Killer MP3 Deck on Ebay

[idontknowwhatimdoing]

So if I had the bread right now (buying a house = no bread) I would be ALL OVER THIS ONE.here is the link http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors...=WDVWOne of you genvibe guys outta look into this and let us know how the deck works...the concept is awesome.FYI

[ragingfish]

When people tell me about head unit brands that are reliable and a good value, I've never heard the name Denison come up. That doesn't mean the unit is bad. It just means it's certainly not as widely used, as say, Pioneer. That being said, the features are nice, but I gotta admit, the faceplate layout and appearance is more than enough to make me turn away.

[tecton]

i dont even like using mp3's in my carfor one damn thing thats too many songsa cd you can have 4-5 different llittle song packs you can switch to and from and when your done toss ityoull never turn me to liking mp3's over cd's in a car

[millster]

I think Dension is more of a specialty company. They make a lot of adaptors for MP3 players with other head units. I would be willing to bet they aren't actually the manufacturer of this unit they are probably just responsible for the design (not that it's a bad thing).Still, it looks impressive. I wouldn't mind having something like it in my car but I think I'll just continue with my plan to integrate my iPod.

[Jahntassa]

Empeg wasn't much of a brand, but their RioCar was the definitive in-dash MP3 player for quite some time... It does look like a pretty good unit, but i'd still rather find a Sony MDX-HD1 (I think that's it)

[idontknowwhatimdoing]

I can dig the comments...I personally have a Rio Empeg MKII and like the unit. It has 4 volt out and runs linux so you can create custom interfaces, and really cool tweaks like volume multiplication and time delays that are actually time delays.One thing I liked about the Dension is the cartridge which is a stand alone walkman style unit when not in the car...kinda cool I thought. And it has a tuner which was an option for the Empeg, but expensive and I don't have that module, so no traffic reports which stinks at times.As far as MP3 as a format goes...it is obvious that they are not in the same class as CD, but for me the format works. I dig having the mega library because I can put it on a global play, shuffle, and then I have a radio station without commercials where I chose the huge playlist.As far as the looks, I agree, it looks sort of cheap and the layout is really cluttered.Regarding the Sony unit...ask psychobroker what he thinks...it is a drag to have to burn to a disc and then load each one into the unit. The beauty of the Dension and the Rio is that they interface directly to your computer. Jahntassa (i think) has the car pc going (which IMHO is the ultimate solution to the mass storage units)My only intent was to share an option for anyone who was looking for an alternative to other decks.

[idontknowwhatimdoing]

Quote, originally posted by tecton »i dont even like using mp3's in my carfor one damn thing thats too many songsNo such thing...there is never enough tunz for me.Quote, originally posted by tecton »a cd you can have 4-5 different llittle song packs you can switch to and from and when your done toss itToss it sure. Into a CD folder where you gotta worry about scratching the disc every time it slides in and out, the discs get cooked from a hot car interior on a hot summer day, not to mention the organization of those discs. Then when you want to switch to another artist, you gotta remove your attention from the road while you switch CD's...which can be a trick sometimes. And when you run out of room in that folder you will slide a second disc on top of it...I know that's what I used to do. Or switch CD magazines and hope that you remember which disc is where...especially when there is something you are in the "mood" for. And no one switches their magazines in their changers as often as they would like to and then end up listening to the radio because they are bored with the same tunes in the magazine. I know because I did that and so does everyone else I have ever known. I can dig that you don't want to be converted, but consider the alternative...I have not had to carry a CD in my rig for over a year now...They sit stored away and are safe. You would have to haul over 500 CD's or you would have to carry over 50 MP3 encoded CD's to match the number songs at my finger tips...over 7000 right now and growing.

[binary]

I like the concept of an indash HD player - it would be like Kenwood's Keg, but more compact. I don't trust the brand though... I'd skip it. For the price - if it works - is a steal!As for music files / formats...There are pros and cons for each in my opinion....MP3s have a poorer sound quality, especially noticable with the monsoon system - the bass is muddy and highs are tweeky.XM is marginally better than MP3 because they use MPEG 4 encoding known as AAC (yes iTunes Music store also uses AAC with DRM) It's got a wider range and less loss of qualityCDs are top dog for audio quality (this doesn't include re-constituted MP3 files burned to audio... they still sound like sh**). But you only get 70 minutes per disc. If you have a 6 disc changer, you're set. If not - you're swapping discs.Given my choices - XM and Audio CDs are in my car. My iPod shuffle is on deck for mixes and what not on my drive home - but mandatory when at work, I work in a data center... sound quality is a moot point when the sound level in the room is 85-90db of servers and HVAC equipment. (MP3 encoding quality is also dependent on bit rate and the encoder - so as not to sound like a dumbass - I encode all my music in MP3 - only at 190kbps using a very good encoder. I'm currently testing iTunes' AAC encoder... I haven't had a chance to mix an audio CD with both file types yet.)