cheap MP3-CD in-dash players

My girlfriend's factory in-dash player recently bit the dust. Sadly, she doesn't seem to have the desire to blow big dollars on an empeg, but could well be talked into, at the least, getting one of the MP3-CD players. I see a new crop of them is now on the market, most notably the Jensen MP3510, which Crutchfield lists at $229. Anybody played with these newer machines? Are they worth paying nearly 2x the cost of otherwise generic single CD players (such as the Aiwa CDC-Z117, listed at $119.95 on Crutchfield)?

Crutchfield isn't known for cheap prices, searching could find cheaper prices on same players. Regular CD players generally won't play MP3 CD's hence the price difference.

#695 empeg-car Mk2/Green/Amber/Neon Red/Clear/Smoke-12Gig needs tuner,2.x, VR

"No buyers regret"

what's the comparison with a portable mp3 player (rio600 or something) and a head unit with an input jack?
That way she could have her music everywhere and get a CD player at a reasonable price.

Just throwing in ideas.

Murray 06000047
Just increasing my post count

Sears.com is showing an MP3 head unit made by Koss for $179 with free shipping i think. The item number is 05733071000. That is the cheapest I've seen.

-Rob
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12GB MK2 Blue 090000736 (6166 in the queue)

What companies are known for cheap prices?

Calvin

What companies are known for cheap prices?

Wasn't it Henry Royce who said something to the effect that "The bitterness of poor quality is remembered long after the sweetness of low price has been forgotten."

It seems incongruous that someone who willingly spent ~$1500 for a really good car stereo is now trying to save nickels and dimes on another one, with little regard for the quality and usability of the end product.

Bite the bullet -- spend the extra $30 or $50 or whatever it takes to get a good quality unit. In the long run you'll be glad that you did.

tanstaafl.

"There Ain't No Such Thing As A Free Lunch"

It seems incongruous that someone who willingly spent ~$1500 for a really good car stereo is now trying to save nickels and dimes on another one, with little regard for the quality and usability of the end product.

Ahh, *I* would spend the money in an instant, but this is my girlfriend we're talking about. As I said originally, there seems to be a roughly 2X cost difference between equivalent quality CD head units vs. MP3-CD head units (assuming Aiwa and Jensen have similar quality in their low-end products -- the specs all look comparable). My question was meant to be whether the next-generation MP3-CD head units are beginning to solve the problems that the first generation had (e.g., lack of ID3 support, lag time when skipping tracks, etc.). If not, then it seems sensible for her to save the money and get a perfectly good traditional CD head unit, which would make her perfectly happy.

My question was meant to be whether the next-generation MP3-CD head units are beginning to solve the problems that the first generation had (e.g., lack of ID3 support, lag time when skipping tracks, etc.).

I dunno, one of my co-workers just got a new Rockford Fosgate CD-MP3 player that handles those particular things pretty well.

If it weren't for the 650-meg limitation of the CD-R format, I'd have been impressed by it.

___________
Tony Fabris

I'm mostly curious as to which companies are known to have cheap prices comparatively. Off topic: I just purchased an Harman Kardon DVD50 (5 dvd, cd-rw, mp3, hdcd, progressive scan, ++) and have now far outclassed my existing home setup. I'm considering a a Harman Kardon AVR 7000 or 510.. and the price differences on the web is astounding. Crutchfield has the 7000 listed at $1500, and another place has it for ~$700. Quality not being an issue really.

:-/
Calvin

If it weren't for the 650-meg limitation of the CD-R format, I'd have been impressed by it

And all the other reasons! If he/she'd shown you that new pioneer unit you might have been impressed.

Murray 06000047
Just increasing my post count