Blaupunkt Casablanca CD51 Car CD Player
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- Player Type: CD
- Controlled Devices: CD Changer
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Blaupunkt hits the spot
Pros
superior CD quality, great sound, awesome radio reception, powerful!
Cons
display during the daytime is hard to read
Recommended it?
Yes
The Bottom Line:
It's very powerful, the radio reception is awesome, it looks really cool, and CD player sounds great! Aux input is handy.
I bought my car used and the previous owner had installed an Alpine stereo that claimed 4x25 watts. It had a detachable face and I think over the years, the connection between the face and the unit was loose and it would always cut out and the buttons rarely worked. I had to get a new head unit and had one major requirement: an auxiliary input for my minidisc player.
I found that there were two types of aux-in units out there, those with an input on the face and those with 'optional' (i.e. buy another cable) inputs. The Blaupunkt was in the optional category. My price range was $150-$200 and I managed to find the CD-50 at Crutchfield for less than $200 (including the $13 for the aux-in). It is billed as 40x4 watts. The CD-51 is the newer version, with cosmetic changes and is listed at 50x4 watts peak power. I learned that the best way to compare power ratings is to use the RMS rating rather than the peak power rating that is usually listed on the face of unit. The RMS power of the CD-50 is 25 watts x4 and so is the CD-51. I couldn't find any other brand with an RMS rating that high in the Crutchfield catalog. My Alpine was probably 17x4 RMS.
This was my first stereo installation. I had never used a soldering iron before and was pretty nervous about ruining everything. I got it from Crutchfield (see review) and with their help and diagrams for my car, it was actually pretty easy and looks great. There was only one minor hitch involving the antenna connection.
I was concerned about the radio reception based on reviews of this and other Blaupunkt head units but the Blau website and a magazine review of Digi-ciever technology said it was awesome. I took a chance sight unseen. After I installed it, sure enough, it picked up 2 stations, and barely! BUT WAIT! I took a look at the instruction booklet and it turns out I had it plugged into the wrong jack. There is an L-shaped jack that plugs into the back and the antenna goes in there. The reason I made this mistake is because the installation instructions by Blaupunkt have no words, oddly enough and there is some unidentified cable that the antenna fits into that looks a lot like the Alpine antenna jack. But anyway, the reception is sooo much better than before. I live 60 miles from NYC and about 40 miles from Philly. I get many stations from NY now and some from Bethlehem, PA! And the RDS technology is cool. It displays the station names of participating stations.
Finally, the CD sound is so much better than my old unit. I thought I could sing along and sound good, now I know how far off I am. My ears are still ringing from the power. That's not good.
I must agree on some of the negatives others pointed out: The screen is nearly impossible to read in the daylight. You can shield it with your hand and see it but that's a pain. And I thought not seeing the clock all the time wouldn't bother me since my car has a clock and I wear a watch but I guess it is a little annoying. My only concern is the flip-down, detachable face. I'm glad it's not motorized (less to break) but I hope it doesn't get loose like my old Alpine.
Overall I am totally satisfied. I also like the rotating dial for the volume control. I love this stereo. I don't think I even need new speakers, that's how much better it sounds.
I found that there were two types of aux-in units out there, those with an input on the face and those with 'optional' (i.e. buy another cable) inputs. The Blaupunkt was in the optional category. My price range was $150-$200 and I managed to find the CD-50 at Crutchfield for less than $200 (including the $13 for the aux-in). It is billed as 40x4 watts. The CD-51 is the newer version, with cosmetic changes and is listed at 50x4 watts peak power. I learned that the best way to compare power ratings is to use the RMS rating rather than the peak power rating that is usually listed on the face of unit. The RMS power of the CD-50 is 25 watts x4 and so is the CD-51. I couldn't find any other brand with an RMS rating that high in the Crutchfield catalog. My Alpine was probably 17x4 RMS.
This was my first stereo installation. I had never used a soldering iron before and was pretty nervous about ruining everything. I got it from Crutchfield (see review) and with their help and diagrams for my car, it was actually pretty easy and looks great. There was only one minor hitch involving the antenna connection.
I was concerned about the radio reception based on reviews of this and other Blaupunkt head units but the Blau website and a magazine review of Digi-ciever technology said it was awesome. I took a chance sight unseen. After I installed it, sure enough, it picked up 2 stations, and barely! BUT WAIT! I took a look at the instruction booklet and it turns out I had it plugged into the wrong jack. There is an L-shaped jack that plugs into the back and the antenna goes in there. The reason I made this mistake is because the installation instructions by Blaupunkt have no words, oddly enough and there is some unidentified cable that the antenna fits into that looks a lot like the Alpine antenna jack. But anyway, the reception is sooo much better than before. I live 60 miles from NYC and about 40 miles from Philly. I get many stations from NY now and some from Bethlehem, PA! And the RDS technology is cool. It displays the station names of participating stations.
Finally, the CD sound is so much better than my old unit. I thought I could sing along and sound good, now I know how far off I am. My ears are still ringing from the power. That's not good.
I must agree on some of the negatives others pointed out: The screen is nearly impossible to read in the daylight. You can shield it with your hand and see it but that's a pain. And I thought not seeing the clock all the time wouldn't bother me since my car has a clock and I wear a watch but I guess it is a little annoying. My only concern is the flip-down, detachable face. I'm glad it's not motorized (less to break) but I hope it doesn't get loose like my old Alpine.
Overall I am totally satisfied. I also like the rotating dial for the volume control. I love this stereo. I don't think I even need new speakers, that's how much better it sounds.
