Stereo Repair advice needed

My ears aren't so good anymore, but distortion kills me. I'm thinking that in a car it's not such a big deal with all the ambient noise anyway...and an MP3-capable deck is a lot easier to use than a disk changer.

Thanks, guys.

-John O

MP3s - If your player supports variable bit rate (VBR) than I suggest you encode with high quality VBR. The data rate varies on the complexity of the sound at that point, ie silence = 0, a single note might be ~128Kb/s and bang/crash/voice might be more like 256Kb/s. Programs like iTunes let you set a minimum bit rate for VBR - suggest 128Kb.

In a good stereo, 128Kb fixed can sound OK, probably similar to FM radio. I can easily notice the difference in bass/top end between 160 and 192Kb, but after that I can't tell the difference with my gear. For most car setups,

128-192 or Medium VBR would be fine IMO.

For best ripping, try exact audio copy:

LAME seems to be a popular encoder too...

Cheers, Jason PC-Video-Gaming:

128MB USB/MP3 Player/Voice rec $89

I successfully removed and dismantled my OEM stereo yesterday. The good news is I got it back together and reinstalled with no screws left over, and it still works as well as it did on Saturday. The bad news is that the motor that spins the CDs is broken. I think that would be an expensive part and it would be a gigantic pain to take the CD player apart to that level, so I need to buy a new stereo head or a changer, or live with just the radio and tape.

Thanks for the advice, everyone.

That's good news that you now have the confidence in replacing your stereo. Good luck with replacing it. I'm sure you'll be happy with a new unit.

MP3s are kinda like *.jpg fotos; they can be very good, or they can be poopoo. Really depends on bit-rate, and whether the creator took the effort to "normalize" the levels. MP3 "tags" are also a nice but optional feature. Fortunately these are easily added/edited if so desired. I really prefer MP3s for mobile use; way easier (and safer) than fumbling with swapping CDs on the run.

ByeBye! S.

Steve Jernigan KG0MB Laboratory Manager Microelectronics Research University of Colorado (719) 262-3101

Best Buy runs ads occasionally offering free installation with sale car stereos. This doesn't include the price of an "installation kit", which seems to run about $60. Considering Crutchfield sells them for about $7 or sometimes gives them away, is Best Buy a ripoff, or is there something else at work here? Does my 2001 OBS require anything special?

David

Most any contemporary stereo will mount using the existing brackets in your car. If you have one of the double-height factory units, you will need a "pocket" to fill the space left when you install a single-height aftermarket head. Mmmmm, about $10 from Crutchfield, IIRC. You will also probably want a wiring harness adaptor to match the new stereo to the Subaru harness, another ~$10 from Crutchfield; free if you purchase your electronics from them. So then. I'd estimate that the installation into your car by an experienced tech would take perhaps 15 minutes from the time they picked up the service ticket, til they handed you back your keys. If you've never done one before, the same job will probably take you

20-30 minutes; it's really fairly straight-forward given the harness adaptor, and requires only a phillips screwdriver, and perhaps a butter knife to pry the surround out. I'd suggest that the $60 "kit" is probably paying for the "free" install. This might still be a good deal, depending on how much you have to pay for the stereo, vs purchasing it on-line (or where ever), and doing it yourself; that you'll have to decide on a case by case basis.

ByeBye! S.

Steve Jernigan KG0MB Laboratory Manager Microelectronics Research University of Colorado (719) 262-3101