SSI America NEOCHANGER 10MP3
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Similar in Car CD Changers
- Disc Capacity: 10
- CD-R/CD-RW Playback: CD-R/CD-RW
- MP3 Playback: With MP3 Playback
- Changer Type: CD
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The First After Market CD Changer That's not an FM Radio
Pros
Uses wires not FM radio - so you get real CD qualityl Plays MP3 CDs.
Cons
Difficult to navigate 50+ track MP3 CDs. Sometime CD player isn't found by console.
Recommended it?
Yes
The Bottom Line:
Cheaper than a factory CD changer, plus it plays MP3 CDs.
We have a 2001 VW Jetta which we bought with the standard Monsoon audio system. It's a great system but the car came without a CD-changer.
I asked about the VW factory changer which the dealership told me was $350 installation charges - quite pricey. This year we were at Best Buy and asked what CD changers they had that we could install. The Neochanger has the wiring to connect a wide variety of car manuafacturers standard radio consoles that have the capacity to control a CD-Changer.
The Only After Market Changer Not to Use FM
The big deal about the Neochanger is that unlike almost all after-market CD-Changers it connects using the existing wiring that factory CD-Changers use. Standard changers use FM transmitters to create your own little mobile radio station playing directly from your trunk to your dashboard.
It's important to recognize that FM radio used in other after market changers is *NOT* CD quality. FM gets a narrower range of tones (less low bass, less high treble) and less dynamic range (when it suddenly goes from soft to load) than CD quality. I can attest to the sound quality of the Neochanger unit as excellent through our VW / Monsoon system.
As a "wired unit" this is the only non-manufacturer installed CD changer currently available that delivers real CD quality.
Plays MP3 CDs
The second big win where this beats factory changers is that this one plays MP3 CDs. This means if you have a PC with a CD-burner you can fit a hundred or so tracks on each of the 10 CDs in your changer. This means with the Neo Changer you can carry around most people's entire music collection on 10 CDs.
When the Rubber Hits the Road
Other things to consider when installing this unit are that your console unit may not make it easy to play MP3 CDs with a hundred tracks. Our VW Monsoon unit allows you to navigate forward on track at a time - so getting to track 50 is quite laborious. I'm sure that a console designed for MP3 CDs would make this much easier.
Another issue is that the standard VW/Monsoon console is only capable of navigate the first 6 of the CDs in the changer using the tuner preset buttons, so even though the Neochanger holds 10 your console may limit the practical number to 6. Presumably the VW / Monsoon changer only holds 6 CDs.
All the standard controls on the Monsoon console worked as specified in the manual - so you really don't lose anything with a unit that's cheaper than the factory unit. With the changer in the book none of your passengers know you don't have the factory changer.
The disc unit itself contains particularly flimsy CD holders. It seems likely that with this flimsiness over time you risk damaging one of your slots.
In the two weeks we've had the unit we did have an occasion where the console said "No CD Installed". Powering off and on seemed to resolve the problem.
In Summary
For $250, which was over $100 less than the VW changer, you get MP3 playing ability (it does play standard CDs too) and CD quality which you want. Your car's CD player may limit the CDs that can be played to 6, not the 10 that the Neochanger offers.
Right now if you're considering a car CD changer either buy the factory changer, upgrade your existing factory console with the Neochanger, or replace the entire thing. I would strongly avoid going the FM route since you're getting short changed on quality.
I asked about the VW factory changer which the dealership told me was $350 installation charges - quite pricey. This year we were at Best Buy and asked what CD changers they had that we could install. The Neochanger has the wiring to connect a wide variety of car manuafacturers standard radio consoles that have the capacity to control a CD-Changer.
The Only After Market Changer Not to Use FM
The big deal about the Neochanger is that unlike almost all after-market CD-Changers it connects using the existing wiring that factory CD-Changers use. Standard changers use FM transmitters to create your own little mobile radio station playing directly from your trunk to your dashboard.
It's important to recognize that FM radio used in other after market changers is *NOT* CD quality. FM gets a narrower range of tones (less low bass, less high treble) and less dynamic range (when it suddenly goes from soft to load) than CD quality. I can attest to the sound quality of the Neochanger unit as excellent through our VW / Monsoon system.
As a "wired unit" this is the only non-manufacturer installed CD changer currently available that delivers real CD quality.
Plays MP3 CDs
The second big win where this beats factory changers is that this one plays MP3 CDs. This means if you have a PC with a CD-burner you can fit a hundred or so tracks on each of the 10 CDs in your changer. This means with the Neo Changer you can carry around most people's entire music collection on 10 CDs.
When the Rubber Hits the Road
Other things to consider when installing this unit are that your console unit may not make it easy to play MP3 CDs with a hundred tracks. Our VW Monsoon unit allows you to navigate forward on track at a time - so getting to track 50 is quite laborious. I'm sure that a console designed for MP3 CDs would make this much easier.
Another issue is that the standard VW/Monsoon console is only capable of navigate the first 6 of the CDs in the changer using the tuner preset buttons, so even though the Neochanger holds 10 your console may limit the practical number to 6. Presumably the VW / Monsoon changer only holds 6 CDs.
All the standard controls on the Monsoon console worked as specified in the manual - so you really don't lose anything with a unit that's cheaper than the factory unit. With the changer in the book none of your passengers know you don't have the factory changer.
The disc unit itself contains particularly flimsy CD holders. It seems likely that with this flimsiness over time you risk damaging one of your slots.
In the two weeks we've had the unit we did have an occasion where the console said "No CD Installed". Powering off and on seemed to resolve the problem.
In Summary
For $250, which was over $100 less than the VW changer, you get MP3 playing ability (it does play standard CDs too) and CD quality which you want. Your car's CD player may limit the CDs that can be played to 6, not the 10 that the Neochanger offers.
Right now if you're considering a car CD changer either buy the factory changer, upgrade your existing factory console with the Neochanger, or replace the entire thing. I would strongly avoid going the FM route since you're getting short changed on quality.
