Mazda Accessories Brochure
 

Quote from Letter that arrived with new accessories brochure regarding the sound system

" A truly modular system, any sound equipment configuration you desire can be arranged"

Then the brochure states cassette cannot be fitted with mini-disc, mini disc cannot be fitted with cassette, and mp3 cannot be fitted with cd multi changer"

Don't you just love this company??

Yep, I noticed that too. Luckily I knew the truth before I got too excited about the 6-CD, MP3, Minidisc combination... By the way: what's a 'cassette'...? ;)

It's a real shame the MP3 option does away with the changer. OK, I'm not one of the many IT RX8ers on this forum so I only have a limited knowledge of computers/mp3/tech stuff BUT... as I understand things, to read/decode an mp3 CD requires a different laser/lens to a regular audio player and some decoding hardware. Shame this couldn't be incorporated into the multiCD - imagine 6 CDs full of MP3s. (Imagine how many fill-ups before you hear the same track again!)

Very early audio CD players had trouble with CD's from computer CD writers, due to the lower reflectivity of writable medium compared to standard silver discs. But this is unheard of these days in all decent home and in-car audio systems, so they will have no trouble reading audio discs produced on a computer.

The same mechanism is used to read both audio and MP3 CD's, the difference being how the player interprets the data.

There is no reason why you cant have a multi-player combined with a MP3 capability - there are plenty about these days.

Cheers
---Dave

I'd just assume have an aux-in somewhere to connect my iPod. Is the cassette the only device that provides one?

exactly... even more of a shame that having the mp3 'upgrade' means losing the multi-changer :(

nope , theres a thread on the audo forum talking about friging a line in for whatever reasons.

Tape uses a custom conenction to the head unit, with some control commands to switch to it/play etc. Will probably be hackable but dunno how hard.

I'm gona stick to the 6cd - and wait for a hdd based lower MP3 unit if it ever comes. I'e been used to 6CD changer for the last 3 years, and I dont find it aproblem, this will be eassier because I can change disks on the move.