[6y Jet]

Hey there,

Like the topic says, is it possible to modify the US Bose 6-CD changer to include a 1/4" audio input jack with one of the modes changed to auxillary? I want to do this so I can plug my portable MP3 player into the sound system.

Thanks in advance.
6y Jet

 

[diesel5599]

Reading Topic: Is there a way to modify existing Bose CD system...

I am assuming there is, since the Bose is designed to accept inputs from a tape deck as well. If you can get the pin-outs from Bose somehow, you can find which ones correspond to the inputs that are built in for the tape deck. I would do this instead of trying to run in-line with the CD changer. There may even be a seperate jack on the back of the HU that is left open for the tape deck.

Of course you still have to worry about amperage. If your MP3 player doesn't have an aux out jack, it will probably sound like crap, because it may overdrive the Bose. Plugging the headphone jack into the tape input on the Bose probably won't have desirable results, although you may get around it by turning the volume on the MP3 player REALLYY low. I've had to impedence match that way before, still didn't sound very good, but was better than nothing.

When will car makers start making factory CD player HU's able to read MP3 format? It will be sweet if they ever do. Course then they will just get sued by the RIAA like everyone else for some copyright infringement crap.

You are still better off than I am though since I didn't get the Bose.

 

[Xtrema]

Replying to Topic 'Is there a way to modify existing Bose CD system...'

QUOTE

Originally posted by diesel5599

When will car makers start making factory CD player HU's able to read MP3 format? It will be sweet if they ever do. Course then they will just get sued by the RIAA like everyone else for some copyright infringement crap.

You are still better off than I am though since I didn't get the Bose.[/b]

The 6 in Canada has MP3 option for factory HU. I guess RIAA does not have enough influence here yet.

 

[moocat]

Replying to Topic 'Is there a way to modify existing Bose CD system...'

QUOTE

Originally posted by diesel5599


When will car makers start making factory CD player HU's able to read MP3 format?  [/b]

The Protege MP3 comes to mind

 

[Xtrema]

Replying to Topic 'Is there a way to modify existing Bose CD system...'

QUOTE

Originally posted by moocat

The Protege MP3 comes to mind[/b]

But MP3 uses an aftermarket HU. That's why it was a limited production.

 

[Blackbird]

Reading Topic: Is there a way to modify existing Bose CD system...

I hardly think that they get suid for mounting mp3-players in the cars If they do that, woun't they have to sue for example Sony as well? One of the large comanys that makes mp3 players The point is that Sony is one of those large record companies that are aginst mp3's as well Talk about double moral!

Anyway that would be cool. But can't the casette deck have digital output just like the other units. After all, the MD-player is constructed to sit in the same slot, and that hing sure as hell aren't analog.

 

[diesel5599]

Reading Topic: Is there a way to modify existing Bose CD system...

Not sure what the output is from the cassette deck. There is a jack on the bottom of each unit that the unit below it presses directly into, would be really difficult to attach anything there. Mazda really ensured this was a one piece deal.

I took the faceplate off and inspected the underside of it while I was at it....there is a little black male jack that I'm assuming plugs directly into the device sitting below it. Kinda cool from the factory standpoint, but sucks from an aftermarket standpoint.

RIAA is suing everybody these days it seems, I'm downloading everything I can get before it all gets shut down and whatever I can't download I'm burning the h(*l outta

 

[6y Jet]

Replying to Topic 'Is there a way to modify existing Bose CD system...'

I wrote to Bose with my original question and this is the reply I got:

QUOTE

Thank you for your inquiry. You will need to use some type of adapter to
hook up the MP3 player, typically it would be done using FM modulation.

Thank you for choosing Bose Corporation.[/b]

Anyone ever use this method and is it worth the trouble?

 

[Brillo]

Reading Topic: Is there a way to modify existing Bose CD system...

FM modulation is pointless, whats the point of having a good clean digital signal when you sending it to your radio tuner through the air? I don't think much of Boseoutside of the littel wave radio thingy, now I have even less respect.

 

[Ruefus]

Replying to Topic 'Is there a way to modify existing Bose CD system...'

QUOTE

Originally posted by Brillo


            FM modulation is pointless, whats the point of having a good clean digital signal when you sending it to your radio tuner through the air? I don't think much of Boseoutside of the littel wave radio thingy, now I have even less respect.[/b]

Wow, harsh words for a successful company. That wave radio is WAY down on the list of their significant products and contributions, but no matter.

As for the FM modulator - Brillo's right. What's the point of having a nice clean signal when all you're going to do is compress it and listen to it on your radio.

On the other hand, it's probably the easiest thing to do. Plug the FM modulator in, tune the radio to the correct frequency and off you go.

Also, keep in mind that with any solution, you're not going to get a digital signal into the stereo. It's almost a foregone conclusion that the the stock stereo doesn't have a digital input, so you're looking at something like a line out from the MP3 player to a line in on the back of the stereo.

I may be talking out my a$$ on this next comment, but it's really the thought that counts. I would suspect that the optional cassette module has a line-level output to go into the radio. If you can figure out how to create a jumper into that, you'd be close to all set. BUT - I don't know if you can manually select the cassette deck input or if it plays automatically when a tape is inserted. Not being able to manually select the input could cause issues.

Good luck finding all THAT though. Talk to your local custom car-audio shop. They probably deal with this stuff all the time and may be able to provide or develop an answer with you.

 

[diesel5599]

Reading Topic: Is there a way to modify existing Bose CD system...

Actually I think the FM modulation is an interesting idea if you don't mind the loss of audio quality that comes with it...and simply want to play 180 songs from a single CD or MP3 chip, then it will certainly meet your needs. Personally my only goal would be to play that amount of songs off a single CD, so if I wanted to go that route I wouldn't mind the sound quality of an FM modulator.

I have the stock system, and as far as I can tell, there is no way to even select the tape deck unless it is actually plugged into the bottom of the stock HU. Pressing the tape/md button does nothing since I don't have either option. It probably doesn't even enable the inputs unless it senses via an I/O channel that the deck is attached.

 

[Rainchild]

Reading Topic: Is there a way to modify existing Bose CD system...

MP3 quality is hardly anything to boast about, the FM shouldn't have a problem passing the same quality signal along... I have burned heaps of audio CD's from .mp3s and since getting the bose with it's sweetass quality, I've been buying the real CDs so that I get to listen to it in all its greatness. MP3s are SOOOO tinny compared to audio CDs.

So what I want... a 10-stacker MP3 player to go under the seat and beam it to the stereo over FM...

 

[Entropism]

Reading Topic: Is there a way to modify existing Bose CD system...

Rain, that all depends on how you encode your MP3s. At 128, they're going to be a bit weak, but at 192K, you WON'T hear a difference. It's near impossible, even to sound engineers.

 

[diesel5599]

Reading Topic: Is there a way to modify existing Bose CD system...

Your MP3 conversion program is pretty important too. I forget the name of wav to MP3 converter I use, but it consistently produces high quality conversions. Nero Burning ROM has a built in one, but I've had some stray specks and static get into the song before.
With the right program you can usually even get 128 to sound good. I don't bother with 192 because the file size almost doubles. I'm all about SPL anyway, so the difference is not all that important to me..as long as the lows come through I am happy

I've got a RF 200.4 hooked to my factory speakers, and it sounds good enough for me. As long as I don't decide to switch to classical music anytime soon I won't be dissapointed.

 

[Blackbird]

Replying to Topic 'Is there a way to modify existing Bose CD system...'

QUOTE

Originally posted by diesel5599
I'm downloading everything I can get before it all gets shut down and whatever I can't download I'm burning the h(*l outta[/b]

Hahahah

They never win - remember that Whatever they do we'll beat them

 

[Rainchild]

Reading Topic: Is there a way to modify existing Bose CD system...

Most of my MP3's are at 192, and for stuff like NIN, it really does get a 'compressed' sound to it. Not pretty at all. That being said, I'd buy a 3.5" standard computer sound card line-in/line-out type jack that sits where the tape/minidisk would sit. Just mounted into that panel would be sweet as.

Loved that about my friends car, even though his stereo was crap, buy a pentium 200 laptop, throw in a 20 gig hard drive, and power it from the cig lighter... sweet system for playin' MP3s.

 

[chindo]

Replying to Topic 'Is there a way to modify existing Bose CD system...'

QUOTE

Originally posted by Blackbird


            QUOTE

Originally posted by diesel5599
I'm downloading everything I can get before it all gets shut down and whatever I can't download I'm burning the h(*l outta[/b]

Hahahah

They never win - remember that Whatever they do we'll beat them [/b][/quote]
That's right they can shut one down and another ten even better programs or sites will come out. So we got nothing to worry about.