Date: Fri, 26 Feb 2010 15:51:25 -0800
Reply-To: Peter DiFalco <peter.difalco@GMAIL.COM>
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From: Peter DiFalco <peter.difalco@GMAIL.COM>
Subject: Re: Friday topic: MP3s in a vanagon?
In-Reply-To: <6bc66ccf1002261508nebceed4ra2fa4133c2fb9060@mail.gmail.com>
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*Hi Don,*
*I would like to put in a plug for an iPod. I find that Apple's iTunes is a
very simple way to organize music and to decide which playlists (ordered,
grouped songs) go onto the iPod and which don't, in the event that you
choose not to carry around the entire shebang at once. I further think that
Apple's attention to detail yeilds clean sound reproduction whether you're
using headphones or a docking solution (line out). *
In general: any MP3 player will usually play MP3s, which can vary in quality
from poor (96 kilobyte bitrate) to practically-as-good-as-CD (320 kilobyte
bitrate). They will also play WAV files which are exactly CD quality but
take up far more space, 4 - 10X as much space per minute, as an MP3. iPods
will also play Apple AAC files, which vary from near-CD quality (128
kilobyte bitrate) to instinguishable-from-CD quality (256 kilobyte, so
called "iTunes plus") quality.
You can use iTunes to "rip" (read: copy and convert) music from CD to either
MP3 or AAC format to any of the different quality levels. Personally I rip
CDs to 320k MP3 because it gives me the best sound quality and most flexible
usage abilities, as I am also a DJ / sound manipulator.
You can buy excellent quality MP3 or AAC files from Amazon or iTunes,
respectively. I personally consider it my right to create a digital backup
copy of a CD that I have purchased at no additional cost but IANAL so you
may feel differently. I also consider it my right to find and download a
digital MP3 copy of something I have previously purchased on cassette,
8-track or LP because hey - I've already paid the artist and label for the
right to play this music.
While I currently just connect the headphone output of my iPod directly to
the line-in port on my audio deck, this is not considered the "cleanest way"
because of problems involving matching impedance between headphone and line
levels. A car stereo which includes a dangling iPod dock would be better
because this ensures matching line-level impedance for cleanest sound
reproduction.
I understand some car audio decks now come with a USB port so you can simply
copy MP3 or WAV files directly to a USB stick drive and plug it into your
car stereo. This sounds like a very tempting solution which obviates the
need for a dedicated player, if you wouldn't otherwise use a personal music
playback device.
Obligatory Vanagon content: As soon as they're easily available from eBay I
intend to build a robust iPod dock into my dashboard ash tray. I believe
someone on Thesamba has done this. Will post pics if I get that off the
ground.
cheers,
Peter
89 Bluestar
iPod shuffle
iPhone
*
*
On Fri, Feb 26, 2010 at 3:08 PM, Don Hanson <dhanson928@gmail.com> wrote:
> OK, can someone bring me into century 2000 when it comes to music players
> suitable for various enviornments? I have a CD changer, a Mini-disc
> player,
> a good sound reproducing amplifier in both house and van but I know nothing
> of digital players like everyone seems to be using now. Do I just go get
> an
> MP3 player from Best Buy or Wal Mart and plug that into my current stuff?
> Do
> I have to buy an I-pod (whatever that is) and then re-purchase every song I
> like? How do I get music I have on other mediums to go into a computer file
> so I can send it around to all my various mechanical reproducers in Van and
> home?
> Can you buy software to convert recorded music to MP 3 playable format?
> Is there a good site anyone can suggest that would be worthwhile for me to
> learn this stuff from? Should I just go to Fry's electronics or Car toys
> and listen to a salesman's rap? Help, lost in the world of CDs and records
> and tapes...
> Don Hanson
>
