I’m surprised how long it took for the tape deck to disappear completely in new vehicles. It easily killed the 8-track players in the early ‘80s because cassettes were much more practical, but Compact Discs took a while to wipe out cassettes and become king of in-car aural entertainment.
But the CD won’t be celebrating for very long. Not one, but five modern media technologies are locking their cruise missiles on the Compact Disc. Despite adding MP3 and WMA file playback capability in recent years, the plain old CD nonetheless doesn’t offer the flexibility and musical variety that we audiophiles demand from now on.
Do people buy as many albums on CD as they used to? Definitely not. The MP3 file format, high-speed Internet, file-sharing computer software inspired by Napster, online stores like iTunes and the public’s indignation in paying $25 for a music CD that has only two or three good songs on it have all contributed to their decline.
And when you look at what’s available in cars and trucks today, I’m wondering how much longer a traditional CD player will be the main source of in-vehicle music.
A simple USB port allows us to plug in a memory key filled with thousands of songs in MP3 format, which have been easily dragged and dropped from our computer. On a personal note, this is all I really need in a sound system to be happy.
Some stereos even have a user-friendly interface to make searching through that load of tunes much easier, and some even offer the ability to choose songs by artist or by genre with a voice command feature (such as Ford’s SYNC).
A hard disc drive integrated in sound systems even allows the user to copy the songs from a CD or a USB key, which means these songs will stay forever in the stereo’s innards.
More and more carmakers offer an integration kit for the ubiquitous Apple iPod, which allows the user to sift through the handheld player’s catalogue directly through the sound system’s interface, which is safer while driving than plugging in an MP3 player through the auxiliary input jack and manipulating its tiny buttons.
But now, forget the wires and plugs, as Bluetooth streaming audio connects the stereo to your smartphone or handheld player without fuss. What’s next? Imagine getting in your Wi-Fi-enabled car in the morning and connecting to the music server in your house to hand-pick and transfer the tunes you feel like listening to while you drive to work.
Now, just because a simple stereo with a USB port, which can be found in a $9,995 Kia Rio, is a great solution for music variety, it doesn’t mean manufacturers have to cheapen their vehicles’ speakers. Whatever’s installed in the dashboard, speakers must continue to offer a high-quality output.
Compact Disc, your days are numbered.
But the CD won’t be celebrating for very long. Not one, but five modern media technologies are locking their cruise missiles on the Compact Disc. Despite adding MP3 and WMA file playback capability in recent years, the plain old CD nonetheless doesn’t offer the flexibility and musical variety that we audiophiles demand from now on.
Do people buy as many albums on CD as they used to? Definitely not. The MP3 file format, high-speed Internet, file-sharing computer software inspired by Napster, online stores like iTunes and the public’s indignation in paying $25 for a music CD that has only two or three good songs on it have all contributed to their decline.
And when you look at what’s available in cars and trucks today, I’m wondering how much longer a traditional CD player will be the main source of in-vehicle music.
A simple USB port allows us to plug in a memory key filled with thousands of songs in MP3 format, which have been easily dragged and dropped from our computer. On a personal note, this is all I really need in a sound system to be happy.
Some stereos even have a user-friendly interface to make searching through that load of tunes much easier, and some even offer the ability to choose songs by artist or by genre with a voice command feature (such as Ford’s SYNC).
A hard disc drive integrated in sound systems even allows the user to copy the songs from a CD or a USB key, which means these songs will stay forever in the stereo’s innards.
More and more carmakers offer an integration kit for the ubiquitous Apple iPod, which allows the user to sift through the handheld player’s catalogue directly through the sound system’s interface, which is safer while driving than plugging in an MP3 player through the auxiliary input jack and manipulating its tiny buttons.
But now, forget the wires and plugs, as Bluetooth streaming audio connects the stereo to your smartphone or handheld player without fuss. What’s next? Imagine getting in your Wi-Fi-enabled car in the morning and connecting to the music server in your house to hand-pick and transfer the tunes you feel like listening to while you drive to work.
Now, just because a simple stereo with a USB port, which can be found in a $9,995 Kia Rio, is a great solution for music variety, it doesn’t mean manufacturers have to cheapen their vehicles’ speakers. Whatever’s installed in the dashboard, speakers must continue to offer a high-quality output.
Compact Disc, your days are numbered.