Ditto What Peter said below.

Let the stereo/Mac/PC flame wars begin!

YMMV,

Mr. BZ

On Feb 26, 2010, at 4:51 PM, Peter DiFalco wrote:

> *Hi Don,*
>
> *I would like to put in a plug for an iPod.  I find that Apple's
> iTunes is a
> very simple way to organize music and to decide which playlists
> (ordered,
> grouped songs) go onto the iPod and which don't, in the event that you
> choose not to carry around the entire shebang at once.  I further
> think that
> Apple's attention to detail yeilds clean sound reproduction whether
> you're
> using headphones or a docking solution (line out). *
>
> In general: any MP3 player will usually play MP3s, which can vary in
> quality
> from poor (96 kilobyte bitrate) to practically-as-good-as-CD (320
> kilobyte
> bitrate). They will also play WAV files which are exactly CD quality
> but
> take up far more space, 4 - 10X as much space per minute, as an
> MP3.  iPods
> will also play Apple AAC files, which vary from near-CD quality (128
> kilobyte bitrate) to instinguishable-from-CD quality (256 kilobyte, so
> called "iTunes plus") quality.
>
> You can use iTunes to "rip" (read: copy and convert) music from CD
> to either
> MP3 or AAC format to any of the different quality levels. Personally
> I rip
> CDs to 320k MP3 because it gives me the best sound quality and most
> flexible
> usage abilities, as I am also a DJ / sound manipulator.
>
> You can buy excellent quality MP3 or AAC files from Amazon or iTunes,
> respectively.  I personally consider it my right to create a digital
> backup
> copy of a CD that I have purchased at no additional cost but IANAL
> so you
> may feel differently. I also consider it my right to find and
> download a
> digital MP3 copy of something I have previously purchased on cassette,
> 8-track or LP because hey - I've already paid the artist and label
> for the
> right to play this music.
>
> While I currently just connect the headphone output of my iPod
> directly to
> the line-in port on my audio deck, this is not considered the
> "cleanest way"
> because of problems involving matching impedance between headphone
> and line
> levels. A car stereo which includes a dangling iPod dock would be
> better
> because this ensures matching line-level impedance for cleanest sound
> reproduction.
>
> I understand some car audio decks now come with a USB port so you
> can simply
> copy MP3 or WAV files directly to a USB stick drive and plug it into
> your
> car stereo. This sounds like a very tempting solution which obviates
> the
> need for a dedicated player, if you wouldn't otherwise use a
> personal music
> playback device.
>
> Obligatory Vanagon content: As soon as they're easily available from
> eBay I
> intend to build a robust iPod dock into my dashboard ash tray. I
> believe
> someone on Thesamba has done this. Will post pics if I get that off
> the
> ground.
>
> cheers,
>
> Peter
> 89 Bluestar
> iPod shuffle
> iPhone
>
>
> *
> *
> On Fri, Feb 26, 2010 at 3:08 PM, Don Hanson <dhanson928@gmail.com>
> wrote:
>
>> OK,  can someone bring me into century 2000 when it comes to music
>> players
>> suitable for various enviornments?  I have a CD changer, a Mini-disc
>> player,
>> a good sound reproducing amplifier in both house and van but I know
>> nothing
>> of digital players like everyone seems to be using now.  Do I just
>> go get
>> an
>> MP3 player from Best Buy or Wal Mart and plug that into my current
>> stuff?
>> Do
>> I have to buy an I-pod (whatever that is) and then re-purchase
>> every song I
>> like? How do I get music I have on other mediums to go into a
>> computer file
>> so I can send it around to all my various mechanical reproducers in
>> Van and
>> home?
>>  Can you buy software to convert recorded music to MP 3 playable
>> format?
>> Is there a good site anyone can suggest that would be worthwhile
>> for me to
>> learn this stuff from?  Should I just go to Fry's electronics or
>> Car toys
>> and listen to a salesman's rap?  Help, lost in the world of CDs and
>> records
>> and tapes...
>>  Don Hanson
>>