# AudioDopers: CD Changers in car stereos? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [July 23, 2005, 5:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/audiodopers-cd-changers-in-car-stereos/313818 "2005-07-23T17:34:33Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 8\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Raguleader](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/258eb7/32.png) [@Raguleader](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Raguleader)\ **Post date:** [July 23, 2005, 5:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/audiodopers-cd-changers-in-car-stereos/313818/1 "2005-07-23T17:34:33Z")
Howdy, I’m toying with the idea of buying a minidisc car stereo for my car, but I’d like to keep some CD functionality (like when my dad drives my car and has his Credence Clearwater Revival CDs with him) I understand one way to do this is to set up a CD changer that holds a number of CDs in a compartment and reads off of them for the stereo. I was wondering how much these tend to cost, and if they are small enough to fit in the car stereo-sized space that would be left in my dashboard by the removal of the current stereo and instalation of a minidisc stereo (my car has one of those car stereos that take up enough space for two stereos in the dashboard). Any useful advice would be appreciated. Thanks Dopers! 🆒 ---
**Author:** ![Ms2001](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ms2001/32/18463_2.png) [@Ms2001](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ms2001)\ **Post date:** [July 24, 2005, 12:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/audiodopers-cd-changers-in-car-stereos/313818/2 "2005-07-24T00:17:21Z")
Most aftermarket CD changers are installed in the trunk or under the seat, and connected to your head unit with a long cable. [Crutchfield](http://www.crutchfield.com) is an online/mail order store with some good resources on choosing a stereo and changer that will fit in your car. ---
**Author:** ![jnglmassiv](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f07891/32.png) [@jnglmassiv](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jnglmassiv)\ **Post date:** [July 24, 2005, 12:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/audiodopers-cd-changers-in-car-stereos/313818/3 "2005-07-24T00:23:54Z")
Some use low-powered FM transmitters to send the CD audio to the factory head. If the OP is not married to Minidisc (and I guess I don’t see the desire), I’d recommend an aftermarket radio that accepts MP3 CDs. Alpha tags and bunches of music plus regular CD backwards compatibility. ---
**Author:** ![Ms2001](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ms2001/32/18463_2.png) [@Ms2001](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ms2001)\ **Post date:** [July 24, 2005, 1:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/audiodopers-cd-changers-in-car-stereos/313818/4 "2005-07-24T01:01:40Z")
> [@jnglmassiv](#): > > Some use low-powered FM transmitters to send the CD audio to the factory head. I wouldn’t recommend one of those. They cause a loss in sound quality and they’re susceptible to interference. If you’re on a road trip, and you find that the unused frequency you set the changer to in your home town is used by an actual radio station in another town… well, it’s annoying enough having to change the frequency on an iPod adapter or satellite radio that’s stuck to your dashboard, but imagine having to go back to your trunk to change it. (Unless you can change it with the remote control.) > [@](#): > > If the OP is not married to Minidisc (and I guess I don’t see the desire), I’d recommend an aftermarket radio that accepts MP3 CDs. Alpha tags and bunches of music plus regular CD backwards compatibility. Agreed. You can fit 10 CDs on an MP3 disc, which is more than many changers will hold, and you can erase and reuse CD-RWs just like MiniDiscs. And if you get a stereo with an aux input jack on the front, you can hook up a portable MD player or whatever else you might have. ---
**Author:** ![Raguleader](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/258eb7/32.png) [@Raguleader](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Raguleader)\ **Post date:** [July 24, 2005, 1:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/audiodopers-cd-changers-in-car-stereos/313818/5 "2005-07-24T01:22:52Z")
> [@jnglmassiv](#): > > If the OP is not married to Minidisc (and I guess I don’t see the desire), I’d recommend an aftermarket radio that accepts MP3 CDs. Alpha tags and bunches of music plus regular CD backwards compatibility. Not particularly married to mindiscs, but I already own a minidisc player and some discs, and I like the format (less paranoid about dropping and damaging the minidiscs) Actually, can anyone recommend a CD car stereo that has a line-in jack so I could just plug my minidisc player directly into the stereo? I have an FM modulator that’s something of a pain (with the audio cord running from the minidisc player to the modulator, and the cord from the modulator to my cigarette lighter, and the charger cord from the modulator that WOULD hook up to my minidisc player if it had a recharging plug on it, I like to refer to this setup as “Cord hell”) ---
**Author:** ![Ms2001](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ms2001/32/18463_2.png) [@Ms2001](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ms2001)\ **Post date:** [July 24, 2005, 1:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/audiodopers-cd-changers-in-car-stereos/313818/6 "2005-07-24T01:42:26Z")
> [@Raguleader](#): > > Actually, can anyone recommend a CD car stereo that has a line-in jack so I could just plug my minidisc player directly into the stereo? I’m pretty happy with my JVC MP3/CD player with line input… looks like the model I have isn’t available anymore, but [this one](http://www.bestbuy.com/site/olspage.jsp?skuId=6986069&type=product&productCategoryId=pcmcat52600050007&id=1099389601151) has the same feature. ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Blue\_Sky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d26b3c/32.png) [@Mr.Blue\_Sky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Blue_Sky)\ **Post date:** [July 24, 2005, 1:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/audiodopers-cd-changers-in-car-stereos/313818/7 "2005-07-24T01:50:57Z")
There’s also [this one.](http://www.dealtime.com/xPF-JVC_KDDV5100_DVD_MP3_CD_Receiver_DVD) It’ll play DVDR MP3 discs. ---
**Author:** ![jnglmassiv](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f07891/32.png) [@jnglmassiv](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jnglmassiv)\ **Post date:** [July 24, 2005, 2:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/audiodopers-cd-changers-in-car-stereos/313818/8 "2005-07-24T02:00:53Z")
> [@Mr2001](#): > > I wouldn’t recommend one of those. They cause a loss in sound quality and they’re susceptible to interference. If your factory stereo doesn’t have some sort of input connector and many don’t, the RF tuner is the only way in.