d james

I am looking fo a cheap aftermarket cd changer, I already own astock one, but I want to install a new amp and headunit and so need to buy a new one to work with the new stereo. the stereo is an Alpine, but their changers are at least 250 bucks, I have found some new ones (non alpine)for only one hundred bucks, but they say hear the cd through an unused radio station instead of through the cable. Does this sound good? I don't want some kind of crappy sound, I'd rather just stick to the cd recciever deck if that is the case, but I don't know anything about cd changers.

VIP1

RF Transmitters are susseptible to interference. Driving from one town to the next, you might get a clear signal in one place and a local radio station might cut in in another place. For some this isn't an issue, but it was for me. The sound quality is like any other FM station, a bit less than CD. I converted the CD Changer port on my Monsoon headunit to allow RCA input with an adapter from PIE so I could connect my Pioneer XM receiver. They also make an adapter for Alpine, but it requires that an Alpine CD Changer to be connected to be able to use the added RCA ports. This obviously won't work for you.

Your best bet is to try it for yourself. Everyone's experience with RF Transmitters is a bit different. It depends on your personal preference and where you live.

badjuju342

iTrader: (3)

the RF changer's sound is only as good as your tuner .A 100.00 changer doesn't sound like very good plan in terms of sound quality and product quality.I'd save my bucks and get a good name brand.

VIP1

That isnt really a factor since the RF Source is often piped directly into the antenna wire or placed near it. Therefore a really crappy headunit will still pick up the signal fine. The issue is that your car is a moving target. Other stations and the frequencies they cover (or bleed into) will change as you drive around. One of those stations could cause intererence. My commute to work used to be 30mi each way. The station that the RF was set to at my house was not the best to have it set to at my office. I had to try a feww different stations before I found one that was acceptable on my commute. Even the best tuner will still have these problems. Engine whine can also creep in. So does electrical whine. I remember nearing a whine when I used my power mirrors. The lower the frequency, the more likely for the whine. The higher the frequency, the less likely to find a free enough section of the FM band to use the RF Transmittor. Eventually I hardwired it (direct RCA) with an adapter. Like I said before, it depends on your preference and where you live/drive.

badjuju342

iTrader: (3)

I was referring to the sound quality of the tuner not the reception quality. A tuner that sounds like crap is gonna make the CD changer sound like crap. I guess I should have clarified that a bit.

VIP1

The reception issue is a much bigger issue than the "quality" of the headunit.

badjuju342

iTrader: (3)

The thing here about Rf changers is the Rf modulators themselves , I 've seen units that were cheap to allow the Fm stations to bleed through when the modulator should have stopped it dead. Think about it , you 're getting a signal from an FM transmitter from a radio station x miles away that is recieved by the car 's antenna to the tuner finally vs. a FM modulator that most likely is connected in the antenna socket of the head unit . The reception should not a be a strong factor here because it is receiving its signal just a few inches away from the fm modulator. Now inversely , the FM modulator "transmits " the signal so therefore it should be providing a clean signal. Sure, with a crappy analog tuner (dial) tuner it's not going to be all that accurate .But any Phase Lock Loop (PLL) digital tuner worth a damn,that shouldn't be an issue. If you had reception problems before , then you'll still have reception problems after possibly but maybe not . It could be a faulty antenna . But if you didn't, the FM modulator is the culprit. The antenna doesn't mean squat at the frequency the modulator transmits at , i.e. 88.5 ,88.7 ,etc. In fact if you notice , all the fm stations don't receive well with the the modulator turned on and transmitting . It not only transmits but also rejects outside frequencies.Therefore , the sound quality of a tuner is more important. If you've got a Pyramid head unit and a Wal-Mart changer then it's gonna sound crappy.A good name brand head unit and good rf changer will sound almost as good (but not quite as good ) as a direct plug in unit.You shouldn't experience any reception loss in the CD changer's sound reception wise ,regardless of where you are. Why? Because the changer's "fm station"is right in the car with you.

d james

Ok the RF deal sounds pretty lame, I guess it should work for the stereos that can't use a hard line, but for people with a decent stereo there should be more options. All the cd changers that have a direct line are expensive, and there aren't very mahy of them compared to the RF kind. It can't be that more expensive to produce a cd changer with a direct line.

VIP1

badjuju342,

I was using a Pioneer XM Receiver that came with a FM Transmitter which was wired inline with my power antenna. While it did block out the station it was set to, the "real" station or a near by station still caused interference. Its best to set it to an empty area on the dial (which I did). It doesn't matter where the radio station's tower is, it will still cause interference. I have tried a few different transmitters and a few different headunits. All exhibited the same issues. The real station's sound didn't always blead through but it did intruduce static and muffled noises. Also, my statement of electrical/engine whine still stands. Using an RF Transmitter is a cheap alternative, but not great solution. Some people have great success with it. I had limited success.