Hey,

I'm in the final steps to get my new RX-8, and I am a bit confused about cd-player options.

I definitely want to get a good MP3 player. The only listed option is a 6-cd changer. Does that unit read MP3s or do I need a different, dealer-provided option for that? I also read on various threads that the MP3 player Mazda provides is... well... barely above average. Are there good aftermarket MP3 players out there that fit well in the RX-8?

Thanks for clearing this up!

-Mat

 

Nada .. zip .. zilch

the 6 disc does not read MP3s

the MP3 player is only one disc

I hope this is an option that will improve with a later release from Mazda... Until then I'll just keep using my RCA Lyra for roadies.

 

Here's some pet peeves with the MP3 player:

* It would be nice to have a Random function that would span all nested directories. Currently the random function only works in individual directories.

* If you don't want to hear a song from the random list, you have to reach down to the center console and press random twice. It would be nice to have that control on the steering wheel.

* Auto scrolling the display would have been nice.

With all that said and given I have thousands of songs on MP3 discs, it's only a minor inconvenience. I've had my car since end of July and have only listened to the radio maybe 5% of the time. I dig having the MP3 player in the car!! It being only one disc is not a drawback for me, one MP3 disc still holds more songs than 6 regular CD's with a lot more variety; roughly 150 songs 128bit and 100 at 192kbs...

 

No autoscrolling? You mean that when it displays the song's title from the id3 tag, I need to push some buttons to see the title display completely?

Also, I know you have some controls on the steering wheel to skip tracks on regular CDs. What does those controls do when you have an MP3 disk in your unit?

Last question, I guess you did try it with CD-RW's, right?

 

It can always display the Mp3 name. Or if you have proper ID3v1 tags you can flip through Album, Artist and song Title. The center console only shows like 12 characters, you'll have to use the **** to see the rest (the maximum characters being something like 25-28). There is no auto scroll.

The steering wheel controls works fine, I did not make myself clear. When you are in RANDOM mode the up or down tracks on the steering columns will disable it (yes it takes you straight to the next song, but the random feature is turned-off). So I am finding that I often reach down the center column to activate random again.

I don't even bother with CD-RW, plain CD's are pennies per. What I have done when I get some new songs that don't fill an entire disk; I burn the CD in such a way that it allows me to add additional tracks later on. The MP3 player still reads those discs fine and at a later date I can add to it. To answer your question directly I haven't tried CD-RW but I don't see why those wouldn't work, the reading format would be the same but on your end you have the option to entirely erase and reburn.

 

Just got our RX8 with the basic CD player. I thik we'll definitiely be getting the MP3 Player in the (hopefully NEAR) future. Best I've seen so far is around $260 for the unit. Best I've seen for the 6-disc, by comparo, is around $410.

From the sound of things, the operational drawbacks are minimal. Plus, MP3 sctuff is new for us. We want to get more "into the MP3 thing" in general, and I figure putting a player into the car will be a fun, motivational tool to practice with.

Thanx for the info, Voodoo!

 

I see that Canzoomer is giving Trussville some stiff competition:

$215 for the MP3 Player
$369 for the 6-Disc

(http://www.canzoomer.com/Price%20List/PRICELIST.pdf)

 

Awesome! Thanx for the info. I hadn't realized Maurice had expanded his offerings to include this sorta stuff. Thanx!

 

Does the MP3-player also play regular music CD's ?
Or do I still need to put in a MP3-CD ?

 

Yes.
No.

 

THANKS !

very clear :-)

 

Anyon eknow what the mp3 "face panel" is? Zoomer's mp3 unit doesn't match the stock panel?

 

In the past the actual install directions were bundled with the "face panel" and not the MP3 Player. You don't need the face plate because the only difference between your current face plate and the new one is the letters "MP3" etched in the corner.

Reading the MP3 forum thread should give you sufficient information if you are planning to install yourself.

 

Put it that way....

you can't use burn CD-Rs in your single disc or a 6 stacker.... it only works with the MP3 player

My case is closed ... that is the sole reason I bought the MP3... now I have 600+ song in the car (with 4 discs in the front storage )

 

I think you'd better reopen it again. :p The regular single- and 6-disk players are quite happy with burned CD-R's, as long as they're audio disc (wav) format, not data or MP3 format.

Personally, I never take my original CD's in the car - it's just to hazardous an environment for them. I blow a copy to a CD-R or CD-RW and use that in the car, and the RX-8's standard single-disk drive played them quite happily.

 

eccles is right, so long as you burn the disc not as simple data but rather the CD-format the single or 6-disc tray is expecting.

 

Thanks for the info. Yes, I plan to install an mp3 player and have taken a look at the previous instructions. An mp3/xm ready model would be nice, too.