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MP3 Capability

dereksharpuk

dereksharpuk

New member
When I ordered by Boxster Coupe (sorry Cayman) I looked forward to an iPod socket ala BMW. No need for an expensive CD Stacker system. Sadly, despite what I had been told by ill informed salesmen, the Cayman arrived without that facility. Perhaps sales had been confused by the fact that all new Porsches with PCM have an MP3 facility; that is they can play CDs with MP3 files.

So what?

Well, I have just loaded 18 of my own CDs onto my computer, converted them to MP3 file format then downloaded the whole lot onto a single blank CD. Now, in the single slot on my dash, I have effectively 18 CDs; far better than an 6 CD stacker. Moreover, I have grouped them in folders and all numbers are labelled. Absolutely brilliant, especially as I have only recorded the tracks I really like. If I had changed the sampling rate (ask me about that), I could have theoretically loaded a hundred CDs!

Who needs an iPod? Who needs a CD stacker?
 
More interesting! Just discovered that if you fully use iTunes to download from original CD the PCM Audio display will list the name of the song playing automatically.
 
I'm pretty sure that the MP3 facility is standard on all MY 06 987s/997s with PCM. I'm dead impressed and now have 143 tunes on my single CD, all able to be selected by name from the screen.Of course one can even arrange them into folders, though have not cracked that bit yet. No wonder Porsche don't push the facility as no one would order a CD stacker.
 
Dead impressed, what are you talking about? I have a poxy volvo v70 (alright its a T5 so I can impersonate a traffic policeman) and it can play mp3's from the standard CD player, so can Corsa's for God's sake. I've just bought a 45 THOUSAND pounds car and because I only purchased the Bose and didn't buy PCM at a cost of 2 thousand pounds I can't play mp3s. What absolute rubbish!

What's more the aux input has been removed from the head unit, so no IPOD connection and no bluetooth connection.

If Porsche had of offered me a way of connecting my IPOD and bluetooth phone this would have been just about acceptable, but the part of the brochure which says that the head unit is compatible with the latest standards is what can only really be described as a marketing lie.

In simple terms it is not good enough.
 
Derek

Fascinating - but how on earth does a non-techie convert the contents of [part of] a CD into an MP3 format? I assume that one then burns the result onto a CD rom disc [thing].

I have the [potential] help of a 25 and 20 year old but no actual understanding of what I am expected to do!!

Sad isn't it; a middle-aged lawyer unable to understand things that the average 15 year old picks up at once.

Thanks for your help.

PS I am not iPodicly -challenged.
 
Don't bother Julian, I have several CD-ROMS full of MP3's recorded at 192kbps (better than normal quality) and the sound quality difference between them and the CD originals is huge.
 
Seems like shades of MY 05 TMC (see other links)! Personally I would never buy a 987 without PCM, even if I did not need Sat Nav. Pity that the car does not have iPod capability, but having used an iPod in my Cayman I noted the following problems:

1. It sit in the arm rest cubby hole out of sight.Hence it is difficult to read the screen.
2. One needs to buy a transmitter with all the associated problems. The BMW system is far better. Even better is a iPod designed car radio such as the Alpine CDA 9847R which lists what is playing on your iPod. A mere £199 in Halfords!
3. The cubby hole power source is always live, hence one needs to disconnect the iPod every time one turns off the ignition.

Anyway, with MP3 capable PCM (sorry), the system is perfect.

As for Bluetooth, yes I agree your comments, however, even mighty BMW are having trouble with it.

 
If you download the iTunes software for free from the Apple website - no iPod required you can rip the songs from your CD's in MP3 format or a number of other ones at a variety sample rates and then burn them to a CD.

Also great having loads of music on your computer especially if your having a party, you'll have the music to hand.
 
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