 8, 2002)

If I was willing to change the stock head unit, the options increase considerably but I do not want to mess with the existing head unit because (i) I think aftermarket units generally don't look that good in the dash; (ii) you lose steering wheel controls; (iii) the car is more likely to be vandalized.

This Sony unit comes with a wired control, which I believe will fit either in the ash-tray or in the covered storage panel about the ash tray (so I can close the cover when not in use) and it also comes with a wireless control. 

When using the single in dash CD and the radio, the steering wheel controls will still be active and they will also work for the volume when playing CDs through the FM station. The more I think about it, the more I think it is a neat solution.


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## SpaceMonkey (Mar 13, 2002)

Personally, I'd avoid FM modulation if at all possible. I got a Blitzsafe adapter for my Pioneer XM unit. The adapter will also let me hook up that Alpine 6 disc CD/MP3 player mentioned. But now with XM I don't really feel I need it.

And using the adapter is actually less obtrusive. I didn't have to tap into any power wires, whereas I would have if I had went with FM modulation.


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## CWolfey (Apr 1, 2003)

Alpine MP3 Changer all the way..

Factory controls and location.

Definitely worth it.


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## alee (Dec 19, 2001)

CWolfey said:


> *Alpine MP3 Changer all the way..
> 
> Factory controls and location.
> 
> Definitely worth it. *


Absolutely... I recently installed it in my friend's 2003 X5.

Don't mess around with FM modulators... you're asking for trouble. The Alpine MP3 changer is quite good if you want to listen to MP3s with as much quality as you'll get out of the format.


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## wildpanda86 (Feb 18, 2003)

if you want to listen to MP3's in the car, you can do an iPod hooked up to a blitzafe aux adapter that changes your CD changer input into an aux input. I did that and it sounds amazing 

another option would be something like the Phatbox. It is basically a hardrive based MP3 player that tricks your stereo into thinking it is just another CD changer. And it gives you voice promps as you navigate the different menus and albums with the factory stereo.


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## mbr129 (Aug 23, 2002)

alee said:


> *Absolutely... I recently installed it in my friend's 2003 X5.
> 
> Don't mess around with FM modulators... you're asking for trouble. The Alpine MP3 changer is quite good if you want to listen to MP3s with as much quality as you'll get out of the format. *


What's the model and price? And how many CD's can you fit 6/10?


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## Birdman (Jan 8, 2002)

Thanx for all the input. I have looked into the phatbox but at least here in Canada, it is quite expensive.

The parts you need for the Alpine MP3 disc changer (6 discs, trunk mounted) are as follows:

Alpine 6 disc changer CHA-S634 apx. US$230
Alpine Ai-Net to M-Bus Adapter KCA-130B US$10
Soundgate Adapter ABMW35V5 US$100

Here in Canada, the whole package with installation (although I will need to buy the Soundgate Adapter on-line in the US) will cost me about CDN$700 as compared to about CDN$350 for the Sony 10 disc FM modulator system.

Why are people so against the FM Modulator? I agree that the wireless ones are a piece of crap but I would have thought that the hard wired ones hold the signal as well as an FM station. No?


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## Birdman (Jan 8, 2002)

I was looking at a couple of websites and the 2 main adapters seem to be either 'blitzsafe' or 'soundgate'.

The soundgate adapter that works with the 6 disc Alpine unit is $99 but I noticed that blitzsafe has an adapter for the Alpine unit that also provides a Aux. input for $129. For an extra $30 not only do you get the adapter that allows you to use the 6 disc Alpine unit, you also get an Aux. input for other uses. (Of course, if you have a 6 disc trunk mounted MP3 player, do you really need an Aux. input in the car for an MP3 player?) But for an extra $30, it may be worth it.

Anyone have any comment on the blitzsafe vs. soundgate?


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## wildpanda86 (Feb 18, 2003)

FM modulators still sound like a radio. We have an fm modulator in our Honda Pilot for the DVD player... and it looses some of the highs and muddies up the bass. and with the stereo pumped to max...it isnt even loud enough. I might change the CD changer input on the Pilot into aux with a blitzsafe or soundgate adapter.

BTW: isnt it hard to navigate through all the songs with the Alpine? 6 discs times 700mb each is 4.2gb worth of songs that cannot be navigated by song title, album, or artist. For example, lets say that i want to listen to a specific song from Metallica... lets say its the new one... so i hit disc change until i get to the disc that i think its in... now i have to keep forwarding and forwarding until i get to the song... when most likely i wont even find the song in the disc with all my other metallica songs cause i just burned this particular song last week and is in a different disc... so now i have to repeat the whole process and by the time i find the song i lose my mood for metallica and want to listen to some ghetto rap. I dont remember a graphical interface for the ALpine & i dont think it gives voice prompts either. Sorry if i am wrong about this but that is my understanding of how the Alpine will work ina factory stereo that does not have disc text.

Another option could be something that turns the cd changer into a aux input that the sony can just plug right into. Are you just limited to using an FM modulator with the Sony? Doesn't the Sony also have an aux out? At least the Sony can tell you the different menus via its control unit.

On the other hand... you can pick up a 10 gig iPod for $299, blitzsafe adapter, and wires for much cheaper than either the Alpine or Phatbox unit. It gives a way to interface with the different menus, you can hook it up at home stereo, use it to work out or at a coffee shop reading, it is compatible with the new AAC audio format which is supposed to be super high fidelity while taking up as much room as an MP3, and it's new orange ligths matches well with the interior of the BMW.


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## alee (Dec 19, 2001)

Track navigation is a pain on the Alpine, and you really need to burn your CDs using indexed folder names like 001, 002, 003, etc. to retain order. In that regard, it's a lot of trouble (and the reason I didn't do it on my car).

If you Blitzsafe an IPOD, I assume you still have to navigate tracks using the buttons on the IPOD, correct?


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## Birdman (Jan 8, 2002)

Navigating titles and tracks on the Alpine (while using the existing BMW head unit which I suspect will not show track names) is definitely something I am concerned about. It is one of the reasons I was thinking of the Sony xPlod unit because it comes with a separate control panel which can be "hidden" in the ash tray, for example. This control panel supports text titles.


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## Birdman (Jan 8, 2002)

Is there a real material difference between "blitzsafing" an ipod or installing a hard wired FM modulator and listening to the ipod that way?


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## alee (Dec 19, 2001)

Birdman said:


> *Is there a real material difference between "blitzsafing" an ipod or installing a hard wired FM modulator and listening to the ipod that way? *


Yes, I can definitely tell a huge sonic difference between an FM modulated IPOD and a SoundGated/Blitzsafed IPOD. HUGE HUGE difference.

FM modulating anything gets the thumbs down easily.


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## Birdman (Jan 8, 2002)

If you use the blitzsafe or soundgate Aux. in adapter, my understanding is that it connects to the trunk mounted cabling already in place. But you then have to have the ipod (or other MP3 unit) sitting with you in the front seat. Is it just simply a matter of running a cable from the trunk through the car into the front of the car somehow?


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## wildpanda86 (Feb 18, 2003)

You just run the cable from the trunk to the front seats. The cable is hidden away underneath the panels & i have it coming out of the center near the cupholders. 

What you will need is either a blitzsafe or soundgate adapter, aux cable extenders, and a wire to connect into the headphone jack of the iPod... you can go cheap on the wire or pay a little more and get a cool moster cable wire which is what i have.

Right now i just have the iPod sitting in the cupholder... but i am waiting for a part i ordered that will hold the iPod on the dash... but i may cancel that cause its not too bad in the cupholder.

yes... you use the iPod buttons to navigate... and you have to set the volume and equalizer to a setting that sounds best with the car... but then if people have been able to run certain palm based applications on the iPod, i am sure the iPod can be hacked to make a daytime and nightime car setting that can be accessed at a push of a button (kinda like preset preferences).

Also... the fact that the iPod uses a wired remote means that the headphone jack can be controlled... eventually someone can make an adapter that will allow control via the car stereo buttons. And with more and more people using iPods in the car i can see the demand for these cause Blitzsafe or Soundgate to make something... kinda like an adapter for the ALpine units...


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## Birdman (Jan 8, 2002)

Is it a DIY?
Is there a difference between the Blitzsafe and the Soundgate?


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